#rhys and andrew are in such serious things

[wpwcpod]

Andrea 🥺

Babygirl, she's so special to me 😭

Drys' full name is Drystan Andreas, middle name chosen fairly randomly because I think it's a nice name, but I saw my opportunity and I took it. There's something so drag about taking the very masculine name your conservative parents gave you and using the feminised version of it in your performance art.

I'd love, at some point in the show (if it lasts that long, god speed) for Drystan to get back into drag. I think it would be fun to write, I think it would be a nice healing arc for Drys, and I hope it would be fun to perform.

I also think there's nothing more bisexual than Isaac helping the boy he likes dress up like a girl and then going 'man, she's still so hot, wish she was my girlfriend' (and like, it's drag, Drys isn't trying to pass as a woman, but he's a curvy boy with long hair and makeup it's hard not to).

[ofmdrecaps]

01/11-14/2025 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; David Jenkins; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Wee John Wednesday; Guz Khan; Con O'Neill; Samba Schutte; Ruibo Qian; Anapela Polata'ivao; Andrew Deyoung; Jes Tom; Tim Heidecker; Damien Gerard; Dominic Burgess; Articles; Fan Spotlight: Our Flag Means Fanfiction; Owltrouser's Bayeux Tapestry; In personal Meet Ups; Fan Events; Love Notes;

Hey crew, sorry for my mess up in the Rhys section of the last recap. Works been a bit overwhelming, Zoey (my cat) had a stroke, amongst other life things so I'm a bit distracted at the moment. I'm going to do my best to double check things again before posting (I think I get a little excited sometimes trying to catch up and then make mistakes). Thank you to all the kind folks who reached out and let me know about it! I appreciate being able to fix the mistakes!

= David Jenkins =

More from David's Christmas special!

Source: David's Bsky

= Rhys Darby =

Rhys was on bFM Kids' Show talking about BadJelly! You can check it out here!

Source: Rhys Bsky

Rhys is back in LA! He left a long message for the Paid Substack subscribers -- here's a couple paragraphs on how he and the rest of the family are fairing. If you'd like to read the full note, it is on his paid substack.

Source: Rhys Paid Substack

Rhys is really excited for his Austin show! You can still get tickets at CapCity Comedy for the following dates and times:

FEB 15, 2025 | 7:00 pm

FEB 15, 2025 | 9:30 pm

FEB 16, 2025 | 7:00 pm

Source: Rhys Free Substack

Rosie was kind enough to bless us with kitty pictures.

Source: Rosie's IG Stories

= Taika Waititi =

Taika rocking some serious glasses.

Source: Rita's IG

= Wee John Wednesday =

Reminder! Wee John Wednesday is the 15th! A special guest you say? Does he just mean Nathan or someone else?

Source: Kristian's Twitter

= Guz Khan =

Guz out with Kiell Smith-Bynoe!

Source: Guz' Instagram

= Con O'Neill =

There's a new Momentus event coming on February 9 @ 10am PT/1pm ET, this time with Con! You can buy tickets for $25 on the Momentus website.

Source: Momentus Events

= Samba Schutte =

Some comfort from Samba re: the LA Fires.

Source: Samba's IG Stories

= Ruibo Qian =

Always love to see our Pirate Queen feeling fab.

Source: Ruibo's Instagram Stories

= Anapela Polata'ivao =

You can get premiere tickets for Tinā in AONZ now!

Auckland - The Civic Theatre - Feb 11

Christchurch - James/Hay Theatre - Feb 12

Wellington - The Embassy Theatre - Feb 18

Source: Tinā The Film Instagram

= Andrew Deyoung =

One of our directors, Andrew Deyoung was out volunteering at the Pasadena Job Center. They're taking donations and handing out supplies for people affected by the LA fires. You can donate to the cause here.

Source: Andrew's IG Stories

= Jes Tom =

Upcoming show by one of our writers, Jes Tom! This time in Boston, Feb 7 at 7 PM & 9:30 PM. Get more info and tickets here.

Source: Jes Toms Bsky

= Tim Heidecker =

Doug, aka Tim Heidecker will be performing in Austin TX March 28, and 29! You can get tickets at Timheidecker.com/live

Source: Tim's Bsky

= Damien Gerard =

Damien's out sending some love, we're thinking about you too sir <3

Source: Damien's Bsky

= Dominic Burgess =

Dominic, our Jeffrey Fettering, being the sweetheart that he is, is out delivering supplies to animal shelters to help out some displaced pets!

Source: Dominic's Bsky

== Articles ==

Thank you to Layla! (mrbuttons284266.bsky.social) for sharing the article!

Source: MrButtons Bsky

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Our Flag Means Fanfiction =

The Latest episode of Our Flag Means Fanfiction is The Zheng Episode! And look-- our Pirate Queen shared it on her Instagram Stories! Wanna check out the latest episode? Visit their Spotify or Linktr.ee!

Source: OFMFF Instagram

= Owltrousers's Bayeux Tapestry =

Now this is one of the absolute coolest pieces of fanart I have ever seen. Owltrousers over on bsky hand made this OFMD S1 Episode 1 Bayeux Tapestry! David loved it too!

This is the full image:

Source: OwlTrowsers Bsky

And here's some zoomed in detail!

Source: OwlTrousers Bsky

More detail on this fabulous work!

Source: OwlTrouser's Bsky

== In Person Meet Ups ==

= OFMD Disneyland Day =

There is a planned OFMD Disneyland Day on Feb 8 & 9th! Please Reach out to @megofmd.bsky.social if interested!

Source: OFMD Disney Week on Bsky

= A Salem OFMD Meetup =

There's another meetup happening, this time in Salem MA on June 20-22, 2025! Wanna join? Message Orchid Explosion over on Bsky for an invite to their discord!

Source: Orchid Explosions Bsky

== Fandom Events ==

It's that time again! OFMD Reverse Big Bang is back! Wanna check it out or join? Visit them on their: Socials: Bluesky / Tumblr Or check out their Main Website and Sign Up form!

Source: OFMDReverseBigBang Bsky

== Love Notes ==

Hey there lovelies. Wow. This has been a hell of a year so far, huh? It's only the 15th of January, and yet it feels like it's somehow in June or July. Please remember to take some time to yourself today, whatever time it is now.

I think we all could use a break, whether it be from work, or stress, or bad news. This is just a little reminder that our brains like to retrain themselves when things continue to happen. They see bad things, and so they start expecting bad things to help us cope. If you have a moment, be sure to break up that cycle for your brain. Doesn't matter what it is, it could be very small -- buy yourself that fancy coffee or treat, just take a moment to step outside and just breathe in the air for a few minutes where it's calm, or ask a friend for a hug. Hell, go check your folder of fanart or rhys or taika or whomever pictures and just bask in the glory of it all for like 1 whole minute. Just do something small that makes you happy. Try to do that a couple times a day, or even once a day. Your brain will see that good things can happen, and recognize that not everything is awful, and the more you do those little things, the more your brain will trend back towards hope and things going the right way too.

I know this quote is going back around the last couple days, and I think it's really important:

FRODO: What are we holding on to, Sam?

SAM: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for. Just a gentle reminder, you are the good in the world. Don't forget that. Sending love Crew.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @thelatestkate

Source: TheLatestKate's IG

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: Spider-Man Movie Villains

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

Spider-Man, Spider-Man, he does whatever a spider can. And what do spiders seem really good at? Amassing huge quantities of hatred and animosity! True to the wily arachnids that inspired him, Spider-Man has quite the impressive gallery of foes, one that I might say rivals Batman as the greatest in comic book history with how colorful, crazy, and creative they are. Even villains derivative of one another, like Hobgoblin and Green Goblin or Carnage and Venom, manage to carve out unique niches that help make them fun and memorable.

And thankfully, these qualities usually translated pretty well to film! I’ve talked about how good Mysterio, Vulture, Kingpin, and Prowler are before, so now it’s time to cover the others all in one fell swoop! From the Raimi trilogy, we have Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Harry Osborn, Sandman, and Eddie Brock/Venom; from the Andrew Garfield duology, we have Lizard, Electro, Rhino, and Harry Osborn again; and leftover from Into the Spider-Verse we have Olivia Octavius, Tombstone, Scorpion, and that film’s brief take on Green Goblin! Oh, and why not throw in Riot from Venom while we’re at it, because he sucks way too much to get his own Psycho Analysis.

Motivation/Goals: A lot of villains are motivated by the classic motivation: revenge. All of the Green Goblins manage to have this as a main part of their actions, making them remarkably consistent and very easy to discuss. The Norman of the Raimi films wants to take out his anger at being frozen out of his own company, and his son wants revenge for his death, while the Harry of the Garfield films wants his vengeance because Spider-Man wouldn’t help cure him of his otherwise incurable disaease that would kill him (a fact made worse because Spider-Man is his actual best friend, Peter Parker, who is coldly condemning his pal to death). The only one who doesn’t really fit is the Spider-Verse take on Green Goblin, and that’s more because he has extremely limited screentime and spends all of it fighting Peter and being scary as hell.

Eddie Brock/Venom is a very interesting case as both halves of the character are motivated by different reasons. The symbiote half is, of course, motivated by the fact that Peter has tried to rid himself of it via using a church bell to kill it. Eddie, on the other hand, has the most absolutely hilarious motivation ever: He wants Peter Parker to die because Peter exposed him for submitting fraudulent pictures to J. Jonah Jameson. Eddie literally breached journalistic ethics but apparently Peter’s to blame for exposing his literal, actual crime! And he prays to God for Peter to die! This version of Eddie is cartoonishly hilarious.Finally, we have Max Dillon, AKA Electro, who is lashing out at a world that did nothing but belittle and demean him, giving him a far more sympathetic motive for revenge.

Kurt Connors is an interesting halfway point between the Doc Ocks and the villains above, because he is not really evil and his whole transformation came about for altruistic scientific reasons, as he tested his serum on himself because they were going to test it out on the public without consent. While the serum drives him mad, he initially only goes after those who were going to use his formula with people as guinea pigs.

Interestingly, the two Doc Ocks contrast each other. While both of them are doing evil deeds for scientific reasons, Otto Octavius is being forced by his tentacles and genuinely wishes to make the world a better place otherwise. Olivia, on the other hand, is a gleeful sadist who doesn’t care who she hurts as long as she can get some sort of scientific knowledge from it.

Sandman is interesting case because his motivations are entirely sympathetic and despite being the man who killed Uncle Ben, it was entirely accidental and he always regretted it. He only ever wanted to get money to save his daughter. It’s really hard not to sympathize with a guy who turned to desperate measures because the American health care system sucks even in a universe where a dude dressed in a bright red suit swings around New York.

Then there are all the rest. Aleksei Systevich, AKA Rhino, is just a criminal, and has barely any screentime to establish a motivation beyond that. This is especially hilarious because the ads really hyped this guy up, only for him to get maybe five minutes of screentime, with most of it at the very end of the movie before the credits (we don’t even get to see his final battle). Tombstone and Scorpion are basically just lackeys for Kingpin, with little established beyond that. Scorpion almost shows up entirely out of nowhere, just popping in for the fight at Aunt May’s house and then the final battle. And then there’s Riot, who just wants to start a symbiote apocalypse on Earth.

Performance: Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, and Thomas Haden Church as Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Sandman in the Raimi trilogy are, in a word, iconic. Dafoe brings a gleeful, cackling hamminess to the Goblin that perfectly suits him and manages to steal every single with how delightfully, cartoonishly evil he is combined with some hilariously chummy moments with Spider-Man. Molina as Ock goes in the opposite direction of hamminess, where instead of making Octavius cartoonishly evil, he gives him this air of gravitas to the point where he somehow manages to make this villain with giant metal tentacles that are controlling his mind come off as sophisticated and serious as Hannibal Lecter. Church meanwhile just looks eerily perfect as Sandman, as if he were ripped straight from the comics and put onscreen, and then of course there’s how well he manages to sell the emotional moments of the character.

The Harrys are a rather mixed bag, sad to say. James Franco and Dennis DeHaan aren’t really bad actors, but they unfortunately have the problem of living in the shadow of the actor who played their dad (Franco) or being in a really awful movie with a terrible script (DeHaan). Franco at least makes up for this by being hilariously, cartoonishly evil to the extent of his dad in the third Raimi film, but DeHaan unfortunately falls rather flat. Topher Grace as Venom is a choice that seems baffling until you realize Raimi cast an actor like this on purpose because he hates Venom so much he didn’t want to give him any dignity.

Jamie Foxx as Electro seems odd at first, but I feel it’s actually a great casting choice, and despite how unbelievably stupid the script is, he’s actually able to do a fairly good job. If his character was in a better movie, he’d probably get a lot less flak (and he’ll be getting his chance soon enough, apparently). Overall, he’s the best part of the Garfield films. Rhys Ifans and Paul Giamatti as Lizard and Rhino are serviceable, but neither film they’re in really gives them much to work with. Giamatti at least gets to steal the show with his brief scenes by being an absolute ham, but Ifans is sadly a bit forgettable in his role (though not for lack of trying on his part).

Now onto the Spider-Verse ensemble! Considering how I gushed over her delightful performance as the Wicked Witch of Westview in WandaVision as well as the fact she is solely responsible for me resurrecting this series from its long hiatus, it should come as no shock at all that Kathryn Hahn as Olivia Octavius is just perfect. Controversial opinion, I know, might get some flak for this hot take. Jorma Taccone as Green Goblin, Joaquin Cosio as Scorpion, and Marvin Jones III as Tombstone all do well for what they’re given, but it’s clear most of the love among Kingpin’s henchmen was given to her (and Prowler, but he got his own review where I talked about how great he is).

Oh, right, Riot. I forgot about him. Riz Ahmed, who plays the human villain Carlton Drake I forgot to mention because he’s incredibly boring, is a really good (and sexy) actor. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get to be quite as good and sexy as an actor like him should be in his dual role. In an interesting subversion of how things usually go, he ends up being rather bland compared to the hammy, bonkers hero. This was Tom Hardy’s show, and no one was stealing it from him.

Final Fate: The Raimi films were all made during a time when, if your name wasn’t Magneto and you were a superhero movie villain, you were dying, a trend I’m certainly glad is finally starting to die off. Thankfully, Green Goblin manages to stick around and posthumously influence Harry, so in his case it’s not so bad. Harry and Doc Ock both manage to overcome the darkness in their hearts at the end and sacrifice their lives to help save the day, while Eddie dies after becoming such a simp for the symbiote he leaps into it while Peter is blowing it up. With Sandman, Peter actually has a touching reconciliation with Sandman at the end, forgiving him for the death of Uncle Ben before Sandman dissolves into dust and floats away on the breeze. And no, this is his power, not Thanos’ snap reaching across time, space, and dimensions; Sandman actually gets out of these films alive.

The other villains actually get off easier, as most of them go to jail. From the Amazing Spider-Man films, DeHaan’s Goblin and Rhys Ifan’s Lizard both end up in prison, and it’s safe to assume that the villains of Spider-Verse are going to jail alongside Kingpin. Octavius was hit by a bus, sure, but considering how popular she ended up being it would be really dumb to have that actually kill her. With Electro and Rhino though, it’s really ambiguous, the former because he’s made of electricity and the way he was defeated means it is possible he survived, and the latter because we never actually see the outcome of his battle with Spider-Man. If the film they were in was actually good and warranted sequels, we may have found out what their true fates were, but at the very least Electro is moving over to the MCU alongside Molina’s Doc Ock.

