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Jamie Johnson BAFTA Q&A Full transcript

14:02:35 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Good evening, everyone and welcome to this special BAFTA event as part of Pride Month. I'm Alex Kay-Jelski. I'm the editor in chief of the athletic and I'm going to be moderating a discussion of Jamie Johnson, Tackling Issues Head On.

14:03:09 I'm sure you have seen the incredible episodes that have been airing recently and before we have a great discussion with your panelists. I have bits of housekeeping. Live captioning is available if needed on this, click the option at the bottom of your Zoom panel. Also, we will be taking questions later, because we want to answer your big queries, but to do that, use the Q&A button at the bottom. We will not see you on the chat function.

14:03:44 I will give you a five minute warning to get the questions in and we will get in as many as we can in the next hour. So here we are, Jamie Johnson, what an incredible, incredible few episodes as we saw Dillon comes to terms or start to terms with his sexuality and being gay and coming out in a time of him being a starring footballer and how difficult that was for hill.

14:04:17 I think in a world where a lot of people feel comfortable going to football grounds, not like anyone is allowed at football grounds right now, unfortunately. With people coming to terms with who they are, trying to speak to their family about it, trying to speak to their friends about it. Really moving, fantastic drama.

14:04:39 We're going to talk to the key people and try to explain why it is so important and what effect it had and will continue to have. So I will stop prattling on because you are probably bored of hearing from me because there are far more interesting people to hear from.

14:04:58 We have Shaun Duggan the lead writer on Jamie Johnson. He has been BAFTA nominated alongside of Jimmy from the accused and he is famous for righting the lesbian kiss in brook side. I'm old enough to remember that.

14:05:33 Next, we have actors Laquarn Lewis and Patrick Ward, so hello to you two. We have Cheryl Taylor. Cheryl is the head of content of BBC Children and she commissioned Jamie Johnson and all of the BBC content, that is hard to say when you say it quickly for television and online.

14:06:03 For now, we have Hugo Scheckter who is the head of Player Care of West Ham United. Later, we have an extra because we're going to be joined by the executive producer Anita Burgess who produces Jamie Johnson for BBC. Lots of people with lots of things to say. We should get started, shouldn't we?

14:06:32 I'm going to talk to Shaun first, because I think you're the best persons to answer this question. Jamie Johnson has always been a huge success, we're in series five now, great ratings, lots of interest, telling really, really important stories that reflect sort of the lives of children and teenagers. Why do you think the show has been so popular and why does it engage this audience so well?

14:07:07 >> Shaun Duggan: I think for what you have said and from the outset, we wanted to tell a show that felt very real and reflect the lives of our young audience and not patronize or condescend them. My background is working on soap operas and other stuff and this was rarely the first big show I worked on in children's drama.

14:07:40 I have to say, I didn't approach it any differently. I approached it in the same way as I would an adult drama. Obviously, there are things you have to be careful of in terms of language, but in terms of thinking of challenge in story, thinking about what reflects the young audience as lives, what is important to them and just in terms and I'm sure we'll talk more later about how the whole Dillon story came about.

14:08:08 If I could say from a personal experience, when I was younger, I could I've with the show because I'm football mad, working-class background, I remember my dad carrying me over the turnstiles and slipping the man some cash and all I wanted to do was play football in the street and that is why I was obsessed with going to every game I could.

14:08:39 Then I got to about 11 and things changed because suddenly all I play football with didn't want to be my friend anymore and people started saying I was gay, queer, in the 80'S, I did not know what these things were. It I just knew I was something bad and something to be ashamed of and things got worse where I was not welcome to play football anymore.

14:09:14 People turned their backs on me and all through senior school, for me personally, I had a hellish experience. I left school without any qualifications and not just talking verbal bullying, I'm talking getting beaten up most days, so school became about survival. I couldn't turn to the teachers. You were not allowed to talk about gay issue, I couldn't go home and tell my own family.

14:10:04 They were homophobic, not homophobic in a bad way, but we didn't know and I know firsthand how isolating and lonely, you know that is to be a young, gay person. I know things have changed to a degree, but in terms of education these things aren't talked enough within school, so to get this opportunity to tell a story like this in children's drama, I have to say a massive thank you to Cheryl and everyone at CBBC. If they don't support it and go along with it, then it wouldn't happen.

14:10:31 I have to say I found it very emotional seeing these stories going out on screen last week, not only that but everything around it, the support on news, the presenters after they talked to the audience and it is OK to be yourself and it made me proud to be a part of it and how far we have come.

14:10:46 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Do you think producing a show like this plays a role a little bit, a small role in helping the next generation of kids who are growing up, teenagers who are coming to terms with who they are, they don't have to go through what you have gone through.

14:11:24 >> Shaun Duggan: Absolutely, it is all cliche really, but if people say, if we telling this story, we can help one person not to feel -- let them know they are not on their own it is really worth doing. You mentioned at the intro, I did the lesbian kiss, which is almost 30 years ago now, but to this day, people who are in their 50s or whatever will approach me and when I meet them and you can tell people are in isolated communities with a traditional family.

14:11:34 The impact of seeing that story line on screen and making it feel less alone and that is so powerful.

14:11:54 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Cheryl, does the BBC have a role to play in that sense in trying to reassure people like this program does and let them know they are not alone? How important is it when you're choosing which programs to put on air does that come into play?

14:12:31 >> Cheryl Taylor: Thanks, Alex. It is really important to us. Obviously, as a public service board, we are there to inform and to entertain and I think we want the children who are watching our shows to feel good about themselves and feel informed. I think it is key. It sets us apart from other broadcasters and listening to Shaun there, such a powerful story that he has told, not just on Jamie Johnson, but to us here this evening.

14:13:02 I think, I don't know how old Shaun is, but he looks younger than someone who wrote brookside 30 years ago. When I was the age of Patrick and Laquarn, I would not have had any role models and it is fantastic that people are able to write these important stories and we very much want to reflect them.

14:13:31 I have to point out it takes a special kind of writer and special performer to achieve what Jamie Johnson has achieved and the whole production team as well. A lot of people have talked about authenticity at the moment and to hear Shaun talk about the story that has woven into a football series.

14:14:06 Jamie Johnson has been around for a long time and to artfully weave that story, in a sense, I don't think any of the fans or viewers would have felt in a sense they were being preached at or lectured, which I think is amazing. I think Patrick has taken us through Dillon's journey in a way that Shaun has given us the story, a coming of age story, someone finding his identity and that is something all kids will be going through. They will all be looking for signals and for help.

14:14:42 It is hard being a kid and hard growing up, so you know, absolutely, I think the BBC is the platform for this type of story, but fair play to these guys. They told it beautifully. I was seeing the comments on Patrick and Laquarn's Insta and there are people saying this is amazing and this is great to seeing this happen. People have written, what an amazing episode of Jamie Johnson. It is such a valuable series.

14:14:49 I'm grateful to Shaun and all of the team for telling the story so beautifully.

14:15:12 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Shaun, how do you write for a teenage and child audience? How do you get insides of the heads of teenagers and people of that age and make it relevant to them? As been mentioned in this call already, you are not a teenager anymore.

14:15:44 >> Shaun Duggan: No, but I thank Cheryl for the comments they am older than you might realize. I have lots of nieces, nephew, firstly, we have all been teenagers so I have been there. But I have nieces and nephews and so many of my friends' children love Jamie Johnson. In the past, for example, I tried to incorporate stories being relevant.

14:15:58 We had Dillon being diabetic in an earlier series because my friend's daughter was diagnosed with type I diabetes and that is where the idea came from, so you draw from all of those experiences.

14:16:10 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Patrick, do you remember the day they came to you with the idea of this story line and how did that feel? It is quite a responsibility, I guess.

14:16:41 >> Patrick Ward: Sure, I do remember the day, actually, before every series, I would meet with Shaun and Anita and talk about the next year and this idea was brought forward. To be honest, while a lot of people may see it as being a surprise, when you look back over Dillon's journey, it made a lot of sense and as playing Dillon, it felt organic and needed in society as well.

14:16:56 Yeah, definitely, I think that is really important as well, I have younger brothers and sisters who fancy the star and to see their response and other people, it has been brilliant.

14:17:20 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: How many barriers do you think there are to breakdown? For example, hopefully, this makes a lot of people feel more comfortable and better about themselves, but realistically, when you went and told your friends about this twist in Dillon's character, were you nervous about the response that you would get? Has that been positive?

14:17:42 >> Patrick Ward: I suppose you are nervous, for me especially with negative feedback, it is more kind of, like what Shaun was talk about earlier, it shows that it is perform that we're doing this story line. When you see negative feedback, which is not a lot of it to be fair, most of it is positive, but I think it is important.

14:18:03 People around me responded very well and my family was very supportive and is very forward thinking. I was proud to be doing it and I didn't care what other people had to say about it negative thinking, because I'm honored to be a part of it.

14:18:13 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Laquarn, how did you feel that? Do you think Jamie Johnson has a unique way of telling a story like this?

14:18:45 >> Laquarn Lewis: Yeah, I think it is unique in terms of the way he told the story, because any story can educate people on coming out and finding your own sexuality, but Jamie Johnson has done this through an industry which seems to be gay in football, especially and they tackled this on one of their main characters and followed the journey of his homophobic past with himself, his younger brother and dad.

14:19:16 He was only sharing the homophobic because that is what he was used to around his family and maybe his football team, you know, so the fact he had to hold it in for so long and hide who he is because of his passion for football. Jamie Johnson told an amazing story and did an amazing job of getting it across and you can be who you want to be no matter what your dreams are.

14:19:49 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: I think it is great that he was not playing into people's stereotypes as well. Some people like to think what they know what a gay person looks like, talks like, walks like, right, Dillon did not fit the stereotypes. Hugo, I don't know if you had the same thing, but when I came out, a lot of people were like, oh, we didn't see that coming necessarily, which is fine but you wish they had known it was coming because it was less of a surprise.

14:20:06 I think the fact that Dillon was not what some people would expect is a great thing for the audience because it makes them think about their own assumptions and prejudices, if you don't mind.

14:20:31 >> Shaun Duggan: I hope you don't mind me jumping, in but it made the story more interesting. The audience had these expectations of Dillon that someone like him wouldn't be gay, so therefore, that makes it more challenging.

14:20:48 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Yeah, absolutely. Did you, Patrick, Laquarn get involved in the story line or were you good boys and did what you were told?

14:21:07 >> Patrick Ward: Well, we rehearsed beforehand, actually in this house, in the next room. Laquarn came with someone we have known for a long time and rehearsed this kind of thing. I think it is very important as well.

14:21:42 >> Laquarn Lewis: He made us do games where we had to get to know each other really well before we shoot the scenes, so the story that we were telling was truthful. We had to do this one task and we had to look at each other and we couldn't smile and we had to keep pushing each other. He did so many games to get us on to a level where our relationship outside of acting could really like grow for our onset acting and I think that helped a lot.

14:22:10 >> Patrick Ward: I was going to say it is interesting because if you look at Dillon when he meets Elliot, it is like when he first sees him. It is like there is something that goes on insides of his brain. He doesn't understand what it is, but there is something and it is new and it happens very quickly, so I think it is important that me and Laquarn were able to understand each other as people and actors beforehand, definitely.

14:22:28 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Absolutely. We touched on this is a little, Cheryl, but outside of this show, generally, do you feel the BBC has a responsibility to put forward stories that represent underrepresented parts of audiences?

14:23:08 >> Cheryl Taylor: Yes, I was just thinking there when Shaun was talking about Patrick having diabetes just using Jamie Johnson as an example and this is one example of one of many, many dramas that we do. The different storylines that people judge as mainly football drama. We covered Jamie's family and kids looking after sick parents, so young carers, we had the homophobia, we had bullying. Just in that one series, you have a set of writers and producers and commissioners

14:23:50 Who intend to broaden the scope to be as inclusive and relevant as many kids as possible. Someone was talking about we know a lot of girls watch Jamie Johnson as well, so across the piece, it is important that all of our brands have a broad appeal. I think, I know I sound like I'm heaping praise on these wonderful creators but because I think they deserve it in this one drama. Secret life of boys, all of these shows on the surface, you can say this is a comedy, this is a drama.

14:24:19 Under beneath of that, every episode addresses these issues and reflects many of the audience's lives as many as possible and giving them tools and strategies to manage their own lives. I do think suggest a scale and a specialty skill and I don't think anyone watching the show would argue that they have done it incredibly well. It is very important.

