#he’s terrified that Wilson is going to give in because of what the Twitter guy is doing to him and he can’t bear to see that happen | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mellometal · 3 years

Text

I know I said I don't associate myself with the Panic! fandom anymore, but this is something I have been ACHING to talk about. This is some bad timing, since it was Brent Wilson's birthday recently (yes, his birthday is July 20th, NOT August 20th; source: I've been following him on Twitter for five years and he's actually said this), but this is going to be about Brent and the whole situation with him.

Warning: What I'm about to say about the situation with Brent Wilson (original bassist) is heavily biased, since I do stan him. YEAH. I STAN BRENT MATTHEW WILSON, THE ORIGINAL BASSIST OF PANIC! AT THE DISCO. CRY ABOUT IT. STAY MAD. He's one of the ONLY members of Panic! At The Disco (past and present) who I give a fuck about, besides Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Ian Crawford.

Trigger warning: This will be talking about arrest, jail, drugs (doing and selling), weapons (guns), childbirth, parenthood, and some other things. If these things are triggering for you or make you uncomfortable in any way, you do not have to read this post. Consume media that sparks joy for you.

Disclaimer: I don't know Brent in real life, I'm not in his circle of friends or people he's closest to (like his wife Taylor, his parents, his brother Blake, his in-laws, his irl friends, coworkers, etc.), and this is not me acting like I do. I don't know what his life is like outside of Twitter. The only contact I've ever had with him has been on Twitter, but it was pretty limited.

My thoughts on this situation are MY opinion, any possibilities in my thoughts are just theories and not proven to be true, and I'm not trying to excuse whatever he was allegedly charged with.

Just for the record, I am willing to have a civil conversation with anyone who hates Brent. The minute you attack me or anyone else who likes Brent, or a whole bunch of you start circle jerking about how much you hate him, you're getting blocked. If all you're going to bring up is the shit Brent did when he was in his late teens instead of adding anything useful to the discussion, you're getting blocked too. I already know about that. It happened back in 2004-2006. They were all still kids, to a point. Brent has changed quite a bit since then. The whole "Hate on Brent Wilson" bandwagon is stupid, toxic, and I refuse to jump on it. I've never jumped on it when I was in the Panic! fandom, so why would I do it now?

Remember, without Brent bringing Br3nd0n Ur!3 into Panic!, your precious Br3nd0n wouldn't be successful today. JUST SO YA KNOW. (I'm very salty right now, if you can't already tell.)

If you would like to know about what happened with Brent, a few months ago, he was arrested on (alleged) drug charges and illegal possession of a weapon, along with a traffic violation and something to do with a probation violation too. He was set to go to court back in March for his sentencing, but that's the most recent information I've found. I don't know what the fuck is going on at this point. I don't know if he's been sentenced, if he's doing anything alternative like rehabilitation, nothing. (The reason why I said they're alleged charges is because I don't know if he's even been to court for sentencing or anything like that.)

People's reactions were mixed. Some actually LAUGHED and made a whole bunch of jokes about him being arrested (that's fucking insensitive and cruel). Some felt bad for Brent because he just became a dad (yes, he's a dad, but I'm not posting any pictures of the kid out of respect for Brent and Taylor). Some were shocked. Some weren't surprised (how and why????).

My reaction? It was pretty mixed. I was shocked. I thought I was having a fever dream and what I was seeing was fake at first. When I realized it wasn't fake, I was crushed. I felt absolutely horrible for Brent, Taylor, their kid, and all their loved ones. Like, I care about the guy a lot. Obviously.

Ironically, the band members and/or group members I stan are either the black sheep or they're just not as popular. Or they're the fucking scapegoat almost EVERYONE attacks for the stupidest shit. Brent's the black sheep as well as the scapegoat of Panic!, for example....and I would say that Ian is another black sheep too. Not for any negative reasons. He's simply not as popular, due to the fact he was only in Panic! during the Vices era for a short time. He's underrated as FUCK. I'm one of the black sheep in a lot of places [except for friend groups], even in my own family, so it explains why I stan Brent still.

I just want to say that selling drugs and doing drugs aren't inherently bad things to do. This doesn't mean that I'm for kids doing drugs and selling them. Absolutely not. I want people who do drugs or sell drugs to be treated like human beings. I also want them to be able to seek help easier without the judgment or being treated like a criminal. Personally, I don't do any of that, but I understand why someone would. (This kind of thing hits home for me.)

As far as the whole weapon thing is concerned (it was a gun), I personally don't like them and we need better gun control in the United States. I don't think I'd trust anyone who owns a gun because of the possibility that they would hurt me or worse in an argument or something. I've seen my abuser threaten to pull a gun out on my dad when I was a kid. Thankfully it wasn't loaded, but still. It was scary. I wouldn't own a gun because I'm autistic, mentally ill, and I'm afraid of what I might do in certain situations. If someone wants to own a gun for protection, hunting, target practice, or to collect them, fine. BUT YOU DON'T NEED A HUGE ASS GUN THAT THE MILITARY USES TO GO HUNTING OR FOR TARGET PRACTICE. I don't like them, I don't want one, I don't trust myself with one, guns scare me, and I want better gun control in the United States. It terrifies me that people openly carry. I understand that's the Second Amendment and all, but it doesn't change the fact that it terrifies me. As long as you're responsible with that kind of thing, I don't really care.

I don't know what Brent's reason was for (allegedly) owning a weapon (maybe for protection or something?), but it's none of my business.

In my opinion, this is all stupid shit. There are people who have done horrible things and they're STILL free people, but oh, god forbid you do or sell drugs! THAT'S bad. /s

Here's my response below. I'll type out everything, except for the disclaimers and what he was arrested for. I will start from the fifth paragraph on the first screenshot and continue from there. This is so anyone who has a hard time reading any of the screenshots can read them easier.

(My response was from around the time it was announced that he was arrested. Just so you know.)

First screenshot, fifth paragraph:

First off, I just want to say that this situation is a fucked up one for anyone to be in. I would never wish this on anyone. Especially because now, there's a baby involved, so this makes the situation worse. This is pretty difficult for me to put into words without coming off as bitchy or anything like that, so if I get bitchy here, I apologize.

Second screenshot, fifth paragraph:

I don't know what caused this mess to begin with, but I do know that Brent and his wife Taylor just had a baby a couple months ago (when I was typing this out initially). While it's a good thing for them, it can be assumed that this is also a very stressful time for them.

Combination of third and fourth screenshots (These are pretty much only theories; not facts, and they will be broken up into paragraphs):

The pandemic most likely isn’t helping their case. Las Vegas is a HUGE city and I’m sure A LOT of people there are REALLY struggling right now in all aspects. Maybe Brent and Taylor are struggling to pay off hospital bills or whatever (to put this into perspective, the average cost for hospital childbirth in Nevada is around $21,239, according to CBS News). The average salary for an accountant in Nevada is anywhere from $34k to $150k, and that all depends on education, experience (how long you’ve been in said career), certifications, and any additional skills. Take into account any other necessities they have to pay for, like their mortgage, bills, insurance, etc.

Let’s say that they did manage to pay everything else off, but they’re struggling to pay the hospital bills from when they had their baby. (Having a baby is fucking expensive in the United States, regardless of whether there are complications or not, and regardless of whether you have insurance or not.) Let’s say they’ve tried every single option out there, but nothing seems to give still. Maybe the drug selling was a last resort on Brent’s part. (As I’ve said, I don’t know the full story.)

The whole subject of drug paraphernalia hits home for me. My parents both did drugs when I was a kid. I’ve seen it a lot growing up. My dad was, in the past, in and out of jail for drugs and other things that aren’t relevant here. I’m not sure if my mom was in and out of jail for the same shit, but I know for a fact my dad was. Y’know, because he told me. ANYWAYS.

I get it. You gotta do what you gotta do. It’s not something I’d do personally, but I understand why somebody would do it. I wouldn’t treat them any differently. Maybe they’re selling drugs or whatever to keep themselves from losing their homes, put food on the table for their families, help pay their bills, pay for their education, whatever. It could be a number of things.

Fifth screenshot (people’s reactions to the news and my thoughts on them):

Now...let’s move on to how people are reacting to the news. There’s a lot of mixed reactions. A lot of people feel bad for Brent, especially since he and Taylor just had a baby a couple months ago (as I was typing this). Some people “aren’t surprised” because they were never fans of him in the first place. Others think this is amusing. I’ve seen some people who are solely involved in celebrity news (similar to TMZ) making jokes about the situation, which to me, is appalling.

Let me tell you something. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of Brent or not. This shit isn’t funny or cute in the slightest. It sure isn’t funny or cute to anyone who is being affected by the situation, which includes Brent himself, Taylor, their son, and all their loved ones. Like, full stop. Have some decency. Y’all are fucking gross. You can dislike Brent all you want, but he’s a real human being who fucked up. Personally, when I first heard the news, I couldn’t believe it at first. I thought I was having a fever dream. That is, until I looked it up and actually found that it was true. I was CRUSHED. Why? Because Brent is one of the last people I’d even expect to get into this whole mess.

Sixth screenshot (my thoughts):

If I’m being honest here...like, BRUTALLY honest, Brent needs to be put in REHAB, not jail. For anyone who has been here (on my Instagram) from when I used to dedicate this account to vintage Panic!, you know how I’ve never said anything but kind things about Brent. From the few times I’ve interacted with him a little bit on Twitter and from how I’ve seen him interact with others on the site, Brent is one of the sweetest people ever. I’m being genuine here. He’s a good guy who fucked up and did some dumb shit. Does that make him bad? No. Then again, as far as I’ve read about the current situation at hand, it’s too early to really determine anything. None of us know what caused him to have drug paraphernalia or anything else that he was arrested for in the first place.

Seventh screenshot (wrap-up):

I’m gonna wrap this up here. My heart aches for Brent, Taylor, their son, and all their loved ones. I hope that everything gets straightened out, all sides of the story come out, and that Brent can get his shit together again. Like he had been doing since he was kicked out of Panic!. I wish everyone involved nothing but the absolute best right now, given how fucked up the whole situation is. (Just to clear up any confusion, when I was referring to Taylor, I’m NOT referring to Taylor Swift or any other celebrity with the name Taylor. I’m referring to Brent’s wife.)

If you’ve read this far, thank you! If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’ll try to answer as best as I can.

Have my thoughts on the situation changed since February - March of this year? No.

I think that Brent needs some kind of help. That's why I mentioned rehab. It's obvious to me that's the kind of help he needs. I don't believe jail is helpful in certain circumstances (like drug charges, traffic violations, and other nonviolent crimes)....at least in the United States. They treat people who do drugs and/or sell drugs like they're subhuman. Yet there are people who have committed violent, deplorable, horrific crimes, and they're still free people. Funny how that works. I'm not too educated about how the jail system works in other countries, so I can't exactly tell you how I feel about that system on an international standpoint.

Brent should be with his wife and child. I hope the guy gets his shit together again. I believe Brent WILL get his shit together. Genuinely. I would never wish anything bad on him.

I don't crucify Brent like a lot of people in the Panic! fandom do. The only reason I would hypothetically do so is if Brent actually committed violent, deplorable, horrific crimes (i.e., chomo bullshit, trafficking...like, extreme shit) that would warrant him being locked up and I'd drop him completely at that point. OBVIOUSLY I DON'T SEE HIM DOING ANYTHING LIKE THAT. EVER. THAT'S JUST HYPOTHETICAL.

Anyways....have a good day, y'all.

#mello speaks #brent wilson #panic! at the disco #tw drugs #tw possession of a weapon #tw weapon mention #brent matthew wilson #holy shit I'm talking about PANIC! despite not associating with the fandom anymore? wow!#cw arrest #i really hope they're okay though #this situation is a fucked up one for anyone to be in

1 note · View note

maximoffvizh · 5 years

Text

fic: not what you intended

au: superhero vision rescues civilian wanda during the battle of sokovia | cw: character death (it’s pietro) | because i wrote this post and no one wrote the fic so i’ll do it myself

"The helicarriers need to leave,” comes Captain Rogers’ solemn voice through the intercom, and Vision looks away briefly from the streets, layered with the broken Ultron bots. From ruminating on whether they are aware of having died, or if it simply felt like being shut down. Returning to his duties as an Avenger. “Everyone on a final sweep for civilians. I’m not leaving until we know we did all we could.”

“And if we find bodies?” Colonel Rhodes’ question sweeps a shiver of silence over the comms, sharp intakes of breath whooshing in Vision’s ears.

