Los Angeles Bound: World Series

To get what they deserved has got to be truly special. The last time the Los Angeles Dodgers won a World Series was back in 1988. Two opportunities were lost in 2017 and 18 in controversial Series from alleged cheaters (though a lot will say Houston and Boston cheated). To get it all in 2020, it has to be a sigh of relief and hope to keep continuing hopefully a big dynasty.

A lot of what makes the Dodgers dangerous is through their bats. You can think Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Corey Seager. It was able to survive the Tampa Bay Rays' unorthodox approach to pitching. Teams do rely a lot on their bullpens, but they were able to beat them up after guys like Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow were done for the night. Their own bullpen held their own and starters like Walker Buehler gave what the team needed. It creates a long lasting legacy for Clayton Kershaw.

Tampa is not a team in theory you think can go all the way. They do have some bats and their pitching is decent. You look at this year and their reliance on the bullpen to bail them out was going to bite them. The pulling of Snell in Game 6 this past Tuesday is going to be looked at as one of the biggest blunders in MLB postseason history. Up there with Russ Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, and Zack Greinke. It proved costly and is one of the examples of why analytics are hurting the sport. When you anger someone like Tim Kurkjian, you know your ripping is coming swiftly. We don't see pitcher duels anymore, regular and postseason. It's become such a rarity. Overall, I feel Tampa has damaged baseball in many ways and you have to blame both Joe Maddon and Kevin Cash.

On a more serious note, the way Justin Turner handled himself in that game is very careless. There was question on whether he tested positive for the virus and it turned out he did. The Dodgers were told to remove him and they didn't. He celebrated the series clinching win with them and people are outraged. Yes, it's something to celebrate winning a championship, but you endanger 10 thousand plus people in Texas. This isn't me defending the Dodgers, but I can see them giving a big fuck you to Rob Manfred and MLB. Basically, revenge for the way the season was and their handling of the Houston Astros cheating scandal.

Where 2021 brings us, I'm not sure. But I would hope MLB formulates a better plan or possibly a better commissioner. I don't think Manfred is suitable anymore to be run a league.

YouTube Videos: Oct 23-29

 

Apple or Peanuts?

This was something I caught a glimpse of a week and a half ago. Only in the last couple of days did I look into it. Peanuts is a comic strip created by Charles Schulz. It was run for half a century from 1950 to 2000. They are still featured on newspapers. Everyone knows Charlie Brown and his friends. The holiday specials (and the other big specials) are ingrained in many people's memories. But the reaction of not seeing it on basic television tells a different tale. The specials have either been aired on CBS or ABC. But ABC don't have the rights anymore.

Instead, it was given to Apple TV back in 2018. I'd like to point out that its a digital only service. This is on the guys that hold the rights to Peanuts. If it were certain other programs, I don't think the negative responses would be as strong. But the specials have aired for over 50 years. This is something people anticipate. Especially, Christmas time where you have the specials airing all through that month. Not so much with Halloween, but you'll get some stuff here and there.

Naturally, people are upset. But you have these assholes who say stuff along the lines of "Buy the DVD" or "Watch it for free", which the latter does allow a couple of days on Apple TV. Let me explain It's a Wonderful Life. When NBC got the rights in the 90s, it only aired once on Christmas Eve. They've laxed on it in the last few years with multiple airings and having it on USA Network. Sure, there's DVD's of the film, but it's tradition for some. And that applies to the Peanuts gang. Even if some have the DVD's, there's a specialty to watching it on television.

With streaming, it's not always viable. Not everyone gets the same speed. With all the added competition, everyone can't subscribe to everything. The costs do add up. If I'm being honest, most other apps seem more enticing that Apple. Peacock has put up new Psych material and giving people access to some of NBC's old shows along with potential reboots. HBO Max has a lot of new content and reboots in their pipeline. Obviously, Netflix with their line of shows and films over the last decade. Apple TV will be a year old, but Peanuts is not going to magically get people subscribing to it. It's not like FXX in 2014 where people went for it because it got The Simpsons.

Eventually, everything will be on streaming, but when, I'm not sure. Peanuts will be no different. That being said, the exclusivity to a service that is still very young is a bad move. Going to any service would still be bad, but it wouldn't sting that bad. I'm not the biggest fan of Peanuts, but you don't mess with traditions. I don't see where a deal could have been made to be on TV and on a service. Exclusivity does not always make it a good situation. I wouldn't mind making a blog like this again in a month when we start seeing more Christmas films and programs.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 48

 New episode. Little Halloween and horror at the beginning of the podcast. Support the show. Tell people about it. Podcast will return November 10th.

