Fresh new episode on Anchor.fm
https://anchor.fm/ryan-sullivan1gaj/episodes/Episode-33-I-Want-My-Sports-ecopik
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Realign the Baseball World
The return of sports should be soon. You would think. Baseball has already lost a couple weeks worth of games. But what do you believe happens?
MLB shot down rumors of a season where the teams only play in Arizona. Even if they thought of that, they wouldn't have been okay with it. Hundred degree heat, no roofs. Why do you think the Diamondbacks and NFL's Cardinals play in domed stadiums? Look at the state of Texas. Not one outdoor field now for baseball. Not to mention the isolation of everyone together and not being able to be around their families and friends during this crisis.
One idea in mind is a realignment of the leagues. Florida teams face each other and Arizona ones face each other. This is more so of a panic a little bit. I would also view it as trying to put together a season where they don't lose many games. The last time there was ever facing one league only was in 1996. And the idea of the designated hitter being used for every team should help. No reason to risk pitchers batting only to see them get hurt. As well as the random teams in each spring training league.
Both sides will have their pros and cons if this were to be implemented. But the numbers for the virus are not to what the world has expected. Not as high as anticipated but still something to worry. I'm sure baseball will be back soon. I wouldn't have too much of an issue with having a shortened season instead of trying to get all 162 games in.
MLB shot down rumors of a season where the teams only play in Arizona. Even if they thought of that, they wouldn't have been okay with it. Hundred degree heat, no roofs. Why do you think the Diamondbacks and NFL's Cardinals play in domed stadiums? Look at the state of Texas. Not one outdoor field now for baseball. Not to mention the isolation of everyone together and not being able to be around their families and friends during this crisis.
One idea in mind is a realignment of the leagues. Florida teams face each other and Arizona ones face each other. This is more so of a panic a little bit. I would also view it as trying to put together a season where they don't lose many games. The last time there was ever facing one league only was in 1996. And the idea of the designated hitter being used for every team should help. No reason to risk pitchers batting only to see them get hurt. As well as the random teams in each spring training league.
Both sides will have their pros and cons if this were to be implemented. But the numbers for the virus are not to what the world has expected. Not as high as anticipated but still something to worry. I'm sure baseball will be back soon. I wouldn't have too much of an issue with having a shortened season instead of trying to get all 162 games in.
Friday, April 10, 2020
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Big Mouth Fat Boy
The NFL offseason is one to see this year. Let's go back to 2011. Giant running back Brandon Jacobs made it very clear his disdain for Jet coach Rex Ryan, and saying fat boy, big bellied coach. Someone that stood up against the loudmouth who acted like he could win anything. It's a shtick. Worked in 2009 and 2010. Has not worked since due to many failures with the Jets and later on with Buffalo. His criticisms of players as an analyst on ESPN is one that was due to get ripped on.
This isn't shocking to me. The Ryan family is nothing but arrogant. You can talk all you want about dad Buddy in 1989 putting a bounty of Luis Zendejas and punching Kevin Gilbride in 1993 as a Houston Oiler member. The reason I bring up Jacobs was that both the Giants and Jets faced each other Christmas Eve of 2011. It's a game I do remember. A very critical one and Big Blue had reasons to be mad because of Rex's approach to wanting success and covering the then three Giant Super Bowl trophies. You could look at that game as the focal point to where the Jets began to crumble under his tenure.
His criticism of Amari Cooper's big contract with Dallas was not warranted. Criticize him all you want, but you can't call him a turd for wanting big money for the success he has had the last five years. Cooper put up his best numbers last year. He's had huge games. And the ripping of former Jet players has gotten ones that played for him to rip him. The latest one being Geno Smith. I don't think Smith was that good in 2013, but the fact he won eight games should be a surprise. Without him (though he wasn't a huge factor), I'm not sure the Jets get to that number. And I'm not a Jet fan.
This is the one guy who can get away with stuff on ESPN. It brings in viewers. You get the controversy. You get both sides going at it. This is the cycle we see from many sports networks. That one guy that has no idea what he's talking about. Skip Bayless (how the hell did that guy get famous?), Colin Cowherd. Many more. Bad publicity can be good, regardless of consequences.
