Depending on health issues and too much focus on politics, here are my thoughts on the AFC for the NFL.
I will not say the East is wide open. Buffalo has a decent chance to win the division. Young players with fresh experience of the postseason. A strong defense will be needed to keep them in games. Josh Allen needs to step up on offense if he wants to keep improving. New England's lost their share of players because of the offseason and virus. They might cobble together an okay year. Both sides should be concerned. The NY Jets have to be good all year round, not just the second half. Its offense has to be much better and score points to compliment a borderline good defense. And with Miami, it's a matter of building a core group. Obviously, a lot of improvement is needed because I don't see them as contenders. Maybe in a couple years.
Into the North, there's not many positives for Cincinnati. All the fans can hope for is more than two wins. Kind of a rebuild with Joe Burrow and healthy players. This year is make or break for Cleveland. They got the pieces. Maybe less hype will make them good and get a winning record for the first time since 2007. Pittsburgh, if healthy, has a fighting chance. Offensively, it has to be 100 percent and future quarterbacks learn from Ben Roethlisberger. Add in the great defense, and it could be a contender. The only hurdle is Baltimore. There will be lots of hype. What offensive tricks do they have, and can the defense hold its own? It will be a big fight between those two teams.
Anyone could win the South. Bill O'Brien better hope his Texans can still contend. Not many offensive weapons to go and a questionable defense make it concerning. Bone headed decisions in the offseason could seal his reception. Offensive boosts will help Indianapolis. It has the defense. The passing game should get a little better, but its living on borrowed time. Jacksonville's offense should click. Can it score points this year in both facets? A swiss cheese run defense has to do much better and overall needs to create more turnovers. And Tennessee could be the team to beat this year. Plenty of fireworks in running and passing. Only question is the defense. Otherwise, this is a wide open division.
If Denver wants to win the West, Drew Lock must play well. Not a bad group offensively and the run game got a big boost. With a defense that didn't give up many touchdowns, fans should hope for the playoffs. The LA Chargers might be in rebuild for a while. Hard to know where the offense goes despite some good talent. It will have to rely on its defense for this year and maybe next year. The new Las Vegas Raiders have a potent offense. They can run and throw. Defensively, the secondary must do better and overall prevent many touchdown scores. And with Kansas City, the issue on offense will be the run game. Passing should be no problem and the defense should be energized to defend their title. Super Bowl hangover? Maybe, but this group all together should have a good season.
Those are my thoughts regarding the AFC. Tomorrow will be thoughts on the NFC.
Monday, August 31, 2020
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Private Cancer
No matter whether it's a famous one or not, unfortunate disaster strikes. While we may not know exactly how people feel when they are struck with cancer, the losing battle is always devastating. This is my thought when looking at the passing of actor Chadwick Boseman. Seems like we keep seeing more famous ones wind up with something and succumb to it.
I knew Boseman was young, but I thought he was in his mid 30s, not 43. He was playing some iconic names in the last seven years. Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall. I hope people look to some of his other work and see he had more to offer than just Black Panther. It's similar to the passing of Joel Schumacher. People need to see beyond the Batman films he did to get a glimpse of some of his other known films. Back to Boseman, this had the makings of a huge future. But what I find amazing is keeping his colon cancer, which he was diagnosed in 2016, private.
In Hollywood, there are always paparazzi. You have the media all around and if you are one of the top elite, you will be a story, no matter the publication or the company involved. Take Kelly Preston for example. She passed away in July from a private two year battle with breast cancer. Imagine the type of stories publications like National Enquirer could cook up. But four years for Boseman. I can't imagine the agony of getting treatment while filming Marshall or Black Panther. Some of those Marvel film producers and crews would have noticed immediately the results. But kudos at least for not making it public.
Some people don't want the attention that it could bring. Even with that, although Boseman had been acting for over 15 years, Hollywood was robbed of a man who looked like he could continue acting for 20 years or more. Who knows how many more true story films could have been done with his involvement or films in general. Sometimes, the best ones are taken tragically young. But remember his roles and not just Black Panther. There is a world beyond just comic book films.
I knew Boseman was young, but I thought he was in his mid 30s, not 43. He was playing some iconic names in the last seven years. Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall. I hope people look to some of his other work and see he had more to offer than just Black Panther. It's similar to the passing of Joel Schumacher. People need to see beyond the Batman films he did to get a glimpse of some of his other known films. Back to Boseman, this had the makings of a huge future. But what I find amazing is keeping his colon cancer, which he was diagnosed in 2016, private.
In Hollywood, there are always paparazzi. You have the media all around and if you are one of the top elite, you will be a story, no matter the publication or the company involved. Take Kelly Preston for example. She passed away in July from a private two year battle with breast cancer. Imagine the type of stories publications like National Enquirer could cook up. But four years for Boseman. I can't imagine the agony of getting treatment while filming Marshall or Black Panther. Some of those Marvel film producers and crews would have noticed immediately the results. But kudos at least for not making it public.
Some people don't want the attention that it could bring. Even with that, although Boseman had been acting for over 15 years, Hollywood was robbed of a man who looked like he could continue acting for 20 years or more. Who knows how many more true story films could have been done with his involvement or films in general. Sometimes, the best ones are taken tragically young. But remember his roles and not just Black Panther. There is a world beyond just comic book films.
