#going into the third to last and last category would actually be a doozy of a post tbh
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An Intervoo with Roo
Thanks for the tag @gamyrmaiden and @changingplumbob !! I completely forgot to do this earlier so Jade doing this actually reminded me 😭
As usual it's under the cut and tagged people will be at the end :)
I may put two checks for some of these just because they're applicable to him, but I'll do my best to keep it to one !
Personal
Financial: wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty
Medical: fit / moderate / sickly / disabled / disadvantaged / non applicable
Class or Caste: upper / middle / working / unsure / other
Education: qualified / unqualified / studying / other
Criminal Record: yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes / no / has committed crimes, but not caught yet / yes, but charges were dismissed
Family
Children: had a child or children / has no children / wants children
Relationship with Family: close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased
Affiliation: orphaned / adopted/ disowned/ raised by birth parent / not applicable
Traits and Tendencies
extroverted / introverted / in between
disorganized / organized / in between
close minded / open-minded / in between
calm / anxious / in between
disagreeable / agreeable / in between
cautious/ reckless / in between
patient / impatient / in between
outspoken / reserved / in between
leader / follower / in between
empathetic / vicious bastard / in between
optimistic / pessimistic / in between
traditional / modern / in between
hard-working / lazy / in between
cultured / uncultured / in between / unknown
loyal / disloyal / unknown
faithful / unfaithful / unknown
Beliefs
Faith: monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic
Belief in Ghosts or Spirits: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care
Belief in an Afterlife: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care
Belief in Reincarnation: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care
Belief in Aliens: yes / no / don’t know / don’t care
Religious: orthodox / liberal / in between / not religious
Philosophical: yes / no
Sexuality and Romantic Inclination
Sexuality: heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual
Sex: sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable / naive and clueless
Romance: romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable / naïve and clueless / romance suspicious
Sexually: adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious
Potential Sexual Partners: male / female / agender / other / none / all
Potential Romantic Partners: male / female / agender / other / none / all
Abilities
Combat Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none
Literacy Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none
Artistic Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none
Technical Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor / none
Habits
Drinking Alcohol: never / special occasions / sometimes/ frequently / alcoholic
Smoking: tried it / trying to quit / quit / never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / Chain-smoker
Recreational Drugs: never / quit / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / addict
Medicinal Drugs: never / no longer needs medication / some medication needed / frequently / to excess
Unhealthy Food: never / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / binge eater
Splurge Spending: never / sometimes / frequently / shopaholic
Gambling: never / rarely / sometimes / frequently / compulsive gambler
i'm tagging @miralure @groovetrys @buttertrait @acuar-io @flovoid @elderwisp @holocene-sims @vercosims @birdietrait @stinkrascal and anybody else who wants to do this :))) (feel free to ignore if you've already done this or don't want to)
#going into the third to last and last category would actually be a doozy of a post tbh#it would be heavillyyyyyy labeled with trigger warnings because the sex part would get heavy but it's something i-#-sometimes think about posting but it's one of those things where i have to and really dont want to go into detail#i wouldnt mind dwelling on the last category it's just that third to last...#my poor. poor baby boy#IntervootheRoo#Roo#100 oc questions#oc questions#oc#my oc#oc interview#simblr#ts4#ts4 simblr#sims 4#sims 4 simblr#the sims 4
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The Good Fight New York/New Jersey Open 7/31/21
I competed yesterday! And I actually feel really good about it! I'm a writer, so, writing about my experiences helps me really grasp them and process them and such, so, here goes!
And also: as always, when I compete, it's in basically no-stakes tournaments for anybody. I'm not going to big competitions, I'm just doing this as a hobby and going to light fires under my butt and test my skills as they are in the moment. So, I take it seriously, but I don't go into this with delusions of grandeur! I do not think I am the next Danielle Kelly.
(Content warning for weight here, I talk about it a fair bit!)
I think I prepared pretty well this time around! I trained *a lot* and took conditioning very seriously. I also had a funny thing with weight: since getting my (cough, cough, under my breath) Peleton - I've been riding a lot and running a ton using the app. I sure thought I was being a genius doing frequent two-a-day cardio workouts, thinking "oh yeah, I'll be 125 no problem." Instead, obviously, I gained some muscle weight from doing tons of high intensity interval workouts. It's a good thing! I'm so much stronger than I was, walking now at 134-137, and my cardio is very solid. But it did mean having to be very conscious of weight to ensure I came in at 135 on Saturday.
Again, this should actually be ideal for this level of competition (read: LOW), because it means my walking weight and competition weight are super nice and close (I used to be around 126-129 and still competed at 135, thanks to the other major tournament I do having nothing between 120 and 135), and I feel so much more durable.
An action shot! Thanks for reading so far! Lol
So, I was strict with my diet for the last month (I usually am, this just meant no cheat days for a couple of weeks, really), and did weigh-ins periodically, then every day in the last week. It also meant doing a little bit of math and knowing exactly what kind of food I could have in the morning, and what was safe to do in terms of sweating just in case. It was good to know, because that came in handy!
Yesterday morning, I woke up at 136.2 (you get a 1lb allowance, so I was only .2 over). I did a shorty 15 minute HIIT workout so I could have a tiny bit of food and fluid, being very careful to not dehydrate or do anything stupid. I'm not going to cut weight for this, lol, but it would be truly ridiculous for me, at my height (5'5") and body composition (muscular, but not JACKED), to have to go in at 145 for being, you know, .2 over.
The nice side effect of a short workout in the morning was helping my nerves a little bit (they were BAD), so at least that helped me breathe. I don't know if I've ever been this anxious before competing before, and I'm not sure exactly why — I know there are no stakes besides my pride, there's no money on the line, this isn't my career! This is my hobby, for fuck's sake, so I don't know why my body interpreted "lets compete" as "we are going to WAR and we might DIE," but there it was! I was scared! Brains are stupid!
We got a tiny bit lost on the way, but it was ok because things were running behind at the tournament. No problem at all. I made weight (135.6) and started to warm up. The venue had plenty of extra space on a turf field to warm up, and Viki was a SAINT, not only to drive my nervous ass over, but to help me warm up about six times. I felt better after just drilling and flow rolling a tiny bit.
It was a long wait, but my gi division was up first. I had one opponent at bantamweight, so, a small bracket in gi.
Here's how it goes in a submission-only tournament: you have your brackets, for a full division it's basically semi-finals and finals, with a bronze medal match and the two winners do a gold/silver match. With two, it's best two out of three wins gold, the other person gets silver.
For blue belts, we have eight minute regulation matches. No points, no advantages, no stupid bullshit (sorry, I hate points tournaments). If you both survive eight minutes with no submissions, you go into overtime rounds: a back take, a spiderweb/armbar, and a classic head and arm triangle. For each, the defender needs to escape, and the attacker needs to submit. If you successfully escape, and you successfully submit, you win! If both people escape, or both people submit, you go to the next round, and it repeats as needed (back, armbar, triangle).
It's a great format, imo, and really suits my style: I play defense, I like to wear people down, and then go for it when I see an opportunity. I will play all kinds of wild positions and try to get creative and weird with it, and frankly have fun, and I think submission-only facilitates that!
Still, I was so goddamned nervous.
We started the match and it was ON. My opponent and I were really, really well matched. Size and skill wise, we gave each other a lot of hell. It was rough, too, and I have all the bruises on my face to prove it! But I was having fun. A lot of fun.
Overtime action shot!
Our match went through regulation, to overtime. I escaped her back take, but her coaches fought with the ref a little. I offered to do it again, because, hey, I want to do it better. This may have been stupid of me, but I also, like... the reason I like sub-only so much is that I hate stupid technicalities and bullshit. So I offered to go again and did! And I escaped pretty well. On my turn to attack, I submitted her.
I honestly couldn't believe I won a match in gi. The last time I got a gold medal in gi, it was because I went to the 30+ division, and my opponent was 53. I was happy to win that day, but like... c'mon. I was 35 at the time. In sub-only, women don't have age categories, and I believe my opponent was maybe a bit younger than me, but probably not far from my age, and tough as hell. She was my size, we were well-matched in strength. And she BROUGHT IT.
I remember that going through my head, like "you can win in gi???" I could hardly believe it. I got my hand raised IN GI.
This felt great, and I was basically in shock.
