Yet another incident involving a Boston based sports team. Back in December, the New England Patriots were caught filming the Cincinnati Bengals a week prior to their matchup. They have been fined over a million dollars and lost a 3rd round draft pick for next year. It adds another black eye to the franchise over its last 20 years of controversial moments. One of the brighter spots was signing former Carolina Panther Cam Newton for a year and a decent sized salary.
But that pales to the negativity surrounding the city of Boston and their sports teams. Particularly, the Red Sox. With racism a hot button topic over the last month, it came to light of incidents involving opponents and even actual Red Sox players. From their own fans saying nasty things to the players of the team they root for. I guess it started with Twins legend Torii Hunter. Not too long ago, he talked to a Boston radio station about not wanting to ever traded to Fenway. Not because he didn't want to go there. Because of fans shouting slurs. While I would say it probably happens in all stadiums, it probably happens more there. This isn't new either. Oriole outfielder Adam Jones went through rough moments in 2017 with slurs thrown at him. To the point where the Red Sox apologized.
Not too long ago either, Red Sox legend Kevin Youkilis talked about the fans going after his own teammates. It's one thing to berate a player on the team you like because of their struggles. But the slurs. It adds more to how bad Boston can be as far as their fanbase goes. Inside the locker rooms, many experience the same stuff. Pats tight end Ben Watson discussed earlier this month about racism with the teams he was with. It does go beyond Boston. Can't be any different than New York, Los Angeles, Miami. Just to name a few of some of the big sports cities. Whether stories get made public or not, who knows.
I don't know how fans can keep dealing with these kind of incidents. Too much controversy over the last 20 years.
Monday, June 29, 2020
Saturday, June 27, 2020
The Rat Band is Going Broke
I don't have a nostalgia for Chuck E Cheese. The only time I can remember going to one was January 20th, 2008. Helps a bit of remembering considering the New York Giants played in the NFC Championship Game that night. Anyway, my nephew turned seven that weekend and he had his party at the place. I remember the experience being okay. Tough times now, considering they filed for bankruptcy recently and they closed down over 30 locations.
Obviously, the pandemic hasn't helped. Maybe the Grubhub stuff isn't working. But what I also think is happening is the decline in the family experience. The vision Atari founder Nolan Bushnell had in 1977 when creating Pizza Time Theater (the original name) was a place that was safe and for families to enjoy the animatronics and arcade games. Combined with a simple food in pizza, it took off back then. In a pre-2005 world, kids had access to a cool experience. With the rise of social media and other activities the last 15 years combined with declines in arcades Chuck E Cheese is not exactly the place you think of.
I'm making assumptions because who knows why it has been in decline. Maybe birthday parties have become more elaborate that something like a McDonald's won't suffice. Of course, buying stuff that hurts you in the long run. That's what happened to Ames. Being in debt doesn't help at all. I don't think there is one exact reason, but multiple ones. Being a product of its era. Trying to cater to a modern generation. Ultimately, you hope it's a small time in bankruptcy and they will return. But considering the last decade, I'm not sure.
Might be tough to say, but the rat band may disappear quicker than many will realize.
Friday, June 26, 2020
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
The Mixer Lost Stream
Streaming has its pros and cons. Twitch leads the way and is the dominant platform for people. Competition formed from a creation in 2016 called Mixer. Six months shy of turning five and the platform has ceased to exist. It was very sudden and some have the choice of returning to Twitch or not streaming at all.
I don't know much about Mixer other than knowing about the streamer Ninja (Tyler Blevins) going to it. A lot of money thrown to him, supposedly anywhere between 20 and 30 million dollars. That's a high price tag. There are some big name people for that site, but possibly it didn't bring in newer viewers. What also doesn't help is the Ninja stuff starting last year for Mixer. It's not like a Facebook coming in a year after Myspace was created. It's possibly the too little, too late scenario of getting in on the streaming craze.
The shutdown is a big blow as I can't think of any other streaming sites beyond the two mentioned in this blog. I'll be curious to see what happens. Mixer has moved to Facebook, and whether streamers will go there is a question in itself considering the controversies on that site. Twitch has their problems, too, but it may be an easier platform to get onto without any data leaks or at least not as many. Maybe the costs were not sustainable to keep going. Companies think they can boost their quotas and a few other things. Sometimes, it works. Other times, it doesn't. Maybe blowing some of their funds on the big name streamers was not wise.
Will there be another competitor? What do you think?
I don't know much about Mixer other than knowing about the streamer Ninja (Tyler Blevins) going to it. A lot of money thrown to him, supposedly anywhere between 20 and 30 million dollars. That's a high price tag. There are some big name people for that site, but possibly it didn't bring in newer viewers. What also doesn't help is the Ninja stuff starting last year for Mixer. It's not like a Facebook coming in a year after Myspace was created. It's possibly the too little, too late scenario of getting in on the streaming craze.