14:24:44 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: That is it, isn't it? We can talk about sport and football and LBGTQ relationships in a minute, but Jamie Johnson, this story line is a show about football largely, but the story line is not about football. You can be any young more than or older person who doesn't have the courage to come out or the opportunity to come out and see that.

14:24:59 Hopefully, be confident and inspired by it. This is not about football, right, either of you, this is show to reach out to a much, much wider audience.

14:25:27 >> Cheryl Taylor: As I say it is about identities, rites of passage, coming of age and the journey that Dillon goes on, especially the extraordinary scene with his dad, for any kid, you know who is thinking about a difficult conversation that they might want to have, that would have been key. That would have been crucial and the fact that he goes to speak to Jamie. He reaches out to his friends and gets advice.

14:25:51 That is where the beauty of having Elliot there who has gone through this before, who has to some degree come to terms with his identity and that gives lots of information, lots of hope, useful take out for kids who are watching and feeling uncertainty about their own identity.

14:26:23 >> Shaun Duggan: I think that is, if you don't mind me jumping in again, really important because we established in the story that Dillon's family is homophobic. We ran a story where his little brother was kicked out of the club about making homophobic comments about Ruby's foster parents. We have time to establish that, but it felt important when we brought in Elliot's character that he was coming in from a different place.

14:26:37 He was comfortable in who he was. He says on screen that he had been brought up with gay people, so they had different experiences, but learned from each other's experiences.

14:27:03 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Also for parents, too, right? This is not an easy conversation and not always an expected conversation for parents as well. I think is very hard to know sometimes how to react and how not to react and everyone wants to say they want to be understanding with their children, but some parents may get shocked and surprised and don't react in the most helpful ways.

14:27:13 With that scene in particular with Dillon and his dad is a good thing to pin up on the wall, and go, whatever you do, don't do that.

14:27:39 >> Shaun Duggan: Again, in terms of that is such a powerful scene, very difficult to watch and all of the actors played it so brilliant, but there is quite a pit of the series to go, so although Dillon's dad reacted veried badly, he will have his own journey to go on through the rest of the series.

14:28:18 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Hugo, you sat there patiently and calmly and nodding in the right places, so now you get to talk. Hugo works in west ham. He is in the dressing room with players. He is helping them out. He used to work at Southampton, so he works at various football clubs. He understands football. He is a gay man in football. What did you think watching this and do you think football is a different place than other parts of society?

14:28:56 >> Hugo Scheckter: First of all, it struck me how powerful it was and it was jarring from a kids' TV show. I'm not someone who watched Jamie Johnson on a regular basis before, I don't know if I'm supposed to say that. This was my first expectation of the show, watching cartoons with my nephew. Did not know what to expect, but I thought, wow, this is hard hitting and I was jarred by the whole Dillon and his father's scene.

14:29:24 I think it was absolutely fantastic to highlight that. In terms of football, I think it's a different environment in a lot of ways, but negative and positive. I think a lot of people see football as this horrible, you know, macho, alpha-male environment. The changing room is one of the most diverse groups of people you can meet.

14:30:08 We've got on the team, for example, a guy from the republic of Congress go who is friends with a Scottish guy and a Hawaiian guy and you probably don't see that in society on a general basis. I think seeing the role molls come -- models coming out, but you're seeing it in the lockdown, but allies and I think people have spoken openly and eloquently about the importance of the rainbow campaign or openly gay players or role models.

14:30:42 For me, I was in the closet and I came out about two or three years into Southampton. My job is to look after players and the families and I was trying to get the players to trust me without sharing all of myself. Once I did, the relationship was so much closer and even today at lunch, I had a player ask me about my coming out and how I realized and he talked about how he would react if his kids came out.

14:31:14 That is a conversation that you would not expect to be in a changing room or a club and the amount of discussions we had about LBGTQ issues or trans issues, I'm not shaggymane expert, but I'm a resource and I think it is hugely encouraging and it means they are inquisitive people. I think they get a bad rap and I'm 100% sure who came out would be fully accepted in the change room.

14:31:44 Players want you to be a good person and a good player and if you can 10 us stay in the league or other teams' cases, higher up in the league, that is all that matters. It does not matter who you are or what you do in your free time, what religion you are or sexual orientation, it does not matter as long as you're a good person or a good player. I think football gets a worse rap than it deserves at times.

14:32:22 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: I would counter it to be the awkward person to say going to football is the only place I would not hold my husband's hand in public. It is one thing to know what it is like in the dressing room and that is fascinating, it is another thing to walk into a football stadium and the atmosphere and the words that you hear there, whether it is racist stuff, homophobic stuff, football as a sport has a long, long way to go percent. Sports has a long way to go. There are not out

14:32:59 Is not a great place. You say it was Dillon's line in the episode, there is no out -- no out footballer in this country, how can I sort of come out and be successful and that is the crux of that is a big part of the episode, isn't it? It is a really complex question because the worst thing that can happen people endlessly talking about it and the witchhunt of we need gay footballs. Who is the gay footballer?

14:33:14 I think the narrative needs to be a welcoming environment so people feel comfortable and that may take another generation's time.

14:33:53 >> Hugo Scheckter: There are gay women footballers in the west ham. You know what, yeah, I can talk to my experience in the changing room. To be honest, I go to every game we play and I don't hear the negativity. I think there is a lot of discussion in football about this banter and from an outsider's point of view, especially in the change room, it can be seen as negative. The way I felt was the players did not joke about anything, whether it was my sexuality or whatever else,

14:34:20 My hair, my weight, or whatever it is, that means they accept me. If it is like, don't talk about gay stuff that is like they don't accept me. I had players saying can I make a gay joke to you and I say as long as you make it to my face and prepare for me to come back at you and I think that is a little bit of a difference in football environment where other industries it would not be acceptable.

14:34:46 At the end of the day, we are focused of doing one thing, which is winning matches and we have a match tomorrow. We're all focused on that we're not worried about what everyone is doing around that. We're worried about everything is doing everything they can to beat Chelsea or get a point at this point, but it is important that we work together for that one goal.

14:35:06 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Just a quick, not warning as such, advisory, that we will probably start the questions in a few minutes. I can see there are few in there. If you want to ask these lovely, almost interesting people questions, make sure you get them so we can make you as happy as possible.

14:35:18 What is acting like in comparison, Laquarn, Patrick, do you feel that is a welcoming environment for people to be themselves?

14:35:54 >> Laquarn Lewis: Well, I feel like it. Yeah, there is, but there is a lot of discrimination in the acting industry, it is not just football. I feel like, especially with type casting that is very hard in the industry, because if you act or look a certain way then it is most likely you're going to get put for this same character over and over again. It is good to just play something different to yourself and get that opportunity.

14:36:07 It is getting better in the industry, but like I said, I'm happy to play whatever, especially this role right here, because I'm helping so many people, so I'm -- thank you, yeah.

14:36:13 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Have you had people get in touch with you to say it has helped?

14:36:17 >> Laquarn Lewis: You can do this one, Patrick.

14:36:49 >> Patrick Ward: Yeah, yeah, definitely, it has been mostly positive and that is the benefit thing for me is seeing people with a message saying this has helped me come to terms with this or this helped me speak about this and that is all we're trying to achieve and just I'm proud watching the episode because everyone did such a good job. It has been fantastic and see how people have responded in a good way.

14:36:57 There has been some negativity, but a lot of people have taken it positive.

14:37:18 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: One person who is in a great position to explain a little bit more about the reception that this story line has got is Anita. So Anita Burgess, for those who were not here at the beginning of the conversation, Anita. Hello, Anita. Good evening. Nice to see you.

14:37:21 >> Anita Burgess: Hello. Nice to see you, too.

14:37:35 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Anita is the executive producer of the show. You must be absolutely fantastic the repping you have had, I would love to hear from your perspective.

14:38:11 >> Anita Burgess: It has been amazing actually. I'm known as someone who cries a lot and the reception has made me cry a lot even for me. It has been overwhelming. I think as Patrick was saying largely positive. I mean almost entirely positive, the 1% have their other views and that is there and that has to be acknowledged, but I found, I think as what was said, the most moving ones are the positive ones.

14:38:39 People feel for the first time there is something on screen that they recognize themselves in and it helps them and the complements about how the story has been handled and us not talking down to people, that sense of what we're trying to do is empower and educate and get the word out there to help people who are already in this position.

14:38:53 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: How would you not talk down to people? What are things that you can do so it does not come across as patronizing? What are things in your head as a producer to say don't do this?

14:39:30 >> Anita Burgess: We are mindful of the audience and the age they are, so you explain things and make it clear to not -- what you're trying to do is use language that they would understand, but not treat them kind of too young. I think the simplicity of the story comes from truth. It comes from Shaun's experiences.

14:39:44 Making sure the research is as thorough as possible, so we are representing the truth as much as we can, I think it is about that, so don't talk down is just be honest and clear as best we can.

14:40:10 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: That is brilliant. I think it is time we put you to the sharks and answer some questions, really. There are quite a few of them. I'm going to try to do something if I press a button, they might come up on the screen. I'm going to apologize in advance if I get that wrong and someone will tell me if I'm doing this wrong.

14:40:42 So Dillon's storyline has been gripping, someone says. Beautifully written and amazingly active. Lots of compliments. This is best directed to you, Cheryl, of CBC producing a series with younger audiences where being LBGTQ plus being the center of the show? Can you, not target, but get this message to a younger audience?

14:41:13 >> Cheryl Taylor: Thank you for the question. As I was saying earlier, obviously CBC is the preschool channel and we have 6-12, to some degree we're limited to the type of lens we can put on sexuality, obviously, and as I mentioned earlier, a lot around your identity is something that we can explore. It has to be done in a certain way, because we have quite a wide age group.

14:41:47 I think the way this story is played out from 9-12 and above has been perfect, so depending on how someone wrote a story and type of character that they highlighted, I think anything is possible. Our central messages are about tolerance and inclusion and that people should feel OK about being themselves and I think you can get those messages across in many, many different ways, as to say for preschool age.

14:41:54 It would depend on the type of character and how they were portrayed, but essentially, yes, absolutely.

14:41:59 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Since you're talking, you can answer the next question.

14:42:00 >> Cheryl Taylor: Go.

14:42:22 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Shaun might have an opinion as well. How long did it take to develop the idea and were you nervous about it? The person here, he says he produced when Andrew Hayden Smith came out and people were nervous that people like parents would complain. Were you aware of that or, no, we're doing the right thing?

14:42:51 >> Cheryl Taylor: I wasn't nervous, actually, that is partly to do with the team. Again as I mentioned this there are a lot of tricky storylines in Jamie Johnson and our other dramas. Anita, Shaun, everyone is very, very experienced and I knew they would handle it really well and similarly, the commissioning editor, Amy and her team would have explained the storylines with Anita.

14:43:25 That is one part of it and going back to Patrick, Patrick is such a key, key character in Jamie Johnson and he has taken on so many different things, so right from the beginning. I remember Anita telling me Patrick embraced the idea because he felt it was so important. Genuinely, we knew the team, there might have been a few more question marks, but with this team we did not have any anxiety.

14:44:06 Anita and Amy in presentation and talked to the press and introducing it and Patrick introduced it and pushing to news rounds and also on social media kind of making sure there were links there to child life or the other kids that might be watching who were worried and going through new experiences. Across the piece, everyone was so empathetic that it might be a troublesome story line, and they did brilliant work to make sure it was embedded in the right way.

14:44:23 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Brilliant. Shaun, this one is for you. This person is called anonymous attendee, who I don't think is their real name, how important is it for LBGTQ stories to have a happy ending?

14:44:46 >> Shaun Duggan: Incredibly important, as far as I'm concerned. In the past, we have seen so many examples, you know, where there is a tragic ending and to be honest because that is reflected reality, because it has been in the past incredibly hard to be gay in this country. It was only in the 1960's, it was legal to be gay.

14:45:11 In the 80'S, we had the AIDS epidemic and you couldn't discuss being gay in school, so it is only in the past 20 or so years, we have been on this incredible journey and we are in a position now where we can tell these positive stories that reflect real people's lives.

14:45:31 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: I think when you grow up a gay teenager there is a lot of feeling that you won't have all of the things that people laid out for other people. I grew up thinking I'm not going to get married and not have kids and I'm going to be unhappy. Having hope.

14:46:11 >> Shaun Duggan: For me being able to tell it, I talked about being bullied at school. I was 21 before I came out. That ad less scents that most people have, I didn't have. It was stolen from me. It gives me so much hope that young people have the confidence to talk sexuality and build on those.