Friday, August 28, 2020
Thursday, August 27, 2020
SJBA
I knew the NBA was struggling when they returned a month ago. Obviously, the social justice stuff they were doing was not helping them. One would think playoff ratings would get a boost, but it didn't. That should worry the league, Adam Silver, and the networks and sponsors associated with it. With a boycott averted, I question the patience of viewers who want to watch a game or two.
I'll give the Milwaukee Bucks a little credit for trying to get involved with their state government. With the shootings in Kenosha, it's something to worry. Even with that, I'm not sure threatening a boycott is going to make the league look better. These players wanted to finish the season. Some players are complaining about being in the bubble. Then what was the point of agreeing to this? Even someone as outspoken as Charles Barkley is getting tired of it. What he said in July is exactly what is going on. It's a circus.
I do think seven shots to Jacob Blake is a bit excessive. But he was also a criminal. That being said, I'm not sure if there will be a full truth to the incident or not. With these incidents, the NBA continues to shoot itself in the foot with their political statements on the court. You can make the case of it being a very bad year overall for them. I don't think it's a problem if players speak their minds. The problem is allowing them to say whatever and to do statements on the court. Most of these players wouldn't do anything like what the Bucks did in talking to their state government. They would rather complain than find solutions. Twitter and Instagram does not represent a majority.
I can see the NBA struggling for a few years. Television contracts are up after this year and it may not be to the level of what was offered in 2014. Player salaries may not get a boost. Adam Silver can't be buddy buddy with the players all the time. One of these days, he's going to have to explain to the players something they won't agree with. Sports leagues are out to make money. When Silver sees a decline, he will have to adjust. It's one thing to be political, but not with the way they have handled things this season.
I'll give the Milwaukee Bucks a little credit for trying to get involved with their state government. With the shootings in Kenosha, it's something to worry. Even with that, I'm not sure threatening a boycott is going to make the league look better. These players wanted to finish the season. Some players are complaining about being in the bubble. Then what was the point of agreeing to this? Even someone as outspoken as Charles Barkley is getting tired of it. What he said in July is exactly what is going on. It's a circus.
I do think seven shots to Jacob Blake is a bit excessive. But he was also a criminal. That being said, I'm not sure if there will be a full truth to the incident or not. With these incidents, the NBA continues to shoot itself in the foot with their political statements on the court. You can make the case of it being a very bad year overall for them. I don't think it's a problem if players speak their minds. The problem is allowing them to say whatever and to do statements on the court. Most of these players wouldn't do anything like what the Bucks did in talking to their state government. They would rather complain than find solutions. Twitter and Instagram does not represent a majority.
I can see the NBA struggling for a few years. Television contracts are up after this year and it may not be to the level of what was offered in 2014. Player salaries may not get a boost. Adam Silver can't be buddy buddy with the players all the time. One of these days, he's going to have to explain to the players something they won't agree with. Sports leagues are out to make money. When Silver sees a decline, he will have to adjust. It's one thing to be political, but not with the way they have handled things this season.
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Headbutt? You're Out!
This is hilarious and an example of trying to be smart on a baseball field, but fail miserably. The Colorado Rockies botched some throwing attempts in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks recently. They do get Kole Calhoun in a pickle. Typical situation. With a throw to second, he hits the ball with his helmet. Because of that, it's considered interference and is called out. His manager tries to defend it and gets thrown out.
There are many rules that we may not think of. For runners, running around the baseline. I don't think I have ever seen an out from someone who did a headbutt. From the video, it seemed to be that he slowed down to get to the angle of where the ball it would be. It was timed perfectly so that it could mess up the Rockies. But it meant nothing. Really bad lapse in judgment. This is a not top 10 for the week.
What else is there to be said? Headbutting never solves anything. Ask Zinedine Zidane back in 2006. Calhoun should have known that.
There are many rules that we may not think of. For runners, running around the baseline. I don't think I have ever seen an out from someone who did a headbutt. From the video, it seemed to be that he slowed down to get to the angle of where the ball it would be. It was timed perfectly so that it could mess up the Rockies. But it meant nothing. Really bad lapse in judgment. This is a not top 10 for the week.
What else is there to be said? Headbutting never solves anything. Ask Zinedine Zidane back in 2006. Calhoun should have known that.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Windows 95: Revolution and Memories
To say it helped computers is a huge understatement. Seeing Windows 95 within that first year was a real treat. With it turning 25, it is easy to understand what made it stand out. Microsoft had operating systems going for 10 years prior to it. They got better and better with it, but not enough to be convincing. But what helped?
It was accessible. A shell that include a start menu. Menus you could access. Features such as Office and Encarta. Very CD-Rom friendly. The ability to play the hot new games and play older ones. Capable of playing DOS. It hit at the right time when sites like eBay and many dot com places wanted hungry audiences. Tremendous power for the time. You were going to pay a couple thousand dollars, but it was worth it. It wasn't your normal operating system. It paved the way for what computers could do.