The shutdown is a big blow as I can't think of any other streaming sites beyond the two mentioned in this blog. I'll be curious to see what happens. Mixer has moved to Facebook, and whether streamers will go there is a question in itself considering the controversies on that site. Twitch has their problems, too, but it may be an easier platform to get onto without any data leaks or at least not as many. Maybe the costs were not sustainable to keep going. Companies think they can boost their quotas and a few other things. Sometimes, it works. Other times, it doesn't. Maybe blowing some of their funds on the big name streamers was not wise.
Will there be another competitor? What do you think?
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
I'll Take a Classic... Film
You need your entertainment. Something to hold you over. The drive in movie theaters are your destination. I'm willing to bet all around the country that this mentality is what is helping. Older films getting re-released and being the ones you hear being number one. Nothing beats having a Spielberg film. Jurassic Park and Jaws lead the way, both making half a million dollars according to Deadline. There is the good and bad that comes from this.
With people being cooped up, they may not want the TV experience of going to the movie theaters. Something like a Jurassic Park can draw them to see something, even though it is very old. But you need something, and some of these newer films may not cut it. I think it would be healthy to have some of those newer releases and have those choices to go along with the classic films (or what you, the reader, may see as a classic.), which I wouldn't be surprised if some theaters are doing it. There's even other Speilberg films hitting the top ten. The Goonies, Back to the Future, E.T.. There's other classic ones, but they couldn't reach the numbers, even with how low they are.
But one issue is that these kind of films are constantly on television. They are the draw for theaters, but this is also how cable networks attempt for ratings. Why else do you see the same stuff over and over every few weeks? Not to mention marathons of specific franchises or specific actors. Freeform spams Twilight. Viacom loves Bad Boys, Adam Sandler, and Eddie Murphy. TNT always airs Shooter. Turner wants any comic book movie that they can get for their channels. And NBCUniversal will do anything to give Harry Potter air time. A re-release for a specific time or anniversary is one thing, and it's understandable. But as said in The Simpsons Movie, why pay when you can see it on TV for free? That's not the exact quote, but some may not feel the need to see a classic in the theater. Especially if you have the DVD of a film being re-released. There is the satisfaction of saying you saw it in theaters, but is that enough?
There's not much in choices, but anything is better than nothing over these last few months.
Monday, June 22, 2020
Crash Bandicoot 4 Thoughts
Crash Bandicoot was one of the very first games I ever played on PlayStation. The N. Sane Trilogy was why I bought a PS4 back in June 2017. But will people bite for a brand new game? I think so. Many have wanted a new release for a long time. Ignoring mobile phone games, there hasn't been a new game in 12 years. Enter Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. Playful words for multiple reasons. Time will come at the start of October for PS4 and Xbox One.
There was a leak not too long ago about the game and today, June 22, Activision put out a trailer. This is a sequel, but it's a follow up to Warped. If you got the true ending to Warped, you might have an idea on what they are doing. From the trailer, Cortex has had time to make plans to defeat his nemesis. Crash and Coco are ready and set to foil whatever bad deeds the scientist has. The designs are a little different on the characters, but not completely altered like a Crash of the Titans or Mind Over Mutant.
Looking at gameplay, it looks like it would be a bit more fast paced. Stuff from the original trilogy like riding on a vehicle in the water. Futuristic levels. Creative boss fights against bad guys like Dr. N Gin. It's taking what made the 90s games great and going with notion of not needing to tweak it for specific reasons. If I'm guessing, it's going to at least 30 levels. Secret ones. Time trials. Variety of worlds to go through. I do have some concern. I'm curious as to whether it will be like Twinsanity (I don't think it will) in being a bit open world or be like the original trilogy. The length I'm wondering, but that's more of a nitpick. Ultimately, I would like to see how much original stuff is brought into this release.
All that in mind, I am very interested. It will be the first time where I can experience an original new release as an adult for this series. We do need to see more of these. Hopefully, the release date is not bad considering the potential releases of PS5 and Xbox Series X around mid-late November. Hell, I could see this coming to those systems. Kind of surprised no Switch version, but I do think there will be one. Maybe release a month or two later around Christmas. Toys for Bob has done ports to the system. But this should be an exciting time to fully revive the bandicoot, especially as he reaches 25 years old next year.
There was a leak not too long ago about the game and today, June 22, Activision put out a trailer. This is a sequel, but it's a follow up to Warped. If you got the true ending to Warped, you might have an idea on what they are doing. From the trailer, Cortex has had time to make plans to defeat his nemesis. Crash and Coco are ready and set to foil whatever bad deeds the scientist has. The designs are a little different on the characters, but not completely altered like a Crash of the Titans or Mind Over Mutant.
Looking at gameplay, it looks like it would be a bit more fast paced. Stuff from the original trilogy like riding on a vehicle in the water. Futuristic levels. Creative boss fights against bad guys like Dr. N Gin. It's taking what made the 90s games great and going with notion of not needing to tweak it for specific reasons. If I'm guessing, it's going to at least 30 levels. Secret ones. Time trials. Variety of worlds to go through. I do have some concern. I'm curious as to whether it will be like Twinsanity (I don't think it will) in being a bit open world or be like the original trilogy. The length I'm wondering, but that's more of a nitpick. Ultimately, I would like to see how much original stuff is brought into this release.