14:46:45 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: I'm being asked by Christopher, how have your peers responded to you playing this role? Obviously, Laquarn, you mentioned discrimination in industry. Have actors been supportive in what you have done? Lincoln people around me like my friends and family and people who watch have really supported me and and there is nothing far from like myself. Elliot is just like myself.

14:47:19 >> Laquarn Lewis: I -- so my friends have always been supportive, but I chose to wait until I left secondary school to tell them what my sexuality was, because I knew in secondary schools, if you are different in any way shape or form whether that is sexuality, disability, you will be brutalized and it is a horrible thing. I already knew I was going to wait until then. I was worried about my friends and what they would think as well.

14:47:46 When I told them, I have never seen such amazing support of people and doing this right now in the show, they have picked me up so much. They said the bravery it takes to be able to be open about your sexuality and then do this and silt just amazing and I thank everyone around me really.

14:47:51 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Patrick, anything to add or is that an impossible act to follow?

14:48:22 >> Patrick Ward: That is summed up perfectly. A different thing for me, this story line, but everybody around me has been very supportive. There are people I know, to be fair, from school or who you see out who haven't -- made comments, but as a reality, for me, you have conversations about this and able to express and I think it has been already.

14:48:43 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Someone sells asking, when you're doing a story line like this, are you given any help or claiming in terms or warnings about how to deal with the response afterwards on social media? It is hard to know what things are going to be like, right?

14:49:12 >> Laquarn Lewis: Yeah, we have had Zoom sessions with Anita and Shaun and BBC, everyone involved in making Jamie Johnson and particularly, this storyline, they have given us guidelines and a draft response to people who are giving us hate and BBC says we don't respond to this. We have been helped really well.

14:49:50 >> Patrick Ward: I think that is spot on that it has been interesting that I have been doing this for quite a while and I remember being 12 and in a room and talking about social media before I had ever been on TV and people saying, this is -- you're going to have this kind of response and this kind of thing and I remember being mind blown. It now a part of reality on how to respond with these things. I have a strict code of conduct with my social media and mostly what we have had ha fantast

14:50:26 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: There is one question that has been asked more than anything else, so we're going to save it to the end. We're going to go to a tough one and Shaun and Anita, you are probably best place to ask this. Someone said a line that jumped out to me, I think this is in the scene with Dillon and his dad, you are gay or you're not. Should we be telling people that identities aren't binary?

14:50:52 >> Shaun Duggan: I think with that line, you're writing truthfully from Dillon's dad's perspective. He hasn't got this great understand on of the subject and it is the kind of thing that he might say and not everyone is 100% gay. A lot of people are, a lot of people aren't, a lot of people in the middle.

14:51:32 Dillon is actually trying to tell his dad the truth and his dad is making it as difficult as possible for him, so I think I would rather focus on the positive message and the scenes that we have between Dillon and Elliot, where there was so much positive materials spoken about rather than focusing on Dillon's dad, who at this stage is homophobic and ignorant and a bigot, really.

14:52:05 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: This question is from a teacher and she says if she teaches things about homophobia or transgender issues, she gets parents saying she is trying to make them that way and we hear this quite a lot, right? If you tell people about transgender people, you're going to make them transgender. She is asking, have you had any of that or generally people been a lot lovier?

14:52:38 >> Shaun Duggan: If I could just say from my perspective on that, again, talking about what I was saying earlier, from being born to 12-13, I did not see any gay representation on TV I did not know what gay people were. I still became gay. If you go on that lodge you can, I should be an heterosexual, because I should have been inspired by boys and girls, but I wasn't. I still became gay.

14:52:54 You have to be careful when you have the debates, don't you of just having an open mind. At the end of the day, you know instinctively what you are from an a young age.

14:53:23 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Begs the question, if I watch enough "Game of Thrones" will by a weird person and run around with a spear in my hand? Not sure how that works. This question is for Cheryl from Miriam. She says in children's media, it can be hard to get certain things to air. With this story line, you had to tweak it or limit it in order for it to get to that stage or were you allowed to be fairly free with it?

14:53:57 >> Cheryl Taylor: Thanks for your question, Miriam. I think that goes back to the one we answered earlier, which was, I think the teams, s Anita and Amy and Shaun were looking at getting the story across in an age appropriate way. We is 6-12, so we need to make sure it is age appropriate.

14:54:38 Generally, there are some things I get exercised about, along with Katherine McAllister and I think pat and Laquarn was mentioning and we talked to her if we worried about a story line. Because this one, series five, coming from Shaun's personal experience and a specialty team, I didn't have any concerns about that.

14:55:12 >> Anita Burgess: Can I jump in as well, because I think it is important that people can understand how the producer coming to the BBC with this story, it wasn't something that we thought oh, we're not going to be able to do that. We knew the team would be very willing to talk to us and they did and we had a very in-depth discussion all the way along the line, they were incrediblably supportive of making sure this is age appropriate and the clarity was there, but the truth was there.

14:55:31 I think all credit it to the BBC if there is a perception that there is something you can't do there, that is not the case. There is always a conversation to be had there and they have been enormously supported right from the start.

14:55:50 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Hugo, young footballers coming through as teenagers, do they get a good education in being open minded? I can't remember how much they are in school and how much they are not at school. How do young sports people get taught how to be open minder?

14:56:17 >> Hugo Scheckter: I don't think we teach them to be open minded, I think we teach them a variety of life skills that leads them to being open minds, which was the idea. They are meeting people that they would not have met through their normal lives and I think that is a positive experience, but we also make sure everything we are doing that is appropriate and talk about the social media guidelines that the actors go through.

14:56:43 We go through the same thing, not only in the things they put out, but what they receive and we have had a number of issues with various comments getting to our players and having to deal with that. I think you can't maybe teach -- you can teach open mindness, but that is not our goal. Our goal is to make well-rounded people who are also excellent footballers.

14:57:06 We haven't seen issues in the any of the clubs I worked with where players are not accepting each other or having problems with each other it. Tends to be they competed on a position, where two goalkeepers competing for one position, but not the personality of the major clashes that happens at younger ages.

14:57:25 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: I reckon apart from the one person who is asking if they can play football with Patrick, we have time for two more questions. Laquarn, Patrick, what have you learned from filming these scenes?

14:57:49 >> Patrick Ward: I think a lot. These are the scenes I was looking forward to the most. When you get the scripts, especially the ones, obviously we rehearsed a lot, but I learned a lot as an actor and I am not able to prescription it very well because it is an organic process and try to embed yourself into it.

14:58:01 I like to think of it being modern and I think you learn a lot from this kind of thing, especially as a new actor.

14:58:04 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Laquarn, over to you.

14:58:40 >> Laquarn Lewis: I think it is -- it shows a way of how somebody can cope with coming out and how they deal with telling people and stuff and what I have learned from filming this and getting out there to people is, it doesn't have to be someone on the screen. You can be the person in real life to support your friend. All it takes you to ask them if they are OK and they might all of a sudden tell you that or anything.

14:58:55 If you just support people around you then you know it is something to help them that little bit more to be themselves.

14:59:11 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: So the last question of the night, the question that everyone is asking in this Q&A and we have to ask wow getting in trouble, is Elliot coming back? Who is answering that question?

14:59:28 >> Anita Burgess: I guess that is me, isn't it? We're hopeful. Things are in the process at the moment. Things aren't completely finished yet, but we're hopeful to find a way of continuing it somehow.

14:59:33 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: Laquarn, you're in luck. It is a night to celebrate.

14:59:35 >> Anita Burgess: He might not want to.

14:59:37 >> Laquarn Lewis: I would. I would.

15:00:14 >> Alex Kay-Jelski: There you go. It is a job acceptance live on air. Thank you so much all of you for your time, your questions, your excellent answers. I have enjoyed it and I hope you have as well. There are a lot of people struggling out there, as well, if you know them, I recommend the charities, it takes so much work to help people in relation to storylines like this, absolutely massive.

#Jamie Johnson #Patrick Ward #Laquarn Lewis #Dillon Simmonds #Elliot #Anita Burgess #Shaun Duggan #BAFTA #transcript #they'll probably upload the whole thing but just in case #this is the official transcript and it has some mistakes #I fixed some I caught but...

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dramaclover · 4 years

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Ending & Thoughts: Brutally Young

This was a drama I’ve been looking forward to watch since it was announced. It had a uniquely fresh cast. An awesome sounding storyline and intriguing drama title. The Chinese title roughly translates into “Confession of Murder: 18 Years Later”. I wish the English title was similar to it.

Okay acting wise, it’s pretty good. Mostly solid actors in this drama. One thing I’m confused about was the amount of praised that went towards Shaun Tams portrayal of Sam. Sam was a character that always stayed calm and smart. So Shaun didn’t really show his emotions. It didn’t involve a lot of acting skills? His voice was monotone the whole time. His facial expressions weren’t that impressive. I honestly think his acting here is no different from when he was in “The Stunt”. His character there was also just calm. But I think why people think he was great is cause of the character he protrayed. Sam ultimately became the underdog you wanted to root for. He had a strong sense of justice despite what happened 18 years ago. He was severely loyal, one of the biggest reason he never turned himself in is cause he didn’t want to drag the others with him. And you just felt bad for his character, he’s just as much as a victim. And we saw how he spiraled out of control cause of his guilt. The character is what made the audience sympathize him and looked beyond Shauns acting. I’ve always said acting doesn’t matter, what matters is what character you get. If Michael Tse never gotten the role of “Laughing gor” he’d still be acting in supporting roles. Hugo Wong was casted as the charming Caesar in “Airport Strikers” and guess what? Everyone forgot about what a douchebag he is in real life from cheating with a married woman to impregnating a fan. And so this also falls under the category of “likeable character with mediocre acting”. I mean Shaun Tam wasn’t bad, but he’s not Best Actor material that everyone says he is. I still think he was very wooden, he was only good towards the end when he was going crazy with guilt.

Mandy Wong was highly praised by the staff, so I was waiting to see the powerful acting they were raving about. I didn’t see it. I kept watching every episode to see it, but I never did. When she lost her Mom and was upset about her Dad... I didn’t feel her pain. Like I felt bad but not enough that it effected me. And her character went from super confident to strong to just being blind to everything else. Was it cause of her love for Sam? Was it cause losing her Mom effected the way she thinks? I don’t know but I was very disappointed that her character didn’t do more, she just took a backseat during the rest of the last episodes.

I was shocked that Elvina Kong had such a small role. It wasn’t even a special character and she got killed off so quickly. Vivien Yeo, Griselda Yeung we’re pretty useless characters. They were literally there for the sake of mandatory love interests. As much as I loved Viviens portrayal of Ah Seen as a deaf woman, her character was a bore. Sometimes her story with Joel’s Ah Yat didn’t mesh well with the drama. In fact I’m still wondering when Ah Yat even fell for her. I thought I missed an episode. Ah Seen always had a crush on him but for Ah Yat it came out of nowhere. I wish they had just taken out the romance factors and just stuck with bromance instead.

The bromance was what made me continue to watch. It was so fun to see the friends meet up again. Especially when Chui Siu shows up. The mini flashbacks to when they were all at high school hanging out together, shooting basketballs, and eating out it shows what a tight knit group of friends they were. They were so tight that they were willing to bury the body together as to not let any one of their friends get in trouble. And it shows even though they haven’t seen each other in 18 years, they were able to pick up where they left off. It just sucks how haunted they are from the incident years ago. I wonder if that night, they had all just sat down and talked to each other about what just happened... what would change? If Ah Yat had said “No I did not murder him, when I got here he was already dead”. What would’ve happened? Would they believe Ah Yat and call the cops? Would they be afraid of each other since that means between the 7 of them one was a murderer that was willing to pin it on someone else? Ah Yat, was such an amazing character. He took the blame all these years, when he didn’t even know who actually did it. He just thought one of the 7 did it but was too scared to admit to it, so he helped him. The friendship dynamic was interesting and I had wished that all 7 had gotten back together before the killing started. It would’ve been horror movie-esque if one by one they died. Unfortunately the first friend was killed off before the 5 could successfully gather together. While the second friend was murdered before meeting the final friend Daan Taat. So technically it was the 4 of them that remained in touched and trying to solve the mystery form 18 years ago. The 4 of them would cover for each other not just cause they’re scared of getting exposed but because they genuinely don’t want to see one another go to jail. I was especially touched by how Ah Yat was willing to go through lengths for his friends. 100% loyalty even though his character got the tragic ending.