What I remember back in 1995-96 was the ability to play all sorts of games. Shareware stuff, to be exact. Playing on a Packard Bell computer and the various pack-in games it had. Tuneland, the Kidstory games. Playing fully released stuff like NASCAR Racing and Doom II. Catching a glimpse of what websites had to offer, though Internet I didn't fully use until the early to mid 2000s. Dial-up sounds. I know it's not going into full detail, but these are what I can remember being a three year old back around that time.
Even though I haven't used Windows 95 since 1999, it is still etched in my head as a memorable operating system. It's why I have grown to enjoy Windows products, use them for personal an professional usage, and find a deep library of titles that make it stand out as much as a game console (though it was more unique 20-25 years ago.) We will never see something to the level of this again.
It was accessible. A shell that include a start menu. Menus you could access. Features such as Office and Encarta. Very CD-Rom friendly. The ability to play the hot new games and play older ones. Capable of playing DOS. It hit at the right time when sites like eBay and many dot com places wanted hungry audiences. Tremendous power for the time. You were going to pay a couple thousand dollars, but it was worth it. It wasn't your normal operating system. It paved the way for what computers could do.
What I remember back in 1995-96 was the ability to play all sorts of games. Shareware stuff, to be exact. Playing on a Packard Bell computer and the various pack-in games it had. Tuneland, the Kidstory games. Playing fully released stuff like NASCAR Racing and Doom II. Catching a glimpse of what websites had to offer, though Internet I didn't fully use until the early to mid 2000s. Dial-up sounds. I know it's not going into full detail, but these are what I can remember being a three year old back around that time.
Even though I haven't used Windows 95 since 1999, it is still etched in my head as a memorable operating system. It's why I have grown to enjoy Windows products, use them for personal an professional usage, and find a deep library of titles that make it stand out as much as a game console (though it was more unique 20-25 years ago.) We will never see something to the level of this again.
Friday, August 21, 2020
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Toxic Indie Gaming
I am not a huge fan of Indie games. Let's get that out of the way first. However, I'm not against playing some of them. My favorite game of this current generation is Life is Strange, which was made by then small company Dontnod despite getting backing from Square Enix. The thing is, it has to depend on the title in question. A lot of them don't impress me. The ones that do are either because I'm curious about it. A premise might be enticing. Or it stands out in a way that it's not some generic NES type game.
My feelings of Indies in the paragraph would get both praise and criticism. And this is one of the bad things about this particular community. There's this snobbish elitism that comes from these fans. I love the 90s as much as the next guy, but if I wanted 90s type games, I'm going to play my Sega Genesis. Or my Super NES, PlayStation, N64. Play some old DOS games. Indie games most of the time are not that unique. The other side aren't the brightest themselves with bashing these games. Some of the AAA games don't exactly wow me like they did back in the 2000s.
What it comes down to is the overvaluing of these titles. As I said, most of them are not unique. The difficulty is very ridiculous at points. I don't want to see games holding people's hands, but we don't need to go back to 1987 with sloppy design and poor mechanics. An example is Epic Dumpster Bear. The title alone got me interested. It's a cute concept, but an atrocious difficulty and physics that don't work in your favor bog it down despite graphics that aren't 8-bit and not being a pure side-scrolling game. Yooka-Laylee tried too hard to be Banjo-Tooie and was only okay. The sequel was a bit better and offered more to the throwback experience.
Of course, there's the horrors of developers not wanting to deal with fans. Indie or AAA, they do want to make gamers happy. With the Internet, that's easier said than done. One little gripe can lead to a viral outbreak of harassment. It's why specific people bite their tongue 99 percent of the time. The instant one does flip out on a "fan", it's a meltdown that has consequences for the worker.
There's great Indie games. You have to sift through a lot to find the ones that will pique your interest. However, the fans need to be better. No excuse to gloat about generic NES type games and bash anything AAA. It's a reason why there is toxicity in it, though it's not the only kind of toxicity in gaming.
My feelings of Indies in the paragraph would get both praise and criticism. And this is one of the bad things about this particular community. There's this snobbish elitism that comes from these fans. I love the 90s as much as the next guy, but if I wanted 90s type games, I'm going to play my Sega Genesis. Or my Super NES, PlayStation, N64. Play some old DOS games. Indie games most of the time are not that unique. The other side aren't the brightest themselves with bashing these games. Some of the AAA games don't exactly wow me like they did back in the 2000s.
What it comes down to is the overvaluing of these titles. As I said, most of them are not unique. The difficulty is very ridiculous at points. I don't want to see games holding people's hands, but we don't need to go back to 1987 with sloppy design and poor mechanics. An example is Epic Dumpster Bear. The title alone got me interested. It's a cute concept, but an atrocious difficulty and physics that don't work in your favor bog it down despite graphics that aren't 8-bit and not being a pure side-scrolling game. Yooka-Laylee tried too hard to be Banjo-Tooie and was only okay. The sequel was a bit better and offered more to the throwback experience.
Of course, there's the horrors of developers not wanting to deal with fans. Indie or AAA, they do want to make gamers happy. With the Internet, that's easier said than done. One little gripe can lead to a viral outbreak of harassment. It's why specific people bite their tongue 99 percent of the time. The instant one does flip out on a "fan", it's a meltdown that has consequences for the worker.