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-48-Rays-of-Walking-Peanuts-ellb8o

The Walking Dead: The Final Season Review (PS4)

If you were to look at the direction it was going. you would think The Walking Dead: The Final Season would be more of a cinematic experience when it first debuted in 2018. Some parts are, but you would be wrong. It tries to stand out a bit and be similar to the first game, bringing back some point and click elements. It does what I would say a satisfying finale for this series of games, though I question how much the original vision was used. This is Telltale's final game and Skybound took over when they shut down.

Final Season takes you back to Clementine, now an older teenager. She is in charge of a boy, AJ. They have survived the last few years and find themselves at a school consisting of kids. Trouble brews for them and they must show their worth and help them protect their area from an armed group of people. It pulls a few surprises and has a small Life is Strange vibe to it. Undercooked at first, but the story grows on you once you reach the second half of it.

The game does have its cinematic flavor with the time limits in choices and quick time events. However, it tries to bring back elements from the first game with the point and click aspect. Clem can interact, run, and speak to others in terms of controls. Decisions, as always, will never be unanimous. With a kid in tow, you also shape how AJ will be in the near future and help his growth in surviving or degrade it. Combat comes in a couple different forms such as shooting arrows to go with your melee and firearm tactics.

Graphically, the game is fantastic. Very gritty comic book like, continuing with the series approach. Better emphasis on color usage and lighting. You didn't see this with the other titles. With the audio, the voice overs are well done. Sound effects are fantastic. The music still continues to have that emphasis of peaceful/tense when things are calm and frantic with the action. It's a first for The Walking Dead to have some songs in it. Kind of similar to Life is Strange, but not as sappy nor the driving point of it. Strong altogether, though how you feel about songs is up to you.

There is a collectible part throughout the four episodes. Stuff that you're not forced to get, but adds a tiny bit of replayability. No major loading issues. Same options as before. The decisions feel like they hold a lot more weight than before. My final complaints are the usual nitpicks such as the quick time events and time limits on choices. For this one, the story and songs, but will depend on how you feel  about those two aspects. Still, it's worth getting The Walking Dead: The Final Season. It bows out with a strong finale.

Score: 8 out of 10

Alex Hutchinson

This will connect in a way with the Twitch issues that have been a problem over the last week. Streaming has its pros and cons, but Alex Hutchinson thinks developers need money from the streamers. The creative director of the Montreal division of Stadia Games and Entertainment tweeted his thoughts on it, saying that they should pay a fee to get a license to stream games. Needless to say, that did not sit well with plenty of people and he doubled down on what he said.

It's not just gamers getting frustrated. Tweets from journalists like Jason Schreier. Even Google themselves aren't in support of Hutchinson. You're paying money to buy the game you want to stream. Why spend more on a meaningless license? Gaming is not the same as listening to songs or watching movies and television shows. Certain legalities like music, you could make some case of removing content, but a game will be a unique experience. Not to mention any publicity could help the game unless it's that bad or average. We have a lot more to look at compared to the early 90s when you only had magazines to read specific titles. Also, certain developers are gone. The focus is on modern games, but there are the older games from the 80s, 90s, 2000s. Stuff from dead publishers and developers. You hurt the little streamers if you go with Hutchinson wants.

Hutchinson has made headlines in gaming for his take on things. Notably for Far Cry 4 and Assassin's Creed in 2014 for not including women for the online section of their games (Unity was the most recent AC game in '14) He said something along the line of not getting a woman so that they can have something in line to animate. He also was vocal on gamers being more forgiving towards Japanese developers, something I actually agree with. When New Super Mario Bros. Wii came out in 2009, a complaint was that no Peach for the four player part. Shigeru Miyamoto pulled out a very lame excuse of not knowing how to animate a dress. People also bat a blind eye to Japanese game design, stories. This can also apply to other regions, but there's more bias.