All that in mind, I am very interested. It will be the first time where I can experience an original new release as an adult for this series. We do need to see more of these. Hopefully, the release date is not bad considering the potential releases of PS5 and Xbox Series X around mid-late November. Hell, I could see this coming to those systems. Kind of surprised no Switch version, but I do think there will be one. Maybe release a month or two later around Christmas. Toys for Bob has done ports to the system. But this should be an exciting time to fully revive the bandicoot, especially as he reaches 25 years old next year.
Saturday, June 20, 2020
The Last of Us Part II Initial Thoughts
I don't go out of my way often to get games on day one or within the first week. There are at least a handful of PS4 games I have done that for, and this latest one being for The Last of Us Part II. It took a good while for me to warm up to the first one and I've heard the ups and downs to this sequel over the last three plus years. I've put in a few hours in and these initial thoughts 24 hours after getting it.
The plot is very interesting and it centers around Ellie, who was the basis for the original game's story. Without spoiling, it is a revenge type of game, going after people. Some surprises will come, which isn't hugely stunning, but some might find the opposite. Much like the first one pushing the PS3 to its limits, this might be the best graphical game for PS4. So much detail in the environments. The amount of lighting put into it. The character modeling. When you look at the leap to this generation, it's not huge, but when using the right tools, it can be.
Gustavo Santaolalla returned to do the music. It sticks out, particularly with the guitar based material and other weird instruments utilized. As far as gameplay goes, it's not award winning, but you do a bit more in your first couple hours compared to the first. Lots of exploration. Controls are very much similar. The crafting aspect returns. There is enough to make it differentiate but still be similar to where it won't turn off customers and fans.
It's not a guns blazing type of game, so keep that in mind. But you will be doing some gunplay at points or running than fighting. There aren't any complaints I have so far. Maybe a cheap spot or two in certain areas, but from what I've played, it's good. Definitely worth a purchase. I would like to do another blog with my final thoughts on it after completing it. Keep an eye out for that in the future. But this is one of the last major releases from Sony before the PS5 debuts this fall.
The plot is very interesting and it centers around Ellie, who was the basis for the original game's story. Without spoiling, it is a revenge type of game, going after people. Some surprises will come, which isn't hugely stunning, but some might find the opposite. Much like the first one pushing the PS3 to its limits, this might be the best graphical game for PS4. So much detail in the environments. The amount of lighting put into it. The character modeling. When you look at the leap to this generation, it's not huge, but when using the right tools, it can be.
Gustavo Santaolalla returned to do the music. It sticks out, particularly with the guitar based material and other weird instruments utilized. As far as gameplay goes, it's not award winning, but you do a bit more in your first couple hours compared to the first. Lots of exploration. Controls are very much similar. The crafting aspect returns. There is enough to make it differentiate but still be similar to where it won't turn off customers and fans.
It's not a guns blazing type of game, so keep that in mind. But you will be doing some gunplay at points or running than fighting. There aren't any complaints I have so far. Maybe a cheap spot or two in certain areas, but from what I've played, it's good. Definitely worth a purchase. I would like to do another blog with my final thoughts on it after completing it. Keep an eye out for that in the future. But this is one of the last major releases from Sony before the PS5 debuts this fall.
Friday, June 19, 2020
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Geeks and Jocks: Episode 40
The final episode of this season of Geeks and Jocks
https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-40-Seeking-a-Hopeful-Normalcy-efge3e
https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-40-Seeking-a-Hopeful-Normalcy-efge3e
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Drunk Driving Kills, Trevor Noah!
Last week brought another incident. This time in Atlanta, Georgia. Cops get a call about Rayshard Brooks sleeping and possibly drunk in his car, which is parked in a Wendy's drive thru. Brooks complies after waking up, but fail the field sobriety test. Cue a scuffle, him taking a taser, attempting to shoot the cops, cops shoot him, he's dead. Of course, it's brought huge criticism, one of which is Daily Show host Trevor Noah. Basically, he's whining that it's always cops first to the scene and saying because it's not worth dying over being drunk.
Drunk driving is a very serious offense and Noah has no clue how dangerous and how lethal it is. According to the NHSTA, more than 10,000 people a year lose their lives in these crashes because someone was impaired. The reason Mothers Against Drunk Driving was created back in 1980 was because of a mother who lost her teenage daughter to a drunk driver who had repeat DUI charges. It was a way to show the effects of what can happen to an every day citizen. No one wants to see a loved one dead because someone boozed up and ran them over or plowed into their car. I keep thinking of the late Nick Adenhart, the LA Angel pitcher who was killed in 2009 hours after pitching his first game of the season. Andrew Thomas Gallo, who also had repeat DUIs and a suspended license at the time, still has 40 years left on his sentence for killing him and two others. I wouldn't be surprised if he is still feeling regrets of his actions.