The first 2 weeks were soooo gripping. They would show partial flashbacks of what happened that night. And on the side they’re trying to figure out why their friends are getting murdered. Absolutely what a thriller should be. But. But then they revealed the killer. Which I thought was too early, so I thought there would be a plot twist (there wasn’t any). I thought maybe Sam had a split personality disorder and was actually the murder. But that wasn’t it. It turned out to be a random schoolmate he invited to the bbq out of awkwardness. I got goosebumps when they suddenly remembered how there was an 8th person there that night. They were so caught up with the moment they completely forgot about him. After it was revealed he was the killer, the thriller factor was no longer there. It then shifted focus on to Sams murder and how he’s slowly going to the dark side. Which wasn’t that interesting to watch as we saw Mandys character getting more and more dumb. I really thought there would be more to the story from 18 years ago. Like maybe the person they buried wasn’t actually dead yet. Or it was actually an accidental death or something. But nope, there wasn’t any twists the mystery just got solved early. I also wished they had shown more flashbacks of the night. Like 7 different flashbacks to show the perspective of the 7 boys. It would’ve been thrilling to watch.

I knew from the beginning Ah Yat would die. He had all the characteristics in the making of someone who has to die in the end. Number 1, he’s in the triad. He’s never gonna make it out alive. Even if you quit and go into hiding, they will find you. You could never really “retire” from that life. Number 2, he’s that obligatory best friend of the lead that is fearlessly loyal. And number 3, he got his girlfriend preggo. In TVB world that means you’re public enemy number 1 and must die. I just didn’t calculate he would die from stopping Ah Yat from stabbing someone else. What good would that do? He still has to go to jail for stabbing you to death. Stabbing him or stabbing you it’s still murder. And if you think he’ll have “less regret” cause you’re the one that dies, is just wrong thinking. If anything it makes him even more regretful. He killed his best friend. You can’t even say “it’s cause of Ah Yats death he turned himself in” cause he didn’t. He got surrounded by cops and then got locked up. The end. He couldn’t spin his story. He had to tell the truth. So he didn’t “redeem” himself. They should’ve showed Ah Yat helping Sam get away and then succumb to his injuries. Let Sam go into hiding and have him think it through before coming out and surrendering instead. That would’ve been more impactful and redeeming.

I wonder if TVB ever decided to go down an alternative dark route. And when I say that, I mean Sam murders his girlfriend and her Dad because they now know the secret. His 3 friends arrive to see what he has done. What happens? The 4 of them buries the bodies, to defend his friend. That would’ve been full circle. First time, they did it cause they thought it happened. This time, they do it even after knowing what really happened. A testament of friendship and what they are willing to do for each other. But yeah. That ending would’ve been super controversial and might give some viewers nightmare. It would definitely be too dark but would’ve been such a compelling ending.

It actually ends with Sam going to jail for manslaughter, illegal disposal of body and forgery of documents. Even though he should be in jail for at least 40+ years he gets out after 25 years. Which is honestly realistic cause barely any criminals serve the full years they are given. When he gets out we learned his ex girlfriend resigned from her work and her father died. His friend Ah Fu was working at his Sushi restaurant but has retired and gotten married. Daan Taat passed away a year later after he went to jail. After Chiu Sui served his time in jail he moved to Thailand where he settled down and had a family. It ends with a wholesome alternate ending of what would’ve happened if back then they had called the cops instead. And in it they stayed friends all these years while also being alive and well instead of being overwhelmed with guilt. I love the statement Sam said which was “admitting to your mistakes lasts only a second, but having a guilty conscience lasts a lifetime”.

The 7 boys were so innocent. It was supposed to be a fun night out until Song Si came out of nowhere and started belittling them. Which lead to a fight and them splitting up in the woods. Seeing his dead body caused them to be so confused of what to do. Instead of figuring out what happened they just buried him. And the weight of the guilt followed them to the point they stopped being friends all these years. All this happened cause they didn’t want one of their friends to go to jail for murder. When the truth is none of them murdered Song Si. So it ended up with them being a victim too. In a way I’m glad TVB went down the route of a happy non-twisted ending instead. The 7 of them made a mistake back then and cause of that they suffered. At least the 3 still alive was able to serve their time and come back out to start over.

It’s not a drama filled with plot twists or backstabbing. But a human drama and the mistakes, the guilt, and the punishment that carries on you. The beginning was great, the ending episodes fell flat but it was still a great watch. And so far, this is the only good TVB drama this year. I wish this drama got more recognition it deserves.

#TVB #TVB drama #Brutally Young #HKdrama

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popwasabi · 5 years

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“Little Monsters” Review: Wait, this movie isn’t about Lupita killing zombies??

Directed by Abe Foresythe

Starring: Alexander England, Lupita Nyong’o, Josh Gad

No one would blame you if you thought Hulu’s “Little Monsters” was going to be about Lupita Nyong’o

After all, the viral campaign featured her heavily on both the movie’s poster and trailer leading us all to believe we were going to get a heaping helping of the Oscar-winning actress getting her turn to kick zombie ass in Australia.

youtube

(Seriously!)

But what ends up happening in the end is a fairly run of the mill zombie comedy that, though entertaining, isn’t even about Nyong’o’s character, instead kicking the tires on some tired tropes within its comedic sub-genre with a far less captivating character.

Nyong’o does her very best though to lift “Little Monsters” average script and makes it worth the stream alone but feels ultimately like a missed opportunity to tell a more interesting story and an ultimately more fun zombie comedy.

(^A more fun zombie comedy)

“Little Monsters” follows Dave, a washed-up, loser musician who’s been kicked out of his house by his girlfriend for not understanding her feelings regarding child-rearing. He moves into his sister’s house and finds himself in the care of his nephew who’s picked on at school. When Dave discovers his nephew’s school teacher Ms. Caroline he immediately becomes infatuated with her and works up a plan to win her affection by volunteering to go on a class field trip to a petting zoo with the class. When they get there however it appears things have gone horribly wrong as a nearby American military base accidentally unleashes a zombie horde on the class and now Dave and Ms. Caroline must work to stay alive and keep the kids spirits high.

The modern zombie genre is now over 40 years old with dozens of movies and TV shows sprinkled between George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” and AMC’s seemingly undying “The Walking Dead.” With a few notable exceptions here and there since 1968 such as “Shaun of the Dead” and “Train to Busan,” the genre has grown as stale as the shambling corpses its protagonist shoot, stab, smash and murder has grown more and more repetitive over the years. There’s been some attempts at really outlandish ideas such as making the zombies romantic interests in “Warm Bodies,” and making a Christmas musical out of them in “Anna and the Apocalypse” but even those films couldn’t escape many of the tropes we see over and over again in these movies.

(”Anna and the Apocalypse” does have some decent show-stopping tunes though.)

“Little Monsters,” in the trailers at least, appeared to be attempting something new. What if a school teacher had to play dumb in front of her kindergarten students while the apocalypse raged around her? How can the eternal optimism, patience and responsibility needed to control 20 plus ignorant, unattentive, needy, clingy children hold up against the ravenous undead?

There was potential for a very interesting take on a tired genre of film here but director Abe Forsythe bafflingly decides the lead of this film should instead be another mediocre white man who needs the help and charisma of a far more charming female character to learn the power of responsibility and fweelings.

Alexander England isn’t bad per se in his portrayal of Dave but his character is just the same irritating schmuck we all see in these types of movies and frankly not a good person. He’s Safeway brand Shaun of the Dead but without Simon Pegg’s impeccable charm or more importantly Edgar Wright’s directorial finesse and brilliance. He’s a loser but far from the lovable kind as the film seems to think comedy through this character should revolve all around dropping multiple F-bombs and lazy casual sexism at every moment.

Meanwhile, Lupita plays a far more entertaining protagonist who’s relegated to side character in the middle of this catastrophe. She sings, laughs, dances and is just perfect playing this character as she charms her students into believing their playing a “game” of tag with the voracious undead clawing at their windows. How any director could think this character played by an Oscar-winning actress should play out as simply a love interest for such a mediocre hero is just beyond comprehension.

What makes it so infuriating is there are glimpses of how much better this movie could’ve been written throughout the story had they focused on Lupita’s Ms. Caroline instead. Ms. Caroline is eternally optimistic for her students but she alludes to a more pained past at multiple points during the film. She talks about how she caught her ex fiance cheating on her and how she wears her engagement ring still as a defense mechanism to men who keep hitting on her. This all happening while England’s Dave continues to be an insufferable jackass.

The script could’ve worked with that immensely; make it about how Lupita is hiding her pain by pretending, much like how she’s doing with the children in front of the zombies. Talk about how she see’s the need for positivity no matter what, beyond just being there for her kids even in these horrible circumstances because its the only way she can function without falling apart. The movie could’ve really worked with this through the lens of the zombie genre to great comedic affect but again, bafflingly decides the movie is best viewed through the eyes of a frankly shitty white dude.

This all said the movie is fun enough and plenty cute given the children’s often innocent reactions to the carnage around them and Josh Gadd’s puts in a fun short performance as a children’s TV show host who just can’t take it anymore. If you have Hulu there are worst things you can do for an hour a half of your time. As mentioned, Lupita is infuriatingly relegated to a side character in this film but she nonetheless delivers and makes the whole film worth it in the end.

“Little Monsters” is still a missed opportunity in the decaying landscape of the zombie genre and its unfortunate that not even a talented actress such as Lupita could win out the starting protagonist job on such a small movie.

(Seriously, again, how dare you?)

But that’s how it is unfortunately. Despite some major strides in story-telling in Hollywood the last few years, plenty of director’s still think the audience will only enjoy it if its told through the lens of an uninteresting white man in place instead of the far more interesting supporting character, who do tend to be women and people of color.

Hopefully this trope dies along with the tired clichés of the zombie genre in the coming years, lest we have to suffer its shambling corpse again.

Not Holding my breath though…

VERDICT:

3 out of 5

You said it, Rick...

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judefan813-blog · 4 years

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felassanis · 5 years

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Everything I love about Assassin’s Creed

1. Ezio da la la la

2. If you idle for long enough in Odyssey Ikaros comes and lands on Alexios’s/Kassandra’s arm and then alexios/Kassandra will greet him.

3. Edward’s outfit is by far my favourite Assassin robe. It looks so fooking cool.

4. Alkibiades

5. The first mission in Assassin’s Creed III. Finding the temple and it coming alive with all the lights and the humming was so fucking cool and the theatre with Haytham was such a good way to start the game, I loved the environment that went with the theatre and the parkour was really good too, everything was good even though I had no idea why we were there in the first place lol.

6. SHAUN HASTINGS

7. Edward’s tattoos being the only reason why I go whaling in AC:Black flag

8. The dynamic between Jacob and Evie, I’ve always wanted a twin duo in a game and Jacob and Evie Frye were awesome and y’all keep sleeping on them.

9. The different colour schemes in Assassin’s Creed 2 for the different cities gave the locations their own feel and vibe and it differentiated them from each other while also ensuring that the landscapes were utterly gorgeous. For example, Venice had cooler colours, very blue and silver while Florence was warmer, with more orange and brown thrown into the mix. It really gave those maps their own identity and it was great.

10. All of Lineage. all of it, it was flipping fantastic and I know it’s not a game but it was brilliant and the other Assassin’s Creed movie will never top it despite Michael Fasbender being in it.

11. That cutscene in Black Flag where Blackbeard lights his beard on fire, I love that historical accuracy because it was very likely true and it’s so SO bad-fucking-ass

12. Alkibiades

13. How quickly I fell in love with Frederico Auditore despite the fella only having about 5 lines.

14. Also just how quickly I came to love the Auditore family, that was how well written they were, that I fell in love after 30 minutes with them.

15. LEONARDO DA VINCI

16. Desmond Miles’s snark.

17. ‘Hey whatta matta with you altair,’

18. SHAUN HASTINGS

19. How buffy Kassandra is

20. The hookblade was actually amazing in Revelations and I’m in full support that it shouldbe brought back. The noise it made was also oddly satisfying too?

21. The Glyphs in AC2 were spooky and ominous and I refused to do the last mission until I had found all of them and uncovered the Truth. Because that entire side quest was full of anticipation and the creepy vibe the Glyphs gave off and how the footage of Adam and Eve was cut up and glitchy was just really interesting and it peaked with a climax.

22. LEONARDO DA VINCI

23. The golden beads in Alexios’s hair.

24. And Alexios just being an overall gorgeous human being who’s face was chiselled by the gods.

25. The flying machine mission in AC2 while really aggravating if you didn’t do it the first time was also really fun and getting to see Leonardo all giddy and happy made it worth it.