(I won't belabor this, but I hate the gi. I think I'm terrible in it. Tuesday night - my last hard training day before competition, I did ok, but felt demoralized. I almost cried after training and told Viki that night "I don't think I'm going to compete in gi" and thought about pulling my registration. This is why I couldn't believe it, lol).
We had a short break and went again. Again, we did the full regulation match - she had an armbar at one point that I escaped, and I did have a last second back take and choke attempt, but I ran out of time. We went to overtime, I escaped her back take... and I remember, in the moment, getting ready for my turn to attack: "this is probably for a medal. IN GI. You are this close!" and I cinched it with a submission. I got my hand raised again. I thanked her and her coaches, and even chatted with them a little.
We went to the podium - another woman congratulated me on the match, saying she watched it and love dit. The podium worker said the same, and I was flattered. Kirsten (my opponent, who again, was fucking AWESOME and tough) and I did the podium thing, getting our medals and taking pictures.
Podium action shot!
Then, it was off to watch my teammate Ollie compete and kick ass, and then get changed for no-gi, where I absolutely knew Kirsten was going to come for blood, lol.
It still didn't feel real: a gold medal? Me? Danielle? Gi-hating Danielle who almost cried after just training in a gi on Tuesday night (again, nothing went wrong, lol, my training partners are incredibly conscientious and were preparing me!) - I let myself wear the medal for a couple of minutes before putting it in the backpack.
Even now, just about 24 hours later, it doesn't feel completely real. I swear, I only even compete in the gi because it's just five bucks more to do both divisions, and you may as well get all the rolls you can on a day you are showing up.
There was a pretty big time gap between gi and no gi, but I was honestly a little nervous again. They put a (fantastic) purple belt (that's the next skill level up if you aren't familiar with jiu jitsu, and a pretty huge gap for me, being honest) in our division, and I faced her first. There was really no pressure at all here, I do not expect to win against a purple belt. I feel — very honestly — that I have a very, very long way to go in blue. Based on how the day went, I do feel like I'm on my way, and making real improvements — But I'm no where near purple.
I survived about five minutes of an eight minute regulation period, and did survive a pretty intense back take at first, but she got me with a second back take and rear naked choke/crank. All the power to her!
Then, the bronze medal match was between me and Kirsten again (who I faced in gi). Holy shit, this was a doozy. We fought really, really hard in regulation. I know she wanted it BADLY after gi, and I could tell she had serious wrestling and probably Judo as well in her background. She tossed my ass around! It was rough and it was tough, and my face is a little fucked up today, not going to lie. But I loved it, and loved rolling with her — she had such good pressure, and beautiful knee cuts, and she was strong and fast and athletic.
We went through regulation, to the first overtime. I won the "rock paper scissors" to determine who went first and I took her back... and she escaped. She did her back attack, and I escaped.
At this point, I was TIRED. Not no much cardio-tired (I have myself conditioned pretty well), but... "I want to lie down and sleep" tired. But I got her in the armbar position for the second round, squeezed... and got the tap! Again, I thought "you are this close to a medal!" and defended the second round armbar well.. I really, really thought I was out, but in the last possible instant she just NAILED IT and got my arm back and I had to tap. It was fantastic, she did well to grab it back.
So, we went to a third round of overtime. Triangle. I had her in, squeezed, cut the angle... and got the tap! Yes! Now, I really knew I was close. I tapped her, all I needed to do was escape her triangle and I'd have a bronze in no-gi. I wanted it. I really wanted it!
I got into her triangle. It was tight right away (which it should be!), I *thought* I had stacked her in the correct position to escape, I thought I could do it...
And then... I remember dreaming. I started coming to, thinking I was asleep in my bed, and that i was dreaming about competition. I started to become conscious, and I heard her say "I think she's out!" and saw her face and the ref's face. It took me a few moments, but I realized where I was, and that I had passed out completely. She sank a PERFECT blood choke on me. Absolutely picture perfect.
I sort of kept saying, in my confusion "I'm ok! I'm ok!" and shook her hand and kind of stumbled off the mat.
Me, laughing in utter confusion after taking a nice nap on the mat (my opponent was really nice about it!)
Later on, I realized: we were actually supposed to go to a fourth overtime round! We both submitted to a triangle (if you lose consciousness, that counts as a tap!), and I believe the ref was actually asking me if I wanted to continue. Hand to heart, I'm not trying to save face, I just didn't realize it at all, in my complete confusion. I accidentally forfeited by walking off, lol. I seriously had no idea, and honestly, it was probably better that I didn't try to do another round THAT confused.
But still, that is absolutely going to be something I kick myself about, for forever. Just being THAT CLOSE.
By the way, I will say: it was the second time losing consciousness in jiu jitsu (and the first time... I'm not sure I was all the way out, this time I absolutely was) — it doesn't hurt. I'm not saying it's pleasant or great, exactly, it's very, very disorienting, because you actually start to dream a bit and have NO IDEA where you are for a few. But I would rather that than a broken arm or a torn ACL, so, as things happen on the mat, really not a terrible experience.
Kirsten deserves all the respect in the world — she put me out, and FAST (I had no idea how fast until Viki told me, lol. I sure thought I was fighting it for much longer!). She was wonderful to compete with, and I felt we were very evenly matched and got the best out of one another. I chatted with her afterward and we both complimented one another.
Overall, I'm proud of how hard I fought. I know that, in competition, I have absolutely defeated my self before, and gotten so discouraged. It's never conscious, I will always push, I will always mechanically force myself to get back up and get back out. Always. But mentally, in the past, I've really fucked myself.
Yesterday, I vowed to stay patient, and I actually did. I stuck to a gameplan fully: patience, defense, attacking whenever I saw or felt an opportunity. I actually feel, for the first time, that I did my best out there, the best I can do with my jiu jitsu right now, at 4.5 years of training, as a blue belt with one stripe.
That is a wildly unfamiliar feeling. Every other time I've competed, I've come out with at least a few things that were "holy christ, I am terrible at X and need to work on Y." The only other slight exception was the sub only tournament I got my first-ever medals at (silver in both) where I legitimately shocked myself. Even then, I had a couple of specific things I needed to work on (ankle lock defense! I still think about it!)
I'm a little bit beat up today (that armbar I thought I was out of, then got caught right at the last second? I tapped on time, but "on time" with adrenaline is "a tiny bit late" so it hurts like hell today), and will probably just do cardio for a few days to take time to heal up before going back to grappling. But I feel really proud. I feel good about it. I feel stupid as hell for accidentally forfeiting, but overall very pleased with the day.
Where do I go from here? Rubber guard, baby! I want to get *great* at rubber guard. And this has given me a huge boost to keep chipping away at gi, no matter how much I may hate it in the moment. Because I won yesterday, I do get a free invitation to the submission only worlds for this tournament, so, that's something I can think about...
But for now... I'm going to try and let the good parts sink in. Viki got me victory pizza last night, and holy shit, I don't know if anything has ever tasted so good :D
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The Bear’s Den, December 28, 2018
BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!
BEARRRSSSS
Wiedman: Bears not backing down in last regular season game - Our Turf Football - Wanda Wiedman, OTFB’s Chicago Bears Reporter, looks at the keys to this weeks matchup vs the Minnesota Vikings.
Mullin: ‘Grizzly’ worst-to-first specialist Bobby Massie wants to stay a Bear - NBC Sports Chicago - Bobbie Massie is at the end of a three-year contract that brought him to Chicago, and the time is coming for him (and the Bears) to determine whether he is a Bear or headed to become something else. Massie has already made that determination. “I’m a Bear. Grizzly as hell.”
Week 17: NFC North Champions at Vikings Game Preview - Da Bears Blog - I always like the Chicago Bears…but I don’t love ’em this week. One team is home, playing for their postseason life. The other team has eleven wins and is playing for a bye if a ten-point favorite (the Rams) loses at home. Motivation matters. And I don’t think the Bears have much this week.
Emma: Bears’ Vic Fangio Deserving Of Head Coaching Consideration - 670 The Score - Hiring Vic Fangio as head coach would buck a recent trend in the NFL.
Bears Being Cautious With Allen Robinson, Eddie Jackson - 670 The Score - The Bears are resting several of their key players during practice this week.