Even if Noah wanted to see a good samaritan help, that's not going to solve anything. In fact, it would probably be even more dangerous than cops being told about a drunk driver. I would think the samaritan would be grounds for a warning. They could get hurt badly. In regards to Brooks, he broke the law. DUI's or DWI's hurt your income. Points on a license, potential rehab, car insurance rates going up. But instead of a simple arrest, he escalated by resisting. Tasers may not be the most effective, but they can kill in certain circumstances. This is a case where the shooting is justified and it's not anywhere to the level of what the Minneapolis cops did to George Floyd, and even what happened there is a little sketchy. You don't know what Brooks would do if he continued to use the taser.
Newsflash to Trevor Noah, being drunk is not the issue. Getting behind the wheel impaired is an issue. What Brooks did was wrong and regardless of him being dead, he did not make the situation any better by grabbing a weapon and resisting arrest. Maybe go visit real families who have dealt with drunk driving fatalities before complaining that it's a racism issue and cherry picking stuff to fit your agenda. There is a lot more pain and grief that surviving members have to deal with.
Drunk driving is a very serious offense and Noah has no clue how dangerous and how lethal it is. According to the NHSTA, more than 10,000 people a year lose their lives in these crashes because someone was impaired. The reason Mothers Against Drunk Driving was created back in 1980 was because of a mother who lost her teenage daughter to a drunk driver who had repeat DUI charges. It was a way to show the effects of what can happen to an every day citizen. No one wants to see a loved one dead because someone boozed up and ran them over or plowed into their car. I keep thinking of the late Nick Adenhart, the LA Angel pitcher who was killed in 2009 hours after pitching his first game of the season. Andrew Thomas Gallo, who also had repeat DUIs and a suspended license at the time, still has 40 years left on his sentence for killing him and two others. I wouldn't be surprised if he is still feeling regrets of his actions.
Even if Noah wanted to see a good samaritan help, that's not going to solve anything. In fact, it would probably be even more dangerous than cops being told about a drunk driver. I would think the samaritan would be grounds for a warning. They could get hurt badly. In regards to Brooks, he broke the law. DUI's or DWI's hurt your income. Points on a license, potential rehab, car insurance rates going up. But instead of a simple arrest, he escalated by resisting. Tasers may not be the most effective, but they can kill in certain circumstances. This is a case where the shooting is justified and it's not anywhere to the level of what the Minneapolis cops did to George Floyd, and even what happened there is a little sketchy. You don't know what Brooks would do if he continued to use the taser.
Newsflash to Trevor Noah, being drunk is not the issue. Getting behind the wheel impaired is an issue. What Brooks did was wrong and regardless of him being dead, he did not make the situation any better by grabbing a weapon and resisting arrest. Maybe go visit real families who have dealt with drunk driving fatalities before complaining that it's a racism issue and cherry picking stuff to fit your agenda. There is a lot more pain and grief that surviving members have to deal with.
Monday, June 15, 2020
Wish Upon a Basketball Star
Which is it? Play the season or not play the season?
Maybe it's just me, but Adam Silver bows down too much to his league of players in the NBA. Too much freedom in what they can do and say. Now the concern is the season restarting and some players not wanting to be involved. What are they afraid of? That it could be another Rudy Gobert situation like in March? The NBA isn't that stupid. They know the risks and should follow what the NHL is doing and have rigorous testing. There has never been a cancellation of a season in its 74 years as a league.
I understand the cause for concern. Being in Florida for two months. Weather issues. Being around tourists and town civilians. It would scare some of these players. Especially for being around one of the most famous destinations in Disney World. You never know who could sneak in and infect the staff and teams. The league wants to finish what they started. Provide a distraction in all the chaos surrounding the world. Showcase a new champion. Being well prepared should ease the tension and hopefully get the players to return to a normal routine. When December rolls along, the sport normalcy will get back to 100 percent.
Golf and auto racing is necessary, but basketball will be the big push for audiences.
Maybe it's just me, but Adam Silver bows down too much to his league of players in the NBA. Too much freedom in what they can do and say. Now the concern is the season restarting and some players not wanting to be involved. What are they afraid of? That it could be another Rudy Gobert situation like in March? The NBA isn't that stupid. They know the risks and should follow what the NHL is doing and have rigorous testing. There has never been a cancellation of a season in its 74 years as a league.
I understand the cause for concern. Being in Florida for two months. Weather issues. Being around tourists and town civilians. It would scare some of these players. Especially for being around one of the most famous destinations in Disney World. You never know who could sneak in and infect the staff and teams. The league wants to finish what they started. Provide a distraction in all the chaos surrounding the world. Showcase a new champion. Being well prepared should ease the tension and hopefully get the players to return to a normal routine. When December rolls along, the sport normalcy will get back to 100 percent.
Golf and auto racing is necessary, but basketball will be the big push for audiences.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
The Cancel Culture
I've seen backlash for films and shows. Some question whether they should be on the air or not. It is very unfortunate for someone who has a mass communications degree to see this happen. This cancel culture is getting very ridiculous over the last few days. So what are the casualties?