26. I don’t know if it’s just me? but Connor’s hair? like I know for a fact that I like men with long hair but something about his hair and the feather intertwined into it was just really appealing? and while I know why Connor shaved his hair I couldn’t help but screech when he did lmao but that’s because it’s obviously not my tradition and it’s abnormal to me. pfft

27. Revelations is one of the best AC games and I’ll fight anyone on this. It was phenomenal given how it finally concluded Ezio’s story (and remember Ezio was the face of the franchise for years and he was fan favourite and still is so there were some pressure and expectations) and how it also concluded Altair’s story.

28. Altair wasn’t that interesting in the original game but Revelations added depth and layers to his characters and made him way more intriguing. The game also gave this character important significance to the lore and I think that’s the perfect way to honour the guy who started it all. As much as we love Ezio, Altair came before and without him, Assassin’s Creed wouldn’t quite be the way it was today. (although it’s up to you if that’s a bad thing or not lmao)

29. And seeing Ezio old and matured, becoming this wise legend of a man was really cool and getting to play as him in his final journey was both heartbreaking but satisfactory.

30. I have to give a massive applause to Ubisoft for making Leonardo gay as well in Brotherhood prominently. I don’t think it was ever proven historically if he was? but it was rumoured? and yet Ubisoft went and made it canon giving that representation while also having Ezio outright say he’s okay with Leonardo dating men?! Like, in that time period if you were gay you could go to prison and the general view of homosexuality was that of disgust and yet Ezio is just here supporting his best friend? hell yes.

31. ALKIBIADES

32. I have certain feelings with Unity, but I won’t lie that the parkour was spot on in that game.

33. Gideon Emery....just Gideon Emery as Reginald Birch. The character’s a massive prick but god...that voice.

34. Connor mentioning his grandfather Edward as he’s sailing the Aquila.

35. Getting to see the wreck of the Jackdaw in Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry was gut-wrenching.

36. Finally getting to pet animals in ACIII.

37. Finally getting to feed pigs in a video game ^^

38. SHAUN HASTINGS

39. OKay, I like Shaun because the guy is really entertaining and he’s British like me and I need to see this fucker in future games again...because after Syndicate he just vanishes and we got...Fucking Layla ugh.

40. The Naval combat in Black Flag is unmatched, fighting other ships never felt like a chore and it was fun and thrilling and the rewards felt deserving. And the feeling of taking down your first Man’o War is RIVETING.

41. Rebecca calling the Animus ‘Baby’

42. She’s another character I want to see come back. And she and Shaun better come back and be alive.

43. Lucy being a Templar was a plot twist I never saw coming but I was all for that angst especially when it seemed like they were setting up what I thought was the inevitable Desmond x Lucy romance. But I guessed wrong.

44. Yusuf Tazim being the joy and light of Revelations. fuck you Ubisoft

45. Ezio’s family theme song is the most iconic video game songs ever.

46. The introduction of Alkibiades in Odyssey, what a great way to introduce a character. like seriously, I fell in love with that fucker the moment he started speaking and felt up Kassandra’s arms while being half naked and wasted.

47. Bayek being a breath of fresh air in wonderfully written complex characters whose story was powerful and tragic. He needs a sequel.

48. Assassins Creed Brotherhood’s trailer being iconic.

49. When returning to Florence to retrieve the apple and you bring Ezio back to his old home only to see the ghosts of his entire family waiting for him. I was gobsmacked when that happened and it’s such a beautiful detail.

50. Mary Read/James Kidd being one of the best characters in Black Flag and leader in the ‘did not deserve it’ club. Every minute of her was flipping terrific and her significance in Edward’s story as one of the driving points that turned him into a better man was great.

51. I cried at the end of Black Flag.

52. The little text about Shaun sobbing when you look at the database on Desmond the dog in Syndicate.

53. The lip scar being shared between Desmond, Ezio and Altair was a cool detail.

54. The interchangeable cloaks in ACII.

55. Henry Green was so soft, kind and lovely and I honestly adore him.

56. Cane swords in Syndicate WERE AWESOME

57. NO fall damage in Odyssey. Keep this feature I don’t care how impossible it is for me to survive a jump off of a giant statue of a naked god it’s cool and I want it for every other game about to be released.

58. If you walk through grass in Origins Bayek sticks his hand out like that scene in Gladiator.

59. The scene in ACII Where Ezio uncovers his father’s robes from the chest and holds it up, It’s an incredible scene and the music fits so well with it and if you’ve watched Lineage it’s all the more amazing.

60. Rosa being pretty and terrifying in ACII.

61. The Bleeding effect being that other thing in lore that is SO BLOODY INTRIGUING and I wish it was explored a bit more. Can you actually imagine having the bleeding effect? where you can’t tell the past and the present apart? where you see ghosts from the past and hear voices no one else hears? jesus,..

62. getting answers about Clay/Subject 16. Ever since he left that writing in the wall with his own blood I was hooked on his story and thank god we got answers and a face to the legendary name. I wouldn’t mind more of him though.

63. I’ve always been fascinated with Native Americans and finally getting to explore them a bit more in ACIII proved to be interesting and I hope it was satisfactory representation for Native Americans.

64. finally getting to play in the present day in assassin’s creed brotherhood and 3, like actually getting to run around and explore as Desmond.

(I did a post like this on my old blog and I’ve rewrote them on here but I also got some new things, I just like having a post like this on my blog and I like seeing people who also agree with these brilliant features in this franchise, you can pretty much tell which two games are my favourite lol, Black Flag and 2 will always have a special place in my heart,)

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teamhawkeye · 4 years

Note

evens for deckard? :3

2. What trait does your SS like best about themselves? (Eyes, guitar skills, random prewar facts, etc)

- Deckard’s always been rather proud of her eye color, which is just a shade shy of golden. It’s always been rather distinctive and unique and it was a trait Shaun inherited from her - which is what helps her recognize him when they’re finally reunited.

4. Is your SS good at keeping secrets?

- Yes. She’s good at concealing her emotions and is generally cool under pressure so keeping her own and others secrets has never been an issue for her.

6. Does your SS wear light or heavy armour?

- Both. For the most part, she’ running around in light armor, but she uses Power Armor enough that it strikes a fairly even balance

8. Your prewar SS is given a full-ride scholarship to any college they could want to go to. Where do they go and what do they major in?

- So Deckard did go to college pre-war, but only for a year before she dropped out. It was always her desire to give it another try after having Shaun and giving him time to grow a bit more; with a full-rise scholarship, she’d have wanted to go to CIT, ironically enough (i’m guessing it’s the Fallout equivalent to MIT, since that one is never mentioned) and study engineering, which she always had an amazing aptitude for, even without much schooling in it

10. Would your SS prefer to live in the Sanctuary Hills, Diamond City, or the on their own somewhere?

- Sanctuary Hills. It’s all she really has left so she’ll stick there for the time being

12. Would your SS play by the rules in a fight or take cheap shots?

- Cheap shots. Deckard fights dirty - she’s short and lightweight, so speed and tactics are what she uses to keep her edge in a fight

14. Happy birthday! What kind of present would your SS want prewar and postwar?

- Postwar, she loved anything to do with music. Nate had gotten her a new guitar the year after they met and it was something she treasured immensely. After the war, it’s still music, but anything more in line with records, holotapes, CDs - anything that would have survived from the old world into the new.

16. Your SS crawls out of the cryopod! Where do they go first and what do they do?

- She heads straight for Sanctuary Hills and collapses in her house, consumed with grief and despair for what has befallen the world. Deckard takes some scissors to her hair, unable to cope with how long and bothersome it is and absolutely butchers it until Codsworth comes along and consoles her and works towards evening out her work and making her look at least somewhat presentable

18. Something that makes your SS laugh without fail?

- Bad jokes, the kind that Codsworth and Deacon are prone to making. Even if it’s not a full-blown laugh, it’ll still get a smile or a soft chuckle out of her

20. A obscure/ridiculous fear your SS has?

- Those monkey-with-cymbal toys. It seemed silly pre-war, when she didn’t see them too, too often, but post-war when they’ve been converted into motion sensors and detectors by Raiders and such makes them all the more menacing to her.

22. Does your SS get frustrated by peoples postwar manners? Or lack there of…

- Oh, absolutely. Deckard can’t stand some of the rudeness and callousness people have in the wasteland - anyone choosing to be a Raider especially she can’t ever see eye to eye with, seeing that as absolute barbarism.

24. Something you like that your SS would hate?

- I’m legit blanking out here, so i’m gonna say “fish”, in the context of eating it, lmao. And i wouldn’t say Deckard hated eating fish, she just got tired of it, since that’s huge up in New England and she’d have had it all the time. She comes to miss it, however, post-war when fresh non-irradiated fish is all but history and regrets taking it for granted.

26. Does your SS have good or bad posture?

- Somewhere in the middle, leaning towards bad. She slouches a lot, so it doesn’t help her posture much

28. Does your SS a believe any of what the Children of Atom tell them?

- I’ve never played Far Harbor, so i’m just gonna base this off my interactions with the CoA in the Glowing Sea and say “no”.

30. What is your SS’s favorite drink? Prewar and postwar!

- Whiskey for both. She’s always been a heavy liquor drinker

32. Would your SS like you if they met you?

- I’d like to think she would. I try and pull my own weight and be helpful and i have a bit of a sarcastic streak so i think she could at the very least appreciate me at moments, haha

34. Is your SS a nail biter?

- Fortunately, no, lol.

36. Your SS’s favorite postwar clothing to wear?

- Kellogg’s outfit. She kept her vault suit all the way up until her confrontation with him and then swapped it out for his leather jacket and armor

38. Random Radstorm! How does your SS react?

- If she’s in her Power Armor, Deckard would just stay the course. But if she’s sans armor, then she’s popping some Rad-X and looking for shelter to take cover in until it passes

40. What superpower would your SS want if they could have any?

- Super strength. Deckard would want the power to make change and fight back and

42. Does your SS try to stay clean? Or do they embrace the wasteland?

- She does her best to stay relatively clean, but a tiny bit of dirt isn’t going to drive her mad.

44. Can your SS sleep if there’s any kind of light / noise?

- Yes. In the beginning, Deckard had trouble sleeping under a faulty roof, on a ruined mattress, or simply under the stars and out in the open. However, with time, she adjusts to the new reality she finds herself in and can sleep just about anywhere with loud noise or light shining in; this becomes readily apparent after arriving down in the Institute and she has trouble adjusting to the dark and quiet in the room they have available for her to stay in.

46. A word that your SS can’t stand?

- Impossible. “Never tell me the odds,” she’d like to quote in response.

48. Would the Commonwealth call your SS a good guy or a bad guy? What would they say they are?

- Good guy. She’s been friend to both Brotherhood and Railroad, and as the General of the Minutemen and took out the Institute under its banner and has helped to found over a dozen settlements for wastelanders looking for shelter, food, and community could flock to. Deckard doesn’t see herself as a good person, after ultimately killing her own son in order to procure peace and stop the Institute for good

50. What is your SS’s postwar happy place?

- As close as a happy place as she can get is outside of Vault 111, up on the hill overlooking Sanctuary Hills

thanks for asking! ❤️

#Sole Survivor Deckard Grant #foofygoldfish

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junker-town · 3 years

Text

Ayo Dosunmu is the star Illini basketball always needed

How Chicago native Ayo Dosunmu left a lasting legacy at Illinois.

Ayo Dosunmu put on an all black outfit when he woke up to go to school on October 19, 2017. He changed his Twitter avatar to a blank black box, and so did the rest of his large, supportive family that had been visible throughout the recruiting process. Dosunmu had whittled down his college choice to Illinois and Wake Forest, and he wasn’t about to give any clues before he revealed his decision at the Jordan Brand store in the heart of downtown Chicago.

Dosunmu was considered the top basketball player in the city and a borderline five-star prospect depending on which recruiting service you trusted. He was exactly the type of recruit that had broken the spirit of Illini fans so many times before.

Illinois basketball didn’t always feel like a punchline, but it had become one in the years following its 2005 Final Four run. Illinois captivated the country behind Dee Brown, Deron Williams, and Luther Head, but it couldn’t turn an iconic team into future wins on the recruiting trail. It started to feel like making the Illini your second choice was a rite of passage for top local recruits who were deciding where they would play college basketball.

Eric Gordon verbally committed to Illinois only to end up at Indiana. Jon Scheyer became a legend for his scoring outbursts at suburban Glenbrook North playing for the brother of Illinois coach Bruce Weber, but he still picked Duke over heading to Champaign. Sherron Collins and Julian Wright picked Kansas. Jalen Brunson picked Villanova. Cliff Alexander, then the No. 2 overall prospect in America out of Chicago’s Curie High School, mistakenly picked up an Illinois hat for a moment before revealing that he’d spend his lone college season in Lawrence. The reaction video of Illinois fans watching Alexander’s mishap felt like the program’s defining moment since the Final Four run.