Oh, right, forgot Riot again. He dies.

Best Scene/Best Quote: I’m combining these this time just to make it easier on me, because in at least in a couple cases the two are the same.

Green Goblin has a lot to choose from, to the point where it’s easy to cop out and just say every scene he’s in is amazing. I’ve always been fond of his chummy chat with Spider-Man on the rooftop, or the scene where he terrifies Aunt May, or the scene where he attacks the parade and vaporizes the board of directors with pumpkin bombs.

Dock Ock is easy: the train battle. This might be one of the best action scenes in any superhero movie ever, and since he’s the villain in it, it almost goes without saying..There’s a reason this scene is singled out so often.

Eddie Brock and DeHaan Goblin actually have their best scenes also be their best lines. Eddie praying for God to kill Peter Parker and DeHaan!Harry screaming “YOU’RE A FRAUD, SPIDER-MAN!” after Spidey refuses to give him a life-saving blood transfusion are just so absolutely hilarious and memorable that you can’t hate them.

Aside from the powerful forgiveness moment at the film’s end, I think it’s really indisputable that the best scene from Sandman, and perhaps the Raimi trilogy as a whole, is the scene of Sandman’s creation. Words really can’t do it justice, so just watch:

Electro’s best moment isn’t even actually part of the movie, unless you want to count his rendition of “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.” No, his is from a Tumblr post, proving definitively that Electro’s power can not be contained.

For Olivia, I’d say either of the reveals for her are great. You can go with the twist that she’s the Doc Ock of Miles’ universe, or the twist that she might have fucked Aunt May. Either way, you can’t really go wrong.

The rest of the villains… yeah, I’ve got nothing. At least with Rhino you can say his entire time on screen was fun, but the rest? Nope. They’re kind of just there.

Final Thoughts & Score:

Green Goblin

Where to begin with this guy? He is everything I look for in a great villain: he’s hammy and cartoonish, he can be terrifying and threatening when he wants to be, he has a ridiculous yet memorable costume, every word out of his mouth is hilarious and memorable, and he’s played by an amazing actor. It’s hard to dispute that Doc Ock is the best villain in Raimi’s trilogy, but Goblin is definitely the most fun. If you thought he’d get less than a 10/10, you thought wrong.

Doctor Octopus

Aside from Green Goblin, Doc Ock is Spidey’s most iconic and memorable foe, nd this adaptation of him does not disappoint. By making him a more tragic and somewhat anti-villainous figure and putting him in the hands of someone as awesome and talented as Alfred Molina, they managed to make such a cartoonish villain retain that comic book silliness while still being a legitimately imposing antagonist. I suppose it helps that a director who knows how to balance silly and serous like Raimi helps. It’s absolutely not a shock that the MCU wants to bring Molina back, because really, I can’t see anyone making the dubious doctor nearly as cool as the 10/10 performance Molina gave.

Harry Osborn

Franco’s Harry has an interesting arc, but one that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense under scrutiny. Frankly, his descent into villain is handled well but when he actually gets to be a villain in the third film, things fall apart.. But at any rate, he gets to be cartoonishly hilarious while he pettily ruins Peter’s life, so I think a 3/10 is warranted just for how goofy he is.

Eddie Brock/Venom

For the longest time, I hated Eddie Brock, but loved the Venom symbiote for its fantastic design… A design hampered by the fact Topher Grace keeps sticking his face through the symbiote and talking in his normal voice. But then one day I remembered Eddie literally prays to God for Peter Parker to die, and I realize that as crappy as this version of Venom is, he’s undoubtedly hilarious. A 3/10 mainly because of how hilariously bad he is, though the design of the symbiote is unironically great. Shame Grace kept sticking his face through and that Raimi hates the character.

Sandman

Sandman is a villain who deserved a better movie. Sure, Spider-Man 3 is fun and funny, but a character with this much depth and emotional weight deserved a film of the caliber of Spider-Man 2. At any rate, he adds a bit of class and dignity to the proceedings, and Thomas Haden Church really nails it. He’s a 9/10 for sure.

Lizard

Lizard is just a very boring villain, which is a shame because Lizard is not a boring villain in the comics and other media like the cartoons. I don’t really know if he was the best choice for Spider-Man’s first outing; I’ll at least give him that he’s a more inspired choice than doing the Green Goblin again, but that doesn’t score him higher than a 4/10. As boring as he ends up being, that library fight was pretty cool and had a great Stan Lee cameo, so I can’t say he’s the bottom of the barrel.

Electro

Electro is a villain who desperately deserved a better movie. While his backstory as a nerdy fanboy who got kicked around by the world is nothing new, or fresh, or original, Jamie Foxx manages to make the character work fairly well even though almost everything around him is unbelievably stupid. The fact he managed to make “Don’t you know? I’m Electro” sound cool and badass is a testament to his skill, and thankfully he’s coming back in the MCU in some way, so I guess Electro’s power can not be contained to a single movie. Still, this iteration only manages to get to a 6/10, because while all the elements of greatness are there, he’s hampered by the abysmal writing.

Rhino

Paul Giamatti certainly looks like he’s having a blast here. His attitude is almost infectious, but alas, his time is too brief to bring any great joy, and his jarring appearance out of nowhere at the end of the film certainly do him no favors. Still, Giamatti keeps Rhino from sinking any lower than a 5/10.

Harry Osborn

This Harry is just a joke. His arc makes no sense, his actions are unbelievable, and he ends up looking like a really poor Warwick Davis Leprechaun cosplayer. The only thing of note about him is that he’s a Harry who becomes the Green Goblin before his father, something that doesn’t happen very often, and that’s not enough to score this loser higher than a 2/10. Not even killing Gwen Stacy makes him any more impressive, and that’s a real shame.

Olivia Octavius

Olivia Octavius is widely beloved by just about everyone who sees the film.. myself included. This is just a really fun, clever twist on Doctor Octopus, and it’s the sort of character you really hope gets a Harley Quinn-level break into becoming an iconic character across multiple forms of media. Kathryn Hahn’s fun performance and the wonderful design and fight sequences really make Olivia a 9/10.

Tombstone

Tombstone is a villain you might actually forget is in the movie, which is a damn shame. He’s an albino black man, a badass bodyguard, and has a striking design, but he gets a single line of dialogue and is tasked with bodyguarding a man who not only has cyborgs under his employ, but who murdered Spider-Man with his bare hands. Tombstone ultimately feels really superfluous, which is a shame because around the same time Into the Spider-Verse came out he had a very memorable and well-liked appearance in the Spider-Man video game. It’s a real shame but I gotta give this version of Tombstone a 2/10.

Scorpion

Scorpion has a lot of problems of Tombstone above, but he makes up for a lot of his flaws by having a really cool and striking design. Does it really make him a great villain? No. He’s not particularly well-characterized and he’s really just there to look cool and give Olivia backup. He’s a 4/10 at best, saved from being lower only by his awesome look. Looking cool really can get you far in some cases.

Green Goblin

Out of all the really minor villains in Spider-Verse, this version of Norman might be the best. His role is tiny, only appearing during the scene where the Peter Parker of Miles’ universe gets killed, but his battle with Spider-Man is what sets the entire plot in motion. His cool and terrifying design definitely help make him stand out enough to earn at least a 6/10.

Riot & Carlton Drake

Look, there’s a reason I kept forgetting these guys. They’re not memorable in the slightest. Venom may be a fantastic work of art, but that’s because Tom Hardy kills it in his dual role as Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote. Drake is just a boring corporate villain, the kind I hate talking about and the kind I’d only ever even bother mentioning in a review like this. And Riot is just a generic Big Gray CGI Monster for the hero to have a final battle with. Neither of these two are particularly interesting, and neither deserves more than a 2/10.

That’s it, right? There can’t be any more villains, I must have covered them all. Well, not quite. There’s one more character who is most certainly an antagonist and who I really, really want to talk about. And you’re absolutely not going to believe who it is.

You ready?

Psycho Analysis: Emo Peter

“Now wait,” you may be asking, “Emo Peter? Really? How does he count as a villain?” Well, as Schafrillas pointed out in his video on Spider-Man 3, Emo Peter is actually the antagonist for much of the second act. Peter, influenced by the symbiote, becomes a raging jackass and hurts and alienates everyone around him by being a colossal douchebag, not to mention how violent he gets as Spider-Man. This is very much an extreme case of the hero’s greatest enemy being themselves, because literally, Peter’s enemy in the chunk of the movie with Emo Peter is his own overinflated ego

Motivation/Goals: I mean, at the end of the day, it’s still Peter. He still wants to do the typical Peter Parker stuff, he’s just a jackass while he does it.

Performance: It’s Tobey Maguire busting loose and getting to act like an absolute doofus. There is literally nothing about this that isn’t amazing and I’m sorry if you can’t see it.

Final Fate: Peter eventually comes to realize that maybe the symbiote making him act like an egomaniacal tool is not a good thing, and so rebels against it, ultimately leading him to the roof of a church where Eddie Brock is praying for him to die and, well, the rest is history.

Best Scene:

Best Dance Move:

Final Thoughts & Score: Emo Peter has gotten a bad reputation over the years, but Schafrillas’ video really made me rethink why. As he puts it, Emo Peter comes off not as someone cool, but as what a loser thinks a cool person would be (which makes him still a loser). It seems fairly likely that the audience isn’t supposed to be rooting for Emo Peter or finding him cool, but instead finding him insufferable, ridiculous, and funny. We’re supposed to be laughing at Peter’s egomania, at his absurd and hammy showboating, not cheering him on and desiring to emulate him.

And that ultimately makes it more satisfying when Peter overcomes his ego and decides to rid himself of the symbiote. It might seem like I’m giving Spider-Man 3 a lot of credit here, but even Sam Raimi half-assing a movie wouldn’t leave things completely devoid of underlying brilliance. Emo Peter isn’t a villain in the sense that he’s some superpowered antagonist, he’s a physical representation of the negative impacts of fame and ego on Peter. This is Peter letting go of what makes him a hero and just reveling in being an absolute jerkwad to everyone around him.

I love the memes as much as everyone else of course, but Emo Peter is also a pretty clever symbolic foe. But even though I’m giving him an 8/10, we all know the real reason why he’s scoring so high:

Ok, but that’s it now, right? No more Spider-Man villains? Well, maybe for now. But don’t forget:

There’s gonna be Carnage.

[thesportssoundoff]

Playoff Droughts And Who Can Break Theirs

Joey

Baseball season is approaching and in the interest of breaking up the monotony of what figures to be a LONG and painful spring training, I wanted to take a peek whimsically while looking backwards. There's no more enjoyable story than when a team that's been excluded from the postseason dance for quite some time gets their invite. Sometimes it's years of hard work and team building and other years its due to ownership just throwing money around and sometimes? It's just a fluke luck circumstance not to be repeated for quite some time. For the sake of doing something of a bit of a project, I decided to take a brief look at teams that have not made the playoffs in over five years. I chose five years arbitrarily I suppose because to me five years or more without a playoff run is a genuine drought whereas four or less just feels like a lull regardless of expectations. Yankees fans may consider three years without the playoffs to be a drought whereas that's if anything a lull or a break in tradition. Teams that have been out of it for five years or more are teams that are either mired in long term BAD baseball or embracing mediocrity at best and so five years just felt right. Also I wanted to do it since the invent of the two game wild card but then it would be literally just three teams and nobody wants that.

Of the eight teams who have missed the playoffs for five years straight or longer, who are most likely to break that streak and join the dance? Well...

1- Philadelphia Phillies Last Playoff Appearance: 2011

Last year's darling picks, the Phillies have been out of the playoffs since 2011. For fun facts, 2011 was also the first year of the Chromebook, snapchat and the release of Elder Scrolls: Skryim. If you read this space for MMA? 2011 was the year Jon Jones beat Shogun for the LHW title, the Strikeforce HW Grand Prix started and Alistair Overeem's UFC debut. It's been a while and to the credit of Philadelphia, they've tried a multitude of ways from riding out the final years of aging veterans to rehauling their farm system to spending and spending big. It's not for a lack of trying they haven't made it back to the playoffs! Last year they seemed armed to roll through a perceived weak NL East with big names and big money across the board. Of course little did we know the Nationals would be better without Bryce Harper and the Phillies wouldn't even crack the top two of the division. Out goes Gabe Kapler and in comes Joe Girardi who will be tasked with VETERAN MANAGING his way through this ultra talented and underachieving roster that has added the likes of Zach Wheeler, Didi Gregorious as well as Andrew McCutchen who was lost early into 2019 with a torn ACL. The Phillies boast an insane line up as if Didi and Cutch are healthy and productive then you've got a core of Jean Segura, JT Realmuto, Didi, McCutchen, Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper. The rotation is pretty damn spiffy (health permitting) with Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Zach Eflin and Jake Arrieta plus flostam as a fifth if need be. The Phillies are always going to be a team that has slumps magnified and streaks glorified (such is life with Bryce Harper) but I can't see them not cracking the playoffs in some form or fashion this year. If they don't make the playoffs, we may need to try and discuss if there's some kind of a curse out there on the Phanatic.

2- Cincinnati Reds Last Playoff Appearance: 2013

Gotta admit I had no idea the Reds had a playoff cameo back in 2013. Guess that's just one of those years lost to time. Fun facts of 2013? Grand Theft Auto 5 came out that year, Yahoo purchased this hell site and the UFC brought women into the organization for the first time ever. The Reds spoke openly about wanting to spend a bit in the offseason and so they did, flexing some financial muscle with deals for Mike Moustakas, Shogo Akiyama and Nick Castellanos to help out a lineup featuring the likes of Joey Votto, Nick Senzel and Eugenio Suarez. If the Reds are going to make a serious run of things, it'll likely be on the arms of a rejuvenated Sonny Gray, mercurial Trevor Bauer and the league's best kept secret to casual fans Luis Castillo. There's obviously going to be concerns about a team that hits a lot of dingers but strikes out a bunch and a somewhat unheralded bullpen but the Reds have power, they've gotten better and they've got a cadre of arms to flex at any time. Also? The NL Central figures to be up in the air as the Cubs seem to coast with the core they have until the rebuild comes around, the Cardinals and Brewers underwent massive changes and the Pirates figure to be flat out bad. There's never been a more clear path for the Reds to make some October noise.