First was the 1939 film, Gone with the Wind. I've never seen the film. Hear it's very good. HBOMax pulled it for racial reasons. With the exception of war propaganda or being that controversial when it released, I'm struggling to see why this got removed. A lot of older stuff reflects the time period they were in. By this logic, you have to get rid of The Three Stooges and various movies that portray race in a manner that doesn't sit well with others. Simply put, have a warning about these films. There is no reason to ban it.
I'm surprised, but not with the next thing. Paramount Network cancelled Cops. I didn't even know they were doing new episodes. I do remember reading that there was criticism about the stuff they showed with pulling over suspects or chasing them down. There was a formula for the show, but it's not like the formula was deliberate. You get what you can film. But I do think cancellation is a huge overreaction.
Huge overreaction can be said for A&E's Live PD. The ironic and hypocritical thing is they are still airing marathons of The First 48. By that logic, they should get rid of reruns and new episodes of it. Back to PD, the show wasn't just pulling people over. It was real time, seeing specific crimes or helping out certain individuals. Even stuff like saving animals. It wasn't pulling people over every segment. This was huge for the network and why they canned a lot of their scripted programs. It's going overboard to please a group that only wants to look at the negative side.
But the last thing is depressingly sad. People wanting a goddamn kids show canned. Protests against Paw Patrol, which has been on the air for almost seven years. Showing the various goods of what actual emergency services people do, but in animal format. It's a program aimed for little kids. This is purely entertainment. Not engaging like a live action crime drama. These snowflakes probably have no interest in the show (I don't, either, but I'm not going to protest) and are looking for anything cop related.
You can't erase everything. With certain exceptions, there was no reason to get rid of some of this stuff and there's no reason to go after something intended for toddlers. You think we couldn't get more stupider? Here you go.
First was the 1939 film, Gone with the Wind. I've never seen the film. Hear it's very good. HBOMax pulled it for racial reasons. With the exception of war propaganda or being that controversial when it released, I'm struggling to see why this got removed. A lot of older stuff reflects the time period they were in. By this logic, you have to get rid of The Three Stooges and various movies that portray race in a manner that doesn't sit well with others. Simply put, have a warning about these films. There is no reason to ban it.
I'm surprised, but not with the next thing. Paramount Network cancelled Cops. I didn't even know they were doing new episodes. I do remember reading that there was criticism about the stuff they showed with pulling over suspects or chasing them down. There was a formula for the show, but it's not like the formula was deliberate. You get what you can film. But I do think cancellation is a huge overreaction.
Huge overreaction can be said for A&E's Live PD. The ironic and hypocritical thing is they are still airing marathons of The First 48. By that logic, they should get rid of reruns and new episodes of it. Back to PD, the show wasn't just pulling people over. It was real time, seeing specific crimes or helping out certain individuals. Even stuff like saving animals. It wasn't pulling people over every segment. This was huge for the network and why they canned a lot of their scripted programs. It's going overboard to please a group that only wants to look at the negative side.
But the last thing is depressingly sad. People wanting a goddamn kids show canned. Protests against Paw Patrol, which has been on the air for almost seven years. Showing the various goods of what actual emergency services people do, but in animal format. It's a program aimed for little kids. This is purely entertainment. Not engaging like a live action crime drama. These snowflakes probably have no interest in the show (I don't, either, but I'm not going to protest) and are looking for anything cop related.
You can't erase everything. With certain exceptions, there was no reason to get rid of some of this stuff and there's no reason to go after something intended for toddlers. You think we couldn't get more stupider? Here you go.
Friday, June 12, 2020
Thursday, June 11, 2020
YouTube Audience: Six Months Later
Back in the fall, YouTube was forced to pay 170 million dollars in fines in regards to monitoring their audience in terms of ads being shown. There was a push from them to have videos intended for kids or not. Plenty of negative backlash. But it might have been an overblown issue. Maybe because I haven't heard anything major.in terms of people getting in trouble.
I don't have much to say. I do think they understand what is for kids and what isn't. They know who to directly target when things go awry. But they could develop more detail into what is good or bad. I still have my concerns if it's a brand that is both made to entertain kids and adults. Something like Looney Tunes. But otherwise, all that worry for me was a big overreaction when I first heard of the changes back in November.
Simply put, follow the guidelines. It may not be cool, but better to surf and create within the rules.
I don't have much to say. I do think they understand what is for kids and what isn't. They know who to directly target when things go awry. But they could develop more detail into what is good or bad. I still have my concerns if it's a brand that is both made to entertain kids and adults. Something like Looney Tunes. But otherwise, all that worry for me was a big overreaction when I first heard of the changes back in November.
Simply put, follow the guidelines. It may not be cool, but better to surf and create within the rules.
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
MLSB: Major League Spoiled Brats
I feel like we're not going to see a baseball season. Seems like any deal that is made from both sides of Major League Baseball and the Players Union, it's shot down. At this point, as a fan, this is getting really, really dumb and getting very ridiculous.
Specific issues come down to playing with specific salaries, draft picks, compensation. Many things. Owners know that the costs are going to hurt. A number of these players can forgo having their 10 plus million dollars a year salary to help curb the bleeding of not having fans. Hundreds of thousands are lost on not having people in the stands and ordering food from the stadium concessions. Taking a 25 percent cut is not going to hurt the players bottom line.