Stadia isn't in a good situation and I don't think this will sit well for Google altogether. Yes, Hutchinson has an opinion. But it's a very poor take. Most companies are happy to see their games get exposure. That's why there's videos on YouTube of games and some get millions of views. There's a freaking Putt-Putt game that has three million view video on it. Studios are aware of the strengths and weaknesses to media sharing. This won't get Hutchinson fired, but it puts him in hot water to where his next job if he leaves Stadia Games and Entertainment could have him in even more trouble if does more bad takes like that.

Twitch Removal

This I was not aware of until a few days ago. Twitch has been around for a good chunk of time now. People stream the biggest games, the small ones, everything in between. They have been the subject of copyright issues, most notably from the Recording Industry Association of America. That happened back in the summer and now the streaming site has issued a lot DMCA acts on most people without being able to counterclaim and people losing their channels this past Wednesday the 21st. This is courtesy of sites like The Verge.

Apparently, Twitch was not being clear on what needed to be done. They left a lot of streamers confused and in tons of worry. Copyright is not an easy thing to deal with. If it isn't legit, it's some asshole who thinks it's fun to mess with a user whether it's YouTube or some other site. I would assume the RIAA is involved. Compared to most places, these types of organizations are ruthless in America. I don't know what it is like in other regions of the world, but it's strict. Look at Viacom and their fights with YouTube. 

When it comes to game music, it's not an easy thing to look into. Certain titles will have songs in them from indie based bands or the big names. I'm thinking Daughter for Life is Strange: Before the Storm and the various names for a GTA game. I understand protecting this stuff. These organizations have to. But for streaming, there's no avoidance of it. I think the music industry is trying to get money out of all this, even though they rake in billions. Piracy is still common, but is it going to kill The Alan Parsons Project? They probably get enough from the Chicago Bulls.

I don't know full enough the issues with copyright, but streaming is not the same as uploading a YouTube video. Heat of the moment. Twitch does not draw as many eyes as people think for one video. Not to mention the videos are already done with people donating or not so I don't know what the accomplishment is. Whatever the case, Twitch is going to lose a lot more support from people who have put effort into it. Videos are not easy to edit. This is going to cause a lot more harm and create a toxic site where you will be scared to even try. For all the complaints of YouTube, they aren't looking as bad right now.

YouTube Videos: Oct 16-22

 

Analogue Duo Thoughts

I've never owned a Turbografx-16. Along with Sega CD, it's one of the few systems I would want to get my hands on. Unfortunately, high prices for it and games make it undesirable for anyone to casually want it. We're also looking at the hardware not working as well. The focal point being the CD add-on and Turbo Duo, the latter having capacitor leaks and needing new caps immediately. Analogue is filling a need with the Analogue Duo.

I think this is cool. Having all the ways to play Turbografx, Turbo CD, Supergrafx (an obscure Japan system meant to beef up the hardware), and PC Engine I believe, is a fantastic way to get people in. The price point is rather cheap at 200 dollars. That says something considering the various versions of it, including the CD stuff. It is Analogue's first attempt at doing anything CD related. This will be in limited quantities as mentioned on their website. How much in quantity in terms of production, I don't know.

With putting an effort to do a CD one, the question lies in what the company could do next. You look at the early 90s and then new medium for gaming. There's Sega CD, Philips CD-i, 3DO, and Atari Jaguar CD. The next batch is Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and Dreamcast. I would assume they would target the Sega's CD and Saturn systems next. Those are two that aren't easy to get. With CD, it's not cheap and the hardware is prone to issues, including blown fuses. More of a reason to try to do an Analogue version. Saturn is very pricey right now that there is no starting method to get into it.

The next closest would be Dreamcast and then 3DO. There will be no effort to do CD-i and Jaguar CD (though 12 titles for Jag CD is doable). PlayStation doesn't need one though the early versions of the first model aren't the best in reliability. It opens a lot more possibilities for Analogue. They are setting themselves up to be the big hero for the retro gaming community. More to gaming than Nintendo and Sega. As long as quality is their priority, they will make it feasible for people to invest in systems that they wouldn't have gotten into.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 47

 New episode. Support the podcast. Tell people about it.

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-47-Picking-the-System-elbdtg

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier Review (PS4)

Two hits were big by the time The Walking Dead: A New Frontier came out at the end of 2016. You have template that the second game followed. Here, it gets a different take on the apocalypse and breathes in some needed fresh air to keep from getting monotonous a third time around. Not as good as the other two, but still a great effort altogether.