3- Los Angeles Angels Last Playoff Appearance: 2014

The year is 2014. In the real world,  Colorado legalizes the purchase of wacky tobacky, selfies became "a thing" in need of forever going away and the occulus rift creates a youtube grift genre. Sports wise? The MLB struggles through record rating woes, the Cowboys finally break through in the Jason Garrett tenure with a 12-4 record, the UFC is undergoing massive upheaval as stars retire or are suspended for PEDs, Bellator hosts its first PPV which in turn leads to the ousting of Bjorn Rebney for Scott Coker and LeBron James leaves Miami to go back where it all began in Cleveland. That's the last time the Angels saw a playoff game and it's been beaten to death at this point. "WHY DON'T THE ANGELS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS DURING MIKE TROUT'S PRIME?!" is tired and done to death but for those of you who feel the same way, 2020 marks the BEST chance for that to become a fad question (or perhaps just morph into "WHY CAN'T THE BEST PLAYER IN BASEBALL WIN THE WORLD SERIES ON HIS OWN?!") since the Angels are pretty damn loaded for bare. With the Astros about to endure a pretty weird season and the A's always lurking, the Angels will roll into the year with three bonafide superstars in Anthony Rendon, Shohei Otani and Mike Trout. The pieces around them aren't bad shakes either as Andrelton Simmons is a defensive whiz, David Fletcher is one of those solid under the radar types and the rotation isn't flashy but it should be competent with minor league depth to make moves if they see a big fish out there. The Angels would've been higher up had they gotten Ross Stripling and Joc Pedersen in a deal but since that fell off, I feel like 3rd behind the Reds and Phillies is a fine spot to put them in.

4- Chicago White Sox Last Playoff Appearance: 2008

2008 will probably best be known as the year of change headlined by the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. It was the year Fidel Castro stepped down in Cuba. China got the olympics in Beijing and people were TOTALLY cool about that with nary any controversy whatsoever. Beyond that? 2008 was the year I got into MMA and that was a special time, dudes. It was also the year where the White Sox saw their last real sustained succeed with its last postseason appearance. The White Sox feel like they've been in a rebuild since pretty much the end of the Ozzie Guillen tenure and despite multiple managers, multiple attempts to figure it out, rebuilds aplenty and some damn good talent coming through the organization, it's been a rough go of it for the majority of 2010 to 2019. Put it this way, the LAST time the White Sox made the playoffs, Chris Sale was a 22 year old rookie and Paul Konerko was still an active player. They've got a chance to kick off this next decade as a bit of a sleeper team in the Central. This team can hit and one can assume that another year of development for phenom talents like Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jiminez can only help. Tim Anderson for better or worse has a style and swagger that generates attention but it is fair to remember that for at least one half a season, he was a phenomenal player worthy of the acclaim. The White Sox have tried hard to secure elite free agents (Manny Machado and Zack Wheeler) but it's been a bust so at this point it's going to be up to them to draft, develop and trade for it. It would not surprise me if the White Sox are good enough in June and July to make a big deal to try and push them over the hump and chase for the second wild card.

5- San Diego Padres Last Playoff Appearance: 2006

The Padres last made the playoffs in the year of the Nintendo Wii. Floyd Mayweather hadn't even come up with his Money Mayweather gimmick yet! Lost to baseball obscurity, the Padres had at the very least an interesting team out west. The likes of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, arguably the worst defensive outfield in the history of the universe and freakishly good young arms like Chris Paddack and Joey Luchessi at least made them fun to watch. They weren't "good" but this is a team that was still struggling to balance expensive veterans with clout (Machado, Eric Hosmer, Will Meyers) with really good young talent trying to figure things out. The Padres figure to be better with a full season of Tatis Jr, more production from guys like Hosmer and Machado plus improvements in the outfield with Tommy Pham and Trent Grisham (hold your jokes, Nats fans) figure to give this team a chance. There's a pretty good bullpen (Emilio Pagan is a sneaky nice pick up) and plenty of talent in their 26 man roster. The NL West has so much legit top talent with the D-Backs and Dodgers figuring to be really good that it's hard to make an argument for the Padres to be a playoff contender but they figure to try and trying is truly half the battle.

6- Miami Marlins Last Playoff Appearance: 2003

It's kind of a bummer that we didn't get our decennial Marlins "The fuck?" World Series win but they made up for it by giving us Jeffrey Loria and David Samson fucking things up for most of the decade leading to Derek FUCKING Jeter opting to get into the management game much to the chagrin of most folks on all sides. The Marlins are in the midst of rebuilding....again. Don't expect them to compete but they've got some good talent to at least want to see play. Brian Anderson, Caleb Smith, Jorge Alfaro and a bundle of veteran signings that will at the very least make the Marlins a fun trade partner in July will keep this team relevant. Wouldn't surprise me if the Marlins flirt with a 20 win swing from where they were last year.

7- Seattle Mariners Last Playoff Appearance: 2001

My god man. The Mariners were SO close in 2018, winning 89 games and finishing a few spots out of a Wild Card spot. As if they decided that this core couldn't do it, the Mariners went to work tearing their team apart and were rewarded with a pretty blegh squad that was once again picked apart at the deadline. To their credit they have some spiffy talent worth watching, namely the infield duo of JP Crawford and Shed Long. They’ve also got some fun young arms who might take the next step. Just don't expect them to win many games.

8- Detroit Tigers Last Playoff Appearance: 2014

The Tigers are aways away from being contenders. They're not trying to be contenders. They're in the midst of what could best be described as a multiple year rebuild after riding out the end days of the core from the start of the 2010's. They will be bad but god bless 'em for embracing it.

[x-wearethefuture-x]

((So... I think I’m going to make some changes to secondary muses. Not many, but a few. I’ll list them here so that anyone who cares can be aware and so that I won’t forget to do them when I inevitably don’t finish them before I have to leave for work.

Also... if you glance through this and have any suggestions, feel free to offer them! There are a lot of canon characters that I want to switch FCs for but I don’t know who to switch them to ^^;

Face claim change for male Revan from Kim Jaejoong to James Marsden. 

Face claim change for female Revan from Jessica Jung to Kate Beckinsale or Mila Jovovich (possibly, I’m not sure yet?).

Making Jaejoong (Jae) his own character- he’ll still be equally as much of an asshole as he is right now, but he won’t be based on Darth Revan anymore. He’ll just be completely his own muse.

Face claim change for Vincent Valentine from Jung Yunho to- ??? I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.

Switching things up with Jack a little- I’ll have two muses of the same first name; I’m keeping my current Jack who I will change up a little- he’ll no longer be based on “Handsome Jack” from Borderlands but will, instead, remain his own muse. This means there will be some little changes to his information, but mostly he’ll just remain as the non-canon version of Jack who has lived on Earth his whole life and etc etc. He’s still going to be the same muse he’s always been, just with a few small details changed. 

There will also be a seperate, new, muse for the more canon version of “Handsome Jack” with a new face claim (possibly Matt Bomer or Zachary Levi?).

The addition of Rhys from Borderlands- face claim pending, but I’m thinking possibly Andrew Garfield?

Additions of Lilith, Angel and Krieg from Borderlands, also possibly Athena? No face claim ideas yet though.

Face Claim change for Atton possibly? I think Hyuk is practically PERFECT for it, but I’m trying not to re-use too many faceclaims. So I’m not sure who yet, but maybe Santiago Cabrera or Ben Barnes?

Possible face claim changes for both Tifa and Aerith, not sure who to yet?

I think that’s everything :) Let me know if you have any opinions about anything!

I might also start crossing over into other types of rp if I can? Like doing some more Borderlands and Star Wars based stuff here and there by trying to follow people with similar muses to my secondaries. That might mean a bit of a change up for my entire blog- nothing too serious (and it’ll have no impact on any threads), but something to get more traction for my muses that I’ve been dying to use but haven’t had the right audience for, if that makes sense.))

[kaimaciel]

My Favorite Books of 2018

The Archived  by Victoria Schwab

“Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive. Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive. Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous—it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost, Da's death was hard enough, but now that her little brother is gone too, Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself may crumble and fall.”

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

“On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person—but also that the cold-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money. Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased…where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the center of it.”

Still Me (Me Before You #3) by Jojo Moyes

“Louisa Clark arrives in New York ready to start a new life, confident that she can embrace this new adventure and keep her relationship with Ambulance Sam alive across several thousand miles. She steps into the world of the superrich, working for Leonard Gopnik and his much younger second wife, Agnes. Lou is determined to get the most out of the experience and throws herself into her new job and New York life. As she begins to mix in New York high society, Lou meets Joshua Ryan, a man who brings with him a whisper of her past. Before long, Lou finds herself torn between Fifth Avenue where she works and the treasure-filled vintage clothing store where she actually feels at home. And when matters come to a head, she has to ask herself: Who is Louisa Clark? And how do you find the courage to follow your heart—wherever that may lead?”

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

“Could ten days at a health resort really change you forever? In Liane Moriarty’s latest page-turner, nine perfect strangers are about to find out... Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be. Frances Welty, the formerly best-selling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don’t look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the person that intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer – or should she run while she still can? It’s not long before every guest at Tranquillum House is asking exactly the same question.”

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

“On 21 June 1922 Count Alexander Rostov – recipient of the Order of Saint Andrew, member of the Jockey Club, Master of the Hunt – is escorted out of the Kremlin, across Red Square and through the elegant revolving doors of the Hotel Metropol. But instead of being taken to his usual suite, he is led to an attic room with a window the size of a chessboard. Deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the Count has been sentenced to house arrest indefinitely. While Russia undergoes decades of tumultuous upheaval, the Count, stripped of the trappings that defined his life, is forced to question what makes us who we are. And with the assistance of a glamorous actress, a cantankerous chef and a very serious child, Rostov unexpectedly discovers a new understanding of both pleasure and purpose.”

Heart of Iron (Heart of Iron #1) by Ashley Poston

“Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him. Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them. When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive. What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves?”

Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab

“THE WORLD IS BREAKING. AND SO ARE THEY. KATE HARKER isn't afraid of monsters. She hunts them. And she's good at it. AUGUST FLYNN once yearned to be human. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost. THE WAR HAS BEGUN. THE MONSTERS ARE WINNING. Kate will have to return to Verity. August will have to let her back in. And a new monster is waiting—one that feeds on chaos and brings out its victims' inner demons. Which will be harder to conquer: the monsters they face, or the monsters within?”

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.” Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.”

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

“A contemporary novel about three adopted siblings who find each other at just the right moment. Being the middle child has its ups and downs. But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including— Maya, her loudmouthed younger bio sister, who has a lot to say about their newfound family ties. Having grown up the snarky brunette in a house full of chipper redheads, she’s quick to search for traces of herself among these not-quite-strangers. And when her adopted family’s long-buried problems begin to explode to the surface, Maya can’t help but wonder where exactly it is that she belongs. And Joaquin, their stoic older bio brother, who has no interest in bonding over their shared biological mother. After seventeen years in the foster care system, he’s learned that there are no heroes, and secrets and fears are best kept close to the vest, where they can’t hurt anyone but him.”

Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3) by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

“Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion? Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha's past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.”

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

“Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their tiny cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. The games ended when Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin in the dead of night. The last she--or anyone--saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips. Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings--massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches that cover ghostly shapes in white dresses. The paintings catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the socialite and wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale. When Francesca implores her to return to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor, Emma sees an opportunity to try to find out what really happened to her friends. Yet it's immediately clear that all is not right at Camp Nightingale. Already haunted by memories from fifteen years ago, Emma discovers a security camera pointed directly at her cabin, mounting mistrust from Francesca and, most disturbing of all, cryptic clues Vivian left behind about the camp's twisted origins. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing threats from both man and nature in the present. And the closer she gets to the truth about Camp Nightingale, the more she realizes it may come at a deadly price.”

[olivieblake]

As someone who writes a lot of OC’s, what’s your take on the best way to approach incorporating them into a story? And what kind of feedback do you or others typically get? From what I understand, it can be really risky. But you do it so so well and I love all your OCs. I personally am very in favor of dynamic OCs. ☺️ Anyway this could be a podcast ask for when serious (Sirius?) hats are donned, or just a regular ask. Thank you!

hm hm hmm WELL, I promise, I don’t purposely write OCs. actually, I mostly avoid them as much as possible? the only fic I’ve ever written any OCs into (minus a few here and there, like Paul the house elf) is How to Win and I regret it immensely. well okay I don’t REGRET it, per se, because I love all of them and I developed them fully and I felt they were necessary to the plot, but the more OCs I introduced to the story the more reviews dropped, so… I’d caution against them unless you can’t get around them (which, again, I couldn’t). This is sort of the inherent problem with post-Hogwarts fics, especially; most readers don’t want original characters to begin with (and blending them into the potterverse can be a lot of work to do well, even based on simple things like naming them; I find a lot of OCs can throw me from the story if their names or occupations feel out of place) but often they’re a necessity, obviously, because half the canon characters are dead and/or can’t merely be shuffled around if you’re going into any sort of depth, plot-wise.

basically, here’s the rules for writing OCs into fics (DISCLAIMER: they are only rules for if you want the fic to be broadly consumed, mind you; you can write excellent OCs without using any of these rules, but for purposes of making them appealing to the average fic audience, I’d bear these in mind):

you know how the moment you drive a car off the lot, it loses value? that’s what happens when you add an OC to a fanfic. the moment you add one, the entire fic depreciates in value to the average fic reader. so, if you can avoid using one and can use a rare or underused canon character instead, always do that. 

sidebar: I mean, people love my Theo, right? and yet he’s nearly as much an OC as any other character I’ve dropped into How to Win. people just know his name and they have a general idea of his background, so they’re okay with seeing him. if I made a character exactly like him, down to the very last detail, and then tried to pass him off as Draco’s best friend? ha. yeAH right olivie put the martini down where you found it and defenestrate yourself

if you can’t avoid the OC, then try to give them a backstory that blends fully into the potterverse. rhys hawkworth is a pretty good example of that. he’s the same age as dramione and the gang, but there’s a pretty solid reason he wasn’t at hogwarts with them; same with mel warbeck, whose mother is a canon character we know close to nothing about from the books

do not give the OC a canon love interest if you want them to be liked by the reader. if their job is to be the person who sleeps with one of the main canon characters until they gradually disappear from the plot, fine (though people would still likely prefer a canon character in the OC’s place) but people will generally never come around to liking someone if they were ever a rival for draco or hermione in a dramione fic, for example. they are also usually fine as love interests on the side; basically, just limit their screen time, so to speak.

when it comes to any characters, original or canon, it always seem to follow that the female ones are harder to get people on board with if they have even a little bit of ambition. I think this is mostly low-key levels of sexism but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it has proven true across the board from Nobility’s Hermione to How to Win’s Daisy

the MOST successful OCs are the ones that supply comic relief. people are always happy to see an OC like Hortense or Thibaut whose one job is to be outrageous, vs someone like Cadell Hawkworth, who has a Tragic Backstory that requires them to feel something they may not wish to. they’ve had no time with him; they don’t care about him. fair enough! but everyone can laugh at thibaut eating grapes, so he’s safe

I mentioned names earlier; try to pick names that fit into the potterverse, (which is sort of hard to do considering none of us are Joanne, but…) I think it’s generally safe to just avoid names of people you know. OCs that are named things like Ben and Andrew feel unlikely to pop up at Hogwarts, you know what I mean? which is not to say that they can’t, but I think the less “familiar” a name, the more easily they blend into the narrative

try not to insert a lot of OCs at once, if only because inserting any volume of characters at once can be confusing. by that I mean if harry for example is being introduced to an OC, try not to make it a group of OCs all at the same time, because the reader is unlikely to remember all of their names. remember: EVERYONE is bad with names.