Illinois fans remembered Shaun Livingston wearing an Illini jersey to school at nearby Peoria the day before picking Duke. They had pegged Quentin Snider and Jeremiah Tilmon as saviors only to see each renege on their oral commitments and eventually go to Louisville and Missouri, respectively, instead. The thought of a highly-touted recruit listing the Illini as a finalist was enough to trigger feelings of dread and resignation for anyone who cared about the program. These stories only ended one way.

Illinois coach Brad Underwood reportedly didn’t know Dosunmu’s intentions when the lights went off in the Jordan Brand store and a short video played thanking everyone who helped the point guard get to this point. Kanye West’s “Homecoming” blared from the speakers as the lights came on and Dosunmu entered the room wearing a white Illini polo. Illinois basketball, for once, didn’t come in second.

Three and a half years later, Dosunmu has become the best guard in college basketball, and maybe even its best player. He would have led Illinois to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2013 as a sophomore last season before Covid-19 stopped daily life as we know it. Now he has Illinois lined up for a No. 1 seed.

“I just felt that playing for my home state and investing in my home state meant more than it would at another school,” Dosunmu told SB Nation. “I thought I had a chance to do something special at Illinois.”

This is the impact Illinois basketball was always waiting for when it pinned its hopes and dreams on high schoolers who ultimately decided they’d rather play college basketball somewhere else. Dosunmu was the right player at the right time to finally make it happen.

Dosunmu started his high school career in Chicago playing at Westinghouse, a formerly proud program that had been relegated down to the inferior White division when he showed up as a freshman. The team appeared to be entering a rebuilding phase, but Dosunmu wouldn’t let that happen. He put up gaudy scoring numbers all season and led Westinghouse to a conference championship that put the school back to the Red division with the rest of the Public League powers.

Still, Dosunmu wanted to compete for state championships and knew he needed a bigger stage for that. He decided to transfer to Morgan Park, one of the city’s premier programs. The Mustangs were led by Nick Irvin, the boisterous and affable head coach whose family also runs the city’s top grassroots program on Nike’s EYBL circuit, the Mac Irvin Fire. Irvin had coached plenty of great players, but he quickly realized Dosunmu could be better than all of them.

“The first day of practice, I knew he had the chance to become one of the best players to ever come out of Chicago,” Irvin told SB Nation.

If Irvin saw his long-term potential, Dosunmu knew it wasn’t his team just yet. Morgan Park had a senior guard in Charlie Moore who was positioning himself as the top player in the city and a top 100 recruit nationally. Irvin pleaded with Dosunmu to take over more often offensively, but the sophomore was content to defend and distribute while Moore pushed for Mr. Basketball. Morgan Park was upset in the super-sectional round of the state playoffs, but Dosunmu’s reputation was starting to take off.

He debuted on the EYBL’s 17U level in the spring and started opening eyes. His first scholarship offer came from Illinois-Chicago and assistant coach Ron ‘Chin’ Coleman. Illinois and then-head coach John Groce offered shortly after. Before long, Dosunmu had gone from unranked to a top-40 recruit flirting with five-star status on some publications.

Suddenly, Dosunmu was crowned the next big thing in the city. With Moore off to play college ball at Cal, Morgan Park would be his team. Irvin says Dosunmu worked as hard as any player he’s ever been around heading into his junior year, often going from hours-long practices with Morgan Park straight into individual skill training with his father Quam. Irvin found a player who hated being coddled and wanted to be pushed to the limit by his coach.

“It’s either state championship or bust,” Irvin recalls telling Dosunmu. “It’s going to come down to you closing out games and closing out teams. I always told him people remember players that close games out like MJ and Kobe. His junior year, he won us a lot of games late.”

Now nearing 6’5 as a point guard, Dosunmu was becoming a takeover scorer who thrived going to the basket and was starting to make progress with an awkward-looking jump shot. He powered Morgan Park through the Public League gauntlet and into the state semifinals, where he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the first five minutes of the game. Morgan Park would win a state championship without him.

Dosunmu went back to the EYBL circuit months later and certified his borderline five-star status. USC, Xavier, NC State, and Wake Forest were all-in. Illinois had hired a new head coach in Brad Underwood, and he hired a new assistant: Chin Coleman, the same coach who gave Dosunmu his first scholarship.

Dosunmu and his family didn’t want to let speculation over his college decision hang over his senior year. He got together with his inner circle — his parents Jamarra and Quam, his sisters Joselynn and Khadijat, his brother Kube — and made a decision that felt natural for him.

“Illinois is our state program,” Dosunmu’s father told SB Nation. “We want Illinois to be on top. We believed we had the right pieces and could turn it around.”

“We like challenges. We like building things. We’re a hard working family. Illinois was a perfect fit.”

Dosunmu played through another leg injury as a senior, but he wasn’t going to let it keep him off the floor. After leading Morgan Park back to the state title game, he scored a record 28 points in the final outing to bring the Mustangs back-to-back championships.

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Dosunmu didn’t have much time to heal up after high school season — he was invited to try out for USA Basketball’s U18 team in the FIBA Americas Championship, made the team, and flew to Ontario for the competition. There, Dosunmu teamed with current NBA players Coby White, Cole Anthony, and Tyrese Maxey and finished sixth on the team in scoring as the Americans won the gold medal. It was another impressive accomplishment in his prep career, but his body never had much time to recover from nagging leg and ankle injuries.

Dosunmu was hailed as the Illini’s savior when he committed, but those around him sensed it wasn’t going to happen overnight. Illinois had lost two key players to transfer over the offseason in Mark Smith and Michael Finke, leaving a young team without much proven talent or depth in the front court.

Illinois was swept out of the 2018 Maui Invitational. It started 1-7 in Big Ten play and finished only above Nebraska and Northwestern in the conference. It had the second-worst defense in the Big Ten and an offense that ranked No. 83 in the country. This was a young team and a bad team by any measure, but there were flashes of the player Dosunmu would eventually become. He closed out a win against Michigan State with a pull-up three, and beat Ohio State with a catch-and-shoot triple from NBA range. He led the team in scoring, but his efficiency — 43.5 percent from the field, 69.5 percent from the foul line — left a lot to be desired.

Dosunmu was projected as a borderline first round pick throughout his freshman year. If some expected him to leave school for good, his father wasn’t one of them.

“He didn’t pass the eye test to me,” Quam Dosunmu said. “I knew he wasn’t ready for grown men at the time because his body hadn’t healed.”

Dosunmu made the surprising decision to announce his return to school without even testing the draft process. He was back for his sophomore season with a goal of going from top prospect to top player.

Illinois got a big boost going into the season with the commitment of Kofi Cockburn, a mammoth seven-foot, 290-pound center from Brooklyn by way of Jamaica. Cockburn provided a much needed infusion of talent as the No. 43 recruit in the RSCI while also filling Illinois’ biggest need. Finally, the Illini had a big man who could fortify the paint on defense and provide interior scoring.

The Illini lost close games to Maryland, Miami (FL), and Missouri to start the season, but things fully started to click in the heart of conference season. Illinois rattled off seven straight wins against Big Ten opponents during one stretch, and they closed the regular season as winners of five of six. Dosunmu was the catalyst and was fully growing into his reputation as one of the best closers in the sport.

He iced a win over Wisconsin with a step-back three. He finished off Northwestern with a deep pull-up. He used his size to bang home a 15-foot game-winner over Zavier Simpson and Michigan. He hit a bomb to beat Indiana and a mid-range shot to down Iowa. Dosunmu improved his scoring average to a team-best 16.6 points per game and was named All-Big Ten First Team. Illinois was ranked in the 30s in efficiency on both ends of the floor and set to get its first NCAA tournament bid since 2013.

Then the pandemic hit.

“We had a chance to win the Big Ten Tournament and I had a chance to improve my stock,” Donsumu said. “But Covid had other plans. I tried to accept it for what it was.”

Covid-19 changed life as we know it for everyone, but it felt particularly devastating for a 20-year-old on the precipice of accomplishing what he had worked so hard for. Again, Dosunmu had a decision to make: turn pro or return for his junior year. To hear his family tell it, he may have made a different choice if not for the pandemic.

“We’re a family of planners,” Quam said. “There was too many uncertainness that came with draft process, with the G League during Covid. We probably wouldn’t be doing an interview right now if not for the pandemic.”

Dosunmu himself also said it was a difficult question to answer:

“I pretty much took it one year at a time,” Dosunmu said. “Talking to my family, they really helped me make the best decision for myself and for my long-term future. My mom always told me you don’t have to save this family. We’re in a great financial situation. I think that allowed me to put in the work I needed.”

Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

The success Dosunmu has experienced as a junior is the direct result of a hard-charging offseason meant to transform his body and his skill set. He owes the former to Illinois strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher. The work didn’t stop after hours of lifting. Fletcher also overhauled Dosunmu’s diet and took it upon himself to see that the point guard was eating enough even when he didn’t have the appetite for it.

“Baked chicken, macaroni, mashed potatoes, salad,” Dosunmu recalls. “He’d give me a big plate and say you gotta eat all of this. It came a point where he would sit down at the table with me and watch me eat and make sure I digested it right.”

From the time he entered the program until now, Dosunmu says he put on at least 25 pounds of muscle. The player he is today wouldn’t be possible without it.

When it came to fine-tuning his skill set, Dosunmu went back to the only trainer he’s had his entire life: his family. His father Quam and his brother Kube worked to remake a three-point shot that bottomed out as a sophomore. For as good as Dosunmu was last season, he knew only making 29 percent of his three-pointers wasn’t going to cut it.

The elder Dosunmus recorded every shot Ayo was taking in his training sessions and compared it to what they saw in games. When they found an attempt that looked good, they would go back to the floor and try to replicate the mechanics with a focus on his elbows and follow through. They held him to a high standard, not considering each drill complete until he made 80 percent of his shots.

“It took so many long nights in the gym,” Dosunmu told SB Nation. “Frustrating nights. Threw so many balls all over the gym to get to the point where I got to now.”

Dosunmu has been one of the very best players in the country from the start of the season. Along the way, he’s helped make the Illini one of the country’s very best teams.

Underwood has spread the floor around the two-man game of Dosunmu and Cockburn with electric results. Pick-and-rolls including passes make up half of Dosunmu’s possessions, and Illinois has scored in the 88th percentile in the country on those play types. Dosunmu has thrived driving the ball to the basket since his high school days, but now he knows how to read pick-and-roll coverages as a passer and has more confidence in his pull-up shooting.

Almost every area of Dosunmu’s game has leveled up as a junior. His 30 percent assist rate is a career-best, up from 21 percent. He ended the regular season making 40 percent of his three-pointers, a massive improvement from last season, even if it’s still on modest volume. He’s getting to the line more than ever — a 34 percent free throw rate, up from 25 percent each of his first two years — and he’s making the freebies when he gets there. The point guard who was a 69 percent free throw shooter as a freshman now makes 78 percent from the foul line. He’s pulled off the impressive feat of having his most efficient scoring season (57.1 percent true shooting) while posting his highest usage rate (30 percent) yet.

Illinois has a top-10 offense and top-10 defense, one of only three teams in America that can say that. Right now, Dosunmu is the only player in the country to average more than 20 points, five assists, and six rebounds while shooting better than 50 percent on two-pointers and 40 percent on three-pointers.

The late game heroics have, of course, been there again. He hit a catch-and-shoot three to bury Indiana, a pull-up to beat Nebraska in overtime, an NBA-range three to finish off Northwestern, and a driving layup to defeat Ohio State.

Dosunmu made that last shot while wearing a black mask after suffering a broken nose at the end of a close loss against Michigan State. He doesn’t love how the mask affects his vision, but it has a way of making him look even more intimidating.

The Illini are finally back in the NCAA tournament, and they aren’t just happy to be there. With a likely No. 1 seed next to their name, Dosunmu is thinking about the Final Four and the national championship. Anything less will ultimately be a disappointment.

When asked why he broke the trend of hometown stars spurning the Illini, Dosunmu looked forward instead of backward.

“Five to 10 years from now, the legacy I leave at my home school will mean more than anywhere else.”

That legacy — one of the great players in the history of Illini basketball — has already been cemented. The final chapter just might be the best part yet.

0 notes

wasteland-reacts · 7 years

Note

i got you fam :3 *ahem* How would the F4 companions react to Sole getting them something they really wanted for their birthday, but were pretty sure they couldnt get it anyway? maybe they were too embarrassed to ask for it or its a hard item to find?