“Be discreet, but get bodies to the helicarriers too,” Captain Rogers says, voice even lower, slower, more solemn. Resigned. “These people deserve to mourn if we find their families.”

His teammates call out over the comms where they are, where they’ll be looking, and Vision moves away from the streets they say, mind mapping out the immediate area. Every door unopened is one that someone could be hiding behind, every fallen chunk of rock might be hiding a terrified civilian, and he searches every nook and cranny for any other survivors. If it’s hopeless, and this country must die, they should at least have the decency to let the people escape Sokovia’s doom, to make a new home somewhere else.

The shell of a crashed train is piled up at the edge of the world, and Vision pauses for a moment to look out towards the horizon. It’s eerily beautiful, standing at the edge of this rising land, looking down at the trees far below. The cold wind whistling past him, so loud that it takes him a second to hear the sound of sobbing coming from the crushed train carriage.

He moves towards the sound cautiously, something in his chest aching at the way the sobs sound. Hollow, raw, painful. The metal doors are crumpled and jammed shut, and he carefully uses the beam from the mind stone to melt apart a hole big enough for him to slip through. The sobbing is only louder under the flickering overhead lights, and he finds the source of it quickly. A young woman, her ankle pinned beneath the buckled train seats, clutching the hand of a young man spread-eagled on the floor. He’s ashen, blood streaking down his temple, unseeing eyes staring at the sobbing woman, and Vision assesses the situation calmly and quickly. Whoever he is, he’s important to an injured young woman, but he’s dead.

Looking at the way the chairs have collapsed on top of the young woman, he’s sure he can get her out. She starts back when he looks into the carriage, moving like she’s trying to scramble away from him, but dragged back by her ankle. “Please try not to move,” he says, trying to keep his voice gentle, reassuring. “You’ll only make your injury worse.”

“Who are you?” she asks, her eyes huge and scared. “What do you want?”

“My name is Vision,” he says. “I’m an Avenger.” Her eyes flash, and she leans away from him, still clutching onto the dead man’s hand. “I want to help you out of here.” He looks at the man’s body again, the tangle of dark hair matted with blood, and tries not to let her see him look. “What’s your name?”

“Why should I trust you?” she snarls. “Look what the Avengers have done. All this is your fault.” Swallowing thickly, unable to deny her accusation, Vision turns his attention to the seats collapsed on top of her, giving a futile shove at them. “Don’t bother. Just let me die with my brother and my country.”

“I’m under orders not to leave any civilian here to die,” he says, keeping his voice level and calm. “I have to get you out of here. I am perfectly willing to bring your brother too. We will cover the costs of his funeral.”

“Wow, the generous Avengers!” she snarls, and he recoils at the venom in her voice. “They splash money on mass funerals and simple gravestones while a country crumbles around them and expect forgiveness for destroying a country!”

“Ma’am, I need to help you, and it requires your cooperation,” he says, looking out of the window again. They’ve risen higher, the air growing thin, and despite the young woman’s bravado her face is pinched and ashen with pain, and there are tear tracks glittering on her sharp cheekbones. “Allow me to free you and take you to safety. Then you may rail against the Avengers all you like.”

“No,” she snaps. “You and those heroes like you took everything from me. I’ll die here.”

A jolt, and suddenly the country is falling, and Vision cannot simply walk away and leave an innocent life to fade away in the ocean. Heedless of the shouting of the rest of the team over the comms, the panic-stricken yelling, he cleaves the seat in half with a jet of light from the mind stone, shoving it off the young woman. He grimaces picking up her brother’s body, wishing there was a more dignified way of carrying him, but short of calling for another teammate there’s nothing he can do.

The young woman screams and hits at him when he picks her up, but he blasts another, wider hole in the side of the train, the metal sheet peeling away and flying off in the wind. Kicking away from the floor, he looks back just in time to watch Thor’s lightning crackle up and the entire country burst into a mass of nothing but rocks and dust. In time to see a final silhouette of Ultron fly away from the destruction, and he grits his teeth. He’ll be the one to finish this.

Agent Barton is standing on the surface of the helicarrier, covered in dust and dirt, and when Vision lands he reaches out to help him lay the young man’s body across the floor, to cover him with a white sheet before any of the children around can be frightened by a corpse. The young woman defiantly tries to walk away, but the moment she takes a step she collapses on an undoubtedly broken ankle, curling in on herself with another broken sob. “I have to go after Ultron,” Vision says, and Agent Barton nods solemnly.

“I’ll find a shock blanket and some tea for her,” he says. “And see if we have anything to bind up her ankle. Did you see what happened?”

“Trapped under debris in a train crash,” Vision says, and Agent Barton winces. “She’ll need proper medical attention.”

“Maria is making calls to every hospital within flying distance as we speak,” he says, and Vision nods approvingly. “Go make sure Ultron can’t follow.”

When Vision returns to the helicarrier, after dispatching the final body Ultron could run to in a blast of life, pushing away the thought that he killed a part of himself, that with the death of another complex AI he’s the only thing of his kind in the world, he finds the helicarrier calm. The flurry of activity has quieted, the civilians sitting in groups, those who needed it treated with what medical supplies are aboard, most cradling cups of tea or soup.

The young woman is sitting alone, staring at the sheet covering her brother’s body. An ice pack is clamped to her ankle, probably all the helicarrier could choke up in the way of assistance for a broken bone, and a mug of tea is in her ringed fingers. She looks up and finds Vision’s eyes, and he looks away quickly, walking to speak to Agent Hill and Captain Rogers in the cockpit and firmly pushing away the rise of sadness at the hatred he saw in her eyes.

***************************************************************************

Signing an autograph onto a gap-toothed child’s piece of paper, trying to smile, Vision flexes his aching fingers and pours another glass of water. Life since Sokovia has been filled with firsts, but this is the twentieth event they’ve held to raise money for Sokovia, to help with medical bills and rebuilding and efforts to stabilise the lives of thousands of uprooted people. People smiling and thanking him for his service, and he just has to smile, to pretend that he doesn’t spend nights pacing the compound thinking of everyone they couldn’t save. Thinking of the young woman clutching her dead brother’s hand, collapsing to the helicarrier floor in a harsh sob, hatred in her eyes.

“Take a break, big guy,” Mr. Stark says, slapping him on the shoulder with a grin. “You’ve been here all morning. Wilson will be back from the coffee run soon, he’ll take your spot.”

“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” he says, and walks away with, “For the thousandth time, it’s Tony!” echoing in his ears.

Behind the scenes of the event, everything is dim and quiet. He pulls out his phone and sees thousands of mentions on the Twitter SHIELD made and maintains for him, everything happily talking about the event. At least it’s garnering attention for Sokovia, maybe they’ll make the amount of money they can only dream of over stilted team dinners, everyone still dealing with the wounds of Sokovia. He still sees that young woman in his dreams, feels the way she tried to kick away from him in mid-air, thinking that if he weren’t so strong she might have succeeded. Fallen to the greedy water below.

An alarm sounds, and he looks curiously around as SHIELD agents run past him, guns whipped out from holsters on every conceivable area of their bodies, and his interest perks when he hears a heavy accent coming from the doorway to the labyrinth of corridors. “Look, please just let me past. I want to speak to Vision.”

“Then go around the front,” one of the agents says, and Vision approaches them cautiously. He recognises the ringed hands, the green eyes, the sharp cheekbones of the young woman behind a barrier of dark-uniformed shoulders.”Wait in the queue like everyone else.”

“It’s alright, Agent Wells,” Vision says, and the young man turns a wide-eyed look to him. “I’ll speak to her. Leave us.”

“Yes sir!” Agent Wells says, and Vision sees him resist the urge to salute before he leads the group away. Leaving him to look at the young woman, to see how she’s changed. It’s been six weeks since he saw a concerned nurse wheel her into a hospital, and she’s different. No crutch, though she is walking slowly. Her hair isn’t as dark, highlighted lighter at the front, and without the dark sweeps of eyeliner she looks younger.

“How can I help you, ma’am?” he asks, straightening up. She stares at him for a moment, her eyes moving over the no doubt strange contrast of his crimson skin to his normal clothing, the white shirt and simple black blazer that Mr. Stark told him was the best idea for a long day at this event.

“I actually wanted to talk,” she says, and shifts awkwardly. He takes in her clothes, the black dress and the way she keeps tugging the grey sleeves of her cardigan down over her hands, the chipped black nail polish on her fingers and the ladder in her tights, the scuffed toes of her battered black boots. “I never thanked you. For saving my life.”

“Thanks are not necessary, Miss...”

“Maximoff,” she says with the tiniest shadow of a smile. “Wanda Maximoff.” She fidgets with one of her rings, a thick silver band around the middle finger of her left hand, and says, “I should thank you. You could’ve left me there with all the trouble I was making. But you took the time to help me, and to make sure Pietro’s body made it to a place I could bury him. We’d both be at the bottom of the sea if you hadn’t pulled me out.”

“It’s no trouble, Miss Maximoff,” Vision says. “Saving people is simply what I was made to do.”

“Well, you saved me, and that means something,” she says, and he can’t help getting a little flustered, feeling heat flare across the back of his neck at the earnestness in her pretty green eyes. “I wasn’t grateful at the time, but I am now. SHIELD set me up with an apartment, a job, and a chance to make a new life here. I didn’t have prospects in Sokovia except staying on the streets. Maybe I do now.”

“Where do you work?” he asks, and she smiles slightly.

“The Starbucks that Falcon just came into to pick up trays of coffees and distract every barista and customer in the place,” she says. “Maybe...you’ll drop in for a cup of tea when you’re done signing for children.”

“Perhaps I will,” he says softly, and Miss Maximoff smiles. When she turns away, he watches the way her skirt swings around her thighs for longer than he should, and turns back to picking at his salad, trying to blink the green of her eyes away from flickering constantly across his mind’s eyes.

#scarlet vision #scarletvision fic #scarletvision au #alternateuniversescarletvision #thescarletvisionnetwork #beth writes fic

54 notes · View notes

calzona-ga · 5 years

Link

Krista Vernoff, fresh off a two-season renewal and new job as 'Station 19' showrunner, talks with The Hollywood Reporter about the big cliffhanger.

[This story contains spoilers from the season 15 finale of Grey's Anatomy.]

ABC's Grey's Anatomy wrapped up its "Season of Love" on Thursday with a finale that teed up a plethora of new storylines to explore in the recently announced 16th (and 17th!) seasons.

Thursday's season 15 finale featured Meredith (finally!) professing her love for Andrew (Giacomo Gianniotti) — and doing so while he was behind bars. DeLuca was arrested (and stands to risk his career) after covering for Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), who committed insurance fraud to help a family who had been terrorized by immigration reform efforts. Meanwhile, Meredith, Richard (James Pickens) and Alex (Justin Chambers) wind up being fired by Bailey (Chandra Wilson) for their roles in the offense.

Elsewhere, Teddy (Kim Raver) goes into labor and finds support in an unlikely ally: Amelia (Caterina Scorsone). After Teddy gives birth (a girl, named after her best friend, Allison, who died on 9/11), Owen (finally!) professes his love to his former Army friend. It sets up a love triangle between Koracick (new series regular Greg Germann), who is back at home building baby furniture for Teddy. (Poor guy, Teddy doesn't bother to tell her boyfriend that she's in labor.) Then there's Amelia, who sees Owen moving on with Teddy and has Link (new regular Chris Carmack) waiting in the wings for something more serious at a time when she decides to work on herself.

As for Jo (Camilla Luddington), she (finally!) tells someone what triggered her depression as she turns the corner and fills in Alex (Justin Chambers) before getting treatment.

The hour ends with a cliffhanger that sees Jackson (Jesse Williams) leave Maggie (Kelly McCreary) alone after going out into the thick fog amid a multiple-car pile-up. Jackson fails to return, leaving Maggie terrified of what may have happened to him.

Below, showrunner Krista Vernoff — who hit pause on her well-earned vacation — talks with The Hollywood Reporter about the season as a whole and why she hopes viewers will be talking about Jackson all summer.

The episode ends with a cliffhanger, Jackson is nowhere to be found after going out into the fog. Why leave the finale so open-ended? Was this a contract decision or a creative one? He's coming back next season as a regular. It was a creative decision. It was a cliffhanger. I want people to come back [in the fall] and talk all summer and wonder what happens to him. We have not mapped it out. The writers come back June 3, I'm on vacation for two weeks and then we'll hit it. What I love about act six of our finale is we gave ourselves so much to play with for next season on all the storylines.