I also like to develop each of my OCs quite a bit with a full backstory before I really make use of them. I also use the backstory-developing time to make certain I can’t use a canon character in their place. every OC in How to Win went through vigorous mental testing of: is this character necessary? is there anyone else I could conceivably use in their place? once I was certain the answer was no, I moved forward.

okay I think that’s enough rules for now, and man, have I been a bit down on OCs? possibly (read: yes). I guess that’s a hint they’re not very loved in my story, so I’m wary of using them. but hey, I love the ones I’ve used, and I certainly think they can be used well, and skillfully — so as long as you have a compelling reason for using one, then just develop them as thoughtfully as you would develop any other character!

[daggerzine]

Partial Clearing- Robert Poss clears the air and fills us in.

I remember first hearing Band of Susans’ “Hope Against Hope” on the Blessing and Curse EP that the band was nice enough to send me in 1987  (I remember being doubly excited as it was one of the first promos I had received after I’d started doing DAGGER).  What was this? My classic rock records didn’t sound like this and neither did my hardcore records. No, this seemed more in the Lower East Side Sonic Young/Live Skull school of chaotic, noisy guitars and rhythms that were all over the place, music that was fairly new to me at the time. I loved it.

Band of Susans released a handful of terrific records then seemingly vanished. Robert Poss, the band’s leader/ main songwriter had a released a few records under his own name in the late 90’s/early 00′s but I completely missed ‘em. It wasn’t until a few years ago when 2018’s Frozen Flowers Curse the Day appeared in my mailbox (also included was 2010’s Settings Music for Dance, Film, Fashion and Industry) and I realized that Poss is and always was a true musician/guitarist (I mean, it was evident before but this kind of sealed it). Even though he or his music may not be in the spotlight he’s still working and experimenting with time, space and sound on his collection of guitars. Frozen Flowers... is well worth your time. 

I emailed him and asked him if I could send some questions his way and he said yes. As you’ll read he had to fill me on in the big gap from when Band of Susans broke up until present day. He was always working and creating, a true student of music. It seems like the guy has played with every experimental/avant-garde musician out there. It seems like he’s always up for a challenge. This ain’t your dad’s music, maybe more like the cool/weird uncle you rarely see but he always has something interesting to say. Robert Poss had some very interesting things to say so please do read on and enjoy.

 A young(er) Poss and his growing collection. 

 Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Buffalo, New York. My father was a pure New York City boy, however.

 At what age did you get your first guitar? Was anyone else in your house musical….parents or siblings?

I first briefly fooled around with an oddly tuned acoustic guitar, but at age 12 got an electric bass and started learning songs by ear off the radio. I was first strictly a bass player, but started playing electric guitar probably at around age 14 or 15.  Although I had a distant cousin who was an established concert violinist, my own immediate family was rather devoid of musical talent or pursuits. On the other hand, they appreciated music and I learned quite a bit from my older sisters during the 1960s when they would play the latest hip LPs for me.

 When you began playing guitar which guitarists influenced your style?

Mike Bloomfield, Albert King, Mick Taylor, Freddie King, Keith Richards, Rory Gallagher, and much later, The Edge, Tom Verlaine and Keith Levene.

 Tell us about your first band. 

A bunch of enthusiastic, introverted teenagers in a suburb of Buffalo trying to emulate the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. My friend Andrew Halbreich was an incredibly skilled harp (harmonica) player. My buddy (eventual Band Of Susans drummer) Ron Spitzer was a masterful musician who could play guitar, bass, and keyboards and had a great singing voice. I was in a number of bands with him over the years.

 I’m going to jump forward here…after Band Of Susans broke up did you continue playing? 

My work after B.O.S. involved various short-term collaborations and projects, some with Susan Stenger, as well as solo efforts. I also got involved with making music for modern dance. I did some solo performances in London, Cologne and Prague.  I worked with Susan on a 96-day musical installation for the Musée d’art Contemporain in Lyon, France, performed at the premier of composer Phill Niblock’s "Stosspeng" in Krems, Austria and contributed music to an Albert Maysles/Kristen Nutile documentary, Sally Gross: The Pleasure Of Stillness.  In 2009 I performed with Rhys Chatham and Robert Longo at a Metropolitan Museum of Art retrospective and participated in Chatham’s Crimson Grail project for 200 guitars at Lincoln Center. I have also collaborated with Austrian visual artist Margret Wibmer and wrote some guitar-centric articles for The Leonardo Music Journal and The Tone Quest Report.  In March 2012 I performed the music of John Cage, Yoshi Wada and Phill Niblock along with long-time collaborator Susan Stenger at the AV Festival in Newcastle, U.K.  In December of 2014 I performed in Paris with Susan Stenger, Einstürzende Neubauten's F.M. Einheit and renowned actress, writer and theatre artist Olwen Fouéré as part of a two-day music and sound installation. In June of 2015, I did a series of eight performances of his original music with bassist Kato Hideki accompanying the Alexandra Beller/Dances company at La Mama for the piece “milkdreams.” In February of 2017 I participated in the recording in Lisbon, Portugal of F.M. Einheit’s L'exposition d'un rêve (The Exhibition of a Dream), which had its premiere at the Gubenkian Foundation in Paris in October of that year. Some of these are art/music hybrid projects were organized and curated by Mathieu Copeland. In recent years, I’ve also performed with some quirky art-rock groups led by Evans Wohlforth. One incarnation of the Heroes Of Toolik I played with had Billy Ficca from Television drumming and Ernie Brooks from The Modern Lovers on bass.

 I’ll jump forward again, tell us about the making of your 2018 album, Frozen Flowers Curse the Day. What was the initial inspiration behind it? 

FFCTD is a compilation of some of the music I had been doing for the choreographers Alexandra Beller and Sally Gross along with a hodge-podge of recent musical explorations. I wanted to see this music – some of which had been performed live with the two dance companies – to be formally released.

 Where did the title come from? 

It’s simply an amalgam of the two song titles from the CD.

 A few guitars....

I know you love experimenting with the guitar….is there a goal? Maybe to find a sound you’d never heard/played before?

I’ve been playing guitar forever. I am self-taught. Over the years I have been immersed in electric blues and rock and was introduced to “serious” minimalist, electronic and experimental music by Susan Stenger, Nicolas Collins and Rhys Chatham. I love improvisation as much as I love compositional structure. I think that I am an intuitive minimalist. I am more interested in texture, sonic architecture and rhythmic interplay than I am in melody.  I’ve also always liked very minimal “primitive” folk-blues guitar. These days I look for inspiration in environmental sounds, in Indian classical music, in the work of composers like Alvin Lucier and Phill Niblock and in pure electronic sounds. But I always come back to guitar, and to my peculiar and particular brand of distortion textures, layering and experimentation. There is an element of “automatic writing” to the work I do currently. The sort of work I have been doing over the past few decades has slowly become more commonplace I suppose. But I always hope to stumble on to something new and compelling.

  Just to discuss one song from the album, “Partial Clearing”, how were those sounds made?

This was made for the choreographer Alexandra Beller. I used an improvised percussive guitar loop that I had made and did some drone guitar stuff using a crazy one-of-a-kind Nicolas Collins distortion box. There is an interlude of a consonant guitar arpeggio It has a few layers of the sort of guitar and electronics work that I perform live.

 Are you working on new material and if so can we expect a new album in the near future?

I’m always pondering new directions and new material. At the moment I’m somewhat torn between pure electronic music, more guitar rock and various hybrids. I’m often a bit slow at codifying and completing longer projects, but I’ll have something out in 2020. I’m also hoping that I will get invited to do some improvised duos and collaborations.

 Band of Susans just destroying

 Also, with your label Trace Element, is it just for your recordings or do you release other artist’s music?

Trace Elements records was founded by me, Ron Spitzer and Andrew Halbreich in around 1980. It originally was set up for our band Tot Rocket, which released two 7" records on it. With the recording of the Western Eyes LP Western Eyes, electronic music composer Nicolas Collins, who produced the record, became involved in the label. Trace Elements released the Collins LP Devil’s Music, a Collins/Poss cassette called Inverse Guitar, and 100 Of The World’s Most Beautiful Melodies, a CD of Collins' duets with musicians such as John Zorn, Zeena Parkins, Shelley Hirsch, Christian Marclay, Tom Cora and Elliot Sharp. The label also released my 1986 Sometimes cassette and the debut 7" EP When People Were Shorter And Lived Near The Water, but is best known for the 1987 release of Band Of Susans' first record, Blessing And Curse, a 12” EP, and Nicolas Collins’s 1992 CD It Was A Dark and Stormy Night. I currently run the label myself, though it’s mostly dormant. The most recent releases have been my two companion solo CDs, Distortion Is Truth and Crossing Casco Bay, both released in late 2002, Settings: Music For Dance, Film, Fashion and Industry, released in the autumn of 2010 and Frozen Flowers Curse The Day, released in 2018.

  Who are some of your favorite current bands and/or musicians?

I like Come and other Thalia Zedek/Chris Brokaw projects. A great New York band called Collapsible Shoulder. The stuff done by Mission of Burma’s Peter Prescott and Roger Miller.  Phill Niblock’s ongoing work. Anything Susan Stenger is involved in. Pan Sonic. Shilpa Ray. Zeena Parkins. Andrea Parkins. Nicolas Collins. Ben Neill.  Guitarist Chris Cochrane’s projects. Kato Hideki.  David Watson. Evans Wohlforth always has something interesting going on. My ex-bandmate Karen Haglof has been doing some nice work. (I’m probably leaving some key persons out.) There is also a whole host of musicians, young and old doing pure electronic music these days. But I’m truly terrible at keeping up with the latest and greatest stuff out there. Most of the gigs I go to involve friends and colleagues.

  What are your top 10 desert island discs 

 This list appears very retro, very male; but, for the mood I’m in today:

 Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet

Rolling Stones: Their Satanic Majesties Request

Tom Verlaine: Dreamtime

The Kinks: Kinks Kronikles

David Bowie: Aladdin Sane

Phill Niblock: Touch Strings

The Kinks: Muswell Hillbillies

The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper

Wire: Pink Flag

X-Ray Spex: Germ Free Adolescents

  https://www.robertposs.com/

https://robertposs.bandcamp.com/releases

[flauntpage]

Your Wednesday Morning Roundup

There were no heroics from former Pirates on Tuesday night.

After Sean Rodriguez hit a walk-off homer and called out the fans on Monday (with his wife defending him), it was a Phillie who never was a Pirate whose blunder cost the team a big game.

With the game tied at four with one out and runners at 1st and 2nd, Kevin Newman hit a ball to Cesar Hernandez who started what was going to be a double play to end the top of the ninth. Jean Segura’s throw to Rhys Hoskins was right on the money and it looked like the Phillies were on their way to try and win the game.

But…

On a double play ball that would’ve ended the top of the 9th tied, Rhys Hoskins dropped the throw to first. Just…missed it.

Also, the go-ahead run then scored for the Pirates. pic.twitter.com/QFWdFtZ03X

— Jonathan Howard (@jondhoward) August 28, 2019

Hoskins simply dropped the ball and the Pirates scored a run off of it. They would hold on for the 5-4 win.

It’s been a very rough month for Hoskins. He’s been batting .120 in August and has seen his batting average dip each month from the .276 average he had in April and May. That error didn’t help either.

Drew Smyly nearly gave up a cycle in the first four at-bats of the game. Newman led the game off with a triple, Bryan Reynolds homered, and Starling Marte doubled before Josh Bell struck out. Elias Diaz did single to lead off the second. Altogether, Smyly gave up four runs off nine hits with four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

The two teams wrap up their series tonight with a 6:05 PM start time on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Vince Velasquez takes the mound against Mitch Keller. After that comes a weekend series with the Mets.

The Roundup:

In what could be the biggest piece of Eagles news this week, DeSean Jackson reportedly broke his ring finger in practice. That’s bad. But he’s not expected to miss any time. We think. Depends on who you follow:

Minor scare at #Eagles practice: WR DeSean Jackson suffered a broken ring finger on his left hand in today’s workout, sources say. My understanding is he’s not expected to miss time and the team is not concerned.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2019

Source: Re: #Eagles WR Desean Jackson fractured ring finger, Jackson was told it is a 3-4 wk injury. He's scheduled to try out a custom splint tomorrow, at this time. I'm told, he's not sure what his comfort will be playing w/it, will determine later if he'll play b4 fully healed

— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) August 27, 2019

So we’ll see.

But this is also kind of big:

Dolphins are very interested in trading for Jadeveon Clowney, according to league sources, but have to get him interested in going there. Prefers Seahawks, Eagles as potential destinations. Fluid situation because he has leverage as unsigned franchise player

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 27, 2019

Elsewhere, the Birds picked up another linebacker, signing Hayes Pullard and releasing Asantay Brown. They also signed safety Jason Thompson and dropped Tre Sullivan.

Five Eagles made ESPN’s Top 100 NFL players list.

The Philadelphia Fusion, aka America’s Team, will play at The Met and Boardwalk Hall. I absolutely love it.

In other sports news, Kansas City Royals owner David Glass is negotiating to sell the team for over $1 billion.

Would Carli Lloyd be able to kick in the NFL? She’s serious about it, but it would probably happen in 2020.

Doug Gottlieb says another stupid thing about Andrew Luck and millenials.

In the news, Meek Mill’s court case is done and he’s off probation.

23 people were killed in a bar attack in southern Mexico.

The post Your Wednesday Morning Roundup appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Your Wednesday Morning Roundup published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[erickmalpicaflores]

Erik Malpica Flores Erik Malpica Flores recommends: What is Coming to Netflix Canada in December 2018 |

A special Christmas episode of CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA is coming to Netflix Canada in December 2018. In addition, the Lifetime drama YOU is coming to Canada as a Netflix Original. Several other Netflix original films, including DUMPLIN’ and BIRD BOX will also be coming in the final month of this year.

Related: What’s coming to Netflix U.S. in December 2018?

December 1

Battle – Netflix Film: The right steps. The wrong attitude. But then she shares the dance floor with a new partner, and the rhythm of love takes over.

Conor McGregor: Notorious

Crossroads: One Two Jaga – Netflix Film: Immigrant laborers and corrupt police. In a world of desperation, doing the right thing isn’t just hard. It’s dangerous.

Get Smart

Hellboy

Little Women

Man vs Wild with Sunny Leone: Season 1

Mary and The Witch’s Flower

Memories of the Alhambra (Streaming Every Saturday) – Netflix Original: While looking for the cryptic creator of an innovative augmented-reality game, an investment firm executive meets a woman who runs a hostel in Spain.

Priest

Resident Evil: Afterlife

Rock Dog

Unknown

Yes Man

December 3

Hero Mask – Netflix Original: After a rash of mysterious deaths, Crown prosecutor Sarah Sinclair and SSC agent James Blood discover a conspiracy surrounding uncanny new bio-masks.

The Sound of Your Heart: Reboot Season 2 – Netflix Original: As Ae-bong’s husband and father of an adorable baby daughter, Seok finds fresh inspiration from his new family and changing responsibilities.

December 4

December 5

American Pie

American Pie 2

American Wedding

Bruce Almighty

Evan Almighty

Wentworth: Season 6

December 6

December 7

5 Star Christmas – Netflix Film: Away from their spouses. Away from the paparazzi and nosy reporters. It’s a foolproof, Christmastime tryst — what could go wrong?