Thanks again for resending this! It is so cute! Thank you! :)

Cait: Sole heard Cait mention one time that she needed new clothes but wasn’t sure if it was worth it. So when Cait’s birthday was near, Sole went searching and found Cait a nice new shirt along with some ripped jeans and combat boots. Cait was really ecstatic when Sole gave her the present, surprised that Sole remembered that.

Codsworth: He would always complain about how he used to be so shiny and now he’s all rusty, which prompted Sole to search long and hard for good cleaning products. Since Codsworth doesn’t have a birthday, Sole decided to surprise him on the day they got him 200 years ago. Codsworth felt really happy while Sole washed him off and scrubbed him. He was still a bit rusty, but at least he now had some shine.

Curie: She’s a simple woman, just wants some cake. Curie always tries the Port-a-Diner’s, but she never gets it. Sole finds this funny and waits til Curie’s birthday is only a few days away to get the cake. When they present it to her, she squeals and says they can have half.

Danse: He once said he wanted to paint his Power Armor, but he lacks the artistic abilities. Sole, who is a pretty decent artist, paints flames on his armor and uncovers it the day of his birthday. Danse loves it and says he “can now fight in style”.

Deacon: He literally wants a leather jacket that says “Death Bunnies”. It’s pretty hard to find sewing materials, but Sole manages. Deacon is awestruck when Sole gives him the jacket for his birthday. “No way!!” He exclaims, putting it on quickly and posing for Sole.

Dogmeat: Sole gets him a bedazzled collar for his birthday, he loves it.

Hancock: Hancock mentions that he needs new sewing supplies to keep his outfit together. Sole finds that adorable and promises secretly to get him those supplies. By the time Sole finds fresh sewing supplies, it’s Hancock’s birthday, so everything falls into place. He tells Sole their present is his favorite and gets to work on his outfit.

MacCready: All he wants is to see his son, but Sole can’t help that, so they ask Synth!Shaun to help them. Sole and Synth!Shaun draw silly little pictures of MacCready to give him on his birthday. He tears up when he’s given the pics and holds Synth!Shaun for a solid five minutes.

Nick: Nick doesn’t really think he has a birthday because he’s not the real Nick, but to please Sole, he says he just wants to have a nice memory to look back on later. Sole thinks long and hard on what to do. They decide to throw him a surprise party in Diamond City. Ellie lures Nick outside for a few hours while Sole and the rest of the companions and Diamond City dress up the city with banners and streamers. When Nick returns, he’s greeted by about 40 people shouting “Happy Birthday!!” He jokingly says he’s shortcircuiting as they give him presents and tell him how much they love having him in the city.

Piper: She always talks of a big cake for her birthday, but says she’s never met anyone who knows how to bake. Sole’s no baker, but they gather supplies and get Deacon and Hancock to help them. Nat helps them set up a table to put the cake on for when Piper comes home. When Piper comes home and sees all the companions with a huge cake, she feels extremely giddy. She starts crying a bit and hugs everyone.

Preston: Preston sometimes says he wants a pet cat. Sole’s slightly shocked that he wants a simple thing, but they still go out and get him a cat when his birthday is near. Preston is delighted that Sole got him such a cute friend and won’t stop thanking them.

Strong: Sole fills a bottle with some Brahmin milk and give it to Strong the day he says it’s his birthday. He knows it’s not the Milk of Human Kindness but still appreciates their effort.

X6-88: X6 never really says he wants anything, but Sole caught him one day muttering about wanting a tattoo. Why a tattoo, Sole didn’t know. X6 doesn’t really have a birthday, so when Sole asks him, he just tells them the date he was created. Cait tells Sole she has experience with inking people, so Sole lets her be the tattoo artist for X6. The supplies are kinda easy to find because Cait still has some left over and Sole found a rundown tattoo parlor and scavenged it. On X6’s creation day, Cait and Sole sit him down and talk about giving him a tattoo. He says he can withstand the pain, so Cait asks him what he wants. He wants a cat tattoo. Cait is not as excited as he is, but she does it anyway. Afterwards, X6 is rocking a kitty on his belly, and he thanks Sole and Cait for giving him such a cool thing.

#why did it take me so long to do this lol #fallout 4 #fallout 4 cait #fallout 4 codsworth #fallout 4 curie #fallout 4 danse #fallout 4 deacon #fallout 4 dogmeat #fallout 4 hancock #fallout 4 maccready #fallour 4 nick #fallout 4 piper #fallout 4 preston #fallout 4 strong #fallout 4 x6 88 #fallout react #fallout companions

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15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 25 with Jacob Aere

With a firm handshake and swipe of a pen, the San Diego Padres up their quest to create America's Finest Baseball City. During a press conference officially announcing the signing of third baseman Manny Machado, Padres General Partner Peter Seidler said that Machado's record-setting, $300 million free agent contract was primarily an instinctual baseball decision. “We obviously talked a lot about this and we feel it makes financial sense for us. But it’s as much of a back of a napkin thing as anything,” he said. Seidler added he is confident there will be an incremental revenue lift from the Machado signing in core areas such as sponsorships, ticket sales, and merchandise. However, the 11th hour deal and the club’s poor on-field performance of late will make more meaningful financial gains a multiyear effort. “Ultimately, revenue follows winning and winning is what will really drive that revenue,” Seidler said. Every business decision comes with an opportunity cost, and for the Padres as well as a San Diego sports fan base still stinging from the loss of the Chargers, it's hard not to wonder whether that $300 million wouldn't be better spent shoring up the franchise's farm system than on one infamous slugger.

While Cactus and Grapefruit League games intensify, baseball sees its most significant participation gains since 2014. According to the Wall Street Journal, the number of people who played baseball in the U.S. "surged 21%" from 2014 to 2018, with nearly 15.9 million participants. Most of the gain has come from casual players who play baseball 1-12 times a year. The ranks of those "dabblers grew 53%, or by nearly 2.3 million people" since 2014. The growth of "more frequent baseball players was a modest 5% over four years." However, those numbers are better than in most other amateur sports. Tackle football participation "dropped 3.4% in the past five years," and hockey and soccer saw respective one-year drops of 3.8% and 4.3% in 2018. MLB credits the growth in part to a "program it launched" in 2015, Play Ball, that "holds programs across the nation." Last year, MLB and USA Baseball also "started a program for schools to introduce the game to kindergarten through fourth-grade students in gym classes." Drop offs in other sports are clearly baseball’s gain, and MLB is smart to partner with USA Baseball, Ripken Baseball, and other organizations teaching personal growth and leadership skills alongside baseball fundamentals.

As the NFL Combine opens in Indianapolis, Kyler Murray’s decision to choose the NFL over baseball will continue to be hotly debated. Ric Edelman is a founder of Edelman Financial Engines, which helps more than one million people make financial and career decisions. I asked Ric, would you have advised Murray to play in the NFL or go the MLB route? “In the short-term, Murray could make more money playing football,” Edelman said. “But, if he were to become a star baseball player, he would earn more money in the MLB in the long-term. Just look at the numbers. The top 10 draft picks in the NFL get about $17 million plus an $11 million bonus. By comparison, at least 38 MLB players have deals that large. But like all big financial and career decisions, there’s a lot of emotion involved. That’s why I think Murray made the right decision because he’s said that his heart lies between the hash marks. Besides, if the NFL doesn’t work out, he could go back to baseball, like Tim Tebow is doing now.” Murray’s decision will come under even more scrutiny in the wake of Manny Machado’s $300 million deal with the Padres. If Murray is smart, he will heed Edelman’s wisdom and stay on his current course.

And the Oscar for best ad sales goes to…the Internet. Disney-ABC TV Group's ad sales team confirmed it "sold off the last available unit" for ads during Sunday's Oscars telecast, and thirty-second spots were fetching $2.1-2.2 million, according to AdAge. But the big ad winner this year is digital. Spending on such digital channels as desktop, mobile, search, and social media is expected to pass traditional media formats in the U.S. this year, according to eMarketer, while spending on non-digital TV, radio, print, and billboards is projected to drop. Digital ad revenue was $26.2 billion in the third quarter of 2018, up 22% versus the year prior, according to a report from PwC U.S. It is highly likely that when the Nielsen ratings come in for this year’s Academy Awards telecast they’ll be down from years past – just like every other appointment viewing mega event including the Super Bowl. But it’s a safe assumption that mobile and social numbers for the global event will leap higher than Spike Lee into Samuel Jackson’s arms following his first ever Oscar win.

Investor Kyrie Irving stars in Beyond Meat campaign. Vegan food maker Beyond Meat has already gotten plenty of attention from athletes minding what they put in their finely-tuned bodies. According to Hashtag Sports, Beyond Meat put one of its new investors, Kyrie Irving, in the center of its new paid media push as the company, which has raised $122 million so far, gears up to go public. More and more NBA players are embracing a plant-based lifestyle that increasingly cuts red meat out of the picture. Irving isn't the only athlete interested in the venture; other new investors include a variety of retired and current sports stars including Shaquille O'Neill, Chris Paul, DeAndre Hopkins, Victor Oladipo, Lindsey Vonn, DeAndre Jordan, Harrison Barnes, Shaun White, and Luke Walton. Many athletes have sought to raise their performance by changing their diets. Now, they are literally putting their money where their mouths are as they financially back Beyond Meat.

The NBA ranked No. 3 on Fast Company's 2019 list of the Most Innovative Companies. The magazine noted that in 2018 the NBA "broke attendance records for the fourth straight season," had total revenue increase 25%, and saw its streaming service grow subscribers by 63%. Another reason for the NBA's ranking was the NBA 2K League, the "first extension of pro sports into esports, which has 21 teams and games that stream on Twitch." The NBA last year also "made a deal" with MGM Resorts International, "making it the first pro league to integrate real-time data into a gambling platform and enable the king of in-game micro-betting that keeps viewers watching each and every play." Other organizations with sports ties that were mentioned in the Fast Company rankings include Disney (No. 4), Peloton (No. 14), and Fanatics (No. 40). While the NBA’s competitive expansion has been undertaken by other American sports leagues, the NBA’s international makeup and the success of its many foreign national players have been major factors in its worldwide popularity.

The NFL suffers another black eye with news of Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s impending arrest for solicitation of prostitution. Kraft, one of the NFL’s most influential figures, was charged Friday in connection with an investigation of several massage parlors in Florida suspected of human trafficking ties. According to the Washington Post, an arrest warrant for the 77-year-old billionaire, whose team won its sixth Super Bowl since 2002 this month, will be issued this week for the prostitution-related charges, both misdemeanors. “The charges against Kraft stemmed from a months-long investigation of several massage parlors in three counties in southeast Florida suspected of forcing immigrant employees to engage in sex acts with customers.” Kraft was among 25 men facing charges. The NFL said in a written statement, “The NFL is aware of the ongoing law enforcement matter and will continue to monitor developments.” Kraft could certainly face discipline from the league under its personal conduct policy, which covers owners as well as players.

World No. 2, 17-time Major Champion and three-time BNP Paribas Open Champion Rafael Nadal headlines “Rafa & Friends.” The event is the first-ever Eisenhower Cup presented by Masimo – a one-night Tie Break Tens event scheduled for Tuesday, March 5 during the 2019 BNP Paribas Open. Joining Nadal for the $150,000 winner-take-all event at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden are World No. 8 and 2018 French Open finalist Dominic Thiem; World No. 14 and 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic; eight-time ATP Tour winner Gael Monfils; and others. The fast-paced, innovative Tie Break Tens format consists of first to ten-point tie break matches. The players will be divided into two groups for round-robin play, followed by a final match between the group play winners, for a total of seven matches during the course of the evening. All proceeds from the event will benefit four local charities: Masimo’s Patient Safety Movement; Eisenhower Health; Bighorn Golf Club Charities; and Family YMCA of the Desert. The event echoes the "Hit for Haiti" exhibition match organized by Roger Federer in 2010, which raised close to $200,000 for the earthquake torn country.

Tennis World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has a new endorsement with Ultimate Software that includes assignments for his team members. Djokovic is a Lacoste endorser, but will now wear an Ultimate Software patch. Djokovic’s coach, agent, physiotherapist and others will be required to wear an Ultimate Software cap when in the player’s box during matches. The deal mimics one struck last year for another IMG client, Madison Keys. In Keys’ case, it was born out of necessity because Nike, another of her sponsors, would not allow any other logos on her apparel. Florida-based Ultimate Software specializes in HR and payroll software, and also sponsors the Miami Heat and golfer Patrick Reed. An IMG Tennis spokesperson declined to say if the Djokovic team would get paid for wearing the caps. However, Keys’ IMG agent, Max Eisenbud, said the player herself was paying part of her endorsement fee to her team members for wearing the caps. It takes a hatted village to produce a champion tennis player, and it’s only fair that the villagers are compensated.