We get a new family in the form of the Garcia family. Leading the way is Javier, who has been protecting family on the road for four years. A bad encounter while on a supply run leads him to many situations and he must do what he can to protect the ones he loves. I like the angle as it gives you different perspective. Nice touches include showcasing the past of the family. The heroine of the series, Clementine, works together in the story and you see what she has encountered since Season Two. Put in a few surprises and the story works much better than you think.

Gameplay wise, it's more linear than the last game. You're still making choices with the time limit. Not much exploration, not many puzzles. Hell, not much exploration, though you'll have a couple moments with it. A lot of quick time events. Tons more action and focus on humans quite a bit and how things can spiral out of control. Javi controls very well. He runs, interacts, and talks. No different than the other games.

Graphically, it's an improvement. Better character modeling with a more polished look to them. Cleaner textures in some spots and better backgrounds to go with the usual animation that is smooth. That gritty comic book style and art direction continues to be fantastic. The same can be said for the audio. Strong voice work for the characters. Music that settles the calm when things are fine and frantic when the action gets intense. It all clicks together.

The difficulty is still on the easy side. As before, my complaints are the time limit in choices and a couple quick time events. My preference would have been more similar to the second game, but New Frontier is still a must play. Going a different route isn't a bad thing.

Score: 8 out of 10

NES at 35

Gaming was doing fine in Japan and Europe. North America had the arcades and computers, but consoles were struggling. Although it wouldn't be nationwide until the following fall, Nintendo got the revival of the console market in the States going with the NES on October 18, 1985 in New York. Small things that would eventually convince retailers to accept gaming again along with customers who may have felt burnt out from the era of Atari.

While progression has been key for generations, Nintendo wanted to avoid the issues that plagued the earlier era that caused the game crash a couple years prior in 1983. Some of it with some meaning, but mostly an iron fist clad that resulted in an illegal monopoly. Seal of quality label, companies not overloading with so many titles. Control of production with The Big N producing carts, exclusivity (something that is a question in gaming today). But the tactics faded away when other competitors at the start of the 90s began to take over. Sega and NEC at the start of the decade and then Sony in the middle of it.

The NES had a healthy life from late 1985 up to the very end of 1994. It was where many got to see the likes of Capcom and Konami. A rise in seeing established characters and franchises from any developer and publisher. Mario, Zelda, Mega Man, you name it. Duds from companies such as THQ. Lots of unlicensed material with Tengen being the most recognized with their big Atari ports. Genres that anyone could get into. Platformers, sports, shmups, beat em ups. The list goes on. 

It holds a special place for me since it was one of the very first systems I got to play along with the Genesis in 1993-94. I'd put it in my top five of best systems ever because it has its console games and the arcade pick up and play quality that felt more special compared to future Nintendo systems. Graphics and audio that when used well was excellent. Simplicity in controls.  One of the problems being difficulty being very cheap depending on the title and the quality of it. It may have had illegal methods, but NES still is a grand system to try out. Just make sure your systems are clean and work properly. That 72 pin connector was one of their worst ideas ever.

YouTube Videos: Oct 9-15

 

Punchy and Drunky

For goodness sake, don't do anything stupid while drunk. Like speeding 30 plus miles an hour over the speed limit. Call a cab or an Uber. The Denver Broncos don't have many options now at running back following Melvin Gordon's DUI charge. A few days ago, he was pulled over. Cops noticed the signs of intoxication. Tests were done. He'll be facing suspension for sure. Denver has to have a game plan on what could happen to him next in a month when his court appearance comes up. This is courtesy of local places in Colorado such as 9News.

New Orleans barely survived with an overtime win against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. They did this without their star receiver Michael Thomas. An altercation occurred between him and second year corner Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Punches were thrown, Thomas was suspended. There is speculation on what might have happened. The thing is, Thomas has never had outside of some political tweets any sort of trouble. I can't think of any moment where he has made a nuisance of himself.

There might be a story on him having issues with the coaching staff. Possibly Sean Payton. Or that he wasn't suspended at all, but fined to set an example of what could happen next. Until things get calmer, the story probably won't be revealed until later on. We'll also have to see if Thomas starts having big issues similar to Antonio Brown. I think he's smarter than Brown and could handle stuff a lot better, but you never know. 

That's only scratching the surface in the South. Between the Atlanta Falcons and the coronavirus and Alabama's Nick Saban and their athletic director testing positive, football in October gets scarier and scarier.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 46

 New episode.