Dogs of Berlin – Netflix Original: Two cops investigate the murder of a famous Turkish-German soccer player, but their ethnic and underworld connections mire the case in controversy.

Dumplin’ – Netflix Film: Dumplin’ (Danielle Macdonald) is the plus-size, teenage daughter of a former beauty queen (Jennifer Aniston), who signs up for her mom’s pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town.

Free Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas – Netflix Original: As Bright Fields preps for its Mistletoe Ball, a broken ornament leads Zoe to a family secret, while Gaby finds herself at the mercy of new boss Mia.

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle – Netflix Film: Acclaimed actor and director Andy Serkis reinvents Rudyard Kipling’s beloved masterpiece, in which a boy who would become a legend, wants nothing more than to find a home. Torn between two worlds, that of the jungle and that of humankind, Mowgli must navigate the inherent dangers in each on a journey to discover who he really is. Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Freida Pinto, Matthew Rhys and Naomie Harris lead an all-star cast along with newcomer Rohan Chand (“Mowgli”) in this visually spectacular and emotionally moving adventure. It will also be dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Bengali.

Nailed It! Holiday! – Netflix Original: It’s the “Nailed It!” holiday special you’ve been waiting for, with missing ingredients, impossible asks and desserts that look delightfully sad.

Neo Yokio: Pink Christmas – Netflix Original: The holidays take a hit as Kaz juggles the Secret Santa competition, his Aunt Angelique’s visit and his nemesis Arcangelo’s Christmas plotting.

Pine Gap – Netflix Original: At top-secret U.S.-Australian joint defense facility Pine Gap, fissures appear in the critical alliance as spies work with, and against, each other.

ReMastered: Who Killed Jam Master Jay? – Netflix Original: As a groundbreaking ’80s rap act, Run-D.M.C. brought hip-hop to the mainstream. But the murder of the group’s DJ, Jam Master Jay, remains a mystery.

Super Monsters and the Wish Star – Netflix Original: Deck the halls with holiday magic and get ready for a fun, festive time. It’s a gift from the Super Monsters … to you!

The American Meme – Netflix Original: Follow four social media disruptors — Paris Hilton, Josh Ostrovsky, Brittany Furlan and Kirill Bichutsky — as they hustle to create online empires.

The Hook Up Plan (Plan Coeur) – Netflix Original: When Parisian Elsa gets hung up on her ex, her best friends secretly hire a male escort to help her move on. But their plan works a little too well.

The Ranch: Part 6 – Netflix Original: Colt confronts the challenges of running a ranch as he and Abby get ready to become parents. And a second new arrival keeps the Bennetts on their toes.

Trolls

December 11

Vir Das: Losing It – Netflix Original: In a new stand-up special, comedian Vir Das touches on world travel, religion, his desire to be an Indian superhero and more.

December 12

Back Street Girls: Gokudols – Netflix Original: To pay for an epic blunder, three yakuza brothers are forced to alter their bodies, form a girl group and break into the underground J-Pop idol scene.

Out of Many, One – Netflix Original: As they prepare for their naturalization tests, several legal immigrants discuss what drove them to seek better opportunities in America.

December 13

Wanted: Season 3 – Netflix Original: A witness protection deal lands Lola in Adelaide, where a murder sends her and Chelsea on the run through South Australia in search of a missing woman.

December 14

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: “A Midwinter’s Tale” – Netflix Original: As the winter solstice approaches, Sabrina orchestrates an emotional séance with serious consequences, and Susie’s merry plans turn menacing.

Cuckoo: Season 4 – Netflix Original: Hoping to build a career for himself, Dale gives hospitality a try, while lawyer Ken copes badly with some professional issues of his own in Season 4.

Fuller House: Season 4 – Netflix Original: The Tanner-Fuller-Gibblers are back with big laughs. DJ and Steve rekindle their flame — and a new member of the family is on the way!

Inside the Real Narcos – Netflix Original: Special Forces soldier Jason Fox embeds himself with drug cartels in Mexico, Colombia and Peru to understand the people involved and how they operate.

Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons: Season 3 – Netflix Original: Investigative journalist Raphael Rowe, who was once wrongfully convicted of murder, visits prisons in Colombia, Costa Rica, Romania and Norway.

Prince of Peoria: A Christmas Moose Miracle – Netflix Original: Teddy’s never missed the Festival of Lights, but the bowling alley’s been snowed in! Not to worry — Emil insists the Christmas moose will save the day.

ROMA – Netflix Film: This film from Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón chronicles a tumultuous year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s.

Sunderland Til I Die – Netflix Original: This docuseries follows English soccer club Sunderland through the 2017-18 season as they try to bounce back after relegation from the Premier League.

The Fix – Netflix Original: Comedians Jimmy Carr, D.L. Hughley and Katherine Ryan tackle the world’s woes with help from a rotating crew of funny guests and actual experts.

The Innocent Man – Netflix Original: Based on the true crime best-seller by John Grisham, the six-part documentary series The Innocent Man focuses on two murders that shook the small town of Ada, Oklahoma, in the 1980s — and the controversial chain of events that followed.

The Protector – Netflix Original: Discovering his ties to a secret ancient order, a young man living in modern Istanbul embarks on a quest to save the city from an immortal enemy.

Tidelands – Netflix Original: Ex-con Cal McTeer’s return to her hometown Orphelin Bay blows the lid off a generations-long conspiracy of silence around murder, drugs and sirens.

Travelers: Season 2

Travelers: Season 3 – Netflix Original: With the truth about their existence exposed to the world, MacLaren and his team must cover their tracks, partner with the FBI, and find Traveler 001.

Voltron: Legendary Defender: Season 8 – Netflix Original: A team of teenagers continues to work together, fighting the forces of evil amid an epic intergalactic battle to protect the universe.

December 15

Dolphin Tale

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

December 16

Paddington

Springsteen on Broadway – Netflix Original: In this acclaimed show based on his best-selling autobiography, Bruce Springsteen performs acoustic versions of his music and shares personal stories.

December 18

Baki – Netflix Original: While martial arts champion Baki Hanma trains hard to surpass his legendary father, five violent death row inmates descend upon Tokyo to take him on.

Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable – Netflix Original: Ellen DeGeneres is “Relatable” in her debut Netflix original comedy special premiering December 18. Filmed at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, Relatable marks Ellen’s return to stand-up after a 15-year hiatus.

Ip Man 3

Terrace House: Opening New Doors: Part 5 – Netflix Original: Takayuki and Aya keep going on dates, but Takayuki’s heart may be set on someone else. New member Shunsuke begins a journey of self-discovery.

December 21

3Below: Tales of Arcadia – Netflix Original: After crash-landing in Arcadia, two royal teen aliens struggle to blend in as they evade intergalactic bounty hunters. Created by Guillermo del Toro.

7 Days Out – Netflix Original: 7 Days Out offers an intimate look at the excitement and drama of the seven days leading up to the most significant historical and cultural events in the worlds of fashion, food, space, sports, and entertainment. From Karl Lagerfeld preparing for the latest Chanel Haute Couture collection, to NASA’s groundbreaking Cassini mission, 7 Days Out delivers unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access as we countdown the most exciting events in the world. The series comes from the acclaimed director of First Monday in May, Andrew Rossi, from Andrew Fried and Dane Lillegard, Executive Producers of Chef’s Table and Last Chance U, and Executive Producer Joe Zee.

Back With the Ex – Netflix Original: After years apart, four singles will reunite with the exes they just couldn’t forget. But will their past loves feel the same way about them?

Bad Seeds – Netflix Film: Troubled by his past, a scam artist who runs a petty racket with his adoptive mom finds redemption while mentoring a group of difficult students.

Bird Box – Netflix Film: Five years after a wave of mass suicides decimates the population, a woman and her two children embark on a desperate, dangerous quest for sanctuary.

Derry Girls – Netflix Original: Set against the backdrop of the Northern Ireland Troubles, this comic series follows a group of friends as they navigate their teens in the early 1990s.

Diablero – Netflix Original: A supernatural fight between good and evil unfolds on the colorful streets of Mexico when a priest enlists the help of a crew led by a legendary demon hunter.

Greenleaf: Season 3

LAST HOPE: Part 2 – Netflix Original: The Pandora team continues to endure a barrage of setbacks that threaten the city, while a vengeful Mr. Gold awaits his chance to enact revenge.

Perfume – Netflix Original: A perfumer with a superhuman sense of smell begins killing female students at a boarding school to distill their essence and create the perfect scent.

Sirius the Jaeger – Netflix Original: In imperial Tokyo, a group calling themselves “Jaegers” secretly hunt the vampires seeking the Ark of Sirius. Among them is young werewolf, Yuliy.

Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski – Netflix Film: Underground artists in L.A. discover the work of a forgotten Polish sculptor, a mad genius whose true story unfolds chapter by astounding chapter.

Tales by Light: Season 3 – Netflix Original: Season 3 follows a trio of image-makers on voyages of discovery into neighborhoods of India, the reefs of Indonesia, and the backcountry of Australia.

The Casketeers – Netflix Original: A docuseries about the wife-and-husband team at Waitakere Funeral Services, as they work with grieving families in an insightful and emotional way.

Wolf (BÖRÜ) – Netflix Original: Tasked with risky operations across Turkey, members of a special security unit confront danger and tragedy both on the field and at home.

December 23

December 24

Hi Score Girl – Netflix Original: A chronic gamer abysmally inept in academics and sports finally meets his match at his usual shady arcade — and it’s his rich classmate, Akira.

December 25

Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War

December 26

Alexa & Katie: Season 2 – Netflix Original: For best friends Alexa and Katie, sophomore year brings budding romance, a major breakup, a birthday milestone — and big lessons they’ll never forget.

You – Netflix Original: Obsessed with an aspiring writer, a brilliant bookstore manager begins quietly and strategically removing all obstacles that keep her from him.

December 28

Instant Hotel – Netflix Original: Teams of Australian homeowners compete for the title of best Instant Hotel by staying overnight in each other’s rentals and rating their experience.

La noche de 12 años – Netflix Film: Three political prisoners, including future president of Uruguay José Mujica, are held in clandestine captivity by Uruguay’s military dictatorship.

Murder Mountain – Netflix Original: A man goes missing in Humboldt County, California, exposing a dangerous and untenable web of violence, drugs and police apathy.

Selection Day – Netflix Original: Between an overbearing father and an underhanded system, a cricket prodigy and his brother grapple with their own ambitions, demons and identities.

When Angels Sleep – Netflix Film: A businessman falls asleep at the wheel and hits a woman with his car. His interactions with her frightened friend unleash a string of dark events.

Yummy Mummies – Netflix Original: Follow four young mothers with enviable lifestyles throughout their pregnancies, as they delve into a chaotic new reality with newborn babies.

December 29

Coming in December

Watership Down: Limited Series – Netflix Original: A warren of rabbits battles many threats on their daring journey to find a new home in this adaptation of the classic novel by Richard Adams.

Last Call – Titles Rotating Off the Service in December 2018

December 1

Bones: Seasons 1-5

Gone Girl

Hidden Figures

December 20

December 31

Bob’s Burgers: Seasons 1-7

New Girl: Seasons 1-6

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[thegloober]

The Yankees and the 2018-19 Offseason Calendar

Fan Confidence Poll: October 29th, 2018

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Last night the Red Sox clinched the 2018 World Series championship with a Game Five win over the Dodgers. That is now four titles in the last 15 years for the BoSox after zero titles in their previous 86 years. The Dodgers are still looking for their first championship since 1988.

Anyway, now that the World Series and the 2018 baseball season are over, the 2018-19 offseason is officially underway. There are a ton of important dates and deadlines coming up these next few weeks, plus some not so important ones as well. Here is the offseason calendar and what each of these dates means for the Yankees.

Today, October 29th: The start of free agency, kinda As of 9am ET today, all eligible players became free agents. Players used to have to file for free agency, which was a waste of everyone’s time, but now it happens automatically. Eight Yankees became free agents this morning: Zach Britton, J.A. Happ, Adeiny Hechavarria, Lance Lynn, Andrew McCutchen, David Robertson, CC Sabathia, and Neil Walker. They aren’t able to sign with new teams just yet, but they are free agents. There are now 32 players on the 40-man roster.

Wednesday, October 31st: Option decisions due Generally speaking, all option decisions are due three days after the end of the World Series. Some contract stipulate other dates — my go-to example is the Phillies having to making a decision about their 2011 club option for Jimmy Rollins following the end of the 2009 World Series — but three days after the World Series is most common. I should note Masahiro Tanaka announced he wouldn’t opt-out a day before the deadline last year. Announcements could come earlier.

The Yankees have one option decision this offseason: Brett Gardner. They hold a $12.5M club option for Gardner next season with a $2M buyout. It is a net $10.5M decision. If they decline the option, Gardner gets his $2M and becomes a free agent. If they pick it up, he’s back next season with a $12.5 salary. My guess is the Yankees will decline the option and look to re-sign Gardner at a lower salary to play a more part-time/platoon role. We’ll see.

Friday, November 2nd: Qualifying offer and disabled list activation deadline The qualifying offer has been set at $17.9M this offseason and the Yankees only have two free agents eligible for it: Sabathia and, if his option is declined, Gardner. None of the other free agents are eligible for various reasons. The Yankees won’t make either Sabathia or Gardner the qualifying offer. They’d both accept it in a heartbeat. Sabathia could come back at something similar to his $10M salary this year. The Yankees wouldn’t decline Gardner’s $12.5M option only to turn around and give him the $17.9M qualifying offer, you know?

Also by this date, all players must be activated off the 60-day disabled list. The Yankees have four players on the 60-day DL: Ben Heller (Tommy John surgery), Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John surgery), Jacoby Ellsbury (hip surgery), and Clint Frazier (post-concussion migraines). Once these guys are activated, the Yankees will go from 32 players on the 40-man roster to 36 players on the 40-man roster. It’ll be 35 if Gardner’s option is declined.

Saturday, November 3rd: The start of free agency, for real The five-day exclusive negotiating period ends this coming Saturday and free agency will officially begin. Saturday is when free agents are truly free to negotiate and sign with any team. Keep in mind MLB free agency is a marathon, not a sprint. There typically is not a rash of signings on Day One. I do think we’ll see some second and third (and fourth and fifth) tier free agents sign earlier than usual after what happened with free agency last winter — Eduardo Escobar already re-signed with the D’Backs — but probably not this early.

Sunday, November 4th: Gold Glove winners announced The Yankees have three Gold Glove finalists this year: Gardner in left field, Tanaka at pitcher, and Aaron Judge in right field. I can’t see Judge beating out Mookie Betts. Gardner and Tanaka could win though. The last Yankee to win a Gold Glove was Gardner in 2016. The last time the Yankees had multiple Gold Glove winners in one season was 2012 with Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano. The Gold Glove winners will be announced during a live ESPN broadcast at 9pm ET. I guess MLB doesn’t want anyone watching.