There's great Indie games. You have to sift through a lot to find the ones that will pique your interest. However, the fans need to be better. No excuse to gloat about generic NES type games and bash anything AAA. It's a reason why there is toxicity in it, though it's not the only kind of toxicity in gaming.
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Low Hanging Fruit: Sessoms
It's always bad when you hear national news of a child getting killed. Depending on the age, more shock, less shock. The unfortunate death of five year old Cannon Hinnant has brought up a lot of rage, stunned belief. Any kind of emotion. People are trying to consider this a racially motivated crime that Darius Sessoms committed. It's not. Not a chance. It's not political, either.
As much as I can't stand the Black Lives Matter movement, this is an instance where you can't throw them into the mud. Sessoms is low hanging fruit. Reading some of the North Carolina local affiliates articles, Hinnant's father didn't have issues with him. They hung around at times. He believes drugs led to the death of his son. What propels a guy to blatantly shoot someone they know and have never had any major issues with them? You have to be really messed up and be in a panic and think you need to protect yourself with a firearm.
Honestly, there will be justice. North Carolina allows the death penalty, and I could see Sessoms getting the lethal injection. It's one thing if it was another man, maybe some slack would be given, but you never know. With this being a five year old, I think it changes to an instant prison sentence or execution. Prosecutors and judges will not show any sympathy, even if he were to regret it. A senseless crime. A senseless killing. Deep down, it upsets many. Doesn't matter if it's the locals or someone 500 miles away. The amount of support and the donations to Hinnant say a lot.
What happened is tragic. What's also tragic is people using it as a vehicle for political beliefs. You wonder why narcotics is a serious offense? Len Bias. An up and coming basketball star who died from drugs two days after being drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1986. Because of him, there are laws regarding drug abuse. Tons of people die every day from cocaine, heroin, crack, acid. It's not a joke. This is a drug related thing if what is said is true since there hasn't been much information since the murder occurred. Sessoms will not survive prison if given a lengthy sentence. All this for what?
As much as I can't stand the Black Lives Matter movement, this is an instance where you can't throw them into the mud. Sessoms is low hanging fruit. Reading some of the North Carolina local affiliates articles, Hinnant's father didn't have issues with him. They hung around at times. He believes drugs led to the death of his son. What propels a guy to blatantly shoot someone they know and have never had any major issues with them? You have to be really messed up and be in a panic and think you need to protect yourself with a firearm.
Honestly, there will be justice. North Carolina allows the death penalty, and I could see Sessoms getting the lethal injection. It's one thing if it was another man, maybe some slack would be given, but you never know. With this being a five year old, I think it changes to an instant prison sentence or execution. Prosecutors and judges will not show any sympathy, even if he were to regret it. A senseless crime. A senseless killing. Deep down, it upsets many. Doesn't matter if it's the locals or someone 500 miles away. The amount of support and the donations to Hinnant say a lot.
What happened is tragic. What's also tragic is people using it as a vehicle for political beliefs. You wonder why narcotics is a serious offense? Len Bias. An up and coming basketball star who died from drugs two days after being drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1986. Because of him, there are laws regarding drug abuse. Tons of people die every day from cocaine, heroin, crack, acid. It's not a joke. This is a drug related thing if what is said is true since there hasn't been much information since the murder occurred. Sessoms will not survive prison if given a lengthy sentence. All this for what?
Monday, August 17, 2020
Unskippable YouTube
The first experience of seeing ads on YouTube for me was around 2008 or 09. They were usually promotions for the latest movies that got trailers or headed to theaters. I remember lots of T-Mobile commercials with the one woman who was always in a pink dress. There probably was other ones, but that's what I know of for that time. But these were at the beginning of videos. If it wasn't an adblock being used, I would see the same ads for stuff like Burger King back in 2013 and 14.
If you're using a game console for the video site, ads are common. Until this summer, it wasn't heavily populated with trying to promote laundry detergent, McDonald's, everything in between the sun. Now, it's a cesspool of trying to have ten ads in a video that lasts a couple hours. Maybe more. Maybe less. Some of these are on YouTube. Some of these on the video makers. It is impossible to avoid ads.
It's a business. But like television, this is something that annoys many. I doubt you'll get a straight up answer from YouTube or Google. They have their automated response bullshit and not even bother to help. For these two companies, they don't understand their audiences. Over the years, they make these changes and it makes navigating videos frustrating. Add in the ads and it's more difficult to watch on a console version of the site. I wish I could say there is a better alternative, but there isn't.
Dailymotion and Vimeo exist, but they are much smaller. We're not in 2002 where anyone can create a site and hope to get a share of the audience. Stuff like Myspace died out (or is low on viewership) as Facebook and Twitter grew to so high of a level. A lot of these big sites are extremely huge that I'm not sure a competitor could outdo any of them. There's nothing bad about having an ad on a video, but when it's overblown, that's where it gets aggravating.
I'm not going to give up YouTube, but it might be less use compared to the last couple of years. They are getting too greedy and it's only a matter of time before others give up on using game consoles for video watching.