Will there be a time jump next season? I have no idea. It's unlikely that there will be much of a time jump because I really want to play through the consequences of what Meredith did. But I honestly might be lying to you because I honestly just don't know yet.

You described this as the Season of Love," and it ended with Meredith professing her love for Andrew. Is there a theme for season 16? That is a later conversation. We got through this season and then the writers went away. I'm really proud of the work we did this season but I don't have answers for next season.

You mentioned that you're excited to explore the consequences of Meredith's actions. Knowing that the series often takes on larger social issues, have you considered using Meredith's arrest for fraud to explore a bigger political storyline, perhaps around fighting for immigration reform? We have not. The very nature of what Meredith did here was an argument for reform because she was confronting and talking about a really broken system. The system was so broken and it was just enraging to her. The idea that this family is suffering this much and is now going to suffer more was more than Meredith could bear. So she made what amounts to a really stupid decision from a really noble place.

Meredith's actions felt very old-school Grey's — similar to when Izzie (Katherine Heigl) cut Denny's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) LVAD wire. And there was a reference to that famed scene in the finale as well! Was that intentional? Yes. One of the things that hasn't happened lately is Meredith Grey hasn't faced consequences for the rules that she breaks. She is a bold rule breaker and we love her for it — and she always gets away with it. We felt we had laid the groundwork to shock the audience when this time, Meredith doesn't get off so easy.

Meredith, Richard and Alex have all been fired, which will have a massive ripple effect on pretty much everyone, both at the hospital and in their respective personal lives … Indeed! It is consequential AF, as the kids say. We were excited in the writer's room about that. We couldn't stop kind of laughing like, "Holy shit, what have we done?! What are we doing?!" But when you get to 342 episodes — which is where we are — you have the right to take some bold swings, you have to take some bold swings if you want to keep the show fresh and exciting and you don't want people to get ahead of you. You have to be bold. And I feel like we were really bold here and we'll see how it all shakes out.

Jo reaches a turning point and is admitted for therapy. How much will you explore how there's no quick and easy fix for mental health and depression? I think that Jo is suffering from depression born of trauma … and the idea that her brain is telling her that she should never have existed. She's been in a horrible spiral and spirals are made more horrible when they live inside your head and you're unable to talk to anyone about them. This I know to be true: talking about things is the beginning of healing them. I was really proud of the design of that story. Episode 19 was such an exquisite episode and I hope that the writer and director and editors of that episode all get the Emmy attention they deserve. When I saw that episode, it uprooted all of my plans for Jo. There was no way in my mind that Jo could be happy and playful again this season, having just survived that. … We showed the beginning of the healing process. And the next step of the healing process is getting treatment. She needs treatment and that's what we see. So, while it makes you cry in the finale to see her and Alex say goodbye to each other, I believe that it's a happy cry because Jo is getting the help that she needs.

Let's talk about the Teddy/Koracick/Owen/Amelia/Link of it all. You really put a new spin on the love triangle in this one. Owen professes his love for Teddy, who doesn't call her boyfriend, Koracick, to tell him that she was in labor. What was exciting for you about exploring that, what, quadrangle? What do we even call that?! A love quintangle! In the end, it was a love quintangle. I was excited to take that story on because it was so complicated. I'm proud that we did that for the whole season without really ever having Amelia and Teddy go after each other, without leaning into those tropes that we have seen so often in love triangles where there are two women and one man. I'm proud that it was Amelia driving Teddy to the hospital in the end and then talking about how they could be friends and maybe they should be friends. I am very excited as a writer by the complexity of Teddy and Owen having that baby and having declared their love and then panning to find Tom alone in the nursery that he is building for Teddy and her baby. That's an exciting thing as a storyteller because it leaves just great material for next season.

Amelia's journey was terrific: she's getting over Owen and winds up meeting this Link, and they're absolutely wonderful together. And I say that as someone who has loved Amelia and Owen together since their start. Instead, Amelia says she's open to something more with Link but decides to explore who she is before committing to anything serious.

I was exceedingly proud of Amelia for her growth and for her maturity and for telling Link the truth, which is that he was a rebound and maybe he's not a rebound anymore because life is complicated and he is terrific but that she dove into him too quickly and she has to figure some things out before she can decide anything permanent. It's like, if everyone could grow up that much the world would be a better place.

The balance of power between Nico and Schmidt shifted — and Schmidt just came out to his mother, having found his confidence. Meanwhile, Nico seems truly miserable. Jake Borelli was upped to series regular but there's no word about Alex Landi. Will he be back next season? What did you enjoy most about their storylines this year? Alex Landi is going to be recurring for us again next year. I am not sure where it's all going but I thought that coming out scene was just gorgeous. I just loved them.

You're going to be showrunner on both Grey's and midseason spinoff Station 19 next season. I'd imagine that means you're shaking things up there, yes? I'm not ready to answer what I'm planning to do with it because I just took this on and I've got to study it and get inside of it. It's an exciting world and the idea of merging these two shows in a way where characters from Grey's might appear on Station 19 and vice versa. The design is that Station 19 is three blocks from Grey Sloan. When Stacy McKee [showrunner and creator] decided to go it made the most sense for me to oversee the whole thing and see how cohesive I could make it.

I loved seeing Schmidt in that world, too. Is there a specific character or two you're looking forward to writing for? I loved it, too. I need a month in a writer's room [to answer that]. I'm going to have writer's rooms that are right next door to each other and I've got great teams and I am really excited to answer that question for you in six weeks! [Laughs.]

How much pressure do you feel running both series? Maybe it's just exhaustion that's not allowing me to have the anxiety that I should probably be experiencing but I am excited. I had a conversation with Chandra Wilson when I came back to the show [two seasons ago] and we had a conversation about Bailey. The question she posed is, "We've established Bailey as being an ambitious woman. What does she do with all of her ambition now that she's the chief of the hospital?" That's where we started our conversation about Bailey and that's what I feel like applies here. It's like, "She gets two hospitals!" I feel like I came back to Grey's and it has been a joy. And I think it's been a success and now I get two shows! I get two hospitals. It's like my ambition is excited and I'm excited to challenge myself and see what I'm capable of doing with this new challenge.

Grey's was renewed for two more seasons. I hate to ask, but has there been any talk about if season 17 is the end? I've heard nothing yet. I'm under contract through season 17, that's what I can tell you.

#grey's anatomy #Krista Vernoff #THR

15 notes · View notes

timeisacephalopod · 7 years

Text

Charmed

Celebrity AU featuring Bucky/ Tony with a dash of Sam/ Steve. What is this exactly? I’m not sure, but I think it came out ok :)

Bucky sits with his head in his hands and Sam is about five hundred percent tempted to throw a ketchup covered fry at him but Steve was watching so he had to be on good behavior. “I don’t know why I agreed to this...” he mumbles more to himself than Sam or Steve.

Steve gives him a gentle pat on the back because unlike Sam he’s sympathetic to Bucky’s idiocy. “I’m sure your date will be fine,” Steve tells him gently.

“He’s so hot,” Bucky whispers, staring at the ground with wide eyes.

Sam squints, “I fail to see why that’s a bad thing,” he says.

“Because, bird brain, I’m a hot mess,” Bucky says. Sam shrugs, unwilling to argue with the truth even if Steve gives him a look. It wasn’t his fault Bucky was a disaster. Steve, because he’s a better person than Sam, continues to comfort Bucky’s dumb ass and Sam decides to scroll social media because Twitter had to be more interesting than Bucky. Watching paint dry was more interesting than Bucky.

When his date finally shows up Sam just about shits while Steve gives him a disapproving look. Sam quickly drags him off while Bucky starts the most awkward conversation Sam has ever had the misfortune of witnessing because Steve needed to know. “Do you know who that is?” Sam hisses at him.

Steve looks over his shoulder to give Bucky’s date another disapproving look, “someone who’s not good enough for Bucky,” he says and Sam rolls his eyes. If he were insecure he’d worry about Steve and Bucky’s friendship but thankfully Sam had the good sense to know that he was better than Bucky in every single way so clearly Steve wouldn’t downgrade to Bucky.

“No Steve, that’s Tony Stark. You know, recently won an Oscar in that weird Peter Quill movie?” Sam wasn’t much of a Quill fan- his stuff was always weird and convoluted- like Stanley Kubrick on crack and that was saying something. But he happened to like the cast of the movie so he gave it a shot and had been pleasantly surprised.

“Who?” Steve asks, squinting.

Sam rolls his eyes at Steve’s apparent lack of culture. “Howard Stark’s son,” he says and Steve clues in for a half a second before he decides this was a reason to end Bucky’s date before it began. Sam stops him before he can go though because Bucky was a grown ass man and he could make his own decisions.

When Steve stops struggling he frowns, “wait, how do you know that?” he asks.

He shrugs, “I might be a fan,” he says casually. The guy was good and Sam thought his asshole personality was endearing. Steve, however, clearly did not.

Bucky laughs as Tony criticizes the movie they’re watching, poking fun at the director that he seemed to have a lot of knowledge about. “Jeeze, do you have a personal vendetta against the guy?” he asks and Tony makes an offended noise.

“Everyone should have a personal vendetta against Justin Hammer. Did you see what he almost did to Wonder Woman? I would have personally fought him if his shitty script had’ve gotten past whatever moron producer even considered that crazy sack of hair,” he says, shaking his head.

He smiles, “you’re a Wonder Woman fan?” he asks because that was adorable, really.

Tony grins, “anyone with taste is a Wonder Woman fan,” he says. “She’s like every good thing about Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne wrapped up in a way better package,” he says, nose in the air.

“Batman is my favorite character,” Bucky confesses and Tony makes another scandalized noise.

“Heathen,” he accuses.

Bucky is texting Tony, who was on a rant about the score of some movie that was surprisingly hilarious, when Sam comes swaggering up looking like he was about to shit in Bucky’s cereal. “Whatever stupid thing you have planned it isn’t going to ruin my day,” he tells Sam. Their relationship, if one could even call it that, was a strange one for sure but he was certain they both secretly enjoyed their frienemy status. At least so long as Steve wasn’t around to scold Bucky for giving Sam tide pods instead of actual food for dinner. Or removing all his shoelaces from his shoes and throwing them out. Or replacing his black cat with a slightly smaller and meaner black cat.

Point was whatever retaliation Sam had planned for his pranks they weren’t going to get to him today because Tony was great and their date went shockingly well. Usually Bucky messed things up in ten seconds flat, but Tony confessed he usually did the same thing and the result was both of them acting like a bunch of awkward freaks for an hour before they gave up being embarrassed at themselves and went to do something more productive. Like watch movies and make out.

Sam just looks more enthused though and he hands Bucky a picture, “look familiar?” he asks, walking away while he cackles.

“I’m surprised you didn’t get a broom to ride out on, Wilson,” Bucky calls after him, earning a dirty look before Bucky turns his attention to the picture Sam handed him. Bucky squints at it for a moment because that guy looked a lot like Tony, but he was holding an Oscar.

It takes him an embarrassing twenty minutes to put it all together.

All Tony wanted was one normal thing and being a celebrity that was hard. He’s been in the game since he was a kid and the last time he ran into someone that didn’t recognize him on sight when he was looking to be noticed was when he was six. Then there had been Bucky, who ran into him with his charm dialed to eleven and he didn’t even notice and better yet he didn’t seem to have any idea who Tony was.

Maybe it had been too much to ask that he could just skate by without Bucky ever figuring out he was a two time Oscar winner but a guy had hopes and dreams, okay? Plus he thought his rants about Justin Hammer were hilarious and that was the fastest way to his heart, really. But Bucky does figure it out and he looks dumbfounded.

“I can’t believe I’m eating ice cream with someone who’s hung out with Leonardo DiCaprio,” he hisses at Tony.

He sighs, “he’s not that great,” he says. If he had to hang out with a great actor there were at least five people on his list before DiCaprio.

“You have Oscars,” Bucky says.

“And not even for my best performances,” Tony agrees. How the hell Quill’s movie even got to the Oscars he had no idea but Peter was shitting several bricks. Especially when his movie won a stupid amount of them even though it was plotless nonsense. All of his stuff was weird and pointless but people kept giving him money and Tony was good enough friends with him that he took a role to be supportive. He didn’t expect a second Oscar out of it.

“That’s true, that time you played a vampire in that one teen drama-” Bucky starts but Tony cuts him off.

“We don’t talk about that time in my life, I was addicted to cocaine,” he says, only half joking about that.