Medina: Now That We’ve Had Some Time, Let’s Discuss Allen Robinson and the Fumble - Bleacher Nation - Allen Robinson’s fumble could have sent Week 16’s Bears-49ers game sideways.
Householder: Chicago vs Minnesota Betting Picks & Analysis - Sports Bet Collective - NFL Week 17 betting sucks. It’s hard to know who is going to show up if they’re missing the playoffs, who is going to play their starters for the entire game, if they are going to the playoffs and who is fighting for their playoff lives. The Bears may fall into that second category, while the Vikings are the last.
Campbell: Bears playoff picture - Week 17 scenarios and your guide to scoreboard watching (and rooting) - Chicago Tribune - Bears playoff opponent scenarios entering the final week of the regular season. The Bears could end up playing the Seahawks, Vikings or Eagles. Here's how they end up with each.
Game Preview: Chicago Bears - Minnesota Vikings (Week 17) - The Chicago Audible Podcast - In this in-depth episode, the guys cover everything you need to know heading into the Chicago Bears' Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Stankevitz: Bears make it clear - Winning, not resting or hiding, the priority vs. Vikings - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears are approaching Sunday's season finale with a focus on winning, not resting players or hiding plays with the playoffs looming.
Under Center Podcast: Joint podcast with Eagles Insider Reuben Frank - NBC Sports Chicago - On this special edition of Under Center, JJ Stankevitz welcomes in Reuben Frank from NBC Sports Philadelphia. They talk about how the Bears and Eagles head into Week 17.
Mayer: One stat explains how Bears won division - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears’ NFC North title this season is a direct result of their 4-1 record against division opponents, which matches the win total they accumulated in going 4-20 while finishing in last place each of the previous four years.
Kaufman: Week 17 Key Matchups - ChicagoBears.com - When the Bears take on the Vikings on Sunday, keep an eye out for these three key matchups, including running back Jordan Howard versus Minnesota linebacker Eric Wilson.
Kaufman: Where Bears team, players rank in the NFL - ChicagoBears.com - Take a look at where the Bears stack up both as a team and individually in the NFL rankings heading into their final game of the regular season against the Vikings on Sunday.
Chalk Talk: When was last time Bears played a team three times? - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses the last time the Bears played a team three times in the same season, how a tie in Sunday’s Bears-Vikings game would affect playoff seeds and the most wins by a first-year Bears head coach.
Medina: Vic Fangio Continues Continues to Draw Praise and Is Clearly Among the Top Head Coaching Candidates - Bleacher Nation - Are you prepared to lose Vic Fangio? Because I'm not.
Jahns: Bears' success includes handling injuries well - Sun Times - Third-year safety Deon Bush and others are playing more for the Bears because of injuries.
Finley: Bears proclaim faith in Cody Parkey, but, 'if you’re our guy, make those kicks' - Sun Times - Among kickers with at least 15 attempts this season, he’s fourth from the bottom with a 75.9 conversion percentage.
Bears predictions: Week 17 vs. Vikings - Sun Times - The Sun-Times’ experts offer their picks for the Bears’ Week 17 game at the Vikings:
As Vikings face rematch with Bears, Kirk Cousins feels the pressure - Sun Times - This is the type of game for quarterback Kirk Cousins to make good on that $84 million in guaranteed money.
Kane: 7 things we heard from Bears coordinators, including how Vic Fangio feels fans’ enthusiasm and glimpses of Mitch Trubisky's growth - Chicago Tribune - Offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich liked several aspects of quarterback Mitch Trubisky’s 43-yard pass to wide receiver Allen Robinson in the first quarter Sunday against the 49ers.
Biggs: With Vic Fangio sure to be in demand, the Bears might need to think outside the box to keep the defensive mastermind - Chicago Tribune - Vic Fangio never has been hotter as a head-coaching candidate, and with at least six teams projected to have vacancies in the coming weeks, the Bears need to consider ways to keep the defensive coordinator.
Bear Download podcast: Will the matchup in Minnesota be a playoff preview? - Chicago Tribune - Welcome to the weekly Bear Download podcast. Listen below or subscribe and listen on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play Rich and Dan are still spreading holiday cheer as they preview the Bears’ regular-season finale against the Vikings. They assess the NFC playoff landscape (3:36), then...
Campbell: Prince Amukamara named 2018 Bears Media Good Guy - Chicago Tribune - Prince Amukamara was named the 2018 Media Good Guy by the Chicago chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America. The veteran cornerback has won Good Guy honors in Chicago and in 2015 as a member of the Giants.
Biggs: Bears Q&A: Which potential wild-card opponent would be most dangerous? - Chicago Tribune - Brad Biggs answers your Bears questions weekly. How should Matt Nagy handle the use of front-line players in Sunday's season finale in Minnesota? Which opponent would be most dangerous in the wild-card round? Does a lack of first-round picks in 2019 and 2020 hurt? Plus much more.
Wiederer: Kyle Long's recovery optimism, the Bears' playoff veterans and their Minneapolis misery - Chicago Tribune - As the Bears prepare to face the Vikings in the regular-season finale, we take a deeper look at Kyle Long's push to return from injured reserve, the playoff experience of a handful of current Bears and the team's recent struggles in Minneapolis.
Finley: Can Bears lean on RB Jordan Howard in the playoffs? - Chicago Sun-Times - Through the first 12 games of the season, Jordan Howard averaged 3.4 yards per carry. In the last four, he’s averaged 4.2.
Potash: Out of the spotlight, Leonard Floyd thriving in complementary role in Bears’ D - Chicago Sun-Times - After two years of being scrutinized for big plays, Floyd now is getting recognition for the little things. He was named a Pro Bowl alternate.
Finley: Bears injury update - WR Allen Robinson sits out again with sore ribs - Sun Times - For the second-straight day, receiver Allen Robinson sat out Thursday’s practice with sore ribs.
POLISH SAUSAGE
Marcus Mariota returns to Tennessee Titans practice - NFL.com - Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota made a positive step Thursday toward playing in this weekend’s must-win game against the Indianapolis Colts.
QB Index, Week 17: Previewing offseason QB market - NFL.com - Which quarterbacks could be on the move this offseason? With the regular season in its final days, Gregg Rosenthal takes a peek at the veteran signal-callers who could be available in 2019.
KNOW THY ENEMY
Vikings injury report update: Linval Joseph, Mike Remmers return - Daily Norseman - Who was in and who was out for the Vikings on Thursday?
Priefer: Marcus Sherels to miss game against the Bears - Daily Norseman - And that leaves the Vikings with a pretty significant hole
NFL Week 17: Daily Norseman On The Bear Front Podcast - Daily Norseman - Previewing Sunday’s pivotal game with a Chicago-based podcast.
Aaron Rodgers’ upside down splits illustrate Packers’ third-down issues - Acme Packing Company - Every metric seems to tell the same story: The Packer offense is outdated.
Week 17 stakes are very high for the Rams – ProFootballTalk - A month ago, the Rams seemed to be coasting toward the top seed in the NFC, after securing a 54-51 win over the Chiefs in one of the best regular-season games of all time.
What would a Matthew Stafford trade actually look like in 2019? 2020? - Pride Of Detroit - Is it even possible in 2019? 2020?
NFL Week 17 Power Rankings: What every team has to play for in their season finale - Pride Of Detroit - There are still a few playoff spots up for grabs as we enter the final week of the season.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON
Zeglinski: The Chicago Bears’ 2019 schedule of opponents is set - Windy City Gridiron - We know who the Bears will play next season, just not in what order and when. Oh boy is it a doozy.
Curl & Berckes 2018 NFL Chicago Bears Blither-Blather: Holiday Special - Windy City Gridiron - In this edition of the increasingly-popular Bears Blither-Blather segment, we discuss Wham! Bears playoff opponents, Trubisky, and an untapped market for James Williams jerseys
Infante: 2019 NFL Draft - Potential Bears targets playing in the New Year’s Six - Windy City Gridiron - Even though the Bears will be focused more on the playoffs than the draft this year, it’s always fun to take a look ahead at this year’s prospects.
Mitchell's Cold Takes: A Look At The Chicago Bears’ Sloppy Win At San Francisco - Windy City Gridiron - Things look a bit different when you set emotions aside and go back and watch the tapes a couple of times...