If you're using a game console for the video site, ads are common. Until this summer, it wasn't heavily populated with trying to promote laundry detergent, McDonald's, everything in between the sun. Now, it's a cesspool of trying to have ten ads in a video that lasts a couple hours. Maybe more. Maybe less. Some of these are on YouTube. Some of these on the video makers. It is impossible to avoid ads.
It's a business. But like television, this is something that annoys many. I doubt you'll get a straight up answer from YouTube or Google. They have their automated response bullshit and not even bother to help. For these two companies, they don't understand their audiences. Over the years, they make these changes and it makes navigating videos frustrating. Add in the ads and it's more difficult to watch on a console version of the site. I wish I could say there is a better alternative, but there isn't.
Dailymotion and Vimeo exist, but they are much smaller. We're not in 2002 where anyone can create a site and hope to get a share of the audience. Stuff like Myspace died out (or is low on viewership) as Facebook and Twitter grew to so high of a level. A lot of these big sites are extremely huge that I'm not sure a competitor could outdo any of them. There's nothing bad about having an ad on a video, but when it's overblown, that's where it gets aggravating.
I'm not going to give up YouTube, but it might be less use compared to the last couple of years. They are getting too greedy and it's only a matter of time before others give up on using game consoles for video watching.
Sunday, August 16, 2020
Difficulty of Watching Viacom
With what the late Sumner Redstone was able to do, he made a lot of success. CBS, Paramount, and of course, Viacom. It resulted in TV shows being number one, more than its share of movies driving the box office. But when I look at Viacom, I look at a conglomerate that outside of CBS, is more of a greedier and lazier side to it. It makes as the title of the blog says, difficulty in watching these channels.
One example is the many, many commercials that are aired on their channels. Back in 2016, MTV had an airing of the first Jackass movie. In one half hour span, there were 15 minutes of commercials. They expand movies time slots on a lot of their channels to encompass more commercials. It's dumb, but it still exists. I remember ten years ago when Comedy Central had messed up time slots to get an extra minute or two of ads in their programs. This kind of stuff, Viacom or not, is why people cut the cord. Better off with a DVD or Blu-Ray of these films.
Two is the repetitive programs. Most of them are big offenders. MTV being the worst when they do 40 plus straight hours of Ridiculousness. Constant reruns of The Office and South Park on Comedy Central. Fresh Prince and Martin on VH1 and BET. Movie wise, anything Adam Sandler. Titanic, Shrek, Bad Boys 1 and 2, Creed, Obsessed. Big offenders being Shrek and the Bad Boys films. You know they will be on almost every week. Sometimes, on multiple channels in the same week. I remember back in 2013 CMT airing Mrs. Doubtfire almost every week that year. It's a good movie, but every week good? I think not. But that's child play compared to where we are seven years later. But the point being is the constant need to use the same material every day. If it's their way of fighting the streaming binge, eventually it will fail or people get tired of these films and shows and get something else.
Lastly is the stance on YouTube. It's not exclusive to Viacom and I understand the issues pertaining to it. They have to preserve their properties and make sure no one is soliciting videos they don't own. It's more of a TV problem regarding programs they completely own. There are many that don't have a release on DVD or are incomplete with later seasons not on disc format. Many will go to YouTube to find episodes since it is next to impossible to find ones for shows that haven't aired in a long time or have a version that was uncut or uncensored. Instead of embracing it, Viacom has always been more of a dick with it. They've been better as time has gone on with having YouTube channels of their own. They do garner attention. However, it's still a far cry from what other conglomerates have. They shouldn't be afraid to have more content from their old days and charge a decent amount for a season of a show that hasn't aired in a long time.
Viacom has a lot of good, but the cable world is a lot of bad. Maybe things could change with a different person in charge, even if it's Redstone's daughter. Television is in a tough spot. It might take a while before people get an idea of how all the channels they have could change or stay the same.
Friday, August 14, 2020
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Geeks and Jocks: Bonus Episode 2
https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Bonus-Episode-2-ei0i71
Bonus one before getting a new season going at the end of the month
Bonus one before getting a new season going at the end of the month
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Universal Theater Demand
Back in the spring, AMC theaters were pissed that Universal was putting Trolls: World Tour on demand instead of in theaters because of the pandemic. They banned the studio's lineup of films. A few weeks ago, however, the two made a deal and it is something that makes a lot of sense. Movies will be in theaters for 17 days before making it to on demand. After that, anything goes.
Maybe AMC had a change of heart looking at how the virus has impacted people. It does two things. One, it keeps the theater going individuals a little happy. They still want to go out and experience a new film the same way it has been for over a century. You also get the ones who fear the virus. There is a point. Do you think your movie theater is disinfecting the place after every screening? Better safe than sorry. Instead of waiting a couple months, you wait a couple weeks. It's going to be a win-win for both.
Times have changed in the last decade. We're seeing more original content on streaming and demand. Some of your smaller type content is getting to those places instead of the movie theaters. What could be a failure or modest fair could be a success in a different format. AMC could be allowing this to other companies, and I can't see some of them saying no at all. It should benefit a lot of customers. As long as the on demand pricing isn't stupid like what Disney is going to do with Mulan.
Movie experiences will be a whole lot different if other studios join in.