Sunday, November 5th: Awards finalists announced MLB has been announcing three finalists for each of the four major awards (Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, MVP) for a few years now. They’re trying to generate some buzz during a slow time of the year. Judge’s injury takes him out of the AL MVP race and Luis Severino’s second half fade takes him out of the AL Cy Young race. I can’t see Aaron Boone finishing in the top three of the Manager of the Year voting either. Count on both Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres being among the three Rookie of the Year finalists though. It’ll be surprised if it’s not those two and Shohei Ohtani. The awards finalists will be announced during a live MLB Network broadcast at 6pm ET.

Tuesday, November 6th to Thursday, November 8th: GM meetings in San Diego Carlsbad, actually, but close enough. The GM meetings typically cover off-the-field stuff. I suspect improper use of electronics (sign stealing, etc.) will be a hot topic this year after the Astros were caught red-handed during the postseason. (Their excuse was they were monitoring their opponents electronically to make sure they weren’t using electronics improperly. Come on.)

Off-the-field matters are usually the focus here, but, whenever you put all 30 GMs together in one spot, deals can and do happen. The John Ryan Murphy-for-Aaron Hicks trade went down at the GM meetings. The groundwork for the three-team trade that brought Curtis Granderson to the Yankees was laid at the GM meetings way back in the day. Even if some deals aren’t completed at the GM meetings, they will surely be discussed, and possibly revisited and completed at a later date.

Thursday, November 8th: Silver Sluggers announced If Silver Sluggers are your thing, this is the date for you. Judge’s injury and Gary Sanchez’s poor year mean the Yankees don’t have a serious Silver Slugger candidate this year.

Thursday, November 8th to Thursday, November 15th: MLB Japan All-Star Series As they do every few offseasons, MLB is sending a team of All-Stars (“All-Stars”) to Japan to play a series of exhibition games against Nippon Pro Baseball All-Stars. So far seven players have committed to the event: Ronald Acuna Jr., Rhys Hoskins, Yadier Molina, Carlos Santana, Eugenio Suarez, Chris Taylor, and Christian Yelich. Don Mattingly will manage. Here are the game dates and locations:

November 8th to 11th: Tokyo

November 13th: Hiroshima

November 14th and 15th: Nagoya

I have to think MLB would love to get a Yankee on the roster. The Yankees are the sport’s most recognizable team and they’d help create buzz. Didi Gregorius would’ve been perfect for this event. He’s got a great personality and he spends every offseason traveling and making fun videos. Didi would’ve been great. Too bad he got hurt.

From MLB’s perspective, Judge would be ideal here, though he had the wrist injury in the second half may not want to push it. Perhaps MLB could convince Giancarlo Stanton? Eh. The rest of the roster will be announced sometime soon. I mean, this thing starts next week, so it has to be soon. The last Yankee to participate in the MLB Japan All-Star Series was Mike Myers in 2006. For real. Jason Giambi and Bernie Williams were part of the 2002 team. These games will all be televised live on MLB Network.

Update: The MLB roster was announced this morning. It includes no Yankees. So much for that.

Monday, November 12th: Qualifying offer decision deadline Players used to get seven days to decide whether to accept or reject the qualifying offer. Now they get ten. How very kind of the owners to give players that after receiving massive luxury tax concessions from the MLBPA. Anyway, the extra three days give these free agents a little extra time to shop around for a deal before taking or declining the qualifying offer. Again, the Yankees don’t have any qualifying offer candidates this year. This deadline means nothing to them. They’ll just monitor who rejects the qualifying offer and is attached to draft pick compensation. (The Yankees will have to give up their second highest draft pick and $500,000 in international bonus money each time they sign a qualified free agent this winter.)

Monday, November 12th to Thursday, November 15th: Major award winners announced It Manager of the Year on Monday, Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, Cy Young on Wednesday, and MVP on Thursday. Andujar and Torres both have a chance to be named Rookie of the Year. Maybe they’ll tie in the voting and be named co-Rookies of the Year! That’d be neat. But yeah, Ohtani’s gonna win. Sorry folks. All the awards are announced live during an MLB Network broadcast.

Andujar and Torres. (Presswire)

Wednesday, November 14th to Thursday, November 15th: Owners meetings in Atlanta A bunch of rich guys get together to talk about how rich they are and figure out ways to get even richer. They squeeze in some baseball talk if time allows. Nothing exciting happens here from a hot stove perspective, usually.

Tuesday, November 20th: Rule 5 Draft protection deadline The Yankees got a head start on their Rule 5 Draft protection this year when they called up Chance Adams, Justus Sheffield, and Stephen Tarpley during the season. Also, Rule 5 Draft eligible prospects Cody Carroll, Juan De Paula, Josh Rogers, and Dillon Tate were traded away at the deadline.

Generally speaking, college players drafted no later than 2015 and high school players drafted no later than 2014 are Rule 5 Draft eligible this winter, as are international free agents signed no later than 2014. Here are the Yankees’ notable Rule 5 Draft eligible prospects:

Catchers: Jason Lopez

Infielders: Diego Castillo, Dermis Garcia, Kyle Holder, Hoy Jun Park, Brandon Wagner

Outfielders: Trey Amburgey, Pablo Olivares

Pitchers: Nick Green, James Reeves, Erik Swanson

The Yankees will have four open 40-man roster spots once free agents are removed from the roster and 60-day DL guys are activated. It’ll be five spots if Gardner’s option is declined. I think Holder and Swanson are locks to be added to the 40-man with Amburgey, Green, and Wagner on the bubble. There’s always a chance for a surprise 40-man roster addition too, like Jonathan Loaisiga last year. He was much more highly regarded than I know I realized.

Keep in mind the Yankees can’t just load up their 40-man roster with Rule 5 Draft prospects. They have eight players becoming free agents, right? Well, those eight players have to be replaced, so those roster spots will be needed.

Monday, November 26th to Thursday, November 29th: MLBPA executive board meeting in Dallas The MLBPA is preparing for a labor war. The union made two high profile additions in recent weeks, which suggests they’re ready to dig in and make some demands in the next round of Collective Bargaining Agreement talks. Fortunately the current CBA does not expire until December 2021, so a work stoppage is not imminent. But this is the MLBPA’s first executive board meeting since the free agent hell of last offseason. Their CBA planning starts in earnest here.

Friday, November 30th: Non-tender deadline The non-tender deadline is usually December 2nd, but December 2nd is a Sunday this year, so MLB moved it up to the prior business day. On this date teams have to tender their pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players a contract for the 2019 season. They don’t have to sign them, they just have to make a contract offer. Players who don’t receive a contract offer become free agents. They are considered … wait for it … non-tendered.

The Yankees could be in for an interesting non-tender deadline. Would they non-tender Didi Gregorius rather than pay him a projected $12.4M to rehab from Tommy John surgery next year, only to have him become a free agent after the season? Would they non-tender Sonny Gray and his projected $9.1M salary if they can’t find a trade partner? What about Tommy Kahnle? Is he so far gone that the Yankees dump him and his $1.5M projected salary?

Aside from those guys, I think the Yankees might try the non-tender/re-sign trick with Heller. They’ve non-tendered young players coming off injury and re-signed them to a minor league contract several times in the past, most notably with Domingo German and Vicente Campos. Heller’s rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and the non-tender is a way to get him off the 40-man roster and keep him in the organization without exposing him to waivers.

Monday, December 9th to Thursday, December 13th: Winter Meetings in Las Vegas The busiest week of the offseason, historically. This is when most major free agent signings and trades will take place. That was the case for years and years and years. How will things play out this offseason? After last winter, I could see teams waiting out free agents because it proved to be so effective last year. There were some great bargains to be had in January and February. In all likelihood the Winter Meetings will be packed with hot stove action (if not trades and signings, then at least rumors) because the Winter Meetings are always packed with hot stove action. Should be fun.

Monday, December 9th: Hall of Fame Today’s Game committee announcement The Hall of Fame replaced the old Veterans Committee with four “eras” committees a few years back: Early Baseball (pre-1950), Golden Days (1950-69), Modern Baseball (1970-87), and Today’s Game (1988 to present). The committees meet every few years in irregular intervals to vote on players who fell off the BBWAA ballot, and this winter the Today’s Game committee is up. It’s hard to know who will and who won’t be on the ballot, but the folks at Hall of Stats came up with some names. Former Yankees David Cone and Jimmy Key are among them.

Thursday, December 13th: Rule 5 Draft As a reminder, players selected in the Rule 5 Draft must remain on their new team’s 25-man big league roster all next season, or be placed on waivers and offered back to their original team. The Yankees had multiple players selected in each of the last three Rule 5 Drafts and one only (Luis Torrens with the Padres last year) stuck. Even with an underwhelming crop of Rule 5 Draft eligible prospects this winter, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Yankees have multiple players selected again. Upper level bullpen arms like Joe Harvey and Raynel Espinal could interest a team enough to get a Spring Training look.

The Yankees have not made a Rule 5 Draft pick since taking Cesar Cabral and Brad Meyers in 2011. Depending on their 40-man roster situation offseason, I think the chances of the Yankees making a Rule 5 Draft pick this year are better than they have been in years. Maybe they’ll look for a live-armed last guy in the bullpen type or a corner infielder to compete with Luke Voit and Greg Bird at first base in Spring Training. Probably not, but maybe!

Friday, January 11th: Deadline for teams and players to submit salary arbitration figures The player files what he believes he should be paid in 2019 and the team files what they believe the player should be paid in 2019. It’s important to note the two sides could still agree to a contract of any size after filing salary arbitration figures. Generally speaking, most arbitration-eligible players sign before the filing deadline. The Yankees signed all their arbitration-eligibles before the filing deadline last offseason. The same will probably happen this year too. That’s usually how it goes.

Mid-January: BBWAA Hall of Fame class announced Voting results for the 2019 Hall of Fame class will be announced sometime in January. This is a big Hall of Fame year. Know why? Because Mariano Rivera is eligible. He’ll be on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year. Rivera’s going to get voted in, of course, I just wouldn’t expect it to be unanimous. There are 400-something ballots cast each year and inevitably one of them will exclude Rivera. That’s just the way these things go.

Mo. (Al Bello/Getty)

Andy Pettitte joins the Hall of Fame ballot this year as well, though I think he’s a borderline candidate at best. He’ll clear the 5% threshold to remain on the ballot next year but I don’t see him coming close to the 75% needed for induction. Former Yankees Roger Clemens (7th year), Mike Mussina (6th), and Gary Sheffield (5th) return on the ballot. I hope Mussina gets in. His voting percentage has increased from 20.3% to 24.6% to 43.0% to 51.8% to 63.5% in his five years on the ballot. Hopefully he gets over the 75% threshold this year. Here’s the full Hall of Fame ballot.

Friday, February 1st to Wednesday, February 20th: Arbitration hearings The Yankees went to what is now a rather infamous arbitration hearing with Dellin Betances two years ago. Prior to that they hadn’t gone to an arbitration hearing since beating Chien-Ming Wang in 2008. Lots of teams these days are “file-and-trial” clubs, meaning they cut off contract talks after filing salary figures and go to a hearing. That’s designed to put pressure on the player. I don’t think the Yankees are a file-and-trial team though. They signed Aroldis Chapman and Nathan Eovaldi after the filing deadline but before a hearing in 2016. Seems Betances was a special case because the two sides were far apart. As always, I’d bet against a hearing. They’re uncommon and both sides try to avoid them.

Saturday, February 23rd: Grapefruit League play begins The Yankees open their 32-game exhibition schedule with a road game against the (groan) defending World Series champion Red Sox. They play their spring home opener two days later against the Blue Jays in Tampa. The Yankees have not yet announced their reporting dates (those are usually announced in mid-November), but, based on the last few years, pitchers and catchers will report ten days before the Grapefruit League opener (Wednesday, February 13th) and position players will report six days before the Grapefruit League opener (Sunday, February 17th).

Thursday, March 28th: Opening Day! The 2019 regular season beings on March 28th — actually, it begins March 20th in Tokyo, where the Athletics and Mariners are scheduled to play their first two games of the season — and the Yankees will be at home to take on the Orioles. The home opener was snowed out last year and twice in the last three years. I really hope that doesn’t happen again.

Fan Confidence Poll: October 29th, 2018

Source: https://bloghyped.com/the-yankees-and-the-2018-19-offseason-calendar/

[footyplusau]

New faces

AFL CLUB lists are turned over at a rapid rate these days – so quickly that it’s sometimes hard to keep up with the changes.

To keep you up to speed, AFL.com.au reporters have compiled a review of all the players yet to make their debut at every club, including those who have swapped teams.

Jonathon Beech: The rookie-listed forward picked up a calf injury in the opening game against Richmond. Didn’t play after that.

Harry Dear: Didn’t have a major impact in his two games. The key forward also spent time in the ruck and needs to hone his game in the SANFL.

Jordan Gallucci: The Crows’ top draft pick had some nice touches through the midfield, but only had six possessions against Brisbane. Will get better with competition against bigger bodies in the SANFL.

Dean Gore: Copped a heavy knock against Geelong and missed the last game with concussion. The third-year midfielder looks a fair way off.

Hugh Greenwood: The former basketballer looks a likely type in the midfield. Had 14 possessions and five tackles against the Brisbane Lions.

Curtly Hampton: One of the success stories of the JLT Community Series. Made a great transition to the midfield with his pace and ball use. Firming for a round one spot.

Troy Menzel: Showed positive signs with increased work-rate and defensive pressure in the forward line. Also used across half-back.

Myles Poholke: Had limited game time in his two appearances before playing the SANFL trial last weekend. Attacks the ball hard, but needs to find more of it.

Harrison Wigg: Impressed off a half-back flank in the opening game against Richmond, but didn’t play in the third JLT game against the Brisbane Lions. – Lee Gaskin

Jacob Allison: Got a taste of senior footy with a half in two separate games. Had his moments in the backline but will likely do most of his development in the NEAFL this year.

Jake Barrett: The former Giant was drafted as a rookie, but impressed in his three appearances as a small forward. Has a hunger for the contest and would not surprise to see him play a number of games.

Cedric Cox: Got thrown into the final game against Adelaide and had some nice touches. Needs a little more size but is super-skilled and will get some games.

Jack Frost: The former Magpie looks a great replacement for retired Dan Merrett. Will miss round one through suspension but has a crucial role in 2017.

Hugh McCluggage: The No.3 draft pick got two games in before sustaining an ankle injury against the Dogs that has him in doubt for round one. Showed touches of class and is clearly in the best team. – Michael Whiting

Zac Fisher: The diminutive midfielder has shown promising signs with his pace and creativity. Impressed with his courage in playing a half against Melbourne but battled against St Kilda.

Matt Korcheck: The Category B International Rookie was given his chance against St Kilda and showed he still had a fair way to go, struggling in the ruck against Billy Longer.

Kym Lebois: Gave a brief glimpse of his considerable talent with a magnificent snap goal against Melbourne. Quiet for the rest of the game but has impressed at VFL level.

Harrison Macreadie: Showed promising signs against St Kilda, picking up 13 possessions, and given limited game-time against Fremantle. Lightly built but courageous and knows how to find the ball.

Caleb Marchbank: Courageous and versatile key defender who will be a valuable addition for the Blues after an injury-interrupted 2016. Needs to work on his disposal though.

Harry McKay: Was close to getting a senior berth late last season but on his form this pre-season is still a fair way off. Still raw, but Blues hold high hopes for him.