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-46-Kid-Sue-Fire-el0kg4

Tell people about it. Support the podcast. Let's get an audience watching. It can be found on Anchor, RadioPublic, Google Podcasts, Breaker, and Spotify. 

The Walking Dead Telltale Season Two Review (PS4)

You have a hit, you should expect a sequel. The Walking Dead got its second season throughout 2013 and 14 and continued to do what the first one did. A continuation of the story is here. Some better graphics. Audio and gameplay that continued to provide what was needed. It finds its own ways to stand out without trying to repeat itself.

This time, it's not an adult you play as. You are Clementine, the seven year old from the first season. A few years older now in this one, she wants to find a place that she would call home in Wellington. However, it's not how things go plan in this apocalyptic world. With a group of survivors, she has to make those decisions that affect how the group does and if any of them live. They don't mess around with the plot and the writers don't care it's a little girl. That's what makes it intense and you want to hope for a good outcome, but with twists all around.

While there are some puzzle elements, Season Two is more linear. You get more a cinematic flavor to it. The decision making is back as is the dreaded time limit that was used for those decisions. There is some exploration, but not as much. Clem controls just like Lee Everett. Running, interacting, performing her share of tasks. There is a lot of quick time events and the style it is executed in is what would later be used in future Telltale games moving forward at the time.

It's not a huge leap in graphics, but you can see some of the improvements. Better use of the comic book style and still having that gritty style in it. Improved character modeling, but not too much. Some parts might make you a little queasy. The audio direction still creates those moments when things are cool or prepping for action. Add in another strong effort in the voice acting and it will feel like a full fledged production.

Load times are better. Maybe because it's on a newer system, I'm not sure. The difficulty is a little more easier. The only negative parts I have are the decision time limit and a couple spots where the quick time events weren't responsive. Season Two of The Walking Dead is another must buy. It doesn't stray from its ideals, but keeps it unique enough.

Score: 9 out of 10

Revamped PS Store?

Whether this story is true or not, I don't know. Sites such as The Verge talked about it with their source being a French Vita site. Sony is supposedly revamping their PlayStation Store on both the website itself and its mobile app. Come the 19th this month of October for the web and the 28th for the mobile app, things will look different. The big thing being the inability to buy PSP, PS3, and PS Vita games (their libraries and other ones like PS1 classics) from the web and mobile. You have to go through their stores on the actual systems to buy them.

If true, this was coming. I'm not enthused about it, but look at the Wii. That came out the same time as the PS3, and Nintendo shut down the Wii Shop in January last year. I can see Microsoft doing something like this in a year or two with the 360 and shut it down. Online, there is somewhat of a panic on forums. Some thinking it's all shut down. No, not yet. My biggest gripe with the PS3 store is that it is a bitch to scroll. Not so much the searching, but the bad frame rate. I'm not kidding. It can be slow as molasses.

The inability to buy PSP games is a bummer, but not a shock. It was discontinued about six years ago and the store was shut down in early 2016. There are still a lot of games physically for it, though. Only a matter of what digital games were exclusive and which ones made it to PS3. I don't know when PS3 will shut down entirely, but probably another year or two. It's hard to guess with these types of systems because some still game on it and the 360. Some say you can't find the titles on the scrolling menu. Not true. I was told about using the search feature and those ones not on the list came up when manually typing the title names.

I can't comment on the Vita since I've never played one. Never wanted one when it was brand new in 2012. More interested in playing Xbox 360 at that time and my family got a PS3 that Christmas. I'm assuming it has a similar situation to the PS3. Now, welcome to the future. In ten years time, we could see it not be able to download and purchase Vita games, PS1, and PSP games. It's inevitable. Same with the Wii U, 3DS, Switch, Xbox One, and any future consoles.

I can see homebrew coming in at some point. There will be a way. Also, gaming emulation still has its rough patches to deal with despite plenty of work being done for the last 15 years of gaming. PS3 has shown various progress. The Wii U and 3DS have their own emulators. PSP does. It's a matter of getting the thousands upon thousands of games to function and to preserve any of the digital only releases. Where will gaming take us in this decade? I don't know. But the preservation and attempt to keep interests in these systems alive will keep providing a legacy in what they offered. Get what you can from PS stores if you think this story is true, mainly PSP owners.