Maybe AMC had a change of heart looking at how the virus has impacted people. It does two things. One, it keeps the theater going individuals a little happy. They still want to go out and experience a new film the same way it has been for over a century. You also get the ones who fear the virus. There is a point. Do you think your movie theater is disinfecting the place after every screening? Better safe than sorry. Instead of waiting a couple months, you wait a couple weeks. It's going to be a win-win for both.
Times have changed in the last decade. We're seeing more original content on streaming and demand. Some of your smaller type content is getting to those places instead of the movie theaters. What could be a failure or modest fair could be a success in a different format. AMC could be allowing this to other companies, and I can't see some of them saying no at all. It should benefit a lot of customers. As long as the on demand pricing isn't stupid like what Disney is going to do with Mulan.
Movie experiences will be a whole lot different if other studios join in.
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Pats Lawrence
No surprise, NFL players are opting out. Little over 60, maybe more. This included six or more Patriots players, a number of which are defensive guys. For as much disdain as I have for their tainted legacy over the last 20 years, some say they might be tanking on purpose to get Trevor Lawrence. I'm going to call bullshit on this one.
Granted, the best quarterback they have is Cam Newton, though he hasn't played in almost a year. They don't have much experience with the other ones either. Brian Hoyer has started, but poor play and injuries haven't helped. That Stidham guy is terrible. Offensively, the run game wasn't good last year. No tight ends contributed. But it's not an offense that is going to tank. Defensively, they will find others to fill in the spots.
Bill Belichick has been around the NFL for 40 years. He knows what he can do with a defense. He's a reason the Giants have two of the four Super Bowl trophies (technically, four since he lost to them in 2007 and 2011). He got the best of Lawrence Taylor, arguably the greatest defensive player and NFL player ever. For 20 years, he knows what he needs in his Pats defense. Ty Law, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi early on. Vince Wilfork, Asante Samuel, in the middle part of the 2000s. Those are small examples.
However, this is not a Pats problem. A lot of reshuffling is going to happen for many of the teams. I would not have my expectations be high when the season begins next month if they start on time. Without any pre-season games, it won't serve as a good test until they meet an opponent in the regular season. Safety first, but not even one game? I have a bad feeling about the first week.
But what does the team gain from tanking? I think most of the bandwagoners will disappear if that happened. And even if Lawrence were to get, he's going somewhere else. I can see Tampa a little bit. The L.A. Chargers. Maybe Carolina or Pittsburgh. There's other locations I can see him going to. But yeah, they wouldn't tank on purpose. If Parcells didn't do it, neither would Belichick. Too much fight in someone like him to want to give up that quickly.
Granted, the best quarterback they have is Cam Newton, though he hasn't played in almost a year. They don't have much experience with the other ones either. Brian Hoyer has started, but poor play and injuries haven't helped. That Stidham guy is terrible. Offensively, the run game wasn't good last year. No tight ends contributed. But it's not an offense that is going to tank. Defensively, they will find others to fill in the spots.
Bill Belichick has been around the NFL for 40 years. He knows what he can do with a defense. He's a reason the Giants have two of the four Super Bowl trophies (technically, four since he lost to them in 2007 and 2011). He got the best of Lawrence Taylor, arguably the greatest defensive player and NFL player ever. For 20 years, he knows what he needs in his Pats defense. Ty Law, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi early on. Vince Wilfork, Asante Samuel, in the middle part of the 2000s. Those are small examples.
However, this is not a Pats problem. A lot of reshuffling is going to happen for many of the teams. I would not have my expectations be high when the season begins next month if they start on time. Without any pre-season games, it won't serve as a good test until they meet an opponent in the regular season. Safety first, but not even one game? I have a bad feeling about the first week.
But what does the team gain from tanking? I think most of the bandwagoners will disappear if that happened. And even if Lawrence were to get, he's going somewhere else. I can see Tampa a little bit. The L.A. Chargers. Maybe Carolina or Pittsburgh. There's other locations I can see him going to. But yeah, they wouldn't tank on purpose. If Parcells didn't do it, neither would Belichick. Too much fight in someone like him to want to give up that quickly.
Sunday, August 9, 2020
Virtual Doom
If you want to make a case for it, Doom may have one of the most loyal fanbases even right when it first came out in December 1993. Some do like to make mods and have a unique experience that is new, but still in line with the design limitations the creators had to contend with. But then you have something like Mike Tyson's Punch-Out.
Punch-Out is a great NES game. Tough, but one of Nintendo's best efforts. Throw that into the Doom engine. This was put out a couple months ago and the idea is using your fists in one of the modern Doom engines and fighting Tyson. He is still one tough bird that he mimics his 8-bit counterpart, including the instant knockout punch. This is one mod I would like to try.
Due to the pandemic, there's places you still can't visit. This includes video game museums. One of them in Texas I believe went out of their way to recreate their entire building, but in a Doom WAD.. That's dedication. I've never made a level myself, but it must be very tough. Much like the Seinfeld one a few years ago, attention to detail and a few other things. But if people can't visit, do it in the greatest game's engine.
Doom is far from over in terms of a community.
Punch-Out is a great NES game. Tough, but one of Nintendo's best efforts. Throw that into the Doom engine. This was put out a couple months ago and the idea is using your fists in one of the modern Doom engines and fighting Tyson. He is still one tough bird that he mimics his 8-bit counterpart, including the instant knockout punch. This is one mod I would like to try.