The latest deal proposal is for 76 games and ending the season in September. Potentially, there could be playoffs. How many teams, I'm not sure. Salaries are at 75 percent. It could be an expanded group for the postseason. I read something about a 50 game season, but that would seem too little, too late. The MLB needs something. Tony Clark needs to get the players to stop complaining about how much they are getting for this season. Other leagues are slowly returning and no season would result in a huge disaster for baseball.
This very much feels like a strike considering the last month or so. I would be more concerned about health than worrying about not making a full 20 million for the season. If there is nothing, you may not see MLB the way it used to be. Some teams could be in dire trouble financially. Minor league cuts have spread. You have to hope both sides get their thumbs out of their mouths. Because this is embarrassing. Get your act together MLB and the Players Union. Find some way to get a season underway. Nothing by July, the chance of a season gets even slimmer.
Specific issues come down to playing with specific salaries, draft picks, compensation. Many things. Owners know that the costs are going to hurt. A number of these players can forgo having their 10 plus million dollars a year salary to help curb the bleeding of not having fans. Hundreds of thousands are lost on not having people in the stands and ordering food from the stadium concessions. Taking a 25 percent cut is not going to hurt the players bottom line.
The latest deal proposal is for 76 games and ending the season in September. Potentially, there could be playoffs. How many teams, I'm not sure. Salaries are at 75 percent. It could be an expanded group for the postseason. I read something about a 50 game season, but that would seem too little, too late. The MLB needs something. Tony Clark needs to get the players to stop complaining about how much they are getting for this season. Other leagues are slowly returning and no season would result in a huge disaster for baseball.
This very much feels like a strike considering the last month or so. I would be more concerned about health than worrying about not making a full 20 million for the season. If there is nothing, you may not see MLB the way it used to be. Some teams could be in dire trouble financially. Minor league cuts have spread. You have to hope both sides get their thumbs out of their mouths. Because this is embarrassing. Get your act together MLB and the Players Union. Find some way to get a season underway. Nothing by July, the chance of a season gets even slimmer.
Monday, June 8, 2020
Stance on Gaming's Backwards Compatibility
Rolls right off the tongue. Anyway, backwards compatibility goes all the way back to the 80s. Atari allowed their 7800 system to play 2600 games directly in 1986. Sega allowed Genesis games to work in 32x systems in 1994 (Virtua Racing on Genesis will not work). Since the late 90s, the main three competitors have had compatibility in some form on some of their systems.
My first experience was via Game Boy Color and then Game Boy Advance because they could play previous system titles of Game Boy for the former and that and the Color for the latter. I don't have a huge issue with it. If they allow it, that's okay. I may not gravitate towards the feature, but if it helps at least with cartridge systems, I'm not going to say no. But I would be hesitant with CD systems. The best I experienced was with PS2 and Wii with their previous generation systems (PS1, though flaky with a select handful of games, and GameCube). Since those systems, it hasn't been for the good.
People boast about Xbox and their backwards compatibility. It was putrid on 360 and I've heard good things about how Xbox One does things. But the problem is the support. Less than half of the Xbox library made it to 360, and even a number of the ones supported have issues. Xbox One might allow hundreds of 360 games, but what about titles that you are unable to get supported? This need to act superior is mind boggling stupid. It's nice, but not an end all, be all thing like in generations past.
People also want Sony to have backwards compatibility for every home console PlayStation dating back to the original for PS5. That's not going to happen. I could see PS4 to a point. But the PS1 and PS2 are ancient. Not every game gets good treatment through emulation. Certain games get ignored entirely. Even PS3 had issues running a number of PS1 games. It's like the PC. There is a difficulty in getting DOS games to work on modern systems. DOSBox may work on most, but not everything gets patched to work. Same with Windows 95, 98, 2000. An upside is thousands of games at your fingertips. But it's complicated if you can't get a few to work. And tons of games fall into a limbo of problems. There is reason to have a modern computer, but finding a hard to find older computer.
In the end, I'm not against backwards compatibility, but it's not my number one priority. If it's good, so be it. If it doesn't work, I'd be disappointed, but not bummed out like some people. I just wish that kind of attention went into getting games to work well on obscure stuff like Sega CD and 3DO.
My first experience was via Game Boy Color and then Game Boy Advance because they could play previous system titles of Game Boy for the former and that and the Color for the latter. I don't have a huge issue with it. If they allow it, that's okay. I may not gravitate towards the feature, but if it helps at least with cartridge systems, I'm not going to say no. But I would be hesitant with CD systems. The best I experienced was with PS2 and Wii with their previous generation systems (PS1, though flaky with a select handful of games, and GameCube). Since those systems, it hasn't been for the good.
People boast about Xbox and their backwards compatibility. It was putrid on 360 and I've heard good things about how Xbox One does things. But the problem is the support. Less than half of the Xbox library made it to 360, and even a number of the ones supported have issues. Xbox One might allow hundreds of 360 games, but what about titles that you are unable to get supported? This need to act superior is mind boggling stupid. It's nice, but not an end all, be all thing like in generations past.