Householder's Week 17 Game preview: Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings - Windy City Gridiron - The regular season finale has plenty of storylines and isn’t the end of the season story for the Bears
WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS
2 Minute Drill - Website - iTunes - Andrew Link; Steven’s Streaming – Twitch – Steven Schweickert; T-Formation Conversation - Website - iTunes - Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; WCG Radio - Website - iTunes - Robert Zeglinski
THE RULES
Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.
The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes. Unless otherwise stated, the Den is not an open thread, and profanity (including profanity only stated in pictures) is prohibited.
Click on our names to follow us on Twitter:
WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.
Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/12/28/18158554/chicago-bears-2018-season-news-updates-analysis-game-sixteen-minnesota-vikings
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The Bear’s Den, December 28, 2018
BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!
BEARRRSSSS
Wiedman: Bears not backing down in last regular season game - Our Turf Football - Wanda Wiedman, OTFB’s Chicago Bears Reporter, looks at the keys to this weeks matchup vs the Minnesota Vikings.
Mullin: ‘Grizzly’ worst-to-first specialist Bobby Massie wants to stay a Bear - NBC Sports Chicago - Bobbie Massie is at the end of a three-year contract that brought him to Chicago, and the time is coming for him (and the Bears) to determine whether he is a Bear or headed to become something else. Massie has already made that determination. “I’m a Bear. Grizzly as hell.”
Week 17: NFC North Champions at Vikings Game Preview - Da Bears Blog - I always like the Chicago Bears…but I don’t love ’em this week. One team is home, playing for their postseason life. The other team has eleven wins and is playing for a bye if a ten-point favorite (the Rams) loses at home. Motivation matters. And I don’t think the Bears have much this week.
Emma: Bears’ Vic Fangio Deserving Of Head Coaching Consideration - 670 The Score - Hiring Vic Fangio as head coach would buck a recent trend in the NFL.
Bears Being Cautious With Allen Robinson, Eddie Jackson - 670 The Score - The Bears are resting several of their key players during practice this week.
Medina: Now That We’ve Had Some Time, Let’s Discuss Allen Robinson and the Fumble - Bleacher Nation - Allen Robinson’s fumble could have sent Week 16’s Bears-49ers game sideways.
Householder: Chicago vs Minnesota Betting Picks & Analysis - Sports Bet Collective - NFL Week 17 betting sucks. It’s hard to know who is going to show up if they’re missing the playoffs, who is going to play their starters for the entire game, if they are going to the playoffs and who is fighting for their playoff lives. The Bears may fall into that second category, while the Vikings are the last.
Campbell: Bears playoff picture - Week 17 scenarios and your guide to scoreboard watching (and rooting) - Chicago Tribune - Bears playoff opponent scenarios entering the final week of the regular season. The Bears could end up playing the Seahawks, Vikings or Eagles. Here's how they end up with each.
Game Preview: Chicago Bears - Minnesota Vikings (Week 17) - The Chicago Audible Podcast - In this in-depth episode, the guys cover everything you need to know heading into the Chicago Bears' Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Stankevitz: Bears make it clear - Winning, not resting or hiding, the priority vs. Vikings - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears are approaching Sunday's season finale with a focus on winning, not resting players or hiding plays with the playoffs looming.
Under Center Podcast: Joint podcast with Eagles Insider Reuben Frank - NBC Sports Chicago - On this special edition of Under Center, JJ Stankevitz welcomes in Reuben Frank from NBC Sports Philadelphia. They talk about how the Bears and Eagles head into Week 17.
Mayer: One stat explains how Bears won division - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears’ NFC North title this season is a direct result of their 4-1 record against division opponents, which matches the win total they accumulated in going 4-20 while finishing in last place each of the previous four years.
Kaufman: Week 17 Key Matchups - ChicagoBears.com - When the Bears take on the Vikings on Sunday, keep an eye out for these three key matchups, including running back Jordan Howard versus Minnesota linebacker Eric Wilson.
Kaufman: Where Bears team, players rank in the NFL - ChicagoBears.com - Take a look at where the Bears stack up both as a team and individually in the NFL rankings heading into their final game of the regular season against the Vikings on Sunday.
Chalk Talk: When was last time Bears played a team three times? - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses the last time the Bears played a team three times in the same season, how a tie in Sunday’s Bears-Vikings game would affect playoff seeds and the most wins by a first-year Bears head coach.
Medina: Vic Fangio Continues Continues to Draw Praise and Is Clearly Among the Top Head Coaching Candidates - Bleacher Nation - Are you prepared to lose Vic Fangio? Because I'm not.
Jahns: Bears' success includes handling injuries well - Sun Times - Third-year safety Deon Bush and others are playing more for the Bears because of injuries.
Finley: Bears proclaim faith in Cody Parkey, but, 'if you’re our guy, make those kicks' - Sun Times - Among kickers with at least 15 attempts this season, he’s fourth from the bottom with a 75.9 conversion percentage.
Bears predictions: Week 17 vs. Vikings - Sun Times - The Sun-Times’ experts offer their picks for the Bears’ Week 17 game at the Vikings:
As Vikings face rematch with Bears, Kirk Cousins feels the pressure - Sun Times - This is the type of game for quarterback Kirk Cousins to make good on that $84 million in guaranteed money.
Kane: 7 things we heard from Bears coordinators, including how Vic Fangio feels fans’ enthusiasm and glimpses of Mitch Trubisky's growth - Chicago Tribune - Offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich liked several aspects of quarterback Mitch Trubisky’s 43-yard pass to wide receiver Allen Robinson in the first quarter Sunday against the 49ers.
Biggs: With Vic Fangio sure to be in demand, the Bears might need to think outside the box to keep the defensive mastermind - Chicago Tribune - Vic Fangio never has been hotter as a head-coaching candidate, and with at least six teams projected to have vacancies in the coming weeks, the Bears need to consider ways to keep the defensive coordinator.
Bear Download podcast: Will the matchup in Minnesota be a playoff preview? - Chicago Tribune - Welcome to the weekly Bear Download podcast. Listen below or subscribe and listen on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play Rich and Dan are still spreading holiday cheer as they preview the Bears’ regular-season finale against the Vikings. They assess the NFC playoff landscape (3:36), then...
Campbell: Prince Amukamara named 2018 Bears Media Good Guy - Chicago Tribune - Prince Amukamara was named the 2018 Media Good Guy by the Chicago chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America. The veteran cornerback has won Good Guy honors in Chicago and in 2015 as a member of the Giants.
Biggs: Bears Q&A: Which potential wild-card opponent would be most dangerous? - Chicago Tribune - Brad Biggs answers your Bears questions weekly. How should Matt Nagy handle the use of front-line players in Sunday's season finale in Minnesota? Which opponent would be most dangerous in the wild-card round? Does a lack of first-round picks in 2019 and 2020 hurt? Plus much more.
Wiederer: Kyle Long's recovery optimism, the Bears' playoff veterans and their Minneapolis misery - Chicago Tribune - As the Bears prepare to face the Vikings in the regular-season finale, we take a deeper look at Kyle Long's push to return from injured reserve, the playoff experience of a handful of current Bears and the team's recent struggles in Minneapolis.
Finley: Can Bears lean on RB Jordan Howard in the playoffs? - Chicago Sun-Times - Through the first 12 games of the season, Jordan Howard averaged 3.4 yards per carry. In the last four, he’s averaged 4.2.
Potash: Out of the spotlight, Leonard Floyd thriving in complementary role in Bears’ D - Chicago Sun-Times - After two years of being scrutinized for big plays, Floyd now is getting recognition for the little things. He was named a Pro Bowl alternate.
Finley: Bears injury update - WR Allen Robinson sits out again with sore ribs - Sun Times - For the second-straight day, receiver Allen Robinson sat out Thursday’s practice with sore ribs.
POLISH SAUSAGE
Marcus Mariota returns to Tennessee Titans practice - NFL.com - Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota made a positive step Thursday toward playing in this weekend’s must-win game against the Indianapolis Colts.
QB Index, Week 17: Previewing offseason QB market - NFL.com - Which quarterbacks could be on the move this offseason? With the regular season in its final days, Gregg Rosenthal takes a peek at the veteran signal-callers who could be available in 2019.
KNOW THY ENEMY
Vikings injury report update: Linval Joseph, Mike Remmers return - Daily Norseman - Who was in and who was out for the Vikings on Thursday?