This isn't shocking to me. The Ryan family is nothing but arrogant. You can talk all you want about dad Buddy in 1989 putting a bounty of Luis Zendejas and punching Kevin Gilbride in 1993 as a Houston Oiler member. The reason I bring up Jacobs was that both the Giants and Jets faced each other Christmas Eve of 2011. It's a game I do remember. A very critical one and Big Blue had reasons to be mad because of Rex's approach to wanting success and covering the then three Giant Super Bowl trophies. You could look at that game as the focal point to where the Jets began to crumble under his tenure.
His criticism of Amari Cooper's big contract with Dallas was not warranted. Criticize him all you want, but you can't call him a turd for wanting big money for the success he has had the last five years. Cooper put up his best numbers last year. He's had huge games. And the ripping of former Jet players has gotten ones that played for him to rip him. The latest one being Geno Smith. I don't think Smith was that good in 2013, but the fact he won eight games should be a surprise. Without him (though he wasn't a huge factor), I'm not sure the Jets get to that number. And I'm not a Jet fan.
This is the one guy who can get away with stuff on ESPN. It brings in viewers. You get the controversy. You get both sides going at it. This is the cycle we see from many sports networks. That one guy that has no idea what he's talking about. Skip Bayless (how the hell did that guy get famous?), Colin Cowherd. Many more. Bad publicity can be good, regardless of consequences.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Minor Leaguer for Nothing
It's unfortunate. Underpaid players who hope for that chance to be in the majors. And with this virus, some teams might lose their minor league affiliates.
The hope to play soon is there and if things were to go back to normal, you could look see it come back in possibly June or July. For some teams, there's a lot at stake. They need those fans to come and get tickets, buy merchandise and food, and sit for a couple hours. It's a struggle to get good attendance. Some cities are able to handle it very well. There has been the talk of cutting minor league teams in certain places. That reality might happen, but not for the reasons you think.
What happens with cut teams if it were to happen? Some may not have that chance of the majors unless another team takes them in. The move to a higher or lower affiliate could improve or downgrade their abilities. A city may struggle a little bit financially from not having a baseball team anymore. A team may lose future talent that could make an impact. You have to hope that the virus isn't here for much longer.
Hopefully, things have slowed down to where cases aren't as frequent and recoveries can help make life normal once again.
The hope to play soon is there and if things were to go back to normal, you could look see it come back in possibly June or July. For some teams, there's a lot at stake. They need those fans to come and get tickets, buy merchandise and food, and sit for a couple hours. It's a struggle to get good attendance. Some cities are able to handle it very well. There has been the talk of cutting minor league teams in certain places. That reality might happen, but not for the reasons you think.
What happens with cut teams if it were to happen? Some may not have that chance of the majors unless another team takes them in. The move to a higher or lower affiliate could improve or downgrade their abilities. A city may struggle a little bit financially from not having a baseball team anymore. A team may lose future talent that could make an impact. You have to hope that the virus isn't here for much longer.
Hopefully, things have slowed down to where cases aren't as frequent and recoveries can help make life normal once again.
Monday, April 6, 2020
What Makes a Good Arcade Game?
How?
To the point, what needs to be done first is having a difficulty that is challenging, but isn't making you lose your lives within the first few levels. One of my picks for best arcade game ever is Galaga. They ease you in with the aliens being adequate and then by the fifth round, you're in for the fight of your life and getting through a few more before getting a game over. Namco is a good example of giving you a chance but making you earn your right to beat a game or get far compared to others.
There's other things. One is not making graphics blend in with shots in shooters or shots being very small. That's not good design. Neither is overloading your game with enemies. Yes, the point is to get people to spend more quarters back then, but you don't want someone getting frustrated within a few minutes. A game like Robotron can be a bit overwhelming but compared to most, it's not trying to be purposefully pissing you off.
Last is some variety of shaking things up in a game to keep it fresh. No one wants to be bored. Maybe a level goes a different direction. Or that playing with a friend can even the odds. Whatever the case, the best kind of games give you a lot to offer within a ten minute span or more if you're that good in something like Ninja Turtles or driving games such as Daytona USA or Ridge Racer.
Those are some of my thoughts on what makes an arcade game good. What are some of your favorites?