People also want Sony to have backwards compatibility for every home console PlayStation dating back to the original for PS5. That's not going to happen. I could see PS4 to a point. But the PS1 and PS2 are ancient. Not every game gets good treatment through emulation. Certain games get ignored entirely. Even PS3 had issues running a number of PS1 games. It's like the PC. There is a difficulty in getting DOS games to work on modern systems. DOSBox may work on most, but not everything gets patched to work. Same with Windows 95, 98, 2000. An upside is thousands of games at your fingertips. But it's complicated if you can't get a few to work. And tons of games fall into a limbo of problems. There is reason to have a modern computer, but finding a hard to find older computer.
In the end, I'm not against backwards compatibility, but it's not my number one priority. If it's good, so be it. If it doesn't work, I'd be disappointed, but not bummed out like some people. I just wish that kind of attention went into getting games to work well on obscure stuff like Sega CD and 3DO.
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Slap Shots, Lay Ups, Five Irons
Hard to believe, but we are turning a new leaf. Barring any potential consequences from protesters and rioters, normalcy could be coming very soon. Or at least, a different form of it. That's why we're seeing multiple sports mark their return, and it doesn't involve baseball.
A while back, the NHL set up a 24 team playoff format. But they are still taking the quarantine matter very seriously. The work to test everyone out every day and plan out the games is a work in progress. There is still the matter of getting the arenas open, not allowing fans in, and a few other things. The playoffs should last a good while and if I had to guess, end in August.
The NBA is still in the process of getting stuff ready, but should have games going this summer. Its plan is to start games at the end of July. They do lose some games (assuming) because of a new season starting at the beginning of December. All but Portland was ready to resume the season via voting. There are 22 teams involved in the restart and they are given eight regular season games. Potential playoff implications could occur. It's all going to be in Orlando, Florida. These guys are ready to finish what they started. Even if it means losing a little bit for next year, anything to end the season and crown a champion.
Golf is slowly coming back. At least some tours are marking their return this month. Obviously, there will be a lot of testing. No fans, of course. But it continues to fill the void that people have wanted for the last three months. All three sports, really. Even if its for a small amount of time, these players are anticipating the time to compete in these tournaments and bring viewers a few hours of entertainment. Anything to turn their mind off of reality.
It's unfortunate the greedy players of the MLB are holding back baseball's season. But no worry. The summer is going to melt away the worry of it with the return of basketball and hockey. And golf is just the tip of the iceberg. It's only a matter of making sure no huge spikes. Otherwise, game on.
A while back, the NHL set up a 24 team playoff format. But they are still taking the quarantine matter very seriously. The work to test everyone out every day and plan out the games is a work in progress. There is still the matter of getting the arenas open, not allowing fans in, and a few other things. The playoffs should last a good while and if I had to guess, end in August.
The NBA is still in the process of getting stuff ready, but should have games going this summer. Its plan is to start games at the end of July. They do lose some games (assuming) because of a new season starting at the beginning of December. All but Portland was ready to resume the season via voting. There are 22 teams involved in the restart and they are given eight regular season games. Potential playoff implications could occur. It's all going to be in Orlando, Florida. These guys are ready to finish what they started. Even if it means losing a little bit for next year, anything to end the season and crown a champion.
Golf is slowly coming back. At least some tours are marking their return this month. Obviously, there will be a lot of testing. No fans, of course. But it continues to fill the void that people have wanted for the last three months. All three sports, really. Even if its for a small amount of time, these players are anticipating the time to compete in these tournaments and bring viewers a few hours of entertainment. Anything to turn their mind off of reality.
It's unfortunate the greedy players of the MLB are holding back baseball's season. But no worry. The summer is going to melt away the worry of it with the return of basketball and hockey. And golf is just the tip of the iceberg. It's only a matter of making sure no huge spikes. Otherwise, game on.
Friday, June 5, 2020
Thursday, June 4, 2020
The Fake Celeb
It's not a surprise celebrities can be fake. They can put on a persona that they care deeply, but don't. You see it mainly with the vocal Hollywood actors and athletes. The ones who constantly complain, but don't put an effort to make change. I'm talking race issues and big incidents. The thing is, there are people of that caliber that are capable of wanting to see change. You see someone like a Russell Wilson donating. Other companies and people that you don't hear often putting their money into a cause. Even if they don't say anything, the contribution to a group has a good effect.
Then you have people like LeBron James. You can make the case of being one of the best players of this century so far. The debate of greatest is not the discussion, however. What is is the phony persona he has. I don't see him as someone who truly gives a crap compared to other players. And this is a criticism of some of those vocal people. They can hide in their fancy homes protected by security and not understand the problems of society. They think they understand, but they don't. Is there stuff he contributes or donates to? Yes, but it's not to the level of what he is complaining about. It's one thing to help children, but to not help find solutions to race issues makes him look like a chump.
