#one of the only footballers i've seen talk about all of this beyond just posting a flag on their story

[twopoppies]

Hi Gina... I need to rant 😠 lmfao

As a life-long Chiefs fan and KC native all I can say is this T*ylor shit is fucking annoying. I know you talk to a LOT of people in the fandom, so you may not remember, but I'm a fellow Sw*ftie hater (maybe that's too harsh but idgaf) and I didn't think it was possible to get more annoyed with this woman than I've been since I stopped being a fan in 2018. Boy, was I WRONG. I'm a die-hard Chiefs fan. I loved my team even when we sucked and couldn't make it to the playoffs (before Patrick Mahomes), so to see EVERYONE make the game on Sunday about her is beyond frustrating. People (Sw*fties) are seriously saying she's the only reason we won. Like we haven't won multiple AFC championships and two Super Bowls in the past three years. Maybe I'm just taking it too seriously, but when our boys played a kick ass game on Sunday after such a shitty season opener (that we lost), it was so nice to see that we're getting our mojo back but I literally can't look at any post, tweet, article, tv segment, etc that doesn't make the game about her.

God, please don't let her be around for the rest of the season 🙏🏻

Also, I'm not saying they're not hooking up, but this is 100% for PR. I've personally never seen them pan to a celebrity so many times during the game. I've never seen "candid" photos of Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, or any of the other popular Chiefs' players leaving Arrowhead Stadium after a game like we just got with Travis & T*ylor, or "candid" photos & videos of any of the popular players driving through the city, which is so sus. And then what really sealed the deal for me was that T*ylor announced earlier today that her concert film will be shown internationally. She was also named as an entertainer of the year for entertainment weekly and is on the cover. Not to mention, she has a new re-recording coming out in a month and continues to announce new versions of the 1989 re-recording. "Someone" must not be happy enough that she's already broke records with the Speak Now sales, is selling the most number of albums overall, but she must be aiming to break those Speak Now records with the 1989 re-recording sales bc she's releasing new versions quite often. I mean, how greedy can one person be. Like you haven't sold enough albums? You don't have enough publicity? You don't have enough money? It's just gross to me.

Also, I personally just found her reactions over the top for someone who isn't even a fan, especially whatever that head shake thing is at the end. But maybe that's just because I find everything she does annoying and cringe.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxmAHqjrACL/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Plus, the stats around Travis and the Chiefs have skyrocketed. So they're absolutely getting a lot out of this as well as the NFL like someone mentioned earlier.

I'll attach an article but here are some numbers:

Travis' jersey sales went up almost 400%

Stubhub ticket sales for Chiefs' home games increased threefold in just 24 hrs

Travis gained 325k new ig followers - more than he gained after winning the last Super Bowl

Sunday's Chiefs' game was the most watched NFL game on any network last week

It was also the most watched game among girls and women 12 to 49 yrs old

https://www.axios.com/2023/09/26/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-merch-sales-up-chiefs-kansas-city

And yes, I know I know a lot about her for someone who doesn't like her. But she's inescapable even when I have muted everything related to her... And now she's taking over my everything related to my favorite football team and my city 🤢 Where's Pete Davidson when you need him? 😂

Ok, sorry for that rant. I know I probably sound ridiculous, but I prefer my life T*ylor free just like I prefer my life Ol*via free, and I thought you might understand 😂 Anyways, feel free not to post if you don't want to discuss her anymore.

I hope you're having a good night, Gina. Lots of love.

She really is a horrendous actress. Everything she did at that game was so embarrassingly fake. But clearly people want to believe it because it’s everywhere.

That’s bananas how much his stats already went up and just shows why it’s worth it to do this kind of nonsense, even to someone who’s already really famous.

I’m not interested in football at all, but I’m so sorry she’s contaminating your safe space. 😩

#swiftie #pr and marketing #stunts

[mccleans]

via hector's insta story

#one of the only footballers i've seen talk about all of this beyond just posting a flag on their story #hector bellerin

[coachtfd]

Because every take on here is a bad one is why o think that. You say you are Dortmund fan but you act differently. Like wow we know putting 5 in middle is not going to take away any possibility of an opposition goal

You act like you know better but you do not all you do is complain about them you are as bad as your Manchester United friend

Reading this again, apart from the "you're as bad as your Manchester United friend" (whatever that means) I still don't feel any differently. What about my other content: "coach's corner" where I talk about deeper topics, or "tactical takeaway" where I break down some of the great tactical moments I've seen that week (more of that to come btw). My most popular post to-date is the one about football not taking off on England, it's actually one of my favorites. 😂 Maybe this person only sees/reads when I write about United or Dortmund, two clubs who I really think should be doing better than they are and I'm not willing to wax lyrical about underperforming clubs, fan or not; that's just dishonest and ingenuine. Go back and read some of my earlier stuff, you'll see how fair