To the point, what needs to be done first is having a difficulty that is challenging, but isn't making you lose your lives within the first few levels. One of my picks for best arcade game ever is Galaga. They ease you in with the aliens being adequate and then by the fifth round, you're in for the fight of your life and getting through a few more before getting a game over. Namco is a good example of giving you a chance but making you earn your right to beat a game or get far compared to others.
There's other things. One is not making graphics blend in with shots in shooters or shots being very small. That's not good design. Neither is overloading your game with enemies. Yes, the point is to get people to spend more quarters back then, but you don't want someone getting frustrated within a few minutes. A game like Robotron can be a bit overwhelming but compared to most, it's not trying to be purposefully pissing you off.
Last is some variety of shaking things up in a game to keep it fresh. No one wants to be bored. Maybe a level goes a different direction. Or that playing with a friend can even the odds. Whatever the case, the best kind of games give you a lot to offer within a ten minute span or more if you're that good in something like Ninja Turtles or driving games such as Daytona USA or Ridge Racer.
Those are some of my thoughts on what makes an arcade game good. What are some of your favorites?
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Line the Shot, Aldon!
It's a small risk. The Dallas Cowboys want depth at linebacker. A few of them are always constantly being hurt. There comes baggage with signing Aldon Smith, even though it's a year and two million. Redemption could come.
Smith hasn't played in the league since 2015. The last things I remember of him was him getting in trouble. I believe it was for alcohol issues and a firearm issue. With the mediocrity of the 49ers prior to last year, I forgot about him. He was a high first round pick for San Francisco. Plays well the first couple years. Can't stay on the field his final two. Goes to Oakland in 2015 and that was it. I didn't know he was on the ineligibility list. He's in that list that's similar to Josh Gordon.
Most players, regardless of sport, are never the same when they return to play after a hiatus. I don't think Smith has had any health issues that were major. If the guy is good on being sober and shows the commitment to go on the right path, then maybe he bolsters a chance to be the star that he was back in 2012. His sacks his first two seasons were better than what Derrick Thomas did in his first two seasons. He better be ready for some hard hitting and keeping his drinking in check if still wants some alcohol.
Smith can rewrite his story into something better. Can he commit to that?
Smith hasn't played in the league since 2015. The last things I remember of him was him getting in trouble. I believe it was for alcohol issues and a firearm issue. With the mediocrity of the 49ers prior to last year, I forgot about him. He was a high first round pick for San Francisco. Plays well the first couple years. Can't stay on the field his final two. Goes to Oakland in 2015 and that was it. I didn't know he was on the ineligibility list. He's in that list that's similar to Josh Gordon.
Most players, regardless of sport, are never the same when they return to play after a hiatus. I don't think Smith has had any health issues that were major. If the guy is good on being sober and shows the commitment to go on the right path, then maybe he bolsters a chance to be the star that he was back in 2012. His sacks his first two seasons were better than what Derrick Thomas did in his first two seasons. He better be ready for some hard hitting and keeping his drinking in check if still wants some alcohol.
Smith can rewrite his story into something better. Can he commit to that?
Friday, April 3, 2020
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Sony Interactive Delay
Like many companies, Sony has put a lot of their stuff on delay amidst this crisis. A couple I'll look at. One that's good and one that's bad.
There have been a few movies that they have decided to push back. Peter Rabbit 2 won't be until January of next year. Morbius next March. Also next March will be the new Ghostbusters film, Afterlife. It is disappointing for fans who probably wanted a real sequel after 30 years. With the virus putting everything on hold, maybe this might help. It's not like the summer of 1984 where the original was something very fresh and making everyone go bananas for it. This has a better chance of doing well and without feeling like it has stiff competition. Sony could have 2021 in the bag for a short while.
One of the hyped games for this year was The Last of Us Part II. Sony has plans for several other games as well, but Naughty Dog's survival adventure was high on the list. With it being delayed indefinitely, it's hard to know when it could come out. The original debuted on PS3 in June of 2013, roughly five months before PS4 debuted and just over a year before the remaster. And this sequel was delayed from its February release to a month from now. They want people to buy the copies in stores and the pandemic doesn't help them out. You have to hope that they can have something ready by September if things were to be calm and back to normal. If not, it could hurt sales a little bit, but I have a feeling we're going to see Part II on PS5.
Sony's not taking huge risks. Hopefully it rebounds them for a strong year in 2021.
There have been a few movies that they have decided to push back. Peter Rabbit 2 won't be until January of next year. Morbius next March. Also next March will be the new Ghostbusters film, Afterlife. It is disappointing for fans who probably wanted a real sequel after 30 years. With the virus putting everything on hold, maybe this might help. It's not like the summer of 1984 where the original was something very fresh and making everyone go bananas for it. This has a better chance of doing well and without feeling like it has stiff competition. Sony could have 2021 in the bag for a short while.
One of the hyped games for this year was The Last of Us Part II. Sony has plans for several other games as well, but Naughty Dog's survival adventure was high on the list. With it being delayed indefinitely, it's hard to know when it could come out. The original debuted on PS3 in June of 2013, roughly five months before PS4 debuted and just over a year before the remaster. And this sequel was delayed from its February release to a month from now. They want people to buy the copies in stores and the pandemic doesn't help them out. You have to hope that they can have something ready by September if things were to be calm and back to normal. If not, it could hurt sales a little bit, but I have a feeling we're going to see Part II on PS5.
Sony's not taking huge risks. Hopefully it rebounds them for a strong year in 2021.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
First Games Played On A System Volume 1
As it suggests, the first game I played on a system. Very simple. I'll do ones that I've played on the actual hardware.
Atari 2600: Pac-Man. This one was from a few years ago. It was a curious one to try as I've heard so many negative things about it. As a port, it is a bit disappointing. That being said, I don't think it's that horrible. I've played much worse, but there is better versions and even Ms. Pac-Man on the 2600 is better.
Intellivision: Donkey Kong. This was from about 15 or so years ago after finding the system hidden downstairs at home. Playing with those controllers was not ideal, but it could be doable. What wasn't was the poor graphics that looked like it came from a very old computer and audio that failed to impress. The system was hit and miss on arcade ports and this was not a good effort.
NES: Super Mario Bros. 3 (90s) Dr. Mario (2009). Cheating a little bit since my memory is a little fuzzy on playing the NES back in the 90s. Wouldn't be surprised if it was Mario 3 or one of the Mario titles. But Dr. Mario was what I tried when I got an NES for myself in mid-2009. To be able to play some of these titles and to begin it with that was a huge treat. I have a bigger appreciation for this system compared to other Nintendo efforts.
Game Boy: Super Mario Land 2. This was one back in the late 90s when you could still get original Game Boy games. It would be the only one I played for a very long time since Game Boy Color was more relevant around 2000. Between the trilogy, Land 2 is very strong and an indicator of what Game Boy could do in every facet. Not to mention a different gameplay approach that it's a shame Nintendo don't go back to these kind of games that weren't like the Miyamoto efforts.
That's the first volume of first games I played on a system. Hopefully, I'll do more soon. Happy reading.
Atari 2600: Pac-Man. This one was from a few years ago. It was a curious one to try as I've heard so many negative things about it. As a port, it is a bit disappointing. That being said, I don't think it's that horrible. I've played much worse, but there is better versions and even Ms. Pac-Man on the 2600 is better.
Intellivision: Donkey Kong. This was from about 15 or so years ago after finding the system hidden downstairs at home. Playing with those controllers was not ideal, but it could be doable. What wasn't was the poor graphics that looked like it came from a very old computer and audio that failed to impress. The system was hit and miss on arcade ports and this was not a good effort.
NES: Super Mario Bros. 3 (90s) Dr. Mario (2009). Cheating a little bit since my memory is a little fuzzy on playing the NES back in the 90s. Wouldn't be surprised if it was Mario 3 or one of the Mario titles. But Dr. Mario was what I tried when I got an NES for myself in mid-2009. To be able to play some of these titles and to begin it with that was a huge treat. I have a bigger appreciation for this system compared to other Nintendo efforts.
Game Boy: Super Mario Land 2. This was one back in the late 90s when you could still get original Game Boy games. It would be the only one I played for a very long time since Game Boy Color was more relevant around 2000. Between the trilogy, Land 2 is very strong and an indicator of what Game Boy could do in every facet. Not to mention a different gameplay approach that it's a shame Nintendo don't go back to these kind of games that weren't like the Miyamoto efforts.
That's the first volume of first games I played on a system. Hopefully, I'll do more soon. Happy reading.
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