Rhys Palmer: Went through the midfield against the Saints and Dockers and won plenty of the ball without hurting the opposition. Experience handy and likely to spend time in attack.

Jarrod Pickett: Was most impressive against Fremantle last Friday night. Quick, clever, dangerous around goal and strong overhead for his size, he is likely to play in round one.

Cameron Polson: Played with passion in his only opportunity against St Kilda, impressing with his defensive pressure and ability to break the lines. Likely prospect with speed and skill.

Alex Silvagni: Former Docker was given his opportunity against his former team and was solid in defence. He will be a handy back-up with his experience if required.

Billie Smedts: Former Cat has enjoyed an injury-free pre-season and is moving well in the midfield. Missed a few scoring opportunities against Fremantle and needs to clean up his disposal.

Tom Williamson: The lightly built medium defender showed promising signs in his only game against St Kilda. Saw plenty of action in the back half, finishing with 10 disposals. – Howard Kotton

Caleb Marchbank has shown he will be a useful player for the Blues. Picture: AFL Photos

Josh Daicos

His six possessions in the last quarter of the opening JLT were silky. A one-touch player, he might get a senior game later in the season but will take time.

Lynden Dunn

No surprises from the former Demon. He is a competitor who kicks the ball long. The odd mistake is likely but he will give 100 per cent.

Will Hoskin-Elliott

Showed on more than one occasion the touch of class he possesses, with his one-handed mark on the weekend a highlight. However, he needs more consistency. A good runner, he can fly for marks and snap goals.

Chris Mayne

Will be judged harshly by Magpie fans but the coach rates his contribution highly, as he can organise the forward line as well as kick goals. A 30-goal season would be outstanding.

Henry Schade

An excellent pre-season from the rookie has him in line for a round one spot. Tall and skinny he shows poise with the ball and defends well. – Peter Ryan

Joshua Begley: Slotted four goals versus Gold Coast and handed off a couple of others. Wasn’t as prominent against Geelong but that inconsistency is to be expected from an 18-year-old.

Dylan Clarke: Of his 11 disposals against the Suns, eight were handballs. He has serious running power but will need to improve his kicking to make the grade.

Josh Green: Former Lion provided a spark up forward and should be part of a dangerous group of smalls at the Bombers, with Orazio Fantasia and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti also down there.

Andrew McGrath: The No.1 selection last year started quietly against Collingwood but improved in the next two games. His handballing in the contest was an asset, although McGrath will likely play across half-back.

Jordan Ridley: Made the trip up to Mackay to face Gold Coast and the backman did some nice things defensively. Also pushed up the ground to send the ball into attack. Is out for up to 12 weeks with a back injury.

James Stewart: Kicked a brilliant goal against the Suns and otherwise provided a target up forward. Depth among talls will be tested at Essendon after injuries to Tom Bellchambers and Matthew Leuenberger, so he may need to pinch hit in the ruck. – Dinny Navaratnam

Sean Darcy: The only Dockers draftee to play all three JLT Community Series games. The bullocking ruckman gives his all and would have learned plenty playing alongside Aaron Sandilands and Jonathon Griffin. Looks a strong chance to debut this year.

Griffin Logue: Had a few nervy moments on a much-anticipated club debut against Carlton but had no trouble finding the ball and warmed into the action, booting a booming supergoal in the final term. A work in progress but showed promising signs.

Joel Hamling: Found the going tough opposed to Eagles star Josh Kennedy in his first game in purple, but his reading of the play was excellent in the win over Collingwood and he was solid against the Blues. Intercept marking will give Freo another dimension down back.

Bradley Hill: The speedy wingman has been one of Freo’s best performers across pre-season. An allergic reaction before the West Coast game wasn’t an ideal start, but Hill was back to his damaging best against Collingwood and Carlton. Looms as a key to the Dockers’ fortunes with his line-breaking run.

Cam McCarthy: Enjoyed a timely confidence boost by bagging six majors against Carlton. His work rate can’t be faulted and, while expectations need to be tempered, McCarthy has shaken off some rust after a year on the sidelines.

Shane Kersten: Didn’t set the world on fire over pre-season, however a lack of supply in the loss to West Coast and a rib injury in the second game against Collingwood didn’t help his cause. Competed hard to end up with 10 touches and a goal against the Blues. – Travis King

Aaron Black: Started his Cats career in style with four goals against Hawthorn, three of which kept his new club in the game. Was quiet against Adelaide with seven touches and no goals, and didn’t play against Essendon.  

Jordan Cunico: Third-year utility only played against Hawthorn, where he collected 18 disposals and took two marks. Is aiming to put knee injuries behind him and break into the side in a half forward role.

Zach Guthrie: Young defender did his chances of early-season promotion from the rookie list no harm with two promising performances; had 24 touches against Hawthorn and 18 (and seven marks) against Adelaide.

Jack Henry: Versatile athlete who joined the club in last year’s rookie draft picked up five touches and kicked a goal in his only appearance, which was against Hawthorn in the first week. 

Brandan Parfitt: Recent draftee is in line for round one selection after a trio of encouraging performances. Played forward with stints through the midfield, and had 11 touches against Hawthorn, 12 against Adelaide, and 18 against Essendon.  

Tom Stewart: The defender from the Cats’ VFL team had a consistent pre-season with 16 touches and eight marks against Hawthorn, 15 and seven against Adelaide, and 10 and four against Essendon.  

Zach Tuohy: Showed why he looms as the logical replacement for Corey Enright across half-back with three encouraging hit-outs after crossing from Carlton. Averaged over 28 touches across the three games. – Jennifer Phelan

Brandan Parfitt and Zach Guthrie have impressed in the JLT Community Series. Picture: AFL Photos

Ben Ainsworth: Encouraging series of games for the No.4 pick. Hard to always be involved as a small forward, but is clever, tough, and a round one lock.

Michael Barlow: Fitted in superbly since moving from Freo. In the leadership group and played three strong games, whether in the middle or resting forward.

Jack Bowes: The Suns Academy player showed glimpses of his class through the series, where coach Rodney Eade played him primarily at back-half. Will play a lot of games this year.

Will Brodie: Another of Gold Coast’s top-10 picks, Brodie is just outside the best 22 but offered plenty of grunt when thrown into the midfield. Drifted out of games as they wore on, but that’s to be expected.

Pearce Hanley: Like Barlow, has made the transition between clubs easily. Played a variety of roles and will be crucial this season.

Jarryd Lyons: Only played the final game after a slight Achilles niggle. Will be better for the run and showed he’ll be a vital cog in the rotation with his ball-winning ability.

Jarrod Witts: His excellent pre-season was slightly disrupted by split webbing, but Witts will start round one and has shown he can be valuable both in the ruck and around the ground. – Michael Whiting

Isaac Cumming: The defender had limited impact in his one game but has plenty of time to learn his craft from the best in the business, Heath Shaw.

Matthew Flynn: The second-year ruckman struggled to have an impact in his only match against West Coast but his competitiveness was impressive.

Tendai Mzungu: The former Docker hasn’t put a foot wrong and was outstanding in his only outing, now just needs to keep piling on the pressure.

Harry Perryman: Looked at home across half-back against West Coast and is tough as nails, could get an early season call up with some consistent performances.

Will Setterfield: One of the team’s best against the Eagles, the draftee found it tougher second up against the Swans, but looks great with the ball in his hands.

Zac Sproule: The rookie didn’t get much of it in his only game but like a lot of his teammates, will benefit from his time in the NEAFL.

Tim Taranto: Brilliant in close with his hands and tough as nails, as shown by his recovery from a Franklin smashing. A lock for round one.

Lachlan Tiziani: Gave some glimpses of his talent against the Eagles, with his speed and agility likely to make him tough to defend inside 50. – Adam Curley

Ricky Henderson: The former Crow played in the brown and gold just once, against Port Adelaide last Sunday. He picked up 21 disposals across half-back and pushed forward for a supergoal.

Teia Miles: Played every JLT Community Series game in a sign he will face Essendon in round one. Can play at either end of the ground and has a nice kick.

Tom Mitchell: Sat out the opening pre-season match versus Geelong but led his side’s disposal count the next two games. His vision and hands are excellent.

Harry Morrison: Barely took to the field versus the Power and otherwise didn’t play in the pre-season. The defender will likely spend the year developing in the VFL.

Conor Nash: Tough to get a read on Nash, who featured in 15 per cent of game time against the Power. Don’t expect to see the Irishman feature for the Hawks in 2017.

Jaeger O’Meara: The early signs are promising. Racked up plenty of the ball and if he can burst from contested situations as he did at the Suns, O’Meara will be tough to stop.

Tyrone Vickery: Solid without being special, which is all Hawthorn is asking for. Having a big man create a contest up forward and help out in the ruck is important for the Hawks’ game-plan.

Dallas Willsmore: The left-footer was drafted as a rookie in 2013 but didn’t do much playing half the match versus Geelong, picking up two handballs. – Dinny Navaratnam

Early signs have been promising for Jaeger O’Meara. Picture: AFL Photos

Jordan Lewis: The four-time premiership Hawk has fitted seamlessly into Melbourne’s team. Spent the majority of his time during the pre-season series in defence, where the Demons are trying to utilise his sharp decision-making and clean disposal.

Jake Melksham: Melksham played in the midfield and at half-back during the JLT Community Series. Still trying to find his role in the side, although his seasoned body and ability to accumulate possessions stood out.

Michael Hibberd: The ex-Bomber picked up 13 disposals in his only JLT hit-out against Carlton. Will be much better equipped once he develops familiarity with his new teammates. Missed the final game against West Coast with Achilles soreness.

Joel Smith: The supremely athletic defender was one of the standouts on the training track over the summer and earned his opportunity in two JLT games. The rookie may not play round one, but the son of former Demon high-flyer Shaun will play senior football at some stage this year.

Dion Johnstone: Got a taste of senior footy in limited game time against Carlton. Drafted at pick No.68 in last year’s draft, Johnstone’s hardness and smarts around goal during the pre-season impressed Melbourne’s coaches. Could debut in 2017. – Ben Guthrie

Sam Durdin: The Roos’ first pick in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft, at No.16 overall, has impressed this pre-season after being allowed to settle in defence. Played North’s first two JLT games and looks capable of playing as an intercepting third defender in 2017.

Mitchell Hibberd: Played all three JLT games, his best performance coming against Hawthorn (25 possessions). The second-year defender is an exciting prospect with his height (190cm) and outstanding endurance, but is let down by his disposal at times.

Nathan Hrovat: The former Western Bulldog appears a certainty for round one after slotting in seamlessly at North as a high half-forward. Kicked two goals in each of the Roos’ opening two JLT games and his class delivery inside 50 stood out.

Nick Larkey: The versatile tall earned a taste of senior football in North’s opening JLT game after an impressive first pre-season. Remains a long-term prospect with 2017 likely to be a development year.

Ben McKay: The second-year key forward did not see a lot of the ball in the Roos’ opening two JLT games, but his work rate and appetite for the contest could not be questioned. Set to start 2017 in the VFL but North will be looking to blood him later in the season.

Declan Mountford: With Ben Jacobs sidelined with recurring foot troubles, the hard-running midfielder has impressed as a run-with on-baller, most notably curbing Jaeger O’Meara’s influence in the second half of the Hawks clash. A chance to debut in round one.

Braydon Preuss: The ruckman has been perhaps North’s most improved player this pre-season, impressing as a sole ruck and in partnership with No.1 big man Todd Goldstein. If he’s to break into the Roos’ 22 when Goldstein’s fit, however, he will have to show he can have an impact in attack.

Jy Simpkin: Last year’s No.12 draft pick had not played since April last year when he returned from a broken leg against Hawthorn last month, but his performances in North’s final two pre-season games suggest he will debut in round one. Classy and composed, his snapped goal in the third quarter against the Giants suggests he will add much-needed X-factor to the Kangaroos.

Matthew Taylor: The first-year rookie did not look out of place across half-back in the Roos’ JLT win over Sydney, but North has a raft of medium defenders ahead of him in the selection queue.

Ed Vickers-Willis: Finally over the injury problems that ruined his first season and a half at Arden St, the 190cm defender’s composure and sound decision-making should see him slot into North’s back six from round one.

Declan Watson: The first-year key defender’s impressive performances during pre-season match practice earned him a spot in North’s opening JLT game, but he’s likely to spend 2017 in the VFL honing his craft. A strong intercept mark.

Marley Williams: The former Magpie should address North’s need for a small defender who can play on the elite goalsneaks. Performed solidly in the first two JLT games and seems set to make his club debut in round one.

Cameron Zurhaar: The first-year rookie was lively in attack in his one JLT game against Hawthorn and has a mature body that is ready made for AFL football if he can press his claims in the VFL. – Nick Bowen

Joe Atley: The Power’s third pick at last year’s draft played all three games and worked hard at stoppages. The midfielder had eight contested possessions against Hawthorn.

Willem Drew: Didn’t have much of a chance to impress and had only three touches in his one game against Richmond. Will develop in the SANFL.

Brett Eddy: The 27-year-old rookie booted five goals against Hawthorn to all but confirm he’ll be making his AFL debut in round one.

Dan Houston: Drafted as a forward, but looked assured in his role across half-back. May have played himself into a round one debut.

Aidyn Johnson: The pacy forward had limited opportunities in his two games. He is ineligible for round one after an off-field incident.

Sam Powell-Pepper: Went into beast mode against Hawthorn, fending off Shaun Burgoyne and taking all before him. A certain starter for round one. – Lee Gaskin

Brett Eddy parcelled up a round one debut with five goals against Hawthorn. Picture: AFL Photos

Dan Butler: Handy half-forward who can move up the ground, has played all JLT matches, kicked a goal a game and pushed for a round one debut in his third season.

Josh Caddy: Looked good on debut, using his size and playing both midfield and forward, but tailed off in the second and third JLT matches, spending a lot of time forward.

Toby Nankervis: A lock for number one ruck spot, he has got his hands dirty at ground level and generated some football around the ground. Improvement still to come in ruck contests.  

Dion Prestia: Played two of three JLT matches and made an impact, adding midfield grunt and pushing forward to kick two goals. Will be important and has better football in him.

Ivan Soldo: Project ruckman is coming on and was given an opportunity in the final pre-season game, playing a half. The rookie might be called on if injuries strike, but needs experience.

Tyson Stengle: An exciting small forward who looked good in intra-club practice, he played a half against Collingwood and kicked one goal. – Nathan Schmook

Nathan Brown: Big bodies in defence are what the Saints need and Brown provides that. Shut down Port Adelaide forward Charlie Dixon in St Kilda’s first JLT Community Series game.

Jake Carlisle: Played every pre-season match and worked into reasonable form without being outstanding. Faced a tough challenge when manning Lance Franklin last Sunday but acquitted himself well.

Ben Long: St Kilda’s first draftee last year used the ball well in limited minutes versus Carlton. Probably won’t play in the senior team early in the season but could make his debut in 2017.

Bailey Rice: Received a chance against Carlton, the other team that could have selected Rice as a father-son pick. Played most of the game but broke a finger and was relatively quiet.

Jack Steele: Slots straight into the best 22. Limited game time versus the Power but had 53 disposals and 20 tackles from his next two matches. His strength in the contest was obvious.