Bucky seems to take it as a joke anyways and laughs. “I don’t get it though, how are people not recognizing you?” he asks.

Tony sighs, “its not... turned on, I guess is the best way to put it. My charm,” he clarifies. Bucky frowns, obviously not understanding and Tony sighs, “want to see it?” he asks. People were always so surprised when they watched it happen and Tony didn’t have words to explain the transformation.

“Sure,” Bucky says after a moment’s pause.

Tony nods and hands over his glasses, “hold those,” he says and he takes off the hat he was wearing, facing backwards because people didn’t really expect his personal aesthetic to be a cross between fuck boy and hipster styles. It was a deliberate choice on his behalf. He runs his fingers though his hair though, fluffing it a little and he takes a deep breath, channeling that charm he always had on at award shows. It never failed to get the attention of everyone around him and when he opens his eyes he knows Bucky has seen the difference too. Apparently he did notice, just not until he saw it happen.

It takes all of five seconds for someone to walk up, recognizing him on sight and he plays his part well, smiling for anyone who was watching and handing out an autograph. It happens a few more times before he decides he’s had enough of that and he drags Bucky off. “I don’t want to draw a crowd. And trust me, it happens fast,” he says, putting the hat back on his head and taking his glasses back so he could see again.

“That was... weird,” Bucky says. “You were like that when we met, I uh... just didn’t notice until now I guess,” he mumbles.

Tony nods, “you’re the first person I’ve run into who hasn’t recognized me with my charm on since I was a kid. When its off most people don’t notice, but when its on? People swarm,” he says.

“Sounds exhausting,” Bucky says.

He nods, “its is, which is why I liked you. But uh... this is my life and escape is nice but I’ll have to go back eventually,” he says, leaving his unasked question hanging in the air.

“I didn’t know I went on a date with a celebrity, I’m sure I can handle whatever else gets thrown my way,” Bucky says. “And the bonus is that this all happened just in time for Yom Kippur- my family jokes that I always have some ridiculous or outlandish thing that overshadows the holiday and this year its that I’m too dumb to notice I’m dating a famous person. If you want you can come just to witness the chaos- my family is very dramatic and this is bound to be one of the more popular Bucky Ruined Yom Kippur Again stories,” he says.

Tony raises and eyebrow, “what’s the current top contender?” he asks.

Bucky sighs, “that’s probably a tie between the time my grandma told me my depression would go away if I ate better and hung out in the sun so I sort of freaked out and did a lot of yelling about how I still had depression even though I was outside eating a banana and the time my family discovered I’m genuinely terrified of mustard. Yes, I mean the condiment and no, its not funny to chase me around with a mustard hotdog like my asshole sister,” he says.

For a moment Tony looks dumbfounded and then he bursts out laughing, “leave it to me to find someone more dramatic and ridiculous than the movies I star in. But I like you, weird mustard fear and all. And since you know about my celebrity status, want to go to Malibu with me?” he asks.

“If there’s no mustard I’m in,” Bucky says, grinning.

#alternate universe #sam x steve #tony x bucky #my wrting #fanfiction #tony stark #bucky barnes #steve rogers #sam wilson #winteriron

110 notes · View notes

junker-town · 5 years

Text

The 9 dumbest mistakes from NFL Week 12, ranked

Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Almost everyone was sluggish in an ugly week in the NFL. But no one screwed up worse than Jason Garrett (again).

No one really wants to work hard this week. Thanksgiving — a perfect holiday that marries football, food, family, and online shopping — is mere days away. We are all just skating until Wednesday afternoon gets here and we peace out a few hours early to try to beat the traffic (spoiler: we will not).

That pre-holiday restlessness extends to the football field, apparently. Many teams, players, coaches, and officials looked entirely unenthused to be working this Sunday, because it showed in ugly game after ugly game.

Week 12 was summed up most accurately by the Patriots’ 13-9 win over the Cowboys. What should have been an exciting matchup between two of the most popular (and hated) teams in the NFL turned into a rain-soaked slopfest. The offense was at a minimum, the only real highlight came via a blocked punt, the refs decided to call two BS tripping penalties that confused everyone, and Jason Garrett’s decision-making might’ve earned himself a one-way ticket to New York.

(Oops, we might’ve spoiled the top spot on this week’s rankings. What can we say? We’re ready for Thanksgiving too.)

On that note, here’s a lazy bit of transition to bring you the nine dumbest mistakes from Week 12:

9. Mike Glennon fumbled twice in three snaps during garbage time

The Raiders got blown out by the Jets 34-3, and things got so bad that head coach Jon Gruden surrendered in the third quarter when he benched Derek Carr. That’s when backup Mike Glennon came into the game and promptly fumbled two times ... in the first three snaps:

Raiders QB Mike Glennon has trouble with the snap pic.twitter.com/FKsQkqPC2B

— Main Team (@MainTeamSports) November 24, 2019

Glennon stayed in for the rest of the game. He completed 4 of 7 passes for just 20 yards. His longest of five drives gained just 15 yards. He led the Raiders to exactly zero points. That’s the peak Mike Glennon experience right there.

8. The Packers keep going backward returning punts

Nothing much went right for the Packers in a 37-8 loss to the 49ers, especially on offense. The 49ers’ pass rush bullied the Green Bay offensive line. Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times, fumbled once, and put up a Blake Bortles-like stat line.

But don’t let that distract you from how bad their punt return game has been. Tremon Smith returned two punts for a grand total of -3 yards. That’s not great, but it’s even worse when you realize it’s been that way the entire season:

UPDATE: The Packers now have NEGATIVE 11 punt return yards on the ENTIRE SEASON.

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 25, 2019

The Packers are approaching historically inept levels with their punt return game. The 1965 Cardinals own the record for fewest punt returns yards in a season with 27, which is at least, y’know, a positive number.

So is the number of punt return yards Trevor Davis has with the Raiders this season: 108. The Packers traded him to Oakland in September, btw.

7. This terrible Mitchell Trubisky throw resulted in a pick, naturally

It hadn’t been a great week for Trubisky — season, really, but let’s just focus on this week. He was benched late in a loss to the Rams in Week 11, supposedly because of the hip injury he’s dealing with, even if everyone believes it was because he was stinking it up on the field.

Still, Trubisky mostly played better Sunday against the Giants. The Bears were up 19-7 in the fourth quarter and had a chance to add to their lead. That’s when he reverted back to his worst form and chucked the ball downfield right into the hands of Julian Love.

Julian Love!!! Guy had a rough week in his personal life. Getting his first real reps this week and his first NFL interception!! pic.twitter.com/9DKp2gYaIc

— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) November 24, 2019

The Bears’ defense saved Trubisky and didn’t let the Giants score off of this turnover, at least. But it was his second pick of the game — the first came in the red zone — and the kind of terribly ill-advised throw that makes it easy to start picturing any number of veteran quarterbacks in a Bears uniform next season.

6. A Raiders stop turned into a Jets TD due to an awful roughing penalty

Oakland forced the Jets into a third-and-16 from the Raiders’ 20-yard line after Maxx Crosby picked up a clutch sack of Sam Darnold — or so the team thought. But Maurice Hurst’s dogged pursuit of the New York quarterback was ruled too violent for the back judge, even though nothing about his clean-up tackle seemed excessive.

One of the worst roughing the passer calls you’ll see. Probably cost Raiders four points. pic.twitter.com/Bu59Zd9Epd

— Dan Hanzus (@DanHanzus) November 24, 2019

Jon Gruden, uh, was not happy to say the least!

I think Jon Gruden said “Happy Thanksgiving”. pic.twitter.com/gKWRLirNB7

— Ryan Field (@RyanFieldABC) November 24, 2019

Instead of third-and-long, the Jets were treated to first-and-goal from the 4-yard line. One play later, Darnold scampered into the end zone to give his team a 10-3 lead.

5. Cam Jordan gave a Panthers’ drive new life with a stupid punch

The Saints got off to a 14-0 start early against Carolina, but the Panthers fought their way back throughout the second quarter to close that gap — and they can thank Jordan for six of those points.

Demario Davis had wrapped up quarterback Kyle Allen for the Saints’ second straight sack, bringing up what should have been fourth-and-long with a little more than three minutes left in the first half. But as officials whistled the play dead, Jordan swarmed Allen and decked him with a punch/shiver combination that connected with the Panther’s facemask and sent him to the turf.

Cameron Jordan tried to punch the ball out after the whistle and smashed Kyle Allen in the face instead, which is frowned upon pic.twitter.com/QQycxKnExJ

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) November 24, 2019

This post-whistle forearm strike led to an easy unnecessary roughness call from the back judge. Rather than punting on fourth-and-26, Carolina was gifted a new set of downs. The Panthers then drove 56 yards to score a touchdown as time expired in the first half, cutting what could have been a 24-9 New Orleans lead down to 17-15.

Jordan would take to Twitter afterward to claim responsibility for his mistake shortly after the game.

Sheesh! Gotta hear that whistle... was trying to punch the ball out and make a big play ended up costing my defense... that’s on me gotta hear that whistle...

— cameron jordan (@camjordan94) November 24, 2019

He’s lucky it didn’t cost them the win because ...

4. The Panthers couldn’t get the ball in the end zone late AGAIN

For the third time this season, Carolina couldn’t score late in the red zone when it needed to. With just over two minutes left, it looked as if Kyle Allen was about to lead a game-winning touchdown drive. After Ron Rivera won a defensive pass interference challenge (AGAINST THE SAINTS), the Carolina offense had first-and-goal from the New Orleans 3-yard line.

Then the Panthers’ offense went backward, and lost 7 yards in three plays:

Coming out of the two-minute warning, Panthers kicker Joey Slye missed a 28-yarder, which allowed the Saints to counter with a game-winning field goal of their own to win it.

The worst part about this? This is now the third time the Panthers have lost a game late because they couldn’t score in the red zone. During losses to the Bucs and Packers this year, Christian McCaffrey was stopped short of the goal line.

3. Carson Wentz forgot how to throw a football

The Eagles had a chance to take an early 7-0 lead over the visiting Seahawks when Wentz dropped back on third-and-9 from the Seattle 10-yard line. Tailback Miles Sanders had darted out toward the sideline, and a soft toss would give him the chance to find the end zone and make a statement that the two-point home underdog wouldn’t be easily dismissed.

Instead, Wentz made a very different statement, one he’s made entirely too often this season.

Carson What? pic.twitter.com/22r9hkIijX

— Sean Wagner-McGough (@seanjwagner) November 24, 2019

Wentz threw a pass straight out of junior high gym class, missing Sanders by roughly five yards. The Eagles settled for a 28-yard field goal moments later.

2. Russell Wilson topped Carson Wentz with an even worse miss

The throw by Wentz to Sanders was bad, but that one wasn’t a guaranteed touchdown. The Eagles running back was going to evade a Seahawks defender or two to get into the end zone.

Wilson’s overthrow of Jacob Hollister in the end zone was way worse.

Third and goal, Wilson runs out the pocket and throws a duck to a wide-open Jacob Hollister.#Eagles got lucky. pic.twitter.com/QFAdylacRv

— DIE-HARD Fans (@Eaglesfans9) November 24, 2019

There’s a real chance Wilson wins the NFL MVP award and his ability to avoid the Eagles’ pass rush at the beginning of the play was a perfect example why. Lobbing a ball way over Hollister’s head and out of the back of the end zone isn’t going to help his résumé, though.

Rather than taking a double-digit lead in the second quarter, the Seahawks had to settle for a chip-shot field goal to go up 10-3.

1. Jason Garrett coached his way out of a possible upset win over the Patriots

Neither Dallas nor New England could generate much offense on a cold, rainy, and windy afternoon in Foxborough. That weather, combined with the Patriots’ suffocating defense, put a premium on points for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. And this idea, apparently, terrified Jason Garrett.

Or, in other words:

Jason Garrett is such a chicken shit.

— David Fucillo (@davidfucillo) November 25, 2019

The Cowboys’ head coach opted for a field goal on fourth-and-7 from the Patriots’ 11, cutting a 13-6 New England lead to 13-9 with six minutes to play and reducing Dallas’ burden from needing a touchdown in the final minutes of the game to ... needing a touchdown in the final minutes of the game.

So why not go for it? If they had failed to convert, then the Patriots would’ve gotten the ball deep in their own territory and Dallas could’ve relied on its defense to force a punt.