Priefer: Marcus Sherels to miss game against the Bears - Daily Norseman - And that leaves the Vikings with a pretty significant hole
NFL Week 17: Daily Norseman On The Bear Front Podcast - Daily Norseman - Previewing Sunday’s pivotal game with a Chicago-based podcast.
Aaron Rodgers’ upside down splits illustrate Packers’ third-down issues - Acme Packing Company - Every metric seems to tell the same story: The Packer offense is outdated.
Week 17 stakes are very high for the Rams – ProFootballTalk - A month ago, the Rams seemed to be coasting toward the top seed in the NFC, after securing a 54-51 win over the Chiefs in one of the best regular-season games of all time.
What would a Matthew Stafford trade actually look like in 2019? 2020? - Pride Of Detroit - Is it even possible in 2019? 2020?
NFL Week 17 Power Rankings: What every team has to play for in their season finale - Pride Of Detroit - There are still a few playoff spots up for grabs as we enter the final week of the season.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON
Zeglinski: The Chicago Bears’ 2019 schedule of opponents is set - Windy City Gridiron - We know who the Bears will play next season, just not in what order and when. Oh boy is it a doozy.
Curl & Berckes 2018 NFL Chicago Bears Blither-Blather: Holiday Special - Windy City Gridiron - In this edition of the increasingly-popular Bears Blither-Blather segment, we discuss Wham! Bears playoff opponents, Trubisky, and an untapped market for James Williams jerseys
Infante: 2019 NFL Draft - Potential Bears targets playing in the New Year’s Six - Windy City Gridiron - Even though the Bears will be focused more on the playoffs than the draft this year, it’s always fun to take a look ahead at this year’s prospects.
Mitchell's Cold Takes: A Look At The Chicago Bears’ Sloppy Win At San Francisco - Windy City Gridiron - Things look a bit different when you set emotions aside and go back and watch the tapes a couple of times...
Householder's Week 17 Game preview: Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings - Windy City Gridiron - The regular season finale has plenty of storylines and isn’t the end of the season story for the Bears
WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS
2 Minute Drill - Website - iTunes - Andrew Link; Steven’s Streaming – Twitch – Steven Schweickert; T-Formation Conversation - Website - iTunes - Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; WCG Radio - Website - iTunes - Robert Zeglinski
THE RULES
Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.
The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes. Unless otherwise stated, the Den is not an open thread, and profanity (including profanity only stated in pictures) is prohibited.
Click on our names to follow us on Twitter:
WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.
Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/12/28/18158554/chicago-bears-2018-season-news-updates-analysis-game-sixteen-minnesota-vikings
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What I'm Watching June 2016
Here I will post the anime's that I am currently watching or re-watching, of course this does not include simulcasts as they are in a separate category all together. No, this is a list of the (some partially completed) anime that I binge watch. This post is constantly updated, as I tend to go through a single anime in its entirety within a couple of days, so keep your eye out!
6/25 Blood Blockade Battlefront
Let me get this down now. This anime is visually beautiful, sooooooo much time went into the art and details. Its movie quality beautiful, which is very unusual in a series. So onto the series itself it's about a boy who began living in a post apocalyptic New York after the gates between the human world and the 'monster' world opened. The characters are great, the premise was great, the episodes were great, everything was going wonderfully. Until the anime took an arrow to the knee... Metaphorically of course. So much was left unresolved, and in the last few episodes an obstacle was haphazardly thrown at us. I didn't check the episode count before watching the anime so I was shocked when I found out that there were only 13 (well 12 really) episodes. I get the impression that the studio was initially expecting to do a full 24 ep season considering the pacing of the anime up until episode 10. Evidently this is where the anime diverges quite a bit from the manga itself (my guess is that its unfinished. SOOOOO many anime are left in disappointment because the anime company decides to start a series before the manga has a chance to complete itself leaving the anime with a weird and out of place ending. sigh)
It really is a huge shame that Blood Blockade Battlefront ended the way it did. And its a shame that this recent trend of only creating 'half seasons' has once again resulted in a poor ending. I really liked this anime too, like I said earlier it was amazing. Seriously here's a quote from Toshi Nakamura who wrote a review of the anime itself.
"All in all, Blood Blockade Battlefront was a beautiful jewelry box filled with glittering stones that are individually beautiful, but when you put them on a string to make a necklace, on a whole, they lose a lot of their shine. Plus it feels like some of the most precious gems were left in the box."
My thoughts exactly. Those loose gems left in the box being the other 12 episodes this anime deserved in order to make one complete 24 ep season. I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.
Its so hard trying to recommend an anime when the end is a let down. I want people to see it because the first 9 episodes are fabulous, but I don't want to subject an unsatisfactory anime to anyone. Its not like the ending was bad, for how last minute it was, it was pretty well done, and it did make sense. It just wasn't the ending this anime deserved. If your willing to take this on I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the paranormal genre. Maybe it would just be best to read the manga. Its definitely on my list to read.
6/21 Sankarea Undying Love re-watch
Last time I watched this anime it was in high school after a friend recommended it to me. So I figured why not watch it again? Its a short 12 episode zombie love story. Haha, yup a zombie slice of life love story. In the world of American media, its a really unusual combination of genres, but in anime its no real surprise. I suppose the only real surprise about the anime is the fact that its relatively good, and not at all a harem like High School of the Dead. Its very cute and I think well done. The main female characters father is a total creep and wack-job but that is one of the reasons why he is the main antagonist. For being a zombie anime, its very laid back and you'll find out why as you watch it. Sankarea is an anime that I would recommend to people if I was aware of what kind of anime they liked. If you like the zombie scene but want to watch something not totally gruesome and hyped up, or if you like unusual/ supernatural/ paranormal/ ect. romances I think this is worth a shot.
6/17 Barakamon
WOW, this was really good. I initially started watching this because Funimation's YouTube channel posts trailers and promo videos for its anime. I watched the promo trailer for the English dub, recognized a lot of the voice actors in it and decided to give it a try. I'm gonna say this now, it's probably the best slice of life anime I have seen. and I mean full on slice of life, no paranormal or fantasy or anything else, it's pure slice of life. Its well written, the episodes flow, and its got a great story and great characters. The premise is that a young 20-something artist calligrapher Seishu punches a man who criticized his work as being unimaginative. As a result Seishu's father sends him to live on a rural island to 'cool his head'. The anime then follows the life of Seishu as he makes unexpected friendships and discovers who he is as an artist.
I just loved this anime, If you like slice of life, yes DEFINITELY watch this. Same if you like watching characters grow and their struggle to discover themselves, or if you like comedy, or if you like realism, or if you want a well made anime to calm down with after watching an emotionally draining one. Even if your not into the genre I recommend you give the first episode a try at least. I was immensely impressed with it.
Oh, and the full series won't be released in English until August 9, 2016, but Funimation is releasing the first two episodes in English on June 28th. I know I will definitely be re-watching this when the full English dub release comes out!!
6/16 Charlotte (re-watch)
I LOVED this anime when it came out last year. I remember getting to the last few episodes and going to the public library to finish watching it because the power went out in my house. I just finished re-watching it with one of my friends who had never seen it before. Haha, she was mad at me cause she got so invested in it. It is a doozy. But anyway, it follows high school boy Yuu Otosaka who recently became aware of a supernatural ability of his to be able to control a persons body for 5 seconds at a time. After abusing this power to cheat his way into a good high school, a girl named Tomoe catches him and makes him transfer to a school for people with other abilities. It goes on from there showing their lives, introducing characters and fortifying relationships until the REAL plot reveals itself~
If you like supernatural anime this is a really one, full story in only 13 episodes. It also touches up on quite a few 'heavy' topics, which it actually handles really well. I do recommend this to anyone actually, it was my third favourite 2015 anime of the one I watched that year.
(Bonus: I don't know who wrote this or how far into the anime hey were in, but I agree.)
6/14 50% Off (re-watch)
Oh man, I love this show. I just watched their two A-kon panels from a few weeks ago, and it's great. Just watch this show, make sure you watch it. Here's a link to my post on my favourite parody/abridge series where I talk about this show more. You don't have to know the original anime to enjoy it (I didn't watch Free until recently), so get on YouTube type it in and get going!