Koby Stevens: A dodgy prawn forced him to miss the last match. Has added a tough body and the Saints like his ability to play forward. His best form is certainly good enough for AFL level. – Dinny Navaratnam

Darcy Cameron: The mature-age recruit has put his hand up for a round one debut with a solid JLT Series in the ruck and as a deep forward.

Shaun Edwards: As he has done at his two previous clubs, the speedster has had his moments, but consistency still his biggest issue.

Sam Fisher: Limited opportunities for the rookie in his first season, but could be a handy medium-sized forward with more development.

Oliver Florent: The club’s number one draft pick has settled well at senior level, and his speed and quality finishing should earn him a round one debut.

Robbie Fox: The mature-age midfielder has done some good work around stoppages and is a smoky for round one with the Swans’ injury worries.

Will Hayward: Struggled with the intensity of the game against GWS but looks a fantastic prospect as a medium forward.

Jack Maibaum: Another draftee to step up with his physical work in defence, and not out of the equation for round one.

Lewis Melican: Carried his 2016 NEAFL form into this year and if Aliir Aliir doesn’t prove his fitness, could fill a key defensive role in the season opener.

Ben Ronke: Impressive with his attack on the footy and the opposition, the rookie has done his chances of an upgrade no harm. – Adam Curley

Tarir Bayok: The Sudanese teenager has lit up training with his electric pace and booted a goal on his Eagles debut against the Giants. Has plenty to learn as a category B rookie, but appears an exciting type.

Paddy Brophy: The athletic Irishman came on in leaps and bounds for East Perth last season – finishing third in the best and fairest. Was quiet in the loss to the Giants with three touches against GWS after sitting out the first half.

Tom Gorter: A promising prospect, Gorter is comfortable in the Eagles’ defensive system after being drafted from WAFL affiliate East Perth. Had seven touches on debut against the Giants.

Sam Mitchell Two mouthwatering pre-season games have whet West Coast fans’ appetites to see the former Hawks champion’s impact during the season proper. Mitchell had 28 and 39 touches, with his creative ball use making those around him better. There have been no signs the 34-year-old is slowing down. Could he be the difference in the Eagles’ flag quest?

Kurt Mutimer: Was among the better-performed West Coast youngsters against GWS, booting a goal and collecting 11 touches. The strong-bodied left-footer is developing into a powerful midfielder.

Luke Partington: One to watch in 2017 for a potential debut after an impressive pre-season. The hard-running 20-year-old picked up 12 touches against GWS, showcasing his ability to play inside and out.

Drew Petrie: A strong chance to make an emotional return to face his old North Melbourne teammates in round one after two rock-solid JLT performances. Worked himself into the ground in the heat against Freo, before winning 17 hit-outs and 13 touches versus Melbourne in a highly competitive display.

Josh Rotham: The young running defender only played a half against the Giants with limited impact. Will take time to develop and put on some muscle, but his talent and clean skills have been obvious at training over summer.

Jordan Snadden: Tall second-year rookie showed potential in the loss to GWS from a handful of touches. Has some exciting athletic attributes, good skills and throws himself into the fray.

Nathan Vardy: The former Cats big man has delivered everything the Eagles could have asked for over the pre-season competition by carrying the lead ruck role, working hard around the ground and offering another marking option in attack. A bargain trade for pick No.72 in last year’s draft if his body holds up.

Jake Waterman: Competed well in his only appearance against the Giants, leading a young West Coast forward line starved of supply. Has tons of potential.

Francis Watson: Dash from half-back caught the eye at training over summer and the category B rookie was one of the best Eagles youngsters in the loss to GWS in Narrandera, gathering 15 touches. A likely type. – Travis King

Sam Mitchell might be the difference in the Eagles’ flag quest. Picture: AFL Photos

Travis Cloke: The former Magpie impressed in his first two outings for the Dogs, and is odds on to face his old side in round one. Will spend time in the ruck to cover for the injured Jordan Roughead and Tom Campbell.

Tim English: The lightly built ruckman showed in one JLT hit-out why is highly rated by the club. The skillful 19-year-old will be considered for a round one debut.

Patrick Lipinski: Despite picking up just five possessions in his only pre-season encounter, the half-forward did enough to suggest he has a future at the highest level.

Lewis Young: The key forward competed well in the JLT clash against the Brisbane Lions, but will be given plenty of time to develop with Footscray in the VFL.

Nathan Mullenger-McHugh: The rookie-listed key position prospect also had just the one opportunity against the Lions, and like the rest of the debutants in that game, won praise from coach Luke Beveridge for his efforts. – Ryan Davidson

The post New faces appeared first on Footy Plus.

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[pubtheatres1]

HE(ART) by Andrew Maddock Theatre N16, Balham, 10th - 28th January 2017 Produced by Lonesome Schoolboy Productions, Directed by Niall Phillips, A play that has a lot of heart and quite a bit of art ★★★★ Any play that will be compared to Tarantino film Pulp Fiction (1994) is either a criticism or high praise. In this play by the writer of the critically acclaimed IN/OUT (A Feeling) & ‘The Me Plays’ & 'The We Plays’ it is most definitely the latter. Set in the round of the very untheatrelike and certainly very un-North London N16 Theatre (it's in Balham) objects/objects of art hang from the ceiling by string. Alice and Rhys are looking at what counts nowadays as contemporary art to buy. Alice is the art curator and ‘expert’ and Rhys is a window cleaner and you know the rest. It’s an entertaining and humorous opening scene about the merits of what art is and can be and which even if slightly predictable was reminiscent of widely acclaimed ‘Art’ (1996) by Yasmina Reza. But it’s a neatly revealing scene, the purchase of a piece of art or “art” as Rhys would have it lays open the entire relationship between class, education and aspirations. There is however a much more serious open wound in the relationship - Rhys has a congenital ‘heart thingy’ which he’s in denial about and Alice is having none of it. Dragged out of potential melodrama the second “couple” appear. Kev who’s out on parole and Sam his younger, slower brother. “Of Mice and Men” but with guns they plan to steal the very same art piece which on reflection doesn’t connect. But it does, wonderfully. Sam, a vulnerable child-like adult in awe of his brother is played superbly by Flora Dawson with blinks, facial tics and the ambivalence of fear and awe towards his brother. But Kev is broken from a past involving his mother who is now terminally ill and the only thing that can save her is experimental cancer treatment in the US. It’s this pairing together that makes He(Art) so compelling. The gritty and desperate plotting to nick a painting alongside a relationship on the rocks because Rhys has a death wish. It raises the question of whether either will succeed. There are creases to be sure. What’s a Wembley Warrior? A northern Rugby League team relocated in north west London was confused. And some accents went awry in physical scenes. But there is much to delight too, the surprisingly mathematical whizz Sam and the scientific Rhys explaining why he window cleans at a certain time of the day. Maddock uses subtle world play when Alice asks Rhys metaphorically “do you understand the picture?” and describes a purchase “cooling off period” as well as suggesting they should “both split up” the cost of the painting - surely foreshadowing the troubles ahead through the art process. Soul numbers play in between scenes and Johnny Cash is poignantly referenced in a final pulsating last scene which is on a par with the best of Tarantino for dramatic violent tension. Maddock has written a play that has a lot of heart and quite a bit of art. The juxtaposition of a tragic tale with the pursuit of the high-brow. Andrew Maddock remains a writer to watch. Tickets: http://www.theatren16.co.uk/heart Reviewer John Paul Murtagh is a born and bred Londoner; librarian by day and screenwriter and playwright by night. He enjoys his bike and opining.

[flauntpage]

Now What? Assessing The Phillies’ Rookie Position Players

For the Phillies, a successful 2017 season was never contingent upon winning. The sole objective for the organization was to determine the growth and potential of their prospects, while assessing how each will or won’t fit into the bigger picture moving forward.

The initial prognosis is encouraging, as those prospects helped lift the Phillies from a 29-58 first half disaster to a respectable 37-38 second half. While the pitching performance remained static throughout the season (4.87 runs per game in the first half dropped slightly to 4.77 after the break), most of the positives came on offense. The Phillies scored 26 more runs after the All-Star break (4.77 runs per game) than they did prior to it (3.82 runs per game). What’s more, they accomplished this feat in 12 fewer games.

But what about that bigger picture? Six Phillies position players made their Major League debuts in 2017. A seventh player, Jorge Alfaro, played in six games as a September call up in 2016. Where do each of these players stand as the team heads into the next stage of its rebuild? Let’s have a look.

Nick Williams

The Good: Much was written a year ago about Williams’ struggles with attitude and hustle at Lehigh Valley. So much for that. I’m not sure that anyone played harder than Williams once he arrived on the Phillies back in late June. This looks like hustle, no?

This Nick Williams inside the park home run was fun to watch. https://t.co/wxOdZspQSM

— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) October 1, 2017

After struggling offensively with the Iron Pigs late in 2016, the 23-year-old rebounded this season with a .280 average, 15 homers, and .839 OPS in 78 games to earn a Major League promotion. Williams didn’t slow down once he arrived in Philly, batting .288 with 12 homers and 55 RBI in 343 plate appearances. Williams displayed gap power, 30 home run potential, and above average speed. He’s a sparkplug type of player and has a chance to become a fan favorite.

The Bad: Williams strikes out nearly five-times more than he walks. He’s an aggressive hitter who likes to swing early in counts. That’s fine, but the Phillies would like to see him be more selective at times. Walking once every 17 plate appearances is a concern. Williams also consistently struggled with handling high fastballs. His aforementioned speed hasn’t translated into stolen bases. He only attempted three steals and was thrown out twice.

Defensively, Williams is adequate outfielder who possesses an above average arm and decent range. He needs to improve his reads and tracking.

The Bottom Line: Williams is a starting corner outfielder and is probably best suited to hit between the five and seven spots as the team completes its rebuild.

J.P. Crawford

The Good: Perhaps the most encouraging part of Crawford’s season was his ability to overcome adversity. He crashed down Baseball America’s prospect list amid a wretched start to the season, but he rebounded nicely to earn a September call-up. The word has long been that Crawford has an advanced approach at the plate. He led the International League with 79 walks. Once in Philadelphia, he drew a walk once every 5.44 plate appearances in September with the Phillies, a large reason he posted a .356 OBP and finished the season with a 0.9 WAR in limited action.

Defensively, he was basically given two weeks to learn third base before his call-up and he played it like a seasoned pro. He didn’t make an error in 84 chances with the Phillies, while splitting time at third base, shortstop, and second base. There’s no doubt the 22-year-old can pick it.

JP Crawford is extremely #good http://pic.twitter.com/XyjAmt05Za

— chris jones¯_(ツ)_/¯ (@LONG_DRIVE) September 19, 2017

The Bad: Crawford hit 15 home runs at Lehigh Valley, but that’s not his game. Still, a bit more pop than the five extra-base hits he registered with the Phillies would have been nice. He did have an offensive midsummer resurgence, but still only hit .243 with the Iron Pigs and posted a .214 average in September with the Phillies. Meh.

The Bottom Line: If Crawford can improve his hitting, he has a chance become one of the best top of the order hitters in baseball. He posted that .356 OBP despite hitting a shade over .200. That’s impressive. Crawford, at worst, is an above average defender and good on-base guy who should man shortstop here for the next decade. At best, he has a chance to be a multi-time All-Star.

Rhys Hoskins

The Good: Hoskins can flat-out mash. There was some concern that his 38 homers and .943 OPS in 2016 at Reading were a product of a hitter-friendly park. Nope. His 47 homers between his stints in Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia quickly quieted that concern. After a slow start with the Phillies, he went on a historic run, hitting 18 homers in his first 34 games, while posting a 1.247 OPS. He demonstrated a patient approach at the place, posting a .396 OBP, aided by 37 walks in 210 plate appearances.

RT @LONG_DRIVE: Rhys Hoskins #18. all you can do at this point is laugh. unreal. http://pic.twitter.com/tLf4EgZwtz

— Dunn (@JMDHeisman) September 15, 2017

The Bad: He was hitting .314 in mid-September, but plummeted to .259 by season’s end. He collected only seven hits in his final 52 at-bats, and did not homer in his final 16 games. Here’s why I wouldn’t be too concerned.

The Bottom Line: He’s not quite what we saw over his first month in the Majors, but Hoskins is a legitimate middle of the lineup bat. It’s more than reasonable to expect Hoskins to post above a .380 OBP, hit around .270 and bang 35-40 home runs. He’s that good. He’s the Phillies’ starting first baseman moving forward.

Jorge Alfaro

The Good: The Phillies acquired Jorge Alfaro in the Cole Hamels deal for his offense. He made them look smart over 114 plate appearances, posting a .318 batting average and .874 OPS. He showed some pop with five home runs, too. There’s no doubt that Alfaro can flat-out hit. He’s also a well above average runner for his position.

Jorge Alfaro does not run like a catcher http://pic.twitter.com/UMXC34IcmU

— chris jones¯_(ツ)_/¯ (@LONG_DRIVE) September 6, 2017

The Bad: Unlike Hoskins and Crawford, Alfaro shows almost no patience at the plate. He walked only three times with the Phillies. Additionally, after a good April at Lehigh, his offensive numbers dramatically declined. He posted an ugly .649 OPS, and, frankly, didn’t earn his promotion. He’s also bad behind the plate. Alfaro has a terrific arm, but he needs to greatly improve his framing, blocking ability, and overall feel for the catching position. At one point after a loss in mid-September in which Alfaro was particularly bad, Larry Andersen told fellow team broadcaster Ben Davis that he should be offering help to the young catcher. He was serious.

MacPhail: "We don't think as an org. our catcher framing is very good…we think that's an area that needs improvement, significantly"

— Ben Harris (@byBenHarris) October 3, 2017

The Bottom Line: Alfaro has demonstrated that he can be a well above-average offensive catcher, but his long-term ability to stick there will be based on if he improves defensively. Alfaro has the physical tools to play first base and right field, but that’s not the ideal outcome. Alfaro should be the opening day catcher in 2018.

Andrew Knapp

The Good: It wasn’t so long ago that many thought Knapp could be the team’s catcher of the future. That plan has changed, but there’s reason believe he will be around for a while. He doesn’t have nearly the same offensive talent as Alfaro, but he posted a .257 average and a solid .368 OPS. He can work a count. Knapp is an average defensive catcher and had occasional hiccups blocking pitches behind the plate.

The Bad: He had only 12 extra base hits in over 200 plate appearances. He threw out 8 of 41 runners (20%), which is below the league average of 27%. He doesn’t have the ceiling that you want out of a former second round pick.

The Bottom Line: If Alfaro is the starter, the Phillies would probably prefer a better defensive catcher as the backup. Fortunately for Knapp, Cameron Rupp is not that player. He’s likely the team’s backup catcher in 2018.

Cameron Perkins and Brock Stassi

The Good: Both have been good minor league players for the Phillies and earned a shot at the big league level. They both seem like good guys.

The Bad: Neither player does any one thing exceptionally well and each struggled mightily with the Phillies.

The Bottom Line: Perkins and Stassi are good players to have in the organization as stop gaps for short-term injuries, but neither player is likely to make the team out of spring training next year.

Now What? Assessing The Phillies’ Rookie Position Players published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv