Mo Money, No Theater Run

Universal has done well with their Trolls sequel. There are reports that say it has made near or at 100 million dollar via the video on demand. There were statements from its CEO on potentially doing on demand with a theatrical release in the future on their movies. Obviously, backlash has occurred. AMC theaters and Regal have shown displeasure and the former is not going to allow their films in the future. At least what I would assume is a short ban. A ton of stuff in terms of accusations and just a bunch of crap.

I wouldn't want to gloat about how well the movie is doing so far. In this pandemic, that's the last thing to do or even mention what your intentions are in the future. At the same time, what could be considered for on demand and theaters at the same time. Because a lot of Universal's properties have been pushed back. Same for many companies. I'm going to assume licensing and wanting to make quick money with Trolls. There's no good answer to this situation.

There's probably more to this controversy and probably one that could get addressed soon. But Universal has to understand that not everybody is going to instantly go for demand. It has to do with where you are and prices for the movie theaters. Whether you're alone or have a family. If you're busy. Not everyone will think it's easy to justify 20 dollars for two days of viewing a movie. In that same token, AMC and Regal are not cheap theaters. Last year, for three people. tickets all together was over 30 dollars for a matinee. There's pros and cons for both sides. I'm sure this isn't far from over.

Things do feel like they are getting back to normal, kind of. But we're not out of this yet. Even considering the circumstances, these companies can get to fixing the relationships they have and hopefully we see the Universal films back in more theaters.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 35

The newest episode. You can find it on Anchor.fm

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-35-Draft-a-Movie-edckjv

Saving the 42

I do think NASCAR will be back sooner than you think. Chip Ganassi Racing has their man to helm the 42 car. Last month following a racial slur, Kyle Larson was suspended and then fired. Sponsors ran away. Coming back and out of retirement once again is Matt Kenseth, one of the sports more well known drivers.

Kenseth has been around the Cup series going back to 2000. He always finds ways to win. That's how it ultimately got him a championship win in 2003, which was huge for Roush Racing, who would win the next one in 04 with Kurt Busch.  Combined for over 70 wins in all kinds of auto racing, he always finds ways to get into contention. Some bad luck here and there, but an all around driver that isn't a bad guy the fans will boo.

Ganassi gets an experienced man for the job. Other guys considered reading the articles included Carl Edwards and Ross Chastain. Edwards hasn't raced in over three years and seems more content with staying retired. Unfortunate, because he was a good natured driver and came close a couple times to winning the championship, including his final year in 2016.  If he had more wins than Tony Stewart in 2011, he could have won the Cup. And Chastain filled in for the injured Ryan Newman. Maybe he gets his chance next year because I don't see Kenseth being a long term answer. He'll probably go back to his home in November and live peacefully until he is in the Hall of Fame.

Embrace it for now. Hopefully, no more stupid moments that cause controversy. And a good guy like Kenseth is a solid answer.

2020 NFL Draft Reaction

I'm going to talk mainly the choices that were in the first round and a few notables outside of it.

I would say that the teams got what they needed to fix certain spots in the positions that they have problems in. Joe Burrow was obvious with going to the Bengals. Washington, Detroit and the New York Giants got big help with their picks. Big defensive boosts for the first two and an offensive one for the last. Miami and the LA Chargers got guys that could be the next big signal callers. Some defensive guys going to Carolina, Arizona, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Atlanta. Receivers going to Denver, Philadelphia, Minnesota. Kansas City needing a running back. New Orleans getting a new center. Tampa and Miami getting insurance for offensive lineman. Some of the big notables in that round

Some notables in other rounds Jake Fromm going to Buffalo. Jalen Hurts was a surprise pick for Philadelphia. Jonathan Taylor heads to Indy and the thought of a one two punch with Marlon Mack. Jon Runyan Jr. following in his father's footsteps as a lineman for Green Bay.  Certain guys were seen going other places this weekend. Trent Williams goes to the 49ers in the wake of the retirement of longtime vet Joe Staley. Matt Brieda heads to Miami, which will help the ground game. Jameis Winston backs up Drew Brees in New Orleans. The NFC South and AFC East have some interesting playmakers heading into the regular season, pending if it even starts on time.

The Hurts pick may seem weird, but I don't think it is. I'd consider it insurance in case Carson Wentz goes down. Knocked out of the playoffs this past season. Lingering injuries in 2018 that stemmed from the end of the 2017 season. Makes sense a little bit. Not to mention Wentz is now a risky player. Green Bay fans are upset with Jordan Love in the first round as their pick. Regardless of talent, Aaron Rodgers has injury history. Not his best year last season, but could be better this upcoming year.

This is the best we're going to see for sports until things go back to normal.

YouTube Videos: Apr 17-23

Tampa's Party Animal

Tampa Bay might become the new destination for partying. A big boy like Rob Gronkowski will be turning heads. What has happened is that he is unretiring. New England traded him and a draft pick in exchange for a draft pick. Offensively, it should help a bit and the combo of him, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin will make secondaries scramble to figure who will get the ball.

I think this will help him. A few more years under his belt and getting to near 10,000 yards and maybe close to 100 touchdowns will solidify an already big career. The Pats are in clear need of a tight end. No one amounted to anything in that position this past season. No one could make big plays and the run game suffered a bit. Tampa gets a healthy Gronkowski in what is a small trend of players taking time off and coming back into the league. But I'd be more concerned about getting a ground game going and having a running back that will help compliment the passing.

New England might look to deal with defensive guys in the draft. Or maybe a tight end. These two teams face each other next year unless both reach the Super Bowl, which that seems impossible. The way the NFL is right now, anything can happen and anybody could win. A big wind of change. 

Geeks and Jocks Episode 34

The newest episode is up. On Anchor

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-34-Favorite-TV-Shows-ed3dvj

Playdate with Destiny Review

Eight years ago, Fox made a short for The Simpsons to go along with a new movie release. In all the years since, it's a surprise that they didn't make another one until this year. Playdate with Destiny was the short that aired in theaters before Onward and it's a cute and funny one.

As with The Longest Daycare, it is centered around the Simpson baby, Maggie. Marge take her to the park and she gets to play and meets a little boy. Everything is pure joy until the day ends. It's that Simpson fantasy of things being right with the world. Things go hectic with Homer taking her to a different park that is rough and rowdy. She will do anything to get back to the nice park and play with that little boy.

There's no dialogue and much like Daycare, it works effectively. The emotions seen out of Maggie is executed well. It has loads of nice animation throughout it. Music that fits the scenes perfectly. Quite a bit of visual gags and the fantasies are a sight to see. A cute way to cobble together another baby centric short that you can't get anywhere from Fox. It was much better than Onward. If you're a Simpson fan, give it a watch.

Score: 8 out of 10

Da Bull...spit

If the next month will be an indication, a lot will talk about the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls. It was the last year they won a championship and the last to have Michael Jordan with them along with Phil Jackson. When 1999 hit, they were one of the worst teams and no playoffs until 2005. ESPN is airing a documentary that was filmed during that 97-98 season. Jordan, from reading from places like ESPN and the New York Post, had authority on when it would be shown. A couple takeaways from my opinion.

I don't have much interest in the documentary or any drive to watch it. But looking at details from articles, it seems like general manager Jerry Krause had no interest in keeping the Bulls the way they were.  And the meddling he did destroyed arguably the biggest 90s team in all of sports. He had been involved since 1985 during "The Last Dance", the name of the documentary. He got players he wanted and the expertise of Jackson and players like Scottie Pippen, early players like John Paxson and Horace Grant, later ones such as Dennis Rodman and Ron Harper. Steve Kerr was a part of those last three championships as a player. It's so loaded with talent, why? Why ruin the team you brought fortune to?

Going to the few articles, I'll assume an ego on Krause's part. Not feeling like he gets credit. Even if it's not mentioned by players and staff, he would have still been given credit via retrospectives and front office interviews. Part of it is probably why he got tired of Jackson, who I believe was the fourth coach for Jordan in five years. Reading the salary of Pippen, I don't know how you don't try to give a sizable contract or renegotiate to where both sides are happy. Rodman and a few others had bigger paychecks than him.

As far as other stuff mentioned from reading the articles, it tells you how versatile Jordan was and the drive to win. Keeping the team relevant in those early years of his career and going all out every night in a productive manner, especially when Jackson started coaching the Bulls. I read a tweet from NFL great Julius Peppers about Krause being gone (passed away in 2017) and not being able to defend himself. No offense, but I'm not sure if he could defend himself. You have a huge dynasty. The best since the 70s Steelers teams and for basketball, those 80s Celtics and Lakers teams.  Having beefs with your own talent is a huge recipe for disaster. And not wanting to pay huge contributors and petty shit that is blown into a big deal. Krause destroyed the team.

I'll be curious to see how the reputation goes for Chicago. There will be a lot of good and bad things that will be discussed in what some argue could be the greatest NBA player (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar might be equal or better than him). Maybe clearer answers will be given as to what may have caused the drive for a final championship before its ultimate downfall skid.

YouTube Videos: Apr 10-16

Disney Overcompensating

Thank Allison Pregler for making this a big deal and possibly a few others if they noticed it before her. To the point, Disney Plus is censoring some of their content. Not exactly new news, but people are noticing more. One of these most notable parts was from the movie, Splash. From what I can gather, there is a nude scene, but it's just a butt. Keep in mind that this is from 1984 and a PG film. The rating didn't always mean for kids and families. The scene in question was censored with Disney adding in more hair to cover the butt of Daryl Hannah's character. And this has been a big story over the last few days. It shows what Disney has been for a very long time and people getting frustrated at them.

It's not uncommon to see them edit stuff. The reason I view it as overcompensating is because of their reputation. They are a go to for families and kids. But the point of watching a streaming service is to watch a movie or show uncut and unedited. It's completely overboard with censorship. Touchstone, which is what Splash was released under, existed as a way for Disney to do more adult films and had a number of hits through that label. It's almost like they are afraid to try anything adult or show that they had adult content. No effort to show they more than a kids conglomerate.

Disney is not the only company censoring, but they are the worst when it comes to other companies. Obviously, Looney Tunes has its share of insensitive moments, but outside of World War II stuff (if they are even on DVD), they didn't ban their content. A warning is given to explain the different eras. And WB got backlash for a Tiny Toon Adventures episode not making to DVD for it's beer episode. To the point where they responded and put the episode on DVD and that was back in 2012. But to back to Disney, even some swearing is censored in some films. One example given by sites is Adventures in Babysitting for saying fuck. Again, the point of streaming is to watch something uncut and unedited.

This brings a problem to not just what Disney does, but what other companies could do. Think about it, and I'm not the only one thinking this. Some companies will do whatever they can to make specific content appropriate or edit it for viewers. A lot of people want the original versions of films. Not the special or edited editions. Many ditch cable. And it's not always easy to find DVD's of films either due to not finding them or it was never onto that format of home video. I think you have to treat older content the way it is and put disclaimers if a company think its very insensitive.

This new era could hurt movie viewing as a whole. And companies like Disney will only make it worse with the way they handle things.

Virtual Suspension

I've played my share of online games or seen them played the last 10 plus years. Sometimes, you see the frustration mount on a few and maybe yourself. I'd be panicking if I'm Kyle Larson and his PR group and whoever else is involved. Saying the n-word  has caused a lot of damage to his reputation and being with Chip Ganassi Racing. I'm not surprised about NASCAR suspending him indefinitely. Little sensitivity training to help fix him.

But what I am surprised kind of is Ganassi giving him the boot so quickly. Even if he weren't suspended, this would have been an end of the year scenario where the result would have been the same. What I see as a reason for the early boot is the sponsors. McDonald's has been around NASCAR for a long time. When I think of the two, I think Bill Elliott and a little Jamie McMurray. Some of the brands don't want to be associated with Larson, which is very understandable. It happens with specific spokespeople.

Where does Larson go? Good question. Until he is reinstated back in, it will be a tough sell. I could see Penske potentially. Maybe Brad Keselowski's car. Or Hendrick if Jimmie Johnson wants to retire instead of doing a full final year next year if he's not satisfied with ending 2020 without a full season. Ganassi will need to think about who they want. They got plenty of time. And maybe NASCAR should have guidelines for this virtual racing that they have done for the last month.

Things need to be ironed out before another incident happens.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 33

Fresh new episode on Anchor.fm

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-33-I-Want-My-Sports-ecopik

Realign the Baseball World

The return of sports should be soon. You would think. Baseball has already lost a couple weeks worth of games. But what do you believe happens?

MLB shot down rumors of a season where the teams only play in Arizona. Even if they thought of that, they wouldn't have been okay with it. Hundred degree heat, no roofs. Why do you think the Diamondbacks and NFL's Cardinals play in domed stadiums? Look at the state of Texas. Not one outdoor field now for baseball. Not to mention the isolation of everyone together and not being able to be around their families and friends during this crisis.

One idea in mind is a realignment of the leagues. Florida teams face each other and Arizona ones face each other. This is more so of a panic a little bit. I would also view it as trying to put together a season where they don't lose many games. The last time there was ever facing one league only was in 1996. And the idea of the designated hitter being used for every team should help. No reason to risk pitchers batting only to see them get hurt. As well as the random teams in each spring training league.

Both sides will have their pros and cons if this were to be implemented. But the numbers for the virus are not to what the world has expected. Not as high as anticipated but still something to worry. I'm sure baseball will be back soon. I wouldn't have too much of an issue with having a shortened season instead of trying to get all 162 games in.

YouTube Videos: Apr 3-9

Big Mouth Fat Boy

The NFL offseason is one to see this year. Let's go back to 2011. Giant running back Brandon Jacobs made it very clear his disdain for Jet coach Rex Ryan, and saying fat boy, big bellied coach. Someone that stood up against the loudmouth who acted like he could win anything. It's a shtick. Worked in 2009 and 2010. Has not worked since due to many failures with the Jets and later on with Buffalo. His criticisms of players as an analyst on ESPN is one that was due to get ripped on.

This isn't shocking to me. The Ryan family is nothing but arrogant. You can talk all you want about dad Buddy in 1989 putting a bounty of Luis Zendejas and punching Kevin Gilbride in 1993 as a Houston Oiler member. The reason I bring up Jacobs was that both the Giants and Jets faced each other Christmas Eve of 2011. It's a game I do remember. A very critical one and Big Blue had reasons to be mad because of Rex's approach to wanting success and covering the then three Giant Super Bowl trophies. You could look at that game as the focal point to where the Jets began to crumble under his tenure.

His criticism of Amari Cooper's big contract with Dallas was not warranted. Criticize him all you want, but you can't call him a turd for wanting big money for the success he has had the last five years. Cooper put up his best numbers last year. He's had huge games. And the ripping of former Jet players has gotten ones that played for him to rip him. The latest one being Geno Smith. I don't think Smith was that good in 2013, but the fact he won eight games should be a surprise. Without him (though he wasn't a huge factor), I'm not sure the Jets get to that number. And I'm not a Jet fan.

This is the one guy who can get away with stuff on ESPN. It brings in viewers. You get the controversy. You get both sides going at it. This is the cycle we see from many sports networks. That one guy that has no idea what he's talking about. Skip Bayless (how the hell did that guy get famous?), Colin Cowherd. Many more. Bad publicity can be good, regardless of consequences.

Minor Leaguer for Nothing

It's unfortunate. Underpaid players who hope for that chance to be in the majors. And with this virus, some teams might lose their minor league affiliates.

The hope to play soon is there and if things were to go back to normal, you could look see it come back in possibly June or July. For some teams, there's a lot at stake. They need those fans to come and get tickets, buy merchandise and food, and sit for a couple hours. It's a struggle to get good attendance. Some cities are able to handle it very well. There has been the talk of cutting minor league teams in certain places. That reality might happen, but not for the reasons you think.

What happens with cut teams if it were to happen? Some may not have that chance of the majors unless another team takes them in. The move to a higher or lower affiliate could improve or downgrade their abilities. A city may struggle a little bit financially from not having a baseball team anymore. A team may lose future talent that could make an impact. You have to hope that the virus isn't here for much longer.

Hopefully, things have slowed down to where cases aren't as frequent and recoveries can help make life normal once again.

What Makes a Good Arcade Game?

How?

To the point, what needs to be done first is having a difficulty that is challenging, but isn't making you lose your lives within the first few levels. One of my picks for best arcade game ever is Galaga. They ease you in with the aliens being adequate and then by the fifth round, you're in for the fight of your life and getting through a few more before getting a game over. Namco is a good example of giving you a chance but making you earn your right to beat a game or get far compared to others.

There's other things. One is not making graphics blend in with shots in shooters or shots being very small. That's not good design. Neither is overloading your game with enemies. Yes, the point is to get people to spend more quarters back then, but you don't want someone getting frustrated within a few minutes. A game like Robotron can be a bit overwhelming but compared to most, it's not trying to be purposefully pissing you off.

Last is some variety of shaking things up in a game to keep it fresh. No one wants to be bored. Maybe a level goes a different direction. Or that playing with a friend can even the odds. Whatever the case, the best kind of games give you a lot to offer within a ten minute span or more if you're that good in something like Ninja Turtles or driving games such as Daytona USA or Ridge Racer.

Those are some of my thoughts on what makes an arcade game good. What are some of your favorites?

Line the Shot, Aldon!

It's a small risk. The Dallas Cowboys want depth at linebacker. A few of them are always constantly being hurt. There comes baggage with signing Aldon Smith, even though it's a year and two million. Redemption could come.

Smith hasn't played in the league since 2015. The last things I remember of him was him getting in trouble. I believe it was for alcohol issues and a firearm issue. With the mediocrity of the 49ers prior to last year, I forgot about him. He was a high first round pick for San Francisco. Plays well the first couple years. Can't stay on the field his final two. Goes to Oakland in 2015 and that was it. I didn't know he was on the ineligibility list. He's in that list that's similar to Josh Gordon.

Most players, regardless of sport, are never the same when they return to play after a hiatus. I don't think Smith has had any health issues that were major. If the guy is good on being sober and shows the commitment to go on the right path, then maybe he bolsters a chance to be the star that he was back in 2012. His sacks his first two seasons were better than what Derrick Thomas did in his first two seasons. He better be ready for some hard hitting and keeping his drinking in check if still wants some alcohol.

Smith can rewrite his story into something better. Can he commit to that?

YouTube Videos: Mar 27-Apr 2

Sony Interactive Delay

Like many companies, Sony has put a lot of their stuff on delay amidst this crisis. A couple I'll look at. One that's good and one that's bad.

There have been a few movies that they have decided to push back. Peter Rabbit 2 won't be until January of next year. Morbius next March. Also next March will be the new Ghostbusters film, Afterlife. It is disappointing for fans who probably wanted a real sequel after 30 years. With the virus putting everything on hold, maybe this might help. It's not like the summer of 1984 where the original was something very fresh and making everyone go bananas for it. This has a better chance of doing well and without feeling like it has stiff competition. Sony could have 2021 in the bag for a short while.

One of the hyped games for this year was The Last of Us Part II. Sony has plans for several other games as well, but Naughty Dog's survival adventure was high on the list. With it being delayed indefinitely, it's hard to know when it could come out. The original debuted on PS3 in June of 2013, roughly five months before PS4 debuted and just over a year before the remaster. And this sequel was delayed from its February release to a month from now. They want people to buy the copies in stores and the pandemic doesn't help them out. You have to hope that they can have something ready by September if things were to be calm and back to normal. If not, it could hurt sales a little bit, but I have a feeling we're going to see Part II on PS5.

Sony's not taking huge risks. Hopefully it rebounds them for a strong year in 2021.

First Games Played On A System Volume 1

As it suggests, the first game I played on a system. Very simple. I'll do ones that I've played on the actual hardware.

Atari 2600: Pac-Man. This one was from a few years ago. It was a curious one to try as I've heard so many negative things about it. As a port, it is a bit disappointing. That being said, I don't think it's that horrible. I've played much worse, but there is better versions and even Ms. Pac-Man on the 2600 is better.

Intellivision: Donkey Kong. This was from about 15 or so years ago after finding the system hidden downstairs at home. Playing with those controllers was not ideal, but it could be doable. What wasn't was the poor graphics that looked like it came from a very old computer and audio that failed to impress. The system was hit and miss on arcade ports and this was not a good effort.

NES: Super Mario Bros. 3 (90s) Dr. Mario (2009). Cheating a little bit since my memory is a little fuzzy on playing the NES back in the 90s. Wouldn't be surprised if it was Mario 3 or one of the Mario titles. But Dr. Mario was what I tried when I got an NES for myself in mid-2009. To be able to play some of these titles and to begin it with that was a huge treat. I have a bigger appreciation for this system compared to other Nintendo efforts.

Game Boy: Super Mario Land 2. This was one back in the late 90s when you could still get original Game Boy games. It would be the only one I played for a very long time since Game Boy Color was more relevant around 2000. Between the trilogy, Land 2 is very strong and an indicator of what Game Boy could do in every facet. Not to mention a different gameplay approach that it's a shame Nintendo don't go back to these kind of games that weren't like the Miyamoto efforts.

That's the first volume of first games I played on a system. Hopefully, I'll do more soon. Happy reading.