The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in front of a "wet sellout crowd of 69,620" as part of the Coors Light Stadium Series. Despite forecasts of strong rains, the Philadelphia Inquirer noted the "heavy stuff didn’t really ever come down." There was "noticeable pooling along the rink’s edges and particularly in the corners, stopping the puck as if in mud." Despite the "heavier late-game rain, the plan for NBC remained the same. Also part of the weekend success was the PreGame at the 2019 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, the official fan festival. Highlights of PreGame events included the American Legacy Black Hockey History Tour, a mobile museum showcasing black hockey history, and sponsor activations including Coors Light Slapshot; the Dunkin' Fan Zone; a custom penalty box photo opportunity from GEICO; and the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Despite the rain, outdoor hockey prevails again.

ESPN has cemented its plans for global coverage of the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi. Coverage will begin with a live three-hour special on the Opening Ceremony from Zayed Sports City Stadium on ESPNEWS. The 2019 Special Olympics World Games will span March 14-21, and ESPN’s coverage of these Games will include more live coverage of competition than ever before, offering multiple live feeds each day on ESPN3, delivering more than 25 hours of live coverage across venues and competitions including swimming, soccer, volleyball, basketball and more. Additionally, ESPN will produce an evening studio program airing on ESPN2 and ABC, bringing viewers the stories, athlete profiles, and features from around the 2019 World Games, as well as recapping key results from each days’ competitions. Keep an eye out as we make a special announcement regarding the Special Olympics in the near future.

The Raiders "appear to be close to wrapping up a deal to keep the team playing" at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum this year and "possibly" in 2020. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, an announcement is expected "this week or early next week.” A source said, "It's for one year for sure, with an option for the second year." Under the proposed deal, the Raiders would pay $7.5 million this year, with the rent rising to $10.5 million "if the team stays on" through 2020 in the event that its new $1.8 billion Las Vegas stadium is not ready. Of all the relocation possibilities floated in the last couple of months, from playing in San Francisco to Santa Clara to San Diego, staying put in Oakland is the most sensible plan for the Raiders, and certainly for their fan base there. With the Warriors set to relocate across the Bay to San Francisco next season and the A’s continuing to push for a new bayside ballpark, the Raiders will have more of the hometown spotlight to themselves, which could come in handy if their win-loss record doesn’t improve.

The United States Soccer Federation provisionally sanctioned the National Independent Soccer Association as a professional soccer league, clearing the way for the league to begin play in the fall of 2019. Clubs in Atlanta, Charlotte, New England, and Philadelphia have already announced their efforts to be part of the league, with the rest expected to go public in the coming days. Unlike other American soccer leagues, NISA will play a fall-to-spring season with a winter break, allowing time off during December and January. Upstart offseason pro leagues seem to be all the rage in both football and futbol these days. While NISA has not yet announced a TV carriage deal, the cities on board thus far have proven to be strong soccer markets, which should bode well at least for modest success.

Tom Dundon rescued the Alliance of American Football with a big cash infusion, proving he’s not one of Don Cherry’s “Bunch of Jerks.” The Alliance of American Football has introduced NHL Hurricanes Owner Tom Dundon as the league's new Chairman after his commitment of $250 million last week "enabled the AAF to meet" its financial obligations, according to The Athletic and other sources. Without new investors, there was a "good chance it was going to miss payroll last Friday." Dundon "will continue in his role" with the Hurricanes. About the AAF, one source said, "Without a new, nine-figure investor, nobody is sure what would have happened.” The Hurricanes have also been in the news cycle recently over the comments made by announcer Cherry about their unique victory celebrations, which recently included a limbo line. The team turned Cherry’s “Bunch of Jerks” criticism into a $32 T-shirt that fans have snapped up close to 5,000 so far.

Breakdancing is among four sports shortlisted by the Paris 2024 organizing committee for inclusion at the Olympic Games. According to SportsPro, organizers have proposed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that surfing, sport climbing, and skateboarding also retain their places as additional sports on the program in five years' time. The IOC will consider the proposal before putting it to the executive board at its next meeting of representatives March 26-28, and must reach a decision by December 2020. Surfing, sport climbing, and skateboarding are all making their Olympic debuts at next year’s Games in Tokyo, but 2024 would mark the first time the multi-sport event has featured breakdancing. Breakdancing competitions at Paris 2024 would take the form of head-to-head battles in a similar format used when the sport was included at last year’s Youth Olympics in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires. Paris 2024 said breakdancing was an “obvious choice” for inclusion given that France has the second-highest levels of participation in the discipline behind the U.S. However, the move was considered a blow for sports such as baseball, softball and karate, the additional sports included on the Tokyo 2020 program.

Top Five Tech

Qatar sports channel beIN Sports has been linked with a possible acquisition by the French company Canal Plus. If the move were to be completed, Canal’s sports rights would increase and its subscriber base would swell to 3.5 million. Although Canal + has struggled with some of its subscriber base shrinking in recent months, this potential deal, which should be completed by summer, would help to address that issue. According to Broadband TV News, both beIN Sport and Canal + lost a substantial chunk of coverage of the French football federation under last May’s deal with Mediapro, which in 2020 will receive rights to cover eight out of 10 weekly Ligue 1 matches. Back in June 2016, the Autorité de la Concurrence barred Canal from an exclusive distribution agreement with beIN Sports, so this is an attempt to at least pull even in a market that it used to dominate.

The NHL receives an extension from Snapchat to add hockey highlights and curated stories. According to Variety, the NHL is delivering a new weekly highlights show on Snapchat to recap the top 10 plays of the previous week and will produce Curated Our Stories for select games and marquee events, making the NHL the first pro sports league to use Snapchat’s third-party curation tools. The NHL is bolstering its Snapchat presence because the league sees unusually high engagement on the platform, particularly among users under 30. Millions of hockey fans share images and videos on the platform every day, and the expanded NHL-Snap partnership includes Bitmoji outfits for all 31 of the league’s teams as well as utilizing geofilters for every team’s home arena. “NHL Highlights,” which will hit Snapchat’s Discover every Wednesday, is produced by Disney Streaming Services, which also operates the NHL app and NHL.TV out-of-market subscription-streaming package in partnership with the league. NHL’s social media engagement numbers are the best of the big American sports. By increasing the volume of digital content, the NHL should see more fans gravitate to the league.

Hulu kicks off its new live sports campaign with some help from basketball athletes. NBA stars Joel Embiid, Damian Lillard, and Giannis Antetokounmpo have signed endorsement deals with over-the-top streaming platform Hulu. Embiid and Lillard activated their deals during the recent NBA All-Star weekend with TV advertising campaigns and social media posts. The campaign is centered on the concept of the players “selling out” to promote Hulu’s live sports content, as accounts for each of the players would have such hashtags as #ad, #paid, #sponsored, #hulupaidme, #neversellout, and #hulusellouts. Although Hulu is best known as an entertainment streaming platform, it also offers live TV on a short-term contract option. According to SportsPro, Hulu also said it added eight million subscribers in 2018 and closed its fiscal year with more than 25 million total subscribers across its subscription on demand and live TV plans in the U.S. The key will be convincing users to shell out big bucks for its live TV service, which comes in at $39.99 per month.

The AI-Powered SendtoNews (STN) signs a multiyear deal with NASCAR Digital Media. According to Media Post, NASCAR Digital Media signed a multiyear deal with AI-powered sports content and monetization service SendtoNews just ahead of last week's Daytona 500 to give NASCAR access to STN’s user network of 1,600 publishers and its Smart Match video platform. As part of the deal, STN will host a library for its publishers comprising NASCAR race highlights, in-car footage, driver interviews, and other footage from the NASCAR Cup Series, XFinity Series, and Truck Series, adding millions of unique views to NASCAR’s content. STN reports that its platform provides a 99% unduplicated audience when compared to NASCAR’s owned-and-operated properties which should allow the brand to reach new audiences without duplicating efforts across its own. SendtoNews is the most recent deal to try and boost NASCAR’s dwindling fan base and push the sport back into the limelight.

Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost starred in a new commercial for Verizon that ran during the Sunday night’s Academy Awards broadcast. According to the Kansas City Star, Yost has "credited a cell phone with being the reason he is alive today." After a "horrific fall from a tree stand at his farm in Georgia" following the 2017 season, Yost's pelvis was "shattered and he was unable to get help." He was able to use his cell phone to call his wife and was "airlifted from his property and had emergency surgery." From now on, if inquisitive reporters were to ever ask Yost “who are you wearing?” he’s most likely to say, “Verizon.”

Power of Sports Five

Basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman promotes healthy lifestyles and educational opportunities for young girls and boys at her gala. According to CultureMap Dallas, celebrities such as actor Burton Gilliam, ESPN “Sports Center” anchor Jay Harris, and country singer Imaj mingled with an array of athletes including Deion Sanders, Rick Barry, Ed Belfour, Tim Brown, Homer Bush, and Rick Carlisle among many others on a night when Lieberman presented NBA champion Julius "Dr. J" Erving with a Trailblazer Award, and actor-musician Ice Cube with the Lifetime Achievement Award. All proceeds from the evening go to Nancy Lieberman Charities, which are dedicated to expanding and ensuring that educational and sports opportunities exist for economically disadvantaged youth. Lieberman’s network of charities serves students across the U.S. with basketball camps, clinics, Dream Courts, college scholarships, and school supply programs. It’s a good time for “Lady Magic” to spearhead a gala, as WNBA coverage is on the rise and her storied career and business experience could be crucial for popularizing the women’s league.

Three female coaches in the Alliance of American Football are just the beginning to hire more women in the sport. According to CBS Sports, Jen Welter alongside Birmingham Iron defensive line assistant Lo Locust and Arizona Hotshots wideouts assistant Jennifer King are the three women currently coaching in the new AAF league. The AAF's head of football development, Hines Ward, noted that the blueprint for hiring the women in the league was the NFL's Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship. Locust, a longtime assistant coach at various levels, from high school to arena, spent the past year as a defensive line intern with the Baltimore Ravens, while King was an intern with the Carolina Panthers. Ward says that the AAF is a league of opportunity and after a $250 million bailout during its second week, it’s good to see that certain initiatives may separate it from the NFL and allow the football league to create its own identity.

Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield raises money for the Special Olympics. The event is a Special Olympics Ohio Cleveland Polar Plunge that raised money for athletes who are petitioning for the full inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. According to 247 Sports, the February 23 event at Edgewater beach and Mayfield also gave away a pair of signed Bose headphones to one lucky participant. The quarterback had previously announced that he was teaming up with Barstool Sports to benefit the Special Olympics in the greater Cleveland area with a merchandise line featuring flags, sweatshirts, and T-shirts. 100% of net proceeds go towards supporting the Special Olympics. After Mayfield and fiance Emily Wilkinson played Secret Santa during the holidays and the quarterback played in a charity softball game to benefit victims of the fires and shooting in Thousand Oaks, the No.1 pick shows no signs of slowing down his charitable arm.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainright’s charity makes its mark in the Dominican Republic. Wainwright is also the co-founder of non-profit organization, Big League Impact (BLI). According to Yahoo Sports, their goal is to connect players and fans with communities in need around the world. In 2018 alone, BLI raised a total of $1.07 million for communities in need with help from 24 total major league players, a partnership with Yahoo Sports, and the generosity of thousands of fans. Last December, Wainwright and others spent time in the Dominican Republic and in partnership with Food for the Hungry, BLI created the “Striking Out Poverty” campaign. Through “Striking Out Poverty,” $200,000 was raised for various projects across the Dominican Republic including baseball fields, water systems, and food and farming programs. Players like Wainwright will be hosting events at Top Golf locations as well as private fantasy league drafts in stadiums across the country to raise awareness about Big League Impact for the upcoming season.

The Chelsea and Manchester City Carabao Cup final matchup at Wembley will feature a focus on mental health. According to Sports Mole, the mental health charity Mind has already forged a two-year partnership with the English Football League that started at the beginning of this season. As part of its collaboration with the EFL and Carabao Cup, Mind ran a host of activities related to mental health before the last Sunday’s afternoon matchup in order to raise awareness and highlight the support the charity provides. By bringing mental health initiatives to a widely watched football event, Paul Farmer, Mind CEO, hoped to ensure fans that they always have somewhere to turn to when dealing with mental health problems. More than just another big ‘football’ clash, this Carabao Cup final blended a social initiative into the English Football League.

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