Instead, the Cowboys didn’t touch the ball again until there was 2:38 left on the clock and they had to start from their own 8-yard line. Dallas’ day came to an unsurprising end when its ensuing drive gained just 17 yards (thanks in part to a questionable tripping call) before a turnover on downs.

Garrett’s decision ensured the Cowboys only lost by four points and not seven. It also left Jerry Jones frustrated. At this rate, maybe Garrett will be coaching the Giants next season after all.

0 notes

melindarowens · 7 years

Text

Virginia fallout

With Zach Montellaro and Elena Schneider

THE FALLOUT — “Republicans have a serious suburban problem in 2018,” by Campaign Pro’s Scott Bland: “Republicans thought Donald Trump’s 2016 performance in the suburbs was as low as the GOP could go. Then Ed Gillespie went even lower. The Republican nominee for Virginia governor underperformed the unpopular president in a toxic political environment for the GOP — losing by landslide margins even in some territory where, just three years prior, he had nearly broken even in a run for Senate. … The GOP started the year seeing a silver lining in Trump’s bad suburban 2016 results. He didn’t drag other Republicans down with him, they said, and if the party could figure out how to pair its traditional suburban strength with Trump’s rural enthusiasm, it would be unbeatable. But in the past 24 hours, that ambition has given way to alarm. Republican strategists described Gillespie’s 9-point loss and other election results around the country as a massive early warning signal for the 2018 elections, when House Republicans must defend 23 mostly suburban districts that Trump lost last year. ‘If it were just Virginia, we could put it down to federal workers and contractors, but it happened in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, too,’ Chris Wilson, a GOP strategist, wrote in an email. ‘If you’re a GOP incumbent in a heavily suburban, college educated district, I think you’re worried today and rightfully so.’” Full story.

Story Continued Below

— “GOP faces wrenching call: Running with or away from Trump,” by POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt: “With Trump’s approval ratings cratering in swing states across the country, some senior party strategists are imploring lawmakers to abandon the president. Others argue that shunning Trump and his populist base is simply out of the question and that anything other than a full embrace of the president would spell electoral disaster. … White House advisers spent Wednesday combing through the election results and fuming about Gillespie’s have-it-both-ways approach. By keeping Trump at arm’s length, they said, Gillespie squandered an opportunity to motivate conservatives whose support he needed. … The dilemma is expected to be a major topic of discussion next week at the Republican Governors Association annual meeting in Austin, Texas. And top House GOP campaign strategists, trying to preserve their now-tenuous majority, said they wanted to look more deeply into the Virginia results before drawing conclusions. ‘It’s quite a predicament,’ said Tony Fabrizio, a longtime GOP pollster who worked on the Trump campaign. ‘You can’t be the anti-Trump guy in the primary. But you don’t want to be the 100-percent-for-Trump guy in the general,’ he added. ‘When you go to one extreme or the other, that’s when you fall short.’ … In the end, Gillespie released about $500,000 worth of mailers highlighting the president’s endorsement of him.” Full story.

— “House GOP faces its fears after Virginia election,” by Elena Schneider: “Virginia’s elections set off a wave of panic inside the House GOP Tuesday night, increasing worries that the party’s majority is in jeopardy in 2018 and that more incumbents may decide to retire rather than run for reelection next year. … Paul Shumaker, a Republican strategist based in North Carolina, talked to several of his political clients Wednesday morning, warning them: ‘First of all, you have to run the race of your life. Second, you have to carve out a unique set of issues for yourself, which is very hard to do for down-ballot races, and localize issues to overcome concerns voters might have about Trump.’ ‘That’s a tall order,’ Shumaker said. … ‘What terrifies Republicans most about losing the majority is having more of these retirements, which could speed up after Virginia,’ said a Republican fundraiser. ‘The number of swing district retirements — [Reps. Martha] McSally, [Dave] Reichert, [Charlie] Dent, and we’re expecting five or six more — could be the true measure of Democratic ability to flip the House.’” Full story.

— “Battered by Trump, Obamacare triumphs at the polls,” by POLITICO’s Rachana Pradhan: “A remarkable 4 out of 10 Virginians in early exit polls said health care was their top issue in a race that saw Democrat Ralph Northam, the current lieutenant governor, handily defeat Republican Ed Gillespie to become Virginia’s next governor. And in Maine, voters in a landslide backed Obamacare Medicaid expansion, which their governor had vetoed on five separate occasions. … ‘We have an opportunity to send a very clear signal to anyone who is spending time and money opposing the ACA,’ said Jonathan Schleifer of the Fairness Project, which poured funding into the Maine ballot measure campaign and is trying to boost lookalike Medicaid initiatives in states such as Utah and Idaho.” Full story.

— “Democratic women sweep into office in state elections,” by Campaign Pro’s Maggie Severns: “Women running for office for the first time may have wrested control of the Virginia House of Delegates from Republicans, who held the chamber since the 20th century. Another female Democrat flipped the Washington state Senate to her party’s control, alongside Democratic women who picked up state legislative seats in Georgia and Michigan, while Manchester, N.H. elected its first Democratic mayor in decades in Joyce Craig — who is also the city’s first-ever female mayor. … Tuesday’s elections will at least double the share of women represented in Virginia’s House of Delegates. They also represented close to half of the candidates this year, and two thirds of the candidates running in the crucial 17 House of Delegates districts won by Hillary Clinton in 2016.” Full story.

— THE KIDS ARE ALL WOKE — Estimates show Northam winning 69 percent of young voters, turnout spiking: Estimates from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University has 34 percent of registered voters age 18-29 turning out for the governor’s race, up from 18 percent in 2009 and 26 percent in 2013. And while Gov. Terry McAuliffe won these voters 45 percent to 40 percent over Republican Ken Cuccinelli, Northam won them 69 percent to 30 percent over Gillespie. There was no similar turnout surge in New Jersey, where 18 percent of voters age 18-29 turned out, essentially the same as in 2009 and 2013. Full story.

— THE NUMBERS — NGP VAN sees 5.5 million door knocks: NGP VAN, which is used by basically every Democrat running for office and major progressive organization, logged 5.5 million door knocks and 5.1 million phone calls using their software to contact Virginia voters since January 2017.

— Memo Moment: Here’s polling data and memos from Latino Decisions, Women’s Voices Women Vote Action Fund, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

RECRUITING UPDATE — Democrats push Bredesen in Tennessee Senate, per The New York Times’ Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin: “In the Senate, too, Democrats are seeking to expand the map. Facing a narrow path to a majority, they are strenuously wooing Phil Bredesen, a former Tennessee governor, to run for the seat that Sen. Bob Corker is vacating. Mr. Bredesen has been courted personally by Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, as well as several former governors who now serve in the Senate, including Mark Warner of Virginia, according to Democrats briefed on the overtures. And the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee commissioned a poll aimed at coaxing Mr. Bredesen to run. Mr. Bredesen is in Washington this week for meetings and is said to be nearing a decision.” Full story.

Days until the 2018 election: 362.

Thanks for joining us! You can email tips to the Campaign Pro team at [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected].

You can also follow us on Twitter: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin, @danielstrauss4 and @maggieseverns.

ENDORSEMENT WATCH — FIRST IN SCORE — “End Citizens United endorses 5 House challengers,” by Campaign Pro’s Elena Schneider: “The group is now backing Democrats Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02), Brendan Kelly (IL-12), Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), Dan McCready (NC-09), and Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11). Sherrill is in a crowded primary and Kirkpatrick, a former congresswoman, has challengers as well, but the other three have clearer paths to the Democratic nomination in their Republican-held districts.” Full story.

— FIRST IN SCORE — EMILY’s List endorses Kim Schrier in WA-08: EMILY’s List is backing pediatrician Kim Schrier in Washington’s 8th Congressional District, the seat held by the retiring Reichert. The endorsement could give Schrier a leg-up in the crowded all-party primary. “At a time when congressional Republicans continue to sabotage health care for millions of families, Kim’s perspective as a doctor and a patient with a pre-existing condition is needed in Washington now more than ever,” EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock said.

PRIMARY CONCERNS — “This Megadonor Has Spent Millions On Republicans. Now He’s Thinking About Running Against One,” by BuzzFeed News’ Tarini Parti: “Republican megadonor Foster Friess was busy writing checks to GOP candidates, contemplating the future of health care, and getting coffee with liberals for his campaign to ‘restore civility’ in politics last month, when he got an unexpected call from President Trump adviser and provocateur Steve Bannon. ‘I get this call, ‘Foster would you consider running against [Wyoming Sen. John] Barrasso?’ And I said, ‘What’s your name?’ ‘Steve Bannon?’ Because we’re pretty much strangers, it kind of struck me as how did he even get my name or my number?’ Friess, a multimillionaire investor, is now launching a ‘listening tour’ to help him decide whether he should challenge Barrasso — his ‘personal friend’ and ‘hero’ — in a GOP primary, he told BuzzFeed News in a 90-minute, wide-ranging interview this week. … Friess says he has aired his policy frustrations with elected officials, including Barrasso, with no tangible outcomes. He now plans to decide in the next three to four months if he should mount a Senate bid himself.” Full story.

— “In shake-up, Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate to run for lieutenant governor, join Wagner ticket,” by the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jonathan Tamari and Chris Brennan: “In a shake-up for two statewide races, Main Line Republican Jeff Bartos is dropping out of Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race and joining the gubernatorial ticket of state Sen. Scott Wagner, according to three Pennsylvania GOP sources. A formal announcement is expected Thursday. Bartos will run as Wagner’s lieutenant governor candidate. His decision removes the main obstacle for U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta on his path to the Republican nomination for the Senate.” Full story.

2018 WATCH — “Cynthia Coffman is running for governor of Colorado, adding to long list of GOP primary candidates,” by the Denver Post’s Jesse Paul and John Frank: “Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman will enter the crowded, messy Republican race for governor Wednesday, saying she is the candidate that can bridge the prosperity divide between urban and rural Colorado. … The one-term top prosecutor faces a difficult path to victory in a race against a handful of candidates with big names and more campaign cash, particularly given her more moderate approach on social issues.” Full story.

— “George Brauchler mulling jump from crowded governor’s race to open GOP attorney general primary,” by the Denver Post’s Mark K. Matthews and Jesse Paul: “Republican gubernatorial candidate George Brauchler is weighing a run for attorney general now that Cynthia Coffman, currently in the post, has entered the governor’s race, according to his campaign and several GOP sources. Brauchler already has reached out to some of his potential rivals — notably U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, R-Windsor, who said earlier this year that he might seek Coffman’s job if she left the post. Buck said in an interview Wednesday that he was staying put in Congress.” Full story.

AIR WARS — 45Committee pressures Heitkamp, Manchin, Donnelly on tax reform: GOP outside group 45Committee is out with ads pressuring Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly to vote for tax reform. 45Committee, which is partially funded by Sheldon Adelson, uses footage from each senator’s most well-known ad in the 30-second spots. Watch the ads here, here and here.

WEB WARS — FIRST IN SCORE — GOP outside group targets Brown with new site: Senate Leadership Fund, the super PAC controlled by allies of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is out with a new website targeting Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, www.sherrodfiles.com. The group will have paid digital ads directing voters to the site. “This website is the latest installment in our substantial paid digital campaign against our 2018 Democrat targets,” SLF spokesman Chris Pack said. “We look forward to exposing Sherrod Brown’s extremely liberal record that is out of touch with the people of Ohio.” The site attacks Brown as a “hippie liberal.”

AROUND THE MAP — Quick takes from across the country:

SENATE

Alabama: A poll conducted by Strategy Research has Republican Roy Moore leading Democrat Doug Jones 51-40, WBRC reported.

Nebraska: Susan B. Anthony List endorsed Sen. Deb Fischer, per a statement from the group.

Ohio: Rev 18, a super PAC founded by controversial Trump supporters and whose first endorsement was Josh Mandel, is shutting down, Cleveland.com reports.

HOUSE

CO-06: Republican Roger Edwards told Colorado Politics that he plans to challenge Rep. Mike Coffman in the GOP primary.

IL-06: All eight Democrats vying for the nomination will hold a public forum on Dec. 12, via Patch.com.

MN-08: Republican Stewart Mills, who has narrowly lost twice to Rep. Rick Nolan (D-Minn.), said he will not run in 2018, via The Ely Echo.

NV-03: Republican Michelle Mortensen, a consumer advocate for the local CBS affiliate, launched her bid for the open seat, per a statement from her campaign.

TX-05: Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Phillip Huffines passes on a bid, via The Dallas Morning News.

WV-03: State GOP Chairman Conrad Lucas is running for the seat, via the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

GOVERNOR

Alabama: Jason Childs, a Democrat and founder for Center for Progress in Alabama, announced his run, via The Alabama Reporter.

Nevada: Attorney General Adam Laxalt has hired veteran GOP operatives Kristin Davison and Stephen Puetz to help run his campaign, the Nevada Independent reports.

South Carolina: Democrat Marguerite Willis, an attorney, said she is considering a run, via The State.

Wisconsin: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, running for a third term, has flip-flopped and now says governors should be able to serve more than three terms in office, the Associated Press reports.

CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY: “There is a reverse story here that could be written, about how people should be spending more time thinking about the commemoration or the one-year anniversary, the birthday, of Trump shocking everyone. That, to me, is a much more significant moment than Virginia.” — Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow, explaining why some conservative media outlets didn’t extensively cover Tuesday’s election results.

Source link

source https://capitalisthq.com/virginia-fallout/ from CapitalistHQ http://capitalisthq.blogspot.com/2017/11/virginia-fallout.html

0 notes

everettwilkinson · 7 years

Text

Virginia fallout

With Zach Montellaro and Elena Schneider

Story Continued Below

— Memo Moment: Here’s polling data and memos from Latino Decisions, Women’s Voices Women Vote Action Fund, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

Days until the 2018 election: 362.

Thanks for joining us! You can email tips to the Campaign Pro team at [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected].

You can also follow us on Twitter: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin, @danielstrauss4 and @maggieseverns.

AROUND THE MAP — Quick takes from across the country:

SENATE

Alabama: A poll conducted by Strategy Research has Republican Roy Moore leading Democrat Doug Jones 51-40, WBRC reported.

Nebraska: Susan B. Anthony List endorsed Sen. Deb Fischer, per a statement from the group.

Ohio: Rev 18, a super PAC founded by controversial Trump supporters and whose first endorsement was Josh Mandel, is shutting down, Cleveland.com reports.

HOUSE

CO-06: Republican Roger Edwards told Colorado Politics that he plans to challenge Rep. Mike Coffman in the GOP primary.

IL-06: All eight Democrats vying for the nomination will hold a public forum on Dec. 12, via Patch.com.

MN-08: Republican Stewart Mills, who has narrowly lost twice to Rep. Rick Nolan (D-Minn.), said he will not run in 2018, via The Ely Echo.

NV-03: Republican Michelle Mortensen, a consumer advocate for the local CBS affiliate, launched her bid for the open seat, per a statement from her campaign.

TX-05: Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Phillip Huffines passes on a bid, via The Dallas Morning News.

WV-03: State GOP Chairman Conrad Lucas is running for the seat, via the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

GOVERNOR

Alabama: Jason Childs, a Democrat and founder for Center for Progress in Alabama, announced his run, via The Alabama Reporter.

Nevada: Attorney General Adam Laxalt has hired veteran GOP operatives Kristin Davison and Stephen Puetz to help run his campaign, the Nevada Independent reports.

South Carolina: Democrat Marguerite Willis, an attorney, said she is considering a run, via The State.

Wisconsin: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, running for a third term, has flip-flopped and now says governors should be able to serve more than three terms in office, the Associated Press reports.

Source link

from CapitalistHQ.com https://capitalisthq.com/virginia-fallout/

#TrumpNews #CapitalistHQ.com

0 notes

spotlightsaga · 7 years

Photo

Cody Cole of @spotlightsaga reviews... The Evil Within (2002-2017) Andrew Getty Release Date: February 26, 2017 Budget: Estimated $6 Million Score: 7.5/10 @amazonvideo ************SPOILER FREE REVIEW*********** Happy Halloween 🎃 Everyone! This is the first time we’ve addressed Halloween as an entity, so we wanted to do it right and pick something a little off the beaten path, but still accessible *coughISIAcough*. As we sink deeper into subcultures, countercultures, and ready our existential POV and empathic strings, I remain dedicated to sharpening my teeth. As usual, this is not a review... We just happen to be covering 2017’s ‘The Evil Within’ for #31DaysOfHorror, not that we’ve watched anything close to 31 movies... That was never gobig to happen, but it was a nice thought. Oh, right, technically this film belongs to 2002. After all, that’s when production on the film began. It shows. Sean Patrick Flannery looks like a complete stranger... Frederick Koehler looks like a friggin baby... And Dina Meyer looks like she stepped off the S3 set of ‘One Tree Hill’. I’m not complaining, not even about the extremely outdated special effects, because when it’s all said & done, they do their job and all messages hidden throughout the film’s tapestry are definitely received. ‘The Evil Within’ is a terrifying film in the strangest of ways... Both in front of the camera, as well as behind it. Andrew Getty, who directed, wrote, created, and financed most of the film, was a grandson of a famous Oil Tycoon Patriarch... He inherited a billion dollar company, and billion dollar problems. He was lonely. You know what the easiest and most disastrous ways to cure loneliness and get creative is? Methamphetamine. Tina, as those of us familiar with her call her, is a fucking bitch. Boy, but does she like to party! Don’t fuck up the vibe tho... And definitely don’t go carpet surfing looking for a meth rock that’s actually an old popcorn kernel. That’s meth faux pas. You’re never alone, because you’ve got the glass, you’ve got the shards... People love other people with drugs, it goes without saying! Getty had an endless amount of money and endless amount of meth and for years he wrote erratic scripts, they never went anywhere... But ‘The Evil Within’, this was his baby. This was his passion project. He armed his home with cameras and guns, becoming increasingly paranoid after his cousin was kidnapped in Italy, his ear mailed to the family in exchange for an extortion deal... The meth probably didn’t help either. Getty modeled this film after nightmares he had as a child. What a fn’ mind, huh? An expert purveyor or Horror & Porn, he worked on what was his ‘perfect script’... Making sense of the nightmares, giving them structure. It’s a basic story that dives heavily into clouded POVs, no character sees clearly, and there’s a real horror in that. A 30-year old man, Dennis (Koehler) is ravaged by mental challenges, the cause of which at first is not clear. In a subconscious attempt to slowly push his brother out of his life, Dennis’ brother John (Flannery) fills his room with objects that make Dennis feel uncomfortable. One of those objects is a mirror, one that Dennis had seen in a dream, one that could either represent or actually contain a Demon (played by cross-generational Horror Icon, Michael Berryman). Feeling shackled and bound to caring for Dennis, John withdraws and his relationship with his girlfriend, Lydia (Meyer) suffers as does his mental health. This allows Dennis to connect with the demon in the mirror and bodies start to pile up right under John’s nose. In 2017, Koehler, nor anyone, would take on a role that depicted anyone with mentally challenging obstacles that a character like ‘Dennis’ faces in a murderous or particular negative light... Especially fiction. In 2002, well, that’s a different story. Many of us have forgotten how far we’ve come at shattering ignorance & stereotypes as a society. Yes, they still exist, but I think most younger, modern minds might not believe the stark differences in how we addressed things in the late 90s and early 00s. We live in a very PC Culture, and it has its pros and cons, but once upon a time not so long ago, people weren’t so sensitive to these issues as they are now. Sure, Dennis’ ‘diminished mental capacity’ is used as a vessel for horror in (what many would call) an ignorant way... But that doesn’t make it any less frightening. And guys, we can’t be scared to ‘go there’. Not when it comes to art. Getty would most likely want to tell you that if we interviewed him today. You see, this is the only film that Getty ever completed... And technically he didn’t complete it, his partner and producer Michael Luceri did. According to Luceri it wasn’t an easy process to finance and round out the edges of a film that had been worked on for almost 15 years. Getty became obsessed with re-editing the film after he was unable to secure distribution rights, blowing all his money on buying equipment, instead of renting it, for the film. He even sold a rare AC Cobra Sports Car to keep the funding going. 15 years after the project was started, and unfortunately just a little over 2 Years after his death, ‘The Evil Within’ finally found a home. If only Getty had made different choices, the methamphetamine wouldn’t have corroded his organs... Leading to such an embarrassing death, that few reported the actual ‘on scene’ details. Details that included some kind of gastric blow-out that left some detectives and forensic specialists so puzzled that they considered a bizarre homicide a possible cause of death. Getty shouldn’t feel embarrassed, though... If his soul is somehow moving in and out of the cosmos and he happens upon this article, I want him to know that I liked his movie and that he won’t be remembered for the way he died... But the sick & twisted, visceral film he left behind. A character study so bold, and so outside the lines, that no one dare ever make a film quite like it ever again. There’s nothing simple about the human brain. And there’s nothing simple about understanding what makes anyone want to kill, even if the demons in our life make it all too clear. Even if the only one that we are truly killing is ourselves. **************Written by Cody Cole*************** TVTime/Letterboxd/FB/IG/Path/Pin/Tumblr/Twitter: @SpotlightSaga 📺 TVTime📺 http://www.tvtime.com ✅Spotlight Saga FB Page! Give us a like!✅ http://www.facebook.com/spotlightsaga 🚧Spotlight Saga's Main Page is Under Works🚧 http://www.spotlightsaga.com 🔥The Culture Pit FB Group🔥 http://www.facebook.com/groups/ArtsEntertainment Kevin Cage // Justin O'Malley // Cody Cole // Jerry Wilson // Kat Holiday // Carolyn Holt // Yackarette Borge // Carina Enered //

0 notes

flauntpage · 7 years

Text

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties

Three Stars of Comedy

The third star: Wes McCauley. The only referee on the planet who should ever be allowed near a microphone was at it again. I'd get in there if I were you, Nate.

The second star: Patrick Eaves. D'aawwww.

The first star: The Golden Knights Twitter… again. Good lord, rest of the NHL, how many times are we going to do this?

Guys, come on. This is like when Troy Crowder showed up in 1990 and started speedbagging everyone. Sure, you can understand catching the first few opponents off guard, but by now the scouting report is out. These folks are not playing. Stay down, NHL teams.

(Side note: Can we start wagering now on which thin-skinned owner will be the first to complain to the league about his team getting roasted on Twitter by the Knights? This feels like a Eugene Melnyk thing, but I'm open to other suggestions.)

Outrage of the Week

The issue: The NHL is using the preseason to crack down on two types of fouls: face-off violations and slashing. That's resulted in a ton of penalties being called, disrupting any sort of flow to the games and confusing fans and players alike. The outrage: Knock it off, NHL—we didn't wait all summer for hockey to come back just so we could watch you call a bunch of nitpicky penalties all night. Is it justified: For the face-off violations, sure. Those have been annoying, and seem like a weird thing for the league to be focusing on. NHL fans love to complain—some of us have entire podcasts for it—but I've never heard any paying customer argue that face-offs were a problem. I wrote a little bit about the face-off crackdown earlier this week, and my basic message was that we shouldn't panic yet because it will probably be short-lived. But if we get to November and we still have linesmen calling three or four of these things a game, we'll have a problem.

So yeah, the face-off thing is dicey. The slashing, though? Not remotely. It's about time the league took a stand on this one.

Two guys cheating on a face-off might turn the draw into a scrum, but it doesn't really hurt anyone. Cracking a guy across the hands with your stick? Yeah, that can do some damage. And there's no reason for it. Reaching out and slashing someone who beat you for position isn't a legitimate defensive tactic, no matter what guys like Jon Cooper say. There's no skill involved. And there's no entertainment value, either. At least a big open ice hit is fun to watch. Seeing a star player get hacked because he had the nerve to actually possess the puck doesn't help anyone.

Well, except for guys who are slow and out of position. Those are the guys who are apparently suffering here. OK…good. Let's phase those guys out. If they can't play defense without using their stick as a weapon, my guess is not too many of us will miss them. Let's swap in a few guys who can keep up with the play and aren't always a stick's length behind the better players.

For years, the NHL has been a league where simply having the puck on your stick meant you had to accept a few hacks across the wrist. It was the price of admission for actually trying to create some offense. It's been that way for so long that it's going to take some adjusting for players to stop reflexively swinging at anyone who skates by.

Will that be annoying for the first few weeks or months or however long it takes the players to figure this out? Definitely. Will penalty boxes occasionally look like this? Maybe. But it's a price worth paying to get this garbage out of the game, and to have it happen before Connor McDavid or Patrik Laine or whoever else gets their wrist broken. Complain all you want about the face-offs if the league actually sticks with it, but the slashing crackdown is long overdue.

Obscure Former Player of the Week

Last week was the 30th anniversary of what many consider the greatest hockey game ever played: Team Canada vs. the Soviets in the deciding game of the 1987 Canada Cup, one that ended with Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux teaming up on their famous winner. The game was an incredible back-and-forth contest featuring an almost unimaginable amount of talent. I mean, just look at the starting lineups.

That's three Hockey Hall of Famers for the Soviets, plus two more guys who each had a strong cases of his own. And Canada has four guys who made it in on the first ballot, including two of the ten players in history who were such slam dunks that the customary waiting period was waived for them.

And then there's this week's obscure player: Doug Crossman.

Crossman was a sixth-round pick by the Hawks in the legendary double cohort draft of 1979. Weirdly, he went within five picks of not one but two other Obscure Player alumni, Bill McCreary and Rick Knickle. He'd make his NHL debut the following season, and spent three seasons in Chicago before being traded to the Flyers for legendary tough guy Behn Wilson. He spent five more years in Philadelphia before being traded to L.A. in 1988, which would signal the start of a five-year stretch in which he was traded six times for everyone from Ray Ferraro to Basil McRae. He was also claimed on waivers once, and ended up closing out his career in 1994 having played for eight teams, only two of which kept him for more than 100 games.

Crossman was a decent defenseman who could play in both ends. He never topped 60 points, but he was a +20 or better for three straight years in the mid 80s, and early in his career was a bit of an ironman. He was never an All-Star nor did he receive so much as a single Norris vote, but he was pretty good.

So… how did he wind up lining up next to the Canadian dream team in 1987?

The easiest answer is that he was a Flyer at the time, and his coach was Mike Keenan, who also happened to be running Team Canada. He'd been solid in Philadelphia and was coming off a big playoff year, and Keenan trusted him, so he made the team. Hey, it wouldn't be Team Canada without a weird pick or two. Besides, it's not like Canada was all that deep on defense that year. While they had future Hall of Famers Paul Coffey, Ray Bourque, and Larry Murphy, they also had to lean on guys like James Patrick, Craig Hartsburg, and Normand Rochefort.

All of those guys had to play a role for Canada to win, but only Crossman got to hear his name announced as a starter in one of the most star-studded games ever played.

Be It Resolved

There's a new trend going around the league. Various teams are holding open tryouts to fill the role of emergency backup goalies. Fans can show up, strut their stuff, and earn the job of backup to the backup.

The concept is getting rave reviews, and seems destined to spread across the league fairly quickly. It seems like the perfect way to give fans a shot at actually appearing in an NHL game. Who wouldn't get behind that? The whole idea is, as one observer put it, "freaking awesome."

Like hell it is. Faithful readers, this cannot stand.

Look, I love me a good EBUG, just like any fan should. The emergency backup goalie is one of those fun hockey oddities, one with a long and proud history. Sure, they never actually play (almost), but it's the mere possibility that makes it work. May the hockey gods bless the valiant emergency backup.

But the key word here is emergency. It's the chaos of an unexpected injury followed by a mad scramble to find someone, anyone, who knows how to hold a goalie stick that makes it fun. The guys who win these tryouts are going to be available at every game. Even worse, they're going to be good. Not NHL good, sure, but good enough not to embarrass themselves. Where's the fun in that?

I want to see some terrified dude hyperventilating into a paper bag on the bench. I want ushers and parking-lot attendants and web producers. I want to see the owner's deadbeat nephew shoved out there against his will. I want to see more scenes like Roberto Luongo stealing an ambulance to make a dramatic return from the hospital, Stone Cold Steve Austin-style, so that the goalie coach doesn't have to go in:

If this tryout thing catches on, we lose all that. Every rink will just have some former junior star in the press box, munching popcorn and waiting to see if he's needed. So be it resolved that we need to nip this in the bud. The noble EBUG has suddenly become an endangered species, and we need to save him—even if he never gets the chance to save anything for us.

Classic YouTube Clip Breakdown

A cynic might suggest that the entire preseason schedule is just a massive cash grab, in which teams force fans to buy tickets to watch has-beens, never-will-bes, and PTOs signed specifically to circumvent the veteran roster rules, all playing in games in which nothing ever happens. Well, that's not completely accurate. I mean, almost all of it is. But while it's true that nothing important ever happens in the preseason, that doesn't mean nothing interesting ever happens. One example—OK, the only example—came exactly four years ago today.

So it's September 22, 2013, and the Sabres are visiting the Maple Leafs in preseason action. The score is…well, honestly it doesn't matter. But things are about to get goofy, so let's settle in and enjoy the dumbest line brawl in recent NHL history.

We open with play-by-play legend Joe Bowen informing us that Buffalo's John Scott is unhappy about something. If you're looking for backstory, here's what happened just before our clip begins. Long story short, the Sabres thought their guy had been victimized in a mismatch. Scott's their enforcer, so it's his job to exact some payback.

Unfortunately, he's lined up next to Phil Kessel, and The Code clearly states that he's not allowed to pummel a squishy-soft skill player. But Scott can do the next best thing, which is try to make Kessel poop his pants on live television.

Scott politely gives Kessel a heads-up on what's about to happen, at which point Kessel whips around like he just got a whiff of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls. I always thought Scott got a bit of a raw deal on all of this. You hear about how he "jumped" Kessel, but he never really did. Let's be honest, if Scott wanted to hurt Kessel, he absolutely could have. Instead, he basically gives him the "cat batting around a wounded mouse" treatment.

Kessel, of course, doesn't know this, so he immediately tries to break Scott's ankle with a golf swing slash. That's totally fine, by the way, as it's clearly self-defense. Then, after the cavalry arrives and Scott is fighting off two guys, Kessel circles back and hacks him again. That's, um, also self-defense? I would be a bad hockey lawyer.

None of the other Leafs player on the ice are fighters, so they basically gang-tackle Scott—who, it should be pointed out, is listed at 6'8" and 270 pounds. They do a pretty good job, too. Almost too good. Like, it seems like they may have an extra guy. Ah well, I'm sure that won't turn out to be important.

Meanwhile, Kessel pairs off with Brian Flynn for what will be only his second career NHL fight. And he…well, he kind of destroys him. Seriously. It's not quite Clark vs. Brooke, but by the end of it Flynn is leaking blood all over the ice. It will not shock you to learn that this remains Flynn's one and only NHL fight to this day. When Phil Kessel is splitting your face open like it's a jelly-filled donut, there's a good chance you're not very good at this.

Bowen does a reasonably good job on the call, although he's had better.

We get the now standard overhead view of the action, which reveals that all six Leafs seem to be handling business just fine. Wait a second, six? That seems high. Let's see if we can figure this out, now that all the fights are over and there's clearly nothing else that's going to happen.

Uh, did anyone notice anything odd in the lower right corner just there?

Huh, I could have sworn that looked like Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier heading out of his net for some strange reason. Ah well, I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe he's going to get a drink of water or something.

No, he's apparently going to fight Ryan Miller, who speaks for all of us when he reacts by doing this:

As per Canadian law, Bowen immediately references the Felix Potvin vs. Ron Hextall superfight, which we broke down here. That one was the greatest goalie fight of all time. But this one isn't too bad once Miller finally decides to try. It's so entertaining that the other players forget that it's not 1986 and you're not allowed to crowd around to watch a fight.

As that scrap ends, we see Kessel go over and get one more jab on Scott, who's tangled up with David Clarkson. Wait, was Clarkson on the ice when all this started? He and Kessel play the same position, so it wouldn't make sense unless… oh. Oh no.

"All five players…all six players on the ice, including the goaltenders…" Keep counting, Joe.

After several replays, it's only in the final seconds of our clip that Bowen and friends put two and two together. Or more specifically, they put six and one together, and realize that Clarkson jumped on the ice during the brawl, even though the situation was already under control and he really had nothing to do once he arrived. That means that a player the Leafs have just paid a fortune to get has earned himself an automatic ten-game suspension before his first season even starts. Or, as Toronto fans now know it, "the high point of the David Clarkson era."

The epilogue here is that Kessel was suspended for three games, Clarkson never recovered, and Leaf fans loved Bernier right up until he started doing stuff like this. And to this day, Brian Flynn is afraid to go near a hot-dog cart.

Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip, or anything else you'd like to see included in this column? Email Sean at [email protected] .

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

0 notes

amtushinfosolutionspage · 7 years

Text

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties

Three Stars of Comedy

The third star: Wes McCauley. The only referee on the planet who should ever be allowed near a microphone was at it again. I’d get in there if I were you, Nate.

The second star: Patrick Eaves. D’aawwww.

The first star: The Golden Knights Twitter… again. Good lord, rest of the NHL, how many times are we going to do this?

Outrage of the Week

The issue: The NHL is using the preseason to crack down on two types of fouls: face-off violations and slashing. That’s resulted in a ton of penalties being called, disrupting any sort of flow to the games and confusing fans and players alike.

The outrage: Knock it off, NHL—we didn’t wait all summer for hockey to come back just so we could watch you call a bunch of nitpicky penalties all night.

Is it justified: For the face-off violations, sure. Those have been annoying, and seem like a weird thing for the league to be focusing on. NHL fans love to complain—some of us have entire podcasts for it—but I’ve never heard any paying customer argue that face-offs were a problem. I wrote a little bit about the face-off crackdown earlier this week, and my basic message was that we shouldn’t panic yet because it will probably be short-lived. But if we get to November and we still have linesmen calling three or four of these things a game, we’ll have a problem.

So yeah, the face-off thing is dicey. The slashing, though? Not remotely. It’s about time the league took a stand on this one.

Two guys cheating on a face-off might turn the draw into a scrum, but it doesn’t really hurt anyone. Cracking a guy across the hands with your stick? Yeah, that can do some damage. And there’s no reason for it. Reaching out and slashing someone who beat you for position isn’t a legitimate defensive tactic, no matter what guys like Jon Cooper say. There’s no skill involved. And there’s no entertainment value, either. At least a big open ice hit is fun to watch. Seeing a star player get hacked because he had the nerve to actually possess the puck doesn’t help anyone.

Well, except for guys who are slow and out of position. Those are the guys who are apparently suffering here. OK…good. Let’s phase those guys out. If they can’t play defense without using their stick as a weapon, my guess is not too many of us will miss them. Let’s swap in a few guys who can keep up with the play and aren’t always a stick’s length behind the better players.

For years, the NHL has been a league where simply having the puck on your stick meant you had to accept a few hacks across the wrist. It was the price of admission for actually trying to create some offense. It’s been that way for so long that it’s going to take some adjusting for players to stop reflexively swinging at anyone who skates by.

Will that be annoying for the first few weeks or months or however long it takes the players to figure this out? Definitely. Will penalty boxes occasionally look like this? Maybe. But it’s a price worth paying to get this garbage out of the game, and to have it happen before Connor McDavid or Patrik Laine or whoever else gets their wrist broken. Complain all you want about the face-offs if the league actually sticks with it, but the slashing crackdown is long overdue.

Obscure Former Player of the Week

That’s three Hockey Hall of Famers for the Soviets, plus two more guys who each had a strong cases of his own. And Canada has four guys who made it in on the first ballot, including two of the ten players in history who were such slam dunks that the customary waiting period was waived for them.

And then there’s this week’s obscure player: Doug Crossman.

Crossman was a sixth-round pick by the Hawks in the legendary double cohort draft of 1979. Weirdly, he went within five picks of not one but two other Obscure Player alumni, Bill McCreary and Rick Knickle. He’d make his NHL debut the following season, and spent three seasons in Chicago before being traded to the Flyers for legendary tough guy Behn Wilson. He spent five more years in Philadelphia before being traded to L.A. in 1988, which would signal the start of a five-year stretch in which he was traded six times for everyone from Ray Ferraro to Basil McRae. He was also claimed on waivers once, and ended up closing out his career in 1994 having played for eight teams, only two of which kept him for more than 100 games.

So… how did he wind up lining up next to the Canadian dream team in 1987?

The easiest answer is that he was a Flyer at the time, and his coach was Mike Keenan, who also happened to be running Team Canada. He’d been solid in Philadelphia and was coming off a big playoff year, and Keenan trusted him, so he made the team. Hey, it wouldn’t be Team Canada without a weird pick or two. Besides, it’s not like Canada was all that deep on defense that year. While they had future Hall of Famers Paul Coffey, Ray Bourque, and Larry Murphy, they also had to lean on guys like James Patrick, Craig Hartsburg, and Normand Rochefort.

All of those guys had to play a role for Canada to win, but only Crossman got to hear his name announced as a starter in one of the most star-studded games ever played.