I look at James as an attention seeking person trying to look better in order to get fans on his side. Why can't guys like him and Gregg Popovich and a few others find a solution instead of whining? Because they don't have one. And while I do think they need to focus on basketball more (apply this to anyone of any other sport or profession they have), they could do their part to help out without having temper tantrums. The personas people like them carry are bad and they will dictate how others act in the future. Both sides in general, but I feel like it's more liberals whining.
There needs to be real people from both sides. Rather than constantly whining, maybe work together and get a solution or any idea to set up unity. But that will never happen because there is always fighting. The vocal fake ones can either put up or shut up. They can't hide behind social media all the time. There can be peace, but they lose focus on that.
Then you have people like LeBron James. You can make the case of being one of the best players of this century so far. The debate of greatest is not the discussion, however. What is is the phony persona he has. I don't see him as someone who truly gives a crap compared to other players. And this is a criticism of some of those vocal people. They can hide in their fancy homes protected by security and not understand the problems of society. They think they understand, but they don't. Is there stuff he contributes or donates to? Yes, but it's not to the level of what he is complaining about. It's one thing to help children, but to not help find solutions to race issues makes him look like a chump.
I look at James as an attention seeking person trying to look better in order to get fans on his side. Why can't guys like him and Gregg Popovich and a few others find a solution instead of whining? Because they don't have one. And while I do think they need to focus on basketball more (apply this to anyone of any other sport or profession they have), they could do their part to help out without having temper tantrums. The personas people like them carry are bad and they will dictate how others act in the future. Both sides in general, but I feel like it's more liberals whining.
There needs to be real people from both sides. Rather than constantly whining, maybe work together and get a solution or any idea to set up unity. But that will never happen because there is always fighting. The vocal fake ones can either put up or shut up. They can't hide behind social media all the time. There can be peace, but they lose focus on that.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Geeks and Jocks: Episode 39
Newest episode. Last one will be coming June 16 for the season.
https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-39-Liftoff-to-Peace-eet9gn
https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-39-Liftoff-to-Peace-eet9gn
Monday, June 1, 2020
The Line of Peace
You can't escape it. Everyone talks it up. Racism has always been an unfortunate part of life. It bubbles up and blows into a huge problem. That's where we are at now with the death of George Floyd. It's the usual "cops go nuts" and police brutality stuff that everyone has to deal with. Then you have the nut-heads and thugs who think they are cute to burn down their cities and destroy properties. Those are the only things you hear. It's all ratings from all places and politics is thrown in to show displeasure.
What you don't hear as much is people that aren't committing crimes because of a death. You have the ones that want to speak their thoughts and march through a town. The same thing the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did. We can all unite, regardless of agreement or disagreement. Cops, whites, blacks, everyone. We can all work together to end racism or at least make it where no one has to worry about anything that dangerous. That's what we should strive for. Not every cop is evil. Not every black person is a threat. Not every white person is a racist. Everyone suffers when these kind of incidents occur. There are no winners.
And what's even sadder is corporations, celebrities, and sports figures saying their thoughts. It's a crock of shit because they'll forget it in a month's time. If they actually cared, they wouldn't sit in their homes and retweet stuff. They should put their money where their mouths are and contribute. Help donate to fix cities. Help the ones in need. Rebuild local businesses instead of making statements. Participate. Make a difference. Because it's nothing but hot air from most of them.
If the cop who was on Floyd's neck did truly kill him, then yeah, he should face jail time. But we shouldn't be destroying cities. You are nothing if you vandalize, burn, and break things. I have a feeling we will see something worse. The best we can do is figure out the potential solutions and have it set in motion to where we have guidelines on what is good and bad. We can all work together to end oppression. One bad seed makes everything look terrible and there should be none of that. Follow Dr King's path. Because there's a lot more good we can find in the midst of this darkness. Let's find that light. When we do, that line of peace will be seen for days on end.
What you don't hear as much is people that aren't committing crimes because of a death. You have the ones that want to speak their thoughts and march through a town. The same thing the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did. We can all unite, regardless of agreement or disagreement. Cops, whites, blacks, everyone. We can all work together to end racism or at least make it where no one has to worry about anything that dangerous. That's what we should strive for. Not every cop is evil. Not every black person is a threat. Not every white person is a racist. Everyone suffers when these kind of incidents occur. There are no winners.
And what's even sadder is corporations, celebrities, and sports figures saying their thoughts. It's a crock of shit because they'll forget it in a month's time. If they actually cared, they wouldn't sit in their homes and retweet stuff. They should put their money where their mouths are and contribute. Help donate to fix cities. Help the ones in need. Rebuild local businesses instead of making statements. Participate. Make a difference. Because it's nothing but hot air from most of them.
If the cop who was on Floyd's neck did truly kill him, then yeah, he should face jail time. But we shouldn't be destroying cities. You are nothing if you vandalize, burn, and break things. I have a feeling we will see something worse. The best we can do is figure out the potential solutions and have it set in motion to where we have guidelines on what is good and bad. We can all work together to end oppression. One bad seed makes everything look terrible and there should be none of that. Follow Dr King's path. Because there's a lot more good we can find in the midst of this darkness. Let's find that light. When we do, that line of peace will be seen for days on end.
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