Due to the pandemic, there's places you still can't visit. This includes video game museums. One of them in Texas I believe went out of their way to recreate their entire building, but in a Doom WAD.. That's dedication. I've never made a level myself, but it must be very tough. Much like the Seinfeld one a few years ago, attention to detail and a few other things. But if people can't visit, do it in the greatest game's engine.
Doom is far from over in terms of a community.
Friday, August 7, 2020
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
30 Dollar Rental, Please
You grow accustomed to standard prices. We all do. A DVD or Blu-Ray or both go for around 20 dollars. Little more, little less. I'm hoping people look at Mulan on Disney Plus next moth and see the price tag before they instantly decide to buy. Come September 4th, it will be a 30 dollar movie.
This was one of the company's films that was slated to come out this spring. Because of the pandemic, it got pushed back to this summer. It was delayed again. I'm assuming Disney does not want to wait much longer, so they are putting it on demand and hopefully getting some money back from all the time they spent on it. With the exception of Dumbo, the live action remakes have done very well over the last four years. While it is disappointing to not see it in theaters, people do have to understand the health concerns. Even my own brother questioned on theaters. Are these places being disinfected and cleaned up after a screening? You have to have that in your mind.
Thirty dollars is a lot for a movie. I don't know if VHS was ever that pricey, but there have been instances of DVD and Blu-Ray reaching that price on some films. Television is a little different due to the various stuff that is in their shows and bonus features. It's going to be a test for Disney because other films that have gone the on demand route have been at the typical 20 dollars. I think people will feel burned out and betrayed because the point of Disney Plus is to have everything a monthly cost. Especially when you look at the fact that people are still out of work. Some places have gotten worse this summer in virus upticks. Some may not view this as a good idea. You do have to think because it's not something that will guarantee you days upon days of entertainment
Maybe this is a one time thing. I don't know. Definitely a lot of pirating will happen to Mulan. Disney knows they still have legs in the movie theaters. It's only a matter of when the pandemic gets better and everyone is not in a panic. This will do well, but how well will be the main question.
This was one of the company's films that was slated to come out this spring. Because of the pandemic, it got pushed back to this summer. It was delayed again. I'm assuming Disney does not want to wait much longer, so they are putting it on demand and hopefully getting some money back from all the time they spent on it. With the exception of Dumbo, the live action remakes have done very well over the last four years. While it is disappointing to not see it in theaters, people do have to understand the health concerns. Even my own brother questioned on theaters. Are these places being disinfected and cleaned up after a screening? You have to have that in your mind.
Thirty dollars is a lot for a movie. I don't know if VHS was ever that pricey, but there have been instances of DVD and Blu-Ray reaching that price on some films. Television is a little different due to the various stuff that is in their shows and bonus features. It's going to be a test for Disney because other films that have gone the on demand route have been at the typical 20 dollars. I think people will feel burned out and betrayed because the point of Disney Plus is to have everything a monthly cost. Especially when you look at the fact that people are still out of work. Some places have gotten worse this summer in virus upticks. Some may not view this as a good idea. You do have to think because it's not something that will guarantee you days upon days of entertainment
Maybe this is a one time thing. I don't know. Definitely a lot of pirating will happen to Mulan. Disney knows they still have legs in the movie theaters. It's only a matter of when the pandemic gets better and everyone is not in a panic. This will do well, but how well will be the main question.
Monday, August 3, 2020
NBA Circus
What Charles Barkley said back in July is the perfect response to all the pandering the NBA is doing. Guys like him and actor Terry Crews are not afraid to speak their mind and look at things from a different viewpoint and possibly one that a number of people agree with. The problem is this mob mentality that you have to be in support of garbage like Black Lives Matter. That you have to believe the same things LeBron James and others have to say. Going against the status quo of these players does not make you the bad guy unless you're being stupid on purpose.
Here's my issue with Black Lives Matter. It's not a good movement. Whatever message it had on police brutality is lost for good. The fighting with police does not make them better. Neither does the bad cops that give the good ones a bad rep. Now, people want a distraction. Sports is slowly coming back, but guys like Barkley don't like that politics is bleeding over into the sport he played for 15 years. BLM on the court, the various jerseys with messages on them, victims names. How is that solving systemic racism and police brutality? Are people going to remember those names in a year or two? This is how you lose viewers.
I also think Adam Silver is too gutless to intervene. I understand not wanting to be bullied by some of these players for fear of getting bashed on social media, but he has to take a stand sometime. He had opportunities to stop incidents, racism or not, but didn't. The only time I can think of is the Donald Sterling incident in 2014. It's one thing to have a voice and some freedom, but the problem is giving the players too much freedom without any consequences. There has to be some guidelines on how to act. The late David Stern would be rolling in his grave if he saw what was going on.
Along with the messages and victims, what does kneeling solve? It solves nothing. And Barkley went against the status quo that players shouldn't be vilified if they stand, which was met with tons of criticism and people of his own race bashing him along with some support. Both sides will be vilified. The question I would ask a lot of these players and coaches would be this; Do you believe in all this? Or are you falling in line because you don't want to get ridiculed and bashed by your own team? Because that stuff can happen in a locker room and it's something you won't hear on social media. I don't think anyone wants to be bullied by the long tenured veterans, so they will follow what everyone else is doing. And that brings a bad message in regards to the NBA.