6/13 Princess Jellyfish (re-watch)
Alright, So now you guys are up to speed on the anime I watched during my vacation, I just started re-watching Princess Jellyfish. Oh man, I completely forgot about this little gem. I first watched it my freshman year of college (two years ago), and LOVED it. It's basically about a household of otaku young women, and one in particular who is in love with jellyfish, who make friends with their arch enemy, a stylish person! Haha, it is hilarious and a great commentary on stereotypes/social norms in Japanese culture (and really many other first world cultures for that matter.) I am having so much fun re-watching this series, it is slice of life so there is not much of an overarching plot so much as it is just following the exploits of the group after becoming friends with said stylish person I mentioned earlier. Each episode flows naturally into the next creating a constant story with each episode having to do with the next. So despite it being a slice of life, there are no filler episodes that forgotten or have nothing to do with anything. it also consistently references pop-culture and media not just from Japan, but from America too. Really, I can't express how great it is. Watch it, you won't regret it.
6/9 & 6/12
HEY! Sorry for the inactivity, I was on vacation out of state. While I was not able to do anything on this site for the past week, I was able to watch a few anime! AND hey are new ones!
So during my summer vay-cay (haha, thats such a terrible word) I watched:
Dusk Maiden of Amnesia
and Amnesia
Dusk Maiden of Amnesia was good. It's about a high school boy who makes a friend out of a ghost, Yuuko, who doesn't remember anything from when she was alive. In terms of content, while they do try to figure out how she died and who she is, a good portion is about tellig the story of the two main characters. Doing high school activities, developing relationships, ect. While the anime does frequently talk about the mystery and paranormal throughout these episodes, its not until the end of the series that the mystery of Yuuko ACTUALLY begins being solved, and they find out REAL information of her past. In hindsight, her past and the climax of the series is thrust upon you towards the end. It would have been better in my opinion if the events and info were more evenly dispersed throughout each episode from the beginning. I still really liked this anime, though I'm not sure as to how good it is. If your into the sort of subdued paranormal scene, then you may want to give this a shot. Its short, its sweet, I really liked learning about Yuuko's past when it finally got around to it, and I personally really liked it. But again, if you like the paranormal, you may like this. If your not into paranormal stuff, then I wouldn't recommend it.
Now Amnesia was a whole different box of pillows. By that I mean body pillows, and by that I mean I am sure that there area tons available. Why? Because this short anime was adapted from a dating sim called Amnesia: Memories. I wish I had known that before I started watching it, but no matter. In terms of dating sim adaptations, it's pretty good. In terms of an anime, not so much. The premise for both the anime and the game is that you are a girl who just woke up and knows absolutely nothing about herself, where she is, or who anyone else is. She has, you guessed it, amnesia. Amnesia caused by a fairy 'bumping' into her? which doesn't make too much sense. (but hey at least it wasn't because she performed horrific acts of manslaughter, created a patchwork monster, and played a huge part in nearly destroying humanity all so Alexander could become godlike, am I right?) Anyway, she wakes up and begins jumping alternate worlds in which she is dating different guys, thus the dating sim part comes in. In therms of the anime itself, the plot is a little wobbly waiting until the last 2 or 3 episodes to actually explain her true past and give a substantial story line. Because in the game, the female character and her name/personality is you, the anime version of her is left 'blank' for self insertion. Making a poor main character being pushed to and fro. But I will tell you this the music was REALLY good, the opening, closing and background music were absolutely fantastic. SO, if you have played this game and enjoyed it then I would definitely recommend it. If you have not, and have absolutely no interest in self-insertion romance, then its not worth the watch for the plot. Although I did like it myself. It's a good addition to my, quote-unquote, "trash anime" (watch out for a post in the maybe near future). Basically a list of guilty pleasure anime which are terrible when it comes to plot and characters, but I just can't resist. Its like reading trashy romance novels, but better and worse at the same time.
6/5 Red Data Girl (re-watch)
Another re-watch, maybe June will be a month of oldies~ (at least for me). RDG is an adorable anime, its a short 12 ep, one season series based off the Japanese novels of the same title.
6 novels (no official translation, but this person on tumblr has been translating them in their spare time), 4 manga novel adaptations, and one anime as mentioned. I'm not familiar with the novels or manga, but I do know that the anime covers most but not all of the novels. One person said it covers the first 5 novels but that's it. Anyway, the anime is super cute, and I really like the premise. My only issue is that the end felt like the completion of a smaller story arch within a larger one. Leaving no REAL ending, you can't even argue that the end is open to interpretation because they didn't leave you wondering what happened, they leave you without ever continuing the main story arch. Without explaining the endless questions that rose with the intention of it being resolved later. Hopefully the manga will give me some solace but with 4 books, i'm not sure if it will... I really like it, and I really wish it would continue.
oh btw, as of right now it's available on netflix, the English voice acting is ok, its not bad, but its also not great. The voice actors are able to but the right voice out, but not give the voice the emotion that the words give. I greatly prefer the Japanese voice acting, but I'm able to live with the English if I'm multi-tasking. (random note: the ending theme is super pretty. Actually, a lot about this anime is pretty)
6/2 Blue Exorcist Movie TOP PICK FOR THIS MONTH (new)
The movie has nothing to do with the plot of the anime at all, and takes place after the events in the series. Atleast I'm fairly certain it does? There's an important (and spoiler-y) thing that happens at the end of the series, that is never addressed or acknowledged in the movie which I think is really weird..... Either way, the movie itself is simply a completely stand alone story from the series. And it was absolutely stunning! Sooooo much detail went into all of the backgrounds and items. On top of that its very well scripted, and the plot flowed incredibly well together without being convoluted, which is surprising since a number of movie sequels to tv series's tend to go overboard by stuffing too much information into an hour and a half.
It was amazing. Its possible that someone could watch the movie without watching the single season anime, just because of how it was written. However you would not know the relationships or the back story of the main character, which helps to explain a lot of the terminology and setting. Especially the part about demons ect ect.
Either way, I LOVED this movie. I didn't even know that there was a movie at all until just now. I'm going to re-watch it with a friend when she gets back into town and I am soooooo excited because I KNOW she will love it too. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. I RECOMMEND THIS SO HARD.
6/1 Blue Exorcist (re-watch)
Well I can't sleep, so what better opportunity than this to re-watch Ao no Exorcist in the English dub~ Ah, I love this anime. Its funny, has great main characters, a good story and writing, and I seem to have a week spot for exorcist anime's, haha. Man, I remember watching this when it first came out in high school, I have a distinct memory of watching one of the later episodes before going to one of my friends concerts. There was a movie made about a year later, AAAAAND a series of specials. Oh, man the movie was so amazing. It has nothing to do with the plot of the anime at all, in fact the anime wrapped up everything rather nicely. The Movie itself is simply another story in cinematic format. It was absolutely beautiful, well made, well scripted, and the plot flowed incredibly well together without being convoluted. Would 100% recommend.
Oh, right! The dub isn't that bad, I mean I wish they had a different voice actor for Rin, I just don't feel like this one really lives up to the character. The other voice actors are great though, really fit the characters. The dub is well done, but I think I preferred the Japanese voice actors (they have a better pick than we do.) I just think that someone with a slightly lower, more thug-ish voice would have been better. The English actors voice is a little too high for me, it's even higher than Yukio's voice ._.
6/1 Black Butler (re-watch)
I decided to re-watch the show (minus the second season) after writing up my post from yesterday about anime whose second season could just go and disappear from existence. I love Sebastian, he is a saint, well a saint among devils. Not only is he one hell of a butler, but one hell of a contractor too, he REALLY get into his jobs, and it is amazing. Even I would enter into a contract if I could have him as a butler~ It's a goon anime, not sure if its recommendation worthy though. I mean yes it's good but it's not something that you HAVE to see, or something you would be missing out on. It's surprisingly fun and while it can and does get intense in certain areas, its not so intense that its going to mess you up. As long as you never touch the second season, NEVER.
Bonus image, cause why not:
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This Summer Is Setting Us Up for NBA Trade Deadline Insanity
Since the NBA Finals ended last month, we've damn near witnessed a starting lineup's worth of All-Stars change teams, while a few other franchise-trajectory-twisting talents decided to stick with their incumbent organizations.