YouTube Videos: Oct 2-8

 

Drifting Suit

Sites such as Wired and Nintendo Life have reported on this. Since the launch of the Switch three and a half years ago, people have experienced what is called drifting. Analog sticks that are not centered anymore. While use causes that kind of wear for anything since the Nintendo 64, it's popped up more often. There have been lawsuits. The most recent coming from a ten year old and their mother. I will not reveal their names, but here's the skinny.

According to the sites, the ten year old has had a Switch for a couple of years, Their Joy-Con controllers experienced drifting. They got another set of controllers and not even a year went by and they drifted. While that may not be everyone's exact story, it's something that has been too common. Like anything with analog controls, it varies. But the stories that pile on all around, something's not correct at whatever manufacturing plant Nintendo has. They have been fixing them for free lately, but it may not be enough.

Nintendo's lawyers don't think it's a big deal. It kind of is. The Switch will probably be gone in roughly four to five years. Maybe three. Even if you do it yourself, people will want to be sure they are getting a system that has been properly taken cared of. These drifts will be a concern for the next ten years. Some people hold on to systems after they die out. Though it will not kill them severely (a light slap, really), the Switch is the only system they have now. It is still doing well, but they have to do much better. They can't keep being ignorant on problems that cause them to still be the love or hate company in gaming.

Geeks and Jocks: Episode 45

 New episode

https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-45-Sketch-Me-a-Fiery-Attack-ekmqvu

The Walking Dead Telltale Season One Review (PS3)

Let me preface this by saying I don't care for the television show of the same name. Anyway, The Walking Dead games is something only in the last couple of years I've enjoyed. My first experience was back in 2016 on the Xbox 360 with a demo and have since played it on PlayStation 3 version. It's a fantastic game that showcased what Telltale was great at, but also caused them to die.

The focus is on criminal Lee Everett. On his way to jail, it's the day of the zombie outbreak. Things spiral out of control. He manages to free himself and looking for help, meets seven year old Clementine in an empty neighborhood. With the two, they find themselves in situations where they have to survive on their own and with other survivors who have their own dilemmas. The bond between them brings a lot of emotion to it and you feel for specific characters.

A lot of the gameplay is based on choices. Older games from Telltale were more in tone with classic point and click games. There is some of the element in it, but the focus is more on a story and cinematic experience. It's choices include minor and major changes depending on the characters and situations. The choices are through a time limit, which is something I've never been huge on from the developer. A lot of their titles after that used this method.

The graphics are more of a comic book look, which is fitting. A little gritty with good animation. A step above some of the older games that Telltale made. Nothing that screams next generation, but its fine. The audio direction was well done. Music that creates tension and the action that occurs against the zombies and humans. Calm times before things get bad. Strong voice acting rounds out that facet of the game.

The controls work well with Lee. He interacts with objects and the conversations with other people. When needed, there is some quick time events, but they are not too common. There are a few puzzles here and there. It's designed to be linear with point A to point B moments. Not much exploration. But there is a mix of retaining some of the old elements and interjecting it with the new approaches. It is a bit easy and what you experience is up to you. Load times will be the main concern on a system like the PS3 and Xbox 360. 

The first season of The Walking Dead game is a must have for any system. Getting it right the first game is a necessary step to build a set of games.

Score: 9 out of 10

Temp Theater Closure

If you're in the Northeast of the United States like me, you won't have many, if not, any options to go see new movies if there are any. Drive-ins are shutting down and will return in the spring time. One of the more premium theater chains, Regal Cinemas, is looking to shut down all their theaters for a temporary amount of time. Speculation will be until 2021. Could be right around April or May if I had to guess. No way you're having theaters all around open during the late part of fall and the winter.

This is coming after the new James Bond film got delayed a second time. Some places have tried to get people into the theater and it hasn't worked altogether. That Tenet film is a big example. Studios have tried both On Demand and theaters on the same day. I see it as temporary as well. It's much easier for me to justify going to a theater for a very affordable price. Local theaters can sustain themselves in terms of pricing. That's the advantage versus spending 20 dollars on the On Demand feature, which some question the validity of specific numbers to films like Mulan. To be fair, On Demand is a case by case basis. Some people are alone. You got families, get togethers. There's a lot that can go into justifying staying at home.