Be It Resolved

There’s a new trend going around the league. Various teams are holding open tryouts to fill the role of emergency backup goalies. Fans can show up, strut their stuff, and earn the job of backup to the backup.

The concept is getting rave reviews, and seems destined to spread across the league fairly quickly. It seems like the perfect way to give fans a shot at actually appearing in an NHL game. Who wouldn’t get behind that? The whole idea is, as one observer put it, “freaking awesome.”

Like hell it is. Faithful readers, this cannot stand.

Look, I love me a good EBUG, just like any fan should. The emergency backup goalie is one of those fun hockey oddities, one with a long and proud history. Sure, they never actually play (almost), but it’s the mere possibility that makes it work. May the hockey gods bless the valiant emergency backup.

But the key word here is emergency. It’s the chaos of an unexpected injury followed by a mad scramble to find someone, anyone, who knows how to hold a goalie stick that makes it fun. The guys who win these tryouts are going to be available at every game. Even worse, they’re going to be good. Not NHL good, sure, but good enough not to embarrass themselves. Where’s the fun in that?

I want to see some terrified dude hyperventilating into a paper bag on the bench. I want ushers and parking-lot attendants and web producers. I want to see the owner’s deadbeat nephew shoved out there against his will. I want to see more scenes like Roberto Luongo stealing an ambulance to make a dramatic return from the hospital, Stone Cold Steve Austin-style, so that the goalie coach doesn’t have to go in:

If this tryout thing catches on, we lose all that. Every rink will just have some former junior star in the press box, munching popcorn and waiting to see if he’s needed. So be it resolved that we need to nip this in the bud. The noble EBUG has suddenly become an endangered species, and we need to save him—even if he never gets the chance to save anything for us.

Classic YouTube Clip Breakdown

A cynic might suggest that the entire preseason schedule is just a massive cash grab, in which teams force fans to buy tickets to watch has-beens, never-will-bes, and PTOs signed specifically to circumvent the veteran roster rules, all playing in games in which nothing ever happens. Well, that’s not completely accurate. I mean, almost all of it is. But while it’s true that nothing important ever happens in the preseason, that doesn’t mean nothing interesting ever happens. One example—OK, the only example—came exactly four years ago today.

So it’s September 22, 2013, and the Sabres are visiting the Maple Leafs in preseason action. The score is…well, honestly it doesn’t matter. But things are about to get goofy, so let’s settle in and enjoy the dumbest line brawl in recent NHL history.

We open with play-by-play legend Joe Bowen informing us that Buffalo’s John Scott is unhappy about something. If you’re looking for backstory, here’s what happened just before our clip begins. Long story short, the Sabres thought their guy had been victimized in a mismatch. Scott’s their enforcer, so it’s his job to exact some payback.

Unfortunately, he’s lined up next to Phil Kessel, and The Code clearly states that he’s not allowed to pummel a squishy-soft skill player. But Scott can do the next best thing, which is try to make Kessel poop his pants on live television.

Scott politely gives Kessel a heads-up on what’s about to happen, at which point Kessel whips around like he just got a whiff of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls. I always thought Scott got a bit of a raw deal on all of this. You hear about how he “jumped” Kessel, but he never really did. Let’s be honest, if Scott wanted to hurt Kessel, he absolutely could have. Instead, he basically gives him the “cat batting around a wounded mouse” treatment.

Kessel, of course, doesn’t know this, so he immediately tries to break Scott’s ankle with a golf swing slash. That’s totally fine, by the way, as it’s clearly self-defense. Then, after the cavalry arrives and Scott is fighting off two guys, Kessel circles back and hacks him again. That’s, um, also self-defense? I would be a bad hockey lawyer.

None of the other Leafs player on the ice are fighters, so they basically gang-tackle Scott—who, it should be pointed out, is listed at 6’8″ and 270 pounds. They do a pretty good job, too. Almost too good. Like, it seems like they may have an extra guy. Ah well, I’m sure that won’t turn out to be important.

Meanwhile, Kessel pairs off with Brian Flynn for what will be only his second career NHL fight. And he…well, he kind of destroys him. Seriously. It’s not quite Clark vs. Brooke, but by the end of it Flynn is leaking blood all over the ice. It will not shock you to learn that this remains Flynn’s one and only NHL fight to this day. When Phil Kessel is splitting your face open like it’s a jelly-filled donut, there’s a good chance you’re not very good at this.

Bowen does a reasonably good job on the call, although he’s had better.

We get the now standard overhead view of the action, which reveals that all six Leafs seem to be handling business just fine. Wait a second, six? That seems high. Let’s see if we can figure this out, now that all the fights are over and there’s clearly nothing else that’s going to happen.

Uh, did anyone notice anything odd in the lower right corner just there?

Huh, I could have sworn that looked like Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier heading out of his net for some strange reason. Ah well, I’m sure it’s nothing. Maybe he’s going to get a drink of water or something.

No, he’s apparently going to fight Ryan Miller, who speaks for all of us when he reacts by doing this:

As per Canadian law, Bowen immediately references the Felix Potvin vs. Ron Hextall superfight, which we broke down here. That one was the greatest goalie fight of all time. But this one isn’t too bad once Miller finally decides to try. It’s so entertaining that the other players forget that it’s not 1986 and you’re not allowed to crowd around to watch a fight.

As that scrap ends, we see Kessel go over and get one more jab on Scott, who’s tangled up with David Clarkson. Wait, was Clarkson on the ice when all this started? He and Kessel play the same position, so it wouldn’t make sense unless… oh. Oh no.

“All five players…all six players on the ice, including the goaltenders…” Keep counting, Joe.

After several replays, it’s only in the final seconds of our clip that Bowen and friends put two and two together. Or more specifically, they put six and one together, and realize that Clarkson jumped on the ice during the brawl, even though the situation was already under control and he really had nothing to do once he arrived. That means that a player the Leafs have just paid a fortune to get has earned himself an automatic ten-game suspension before his first season even starts. Or, as Toronto fans now know it, “the high point of the David Clarkson era.”

Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip, or anything else you’d like to see included in this column? Email Sean at [email protected] .

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

0 notes

flauntpage · 7 years

Text

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties

Three Stars of Comedy

The third star: Wes McCauley. The only referee on the planet who should ever be allowed near a microphone was at it again. I'd get in there if I were you, Nate.

The second star: Patrick Eaves. D'aawwww.

The first star: The Golden Knights Twitter… again. Good lord, rest of the NHL, how many times are we going to do this?

Outrage of the Week

So yeah, the face-off thing is dicey. The slashing, though? Not remotely. It's about time the league took a stand on this one.

Obscure Former Player of the Week

And then there's this week's obscure player: Doug Crossman.

So… how did he wind up lining up next to the Canadian dream team in 1987?

All of those guys had to play a role for Canada to win, but only Crossman got to hear his name announced as a starter in one of the most star-studded games ever played.

Be It Resolved

Like hell it is. Faithful readers, this cannot stand.

Classic YouTube Clip Breakdown

Bowen does a reasonably good job on the call, although he's had better.

Uh, did anyone notice anything odd in the lower right corner just there?

No, he's apparently going to fight Ryan Miller, who speaks for all of us when he reacts by doing this:

"All five players…all six players on the ice, including the goaltenders…" Keep counting, Joe.

Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip, or anything else you'd like to see included in this column? Email Sean at [email protected] .

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

0 notes

flauntpage · 7 years

Text

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties

Three Stars of Comedy

The third star: Wes McCauley. The only referee on the planet who should ever be allowed near a microphone was at it again. I'd get in there if I were you, Nate.

The second star: Patrick Eaves. D'aawwww.

The first star: The Golden Knights Twitter… again. Good lord, rest of the NHL, how many times are we going to do this?

Outrage of the Week

So yeah, the face-off thing is dicey. The slashing, though? Not remotely. It's about time the league took a stand on this one.

Obscure Former Player of the Week

And then there's this week's obscure player: Doug Crossman.

So… how did he wind up lining up next to the Canadian dream team in 1987?

All of those guys had to play a role for Canada to win, but only Crossman got to hear his name announced as a starter in one of the most star-studded games ever played.

Be It Resolved

Like hell it is. Faithful readers, this cannot stand.

Classic YouTube Clip Breakdown

Bowen does a reasonably good job on the call, although he's had better.

Uh, did anyone notice anything odd in the lower right corner just there?

No, he's apparently going to fight Ryan Miller, who speaks for all of us when he reacts by doing this:

"All five players…all six players on the ice, including the goaltenders…" Keep counting, Joe.

Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip, or anything else you'd like to see included in this column? Email Sean at [email protected] .

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

0 notes

flauntpage · 7 years

Text

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties

Three Stars of Comedy

The third star: Wes McCauley. The only referee on the planet who should ever be allowed near a microphone was at it again. I'd get in there if I were you, Nate.

The second star: Patrick Eaves. D'aawwww.

The first star: The Golden Knights Twitter… again. Good lord, rest of the NHL, how many times are we going to do this?

Outrage of the Week

So yeah, the face-off thing is dicey. The slashing, though? Not remotely. It's about time the league took a stand on this one.

Obscure Former Player of the Week

And then there's this week's obscure player: Doug Crossman.

So… how did he wind up lining up next to the Canadian dream team in 1987?

All of those guys had to play a role for Canada to win, but only Crossman got to hear his name announced as a starter in one of the most star-studded games ever played.

Be It Resolved

Like hell it is. Faithful readers, this cannot stand.

Classic YouTube Clip Breakdown

Bowen does a reasonably good job on the call, although he's had better.

Uh, did anyone notice anything odd in the lower right corner just there?

No, he's apparently going to fight Ryan Miller, who speaks for all of us when he reacts by doing this:

"All five players…all six players on the ice, including the goaltenders…" Keep counting, Joe.

Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip, or anything else you'd like to see included in this column? Email Sean at [email protected] .

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

0 notes

flauntpage · 7 years

Text

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties

Three Stars of Comedy

The third star: Wes McCauley. The only referee on the planet who should ever be allowed near a microphone was at it again. I'd get in there if I were you, Nate.

The second star: Patrick Eaves. D'aawwww.

The first star: The Golden Knights Twitter… again. Good lord, rest of the NHL, how many times are we going to do this?

Outrage of the Week

So yeah, the face-off thing is dicey. The slashing, though? Not remotely. It's about time the league took a stand on this one.

Obscure Former Player of the Week

And then there's this week's obscure player: Doug Crossman.

So… how did he wind up lining up next to the Canadian dream team in 1987?

All of those guys had to play a role for Canada to win, but only Crossman got to hear his name announced as a starter in one of the most star-studded games ever played.

Be It Resolved

Like hell it is. Faithful readers, this cannot stand.

Classic YouTube Clip Breakdown

Bowen does a reasonably good job on the call, although he's had better.

Uh, did anyone notice anything odd in the lower right corner just there?

No, he's apparently going to fight Ryan Miller, who speaks for all of us when he reacts by doing this:

"All five players…all six players on the ice, including the goaltenders…" Keep counting, Joe.

Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip, or anything else you'd like to see included in this column? Email Sean at [email protected] .

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

0 notes

flauntpage · 7 years

Text

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties

Three Stars of Comedy

The third star: Wes McCauley. The only referee on the planet who should ever be allowed near a microphone was at it again. I'd get in there if I were you, Nate.

The second star: Patrick Eaves. D'aawwww.

The first star: The Golden Knights Twitter… again. Good lord, rest of the NHL, how many times are we going to do this?

Outrage of the Week

So yeah, the face-off thing is dicey. The slashing, though? Not remotely. It's about time the league took a stand on this one.

Obscure Former Player of the Week

And then there's this week's obscure player: Doug Crossman.

So… how did he wind up lining up next to the Canadian dream team in 1987?

All of those guys had to play a role for Canada to win, but only Crossman got to hear his name announced as a starter in one of the most star-studded games ever played.

Be It Resolved

Like hell it is. Faithful readers, this cannot stand.

Classic YouTube Clip Breakdown

Bowen does a reasonably good job on the call, although he's had better.

Uh, did anyone notice anything odd in the lower right corner just there?

No, he's apparently going to fight Ryan Miller, who speaks for all of us when he reacts by doing this:

"All five players…all six players on the ice, including the goaltenders…" Keep counting, Joe.

Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip, or anything else you'd like to see included in this column? Email Sean at [email protected] .

DGB Grab Bag: Recalling a Preseason Line Brawl and Nonsense Face-Off Penalties published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

0 notes