But unlike last summer, where the two main themes were "God help us, the Warriors have Kevin Durant" and "It's time to spend all the money," the most interesting and noteworthy development over the past week has been an unforeseen obsession with short-term contracts. Fear of a flattening salary cap has increased the value of long-term financial flexibility, leading us to a slew of sensible deals that protect teams while also satisfying players who still get a ton of money, plus the opportunity to hop back into free agency right after they leave it.
Big-money deals that only last one, two, or three years are a win-win proposition, and they can potentially electrify next year's trade deadline. From the dog-paddling Toronto Raptors to the rebuilding Sacramento Kings, let's take a look at a few examples across the league.
We'll start with one of the most non-traditional acquisitions of the off-season: the Philadelphia 76ers finally joined the rest of the NBA as a free-agency participant in a major way, adding Amir Johnson and J.J. Redick with a pair of one-year deals totaling $34 million. Johnson is a fine veteran and will bring a calming locker-room presence to a young team that needs as much of that as it can get, but Redick is the more relevant addition who can change the perception of the team while also helping on the court.
Still an elite three-point shooter who will provide space and sizzle for an offense that doesn't know what that those qualities look like, the 33-year-old Redick has nearly 2,200 playoff minutes under his belt and should complement Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Markelle Fultz right away.
There's on- and off-court value here. It makes sense for Redick to boost his annual income by joining a non-contender before he can re-enter free agency next summer to chase a ring. For the Sixers, that single-season pact is humongous. If the playoffs feel unattainable at the All-Star break, Philly can simply cut bait and auction Redick's valued skill set off to the highest bidder in return for a future asset.
A lot can happen between now and then, and in a scenario where the Golden State Warriors or the Cleveland Cavaliers look vulnerable—or if a fringe playoff team simply wants to make the postseason—a front office that can cobble together enough salary to make the money work may be willing to fork over a first-round pick for Redick's service. The Eastern Conference's middle class is robust, and out West teams are constantly elbowing their way past one another.
The same philosophy applies, if on a less consequential scale, to the Chicago Bulls and the two-year, $9 million deal they just gave to Justin Holiday. A long wing who made 35 percent of his threes last year, the 28-year-old's contributions are more valuable on a playoff team than one staring at rubble. The contract is curious, until you realize the Bulls have armed themselves with someone who may garner trade-deadline attention on a team that should play fast and free. Holiday's numbers will sprout if he sees the court (and playing him should be a priority).
It could go either way with Ben McLemore, who signed a two-year, $10.7 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. If a change of scenery alters the trajectory of his career, and the 24-year-old looks like he can contribute on a Memphis team in the running for a postseason spot, fantastic. If he plays well and they stink, even better. The Grizzlies already lost Zach Randolph to the Kings, they're waving goodbye to Tony Allen, and letting Marc Gasol's name float in trade rumors. There's a decent chance they hit the reset button pretty soon, and if McLemore is able to moonlight as a quality NBA player, his contract can be exchanged for something else.
Moving on to a few more impact veterans, the Denver Nuggets signed 32-year-old Paul Millsap to a three-year, $90 million deal that somehow has a team option hooked on at the end. Trading him after half a season would be an odd move for a Denver team with serious upward momentum and enough desire and ability to make the playoffs this year. The good news for the Nuggets is there's no downside even if things don't work out.
Millsap is a logical fit beside franchise center Nikola Jokic, but barring a deep playoff run, Denver's front office should still listen to offers that can help propel the team into the next phase of what may be one of the more appealing eras in its history. Jokic could be up for a max contract in 2019, and furnishing the roster with a more dynamic supporting cast that'll accentuate his strengths beyond the next couple years may be more beneficial for the franchise's long-term health.
The Raptors signed Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry to a pair of three-year deals because there apparently weren't any buyers willing to offer something better. It's a smart move for Masai Ujiri, who can now pivot from Toronto's pseudo-competitive outfit—resting on the hope that someone like Norm Powell, Delon Wright, or Jakob Poeltl unexpectedly blossoms before Lowry starts to decline—to a full-on rebuild if the Raptors disintegrate earlier than expected.
Lowry turns 32 next season and has played roughly one billion minutes over the past four seasons. He can earn up to $100 million over the life of this deal, but the fact that it's three years, not four or five, gives Ujiri more than enough leverage in a potential trade. Instead of losing one or two of his three best players for nothing, Ujiri kept both around on his own terms. (Getting off Ibaka's contract will be a piece of cake.) It's a lot of money, but the length of these contracts is more consequential than how high they rise.
Jeff Teague and George Hill both signed three-year deals for $57 million, with Teague getting a player option with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Hill receiving a partially guaranteed third year on the Kings. Both are fine contracts, but Hill's is a potential gem for one of the least experienced teams in the league. He'll essentially show De'Aaron Fox how to be a professional while existing as the club's top trade asset (one that they're actually willing to flip).
Randolph's two-year, $24 million contract falls into that same category. With their 2019 pick gone to either Philadelphia or the Boston Celtics, the Kings have an incentive to be as bad as possible in 2018. Trading Hill and Randolph, their two best players, for treats that may pay off years down the line would be wise.
Minnesota isn't looking to get off Teague, but if Tom Thibodeau feels he's a poor fit beside Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler, and Karl-Anthony Towns, this contract is easy enough to exchange for another starting-caliber floor general—which oddly enough is the most interchangeable piece in the league right now.
Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea - USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors re-signed Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston to a pair of three-year deals, with Livingston only guaranteed $2 million in the final season. A vast majority of teams in the league would upgrade their bench by being able to bring Livingston off it, and he's still only 31 years old. It would be astonishing if no team made a better offer, but perhaps those were ignored so he could stay on Golden State's unprecedented joy ride.
Iguodala's deal is a fully guaranteed doozy, but it's also a tiny bit surprising to see no teams give him a fourth season. Yes, he turns 34 next year, but if for no other reason than to partially dismantle a dynasty, Iguodala could've probably made more money elsewhere. It'll be interesting to see if and when the Warriors unload these deals in an attempt to restock the cupboards with younger talent around their four-man nuclear warhead.
Danilo Gallinari and Patrick Patterson probably shouldn't be lumped into the same sentence, but both are useful players who were expected to attract four-year deals, assuming that's what they wanted. The market apparently shut them down.
Gallo turns 29 in a month and a torn ACL suffered four years ago might have still been on the minds of front-office decision-makers weighing the risks reward. But he's 6'10", made 39 percent of his threes last season, and is one of only a few players his size who can efficiently shoot, post up, and conduct a pick-and-roll. That explosive offensive skill set is deservedly worth the $65 million the Clippers agreed to give him over the next three years. And because there isn't a fourth year to worry about, the Clippers now have a player with enough production value to either kick-start a rebuild or at least get younger around Griffin, should they ever seriously entertain the thought.
The Gallo-Blake Griffin-DeAndre Jordan fit is suspect but intriguing. Gallinari is a stretch four in today's NBA, but with Jordan's contract about to expire (he has a player option next season) L.A. may want to trade him, play a majority of Griffin's minutes at the five, and go all-in on one side of the ball—the classic "it's crazy enough to work" strategy.
That probably won't happen, though. Instead, if things don't work out, Gallinari would draw the most significant return in a trade, as demonstrated by his new three-year deal.
Patterson, meanwhile, can guard multiple positions, knock down open corner threes, rebound, and set screens; he doesn't take anything off the table when he's on the court. He's also an ideal complement beside Paul George and Russell Westbrook, but even if those two leave next summer, Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti won't have a hard time moving on from that outrageously inexpensive three-year, $16.4 million contract if it makes sense to do so.
All this is no guarantee that the next trade deadline will be a flurry. Teams that now own these valuable short-term deals may just want to enjoy owning a valuable short-term deal. So much depends on how teams and players perform relative to expectations, if a new piece fits or doesn't, and whether one of the other 29 organizations is willing to partake in a rational negotiation.
That said, a vast majority of the deals made over the past few days have definitely increased the odds that we'll see a busy trade deadline in 2018. There's almost no risk involved in taking on any of these contracts, which means February could be an exciting, franchise-altering month in the NBA.
This Summer Is Setting Us Up for NBA Trade Deadline Insanity published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv
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This Summer Is Setting Us Up for NBA Trade Deadline Insanity
Since the NBA Finals ended last month, we've damn near witnessed a starting lineup's worth of All-Stars change teams, while a few other franchise-trajectory-twisting talents decided to stick with their incumbent organizations.