I'd be curious to see how the ratings are throughout the next couple months. The numbers for the sport came back decent, but has dropped a little bit the last couple days. I'll assume anything below two million is mediocre. We should all strive to end racism and police brutality, but movements like Black Lives Matter are not doing any good. Add in the league's pandering to it, and it turns off potential viewers. Barkley is right. It is a circus. Very unfortunate to see the NBA like this. Not a good way at all to represent your league.
Here's my issue with Black Lives Matter. It's not a good movement. Whatever message it had on police brutality is lost for good. The fighting with police does not make them better. Neither does the bad cops that give the good ones a bad rep. Now, people want a distraction. Sports is slowly coming back, but guys like Barkley don't like that politics is bleeding over into the sport he played for 15 years. BLM on the court, the various jerseys with messages on them, victims names. How is that solving systemic racism and police brutality? Are people going to remember those names in a year or two? This is how you lose viewers.
I also think Adam Silver is too gutless to intervene. I understand not wanting to be bullied by some of these players for fear of getting bashed on social media, but he has to take a stand sometime. He had opportunities to stop incidents, racism or not, but didn't. The only time I can think of is the Donald Sterling incident in 2014. It's one thing to have a voice and some freedom, but the problem is giving the players too much freedom without any consequences. There has to be some guidelines on how to act. The late David Stern would be rolling in his grave if he saw what was going on.
Along with the messages and victims, what does kneeling solve? It solves nothing. And Barkley went against the status quo that players shouldn't be vilified if they stand, which was met with tons of criticism and people of his own race bashing him along with some support. Both sides will be vilified. The question I would ask a lot of these players and coaches would be this; Do you believe in all this? Or are you falling in line because you don't want to get ridiculed and bashed by your own team? Because that stuff can happen in a locker room and it's something you won't hear on social media. I don't think anyone wants to be bullied by the long tenured veterans, so they will follow what everyone else is doing. And that brings a bad message in regards to the NBA.
I'd be curious to see how the ratings are throughout the next couple months. The numbers for the sport came back decent, but has dropped a little bit the last couple days. I'll assume anything below two million is mediocre. We should all strive to end racism and police brutality, but movements like Black Lives Matter are not doing any good. Add in the league's pandering to it, and it turns off potential viewers. Barkley is right. It is a circus. Very unfortunate to see the NBA like this. Not a good way at all to represent your league.
Saturday, August 1, 2020
Tick Tock, Manfred!
If you look at these last ten months, baseball's image hasn't been good. I don't know what kind of job security Rob Manfred has, but I'd be a little nervous. With a few teams having games postponed because of positive tests, the MLB commissioner might look to shut down the league very soon if things don't get under control. This will be the continued downfall of a man who receives tons of criticism and rightfully so.
It goes back to last October with the Houston Astros. With the suspension of LA Dodger Joe Kelley recently, it opened up old wounds of the cheating scandal and a number of players in support of him. Many won't say it, but they probably are still angered that none of the players in Houston got in trouble. Immunity, essentially. There was no justice. It resulted in two managers getting fired, a GM fired (though his attitude will make any future baseball job impossible), a player's Hall of Fame credentials being questioned. Blame the damn players union.
The way Manfred has handled the coronavirus pandemic is also less than stellar. Not all of it is on him, though. You do have players who don't want to follow the rules, not protect themselves, and not think of the season or anything but themselves. But, it doesn't excuse the commissioner completely. The constant fighting with the players union, proposals. It will make both sides look bad, but when you combine all the issues going back to October, there should be concern.
I don't see the league giving up completely. They will try to get the 60 games in. Fingers crossed there's no other major positive tests like the Marlins situation. I know Florida has nice stuff, but with huge upticks there, you'd think Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter would get on the players for their actions. I don't think we've seen the last incident to occur. How many more we see will seal the fate of Manfred.
It goes back to last October with the Houston Astros. With the suspension of LA Dodger Joe Kelley recently, it opened up old wounds of the cheating scandal and a number of players in support of him. Many won't say it, but they probably are still angered that none of the players in Houston got in trouble. Immunity, essentially. There was no justice. It resulted in two managers getting fired, a GM fired (though his attitude will make any future baseball job impossible), a player's Hall of Fame credentials being questioned. Blame the damn players union.
The way Manfred has handled the coronavirus pandemic is also less than stellar. Not all of it is on him, though. You do have players who don't want to follow the rules, not protect themselves, and not think of the season or anything but themselves. But, it doesn't excuse the commissioner completely. The constant fighting with the players union, proposals. It will make both sides look bad, but when you combine all the issues going back to October, there should be concern.
I don't see the league giving up completely. They will try to get the 60 games in. Fingers crossed there's no other major positive tests like the Marlins situation. I know Florida has nice stuff, but with huge upticks there, you'd think Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter would get on the players for their actions. I don't think we've seen the last incident to occur. How many more we see will seal the fate of Manfred.
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