Best case scenario, I think the world overall is expecting vaccines very soon. Things calm down, sickness goes down. That's at least what most businesses are hoping for. Not just movies. I'm not sure how much longer places like Regal and AMC can survive without customers, though. Can't expect to have premium prices or premium food be high in price when or if they return to normal. Multiple other things that I probably couldn't think of.

Get hunkered down and get used to On Demand for now. That is if you think it is justifiable pending your living circumstances.

Death of Baseball Central

East and West. New York, Tampa, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Oakland,  San Diego, and Los Angeles. No Central team. I look at the choking, past experiences, and no experience from the teams that exited from the playoffs.

Life hasn't been good for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs. Since the 2016 World Series in which the Cubs won for the first time since 1908, both have struggled since. A run by the Indians after a 2-0 lead in the 2017 ALDS was ended by the New York Yankees coming back and eliminating them. They got swept in 2018 by the Houston Astros and swept this week by the Yankees. Maybe not playing them hurt, but when you have a Cy Young caliber of a pitcher in Shane Bieber, this should be a no doubter you hope to win against a shaky Yankee team. And from what I listened to, one of the great bullpens. Some of the batters struggled overall against an otherwise good Yankee bullpen despite their struggles in Game 2. Should not have gotten rid of Gio Urshela.

The Cubs did not lose in blow outs. They had a chance in Game 1. Pitching did its best, but those bats went cold. Not facing Miami probably was a factor. David Ross' approach to managing will be questioned I would think. Some of the players they have. I don't know. There's a lot at stake for the players, the staff. Even the front office. Looking at the Minnesota Twins, they didn't lose in blow outs either. Bats went cold and the pitching did its best but blew it late in the games. I think there's a mental issue and psychological issue considering they have lost 18 postseason games in a row. Thirteen of them to the Yankees, two to Houston, and three to Oakland. It must toy with them as time goes on. They had a chance in 2017 and pitching let them down. I don't know how much more the fanbase can stomach getting in and losing. Minnesota sports in general, too. The closest was the Vikings a few years ago and getting blown out in the NFC Championship game.

Whatever momentum the St. Louis Cardinals had, they blew it. Blowing a huge lead to San Diego when you're on the cusp of advancing. It's going to be huge disappointment. They still got a few more years left though with this group of players. However, considering how good the Padres have been this year, they faced adversity throughout the year. And nothing seemed to click for Milwaukee. You're facing the Dodgers, who may be the best team in baseball this year. Not good enough with the bats. As with other teams eliminated, the pitching tried its best.

You can't complain too much with the Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds. The best I could say for those teams is to learn from your inexperience. Let the postseason soak in and hope to fix any problems to get back in next year. Cincinnati fought hard against Atlanta and the pitching in Game 1 was through the roof. There's some positives despite the elimination. 

It's shaping up to be quite a playoff series when things begin this week.

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Too Much Bron?

You could look at this in many ways. Ratings for the NBA Finals first game was not good. Step up above the Conference Finals, but still nothing the league should be proud of. Less than eight million viewers. You could point out multiple things. Obviously, September into October, there's other sports going on regularly. The political aspect doesn't help. But I have a theory of my own. The oversaturation of LeBron James and the LA Lakers probably sweeping.

With James, I think most people are tired of seeing him in the Finals. I don't know what it was like in the 60s with Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics, but they weren't as big a problem compared to James. James is also a very divisive person. Like any mega star, has his fans and haters. But he also doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Any other year, it would be a win for the NBA because people want to see him win or lose. Haters will want to see another failed championship attempt. Losing six Finals in your career is not something to be proud of compared to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. I'm sure criticism could be said for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but his Laker teams were able to rebound and get Finals wins.

I think that's the other part of my theory. If it were Lakers vs. Celtics, or Toronto, I think there'd be a more competitive Finals. Miami has a great team, but with the performance in game 1, it leaves a lot of questions. Heading into the season, Los Angeles was said to be one of the favorites to win a championship this year. You see more of these type of games, it will be a turn off for the NBA. Some of the MLB favorites will be more of a ratings grab as the baseball playoffs go on. There's a time to watch LA sports, but this may be like it was back in 2010.

Whatever the case, this is going to be something the NBA will look at when they negotiate deals with networks. They were struggling earlier in the year, but the complications make it even more harder. Adam Silver should anticipate some lost revenue and start looking to fix things that will help his bottom line. And I believe it will start with not giving players and teams all this freedom. Ratings do dictate a lot of things for a sport.