But unlike last summer, where the two main themes were "God help us, the Warriors have Kevin Durant" and "It's time to spend all the money," the most interesting and noteworthy development over the past week has been an unforeseen obsession with short-term contracts. Fear of a flattening salary cap has increased the value of long-term financial flexibility, leading us to a slew of sensible deals that protect teams while also satisfying players who still get a ton of money, plus the opportunity to hop back into free agency right after they leave it.
Big-money deals that only last one, two, or three years are a win-win proposition, and they can potentially electrify next year's trade deadline. From the dog-paddling Toronto Raptors to the rebuilding Sacramento Kings, let's take a look at a few examples across the league.
We'll start with one of the most non-traditional acquisitions of the off-season: the Philadelphia 76ers finally joined the rest of the NBA as a free-agency participant in a major way, adding Amir Johnson and J.J. Redick with a pair of one-year deals totaling $34 million. Johnson is a fine veteran and will bring a calming locker-room presence to a young team that needs as much of that as it can get, but Redick is the more relevant addition who can change the perception of the team while also helping on the court.
Still an elite three-point shooter who will provide space and sizzle for an offense that doesn't know what that those qualities look like, the 33-year-old Redick has nearly 2,200 playoff minutes under his belt and should complement Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Markelle Fultz right away.
There's on- and off-court value here. It makes sense for Redick to boost his annual income by joining a non-contender before he can re-enter free agency next summer to chase a ring. For the Sixers, that single-season pact is humongous. If the playoffs feel unattainable at the All-Star break, Philly can simply cut bait and auction Redick's valued skill set off to the highest bidder in return for a future asset.
A lot can happen between now and then, and in a scenario where the Golden State Warriors or the Cleveland Cavaliers look vulnerable—or if a fringe playoff team simply wants to make the postseason—a front office that can cobble together enough salary to make the money work may be willing to fork over a first-round pick for Redick's service. The Eastern Conference's middle class is robust, and out West teams are constantly elbowing their way past one another.
The same philosophy applies, if on a less consequential scale, to the Chicago Bulls and the two-year, $9 million deal they just gave to Justin Holiday. A long wing who made 35 percent of his threes last year, the 28-year-old's contributions are more valuable on a playoff team than one staring at rubble. The contract is curious, until you realize the Bulls have armed themselves with someone who may garner trade-deadline attention on a team that should play fast and free. Holiday's numbers will sprout if he sees the court (and playing him should be a priority).
It could go either way with Ben McLemore, who signed a two-year, $10.7 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. If a change of scenery alters the trajectory of his career, and the 24-year-old looks like he can contribute on a Memphis team in the running for a postseason spot, fantastic. If he plays well and they stink, even better. The Grizzlies already lost Zach Randolph to the Kings, they're waving goodbye to Tony Allen, and letting Marc Gasol's name float in trade rumors. There's a decent chance they hit the reset button pretty soon, and if McLemore is able to moonlight as a quality NBA player, his contract can be exchanged for something else.
Moving on to a few more impact veterans, the Denver Nuggets signed 32-year-old Paul Millsap to a three-year, $90 million deal that somehow has a team option hooked on at the end. Trading him after half a season would be an odd move for a Denver team with serious upward momentum and enough desire and ability to make the playoffs this year. The good news for the Nuggets is there's no downside even if things don't work out.
Millsap is a logical fit beside franchise center Nikola Jokic, but barring a deep playoff run, Denver's front office should still listen to offers that can help propel the team into the next phase of what may be one of the more appealing eras in its history. Jokic could be up for a max contract in 2019, and furnishing the roster with a more dynamic supporting cast that'll accentuate his strengths beyond the next couple years may be more beneficial for the franchise's long-term health.
The Raptors signed Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry to a pair of three-year deals because there apparently weren't any buyers willing to offer something better. It's a smart move for Masai Ujiri, who can now pivot from Toronto's pseudo-competitive outfit—resting on the hope that someone like Norm Powell, Delon Wright, or Jakob Poeltl unexpectedly blossoms before Lowry starts to decline—to a full-on rebuild if the Raptors disintegrate earlier than expected.
Lowry turns 32 next season and has played roughly one billion minutes over the past four seasons. He can earn up to $100 million over the life of this deal, but the fact that it's three years, not four or five, gives Ujiri more than enough leverage in a potential trade. Instead of losing one or two of his three best players for nothing, Ujiri kept both around on his own terms. (Getting off Ibaka's contract will be a piece of cake.) It's a lot of money, but the length of these contracts is more consequential than how high they rise.
Jeff Teague and George Hill both signed three-year deals for $57 million, with Teague getting a player option with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Hill receiving a partially guaranteed third year on the Kings. Both are fine contracts, but Hill's is a potential gem for one of the least experienced teams in the league. He'll essentially show De'Aaron Fox how to be a professional while existing as the club's top trade asset (one that they're actually willing to flip).
Randolph's two-year, $24 million contract falls into that same category. With their 2019 pick gone to either Philadelphia or the Boston Celtics, the Kings have an incentive to be as bad as possible in 2018. Trading Hill and Randolph, their two best players, for treats that may pay off years down the line would be wise.
Minnesota isn't looking to get off Teague, but if Tom Thibodeau feels he's a poor fit beside Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler, and Karl-Anthony Towns, this contract is easy enough to exchange for another starting-caliber floor general—which oddly enough is the most interchangeable piece in the league right now.
Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea - USA TODAY Sports
The Golden State Warriors re-signed Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston to a pair of three-year deals, with Livingston only guaranteed $2 million in the final season. A vast majority of teams in the league would upgrade their bench by being able to bring Livingston off it, and he's still only 31 years old. It would be astonishing if no team made a better offer, but perhaps those were ignored so he could stay on Golden State's unprecedented joy ride.
Iguodala's deal is a fully guaranteed doozy, but it's also a tiny bit surprising to see no teams give him a fourth season. Yes, he turns 34 next year, but if for no other reason than to partially dismantle a dynasty, Iguodala could've probably made more money elsewhere. It'll be interesting to see if and when the Warriors unload these deals in an attempt to restock the cupboards with younger talent around their four-man nuclear warhead.
Danilo Gallinari and Patrick Patterson probably shouldn't be lumped into the same sentence, but both are useful players who were expected to attract four-year deals, assuming that's what they wanted. The market apparently shut them down.
Gallo turns 29 in a month and a torn ACL suffered four years ago might have still been on the minds of front-office decision-makers weighing the risks reward. But he's 6'10", made 39 percent of his threes last season, and is one of only a few players his size who can efficiently shoot, post up, and conduct a pick-and-roll. That explosive offensive skill set is deservedly worth the $65 million the Clippers agreed to give him over the next three years. And because there isn't a fourth year to worry about, the Clippers now have a player with enough production value to either kick-start a rebuild or at least get younger around Griffin, should they ever seriously entertain the thought.
The Gallo-Blake Griffin-DeAndre Jordan fit is suspect but intriguing. Gallinari is a stretch four in today's NBA, but with Jordan's contract about to expire (he has a player option next season) L.A. may want to trade him, play a majority of Griffin's minutes at the five, and go all-in on one side of the ball—the classic "it's crazy enough to work" strategy.
That probably won't happen, though. Instead, if things don't work out, Gallinari would draw the most significant return in a trade, as demonstrated by his new three-year deal.
Patterson, meanwhile, can guard multiple positions, knock down open corner threes, rebound, and set screens; he doesn't take anything off the table when he's on the court. He's also an ideal complement beside Paul George and Russell Westbrook, but even if those two leave next summer, Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti won't have a hard time moving on from that outrageously inexpensive three-year, $16.4 million contract if it makes sense to do so.
All this is no guarantee that the next trade deadline will be a flurry. Teams that now own these valuable short-term deals may just want to enjoy owning a valuable short-term deal. So much depends on how teams and players perform relative to expectations, if a new piece fits or doesn't, and whether one of the other 29 organizations is willing to partake in a rational negotiation.
That said, a vast majority of the deals made over the past few days have definitely increased the odds that we'll see a busy trade deadline in 2018. There's almost no risk involved in taking on any of these contracts, which means February could be an exciting, franchise-altering month in the NBA.
This Summer Is Setting Us Up for NBA Trade Deadline Insanity published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv
0 notes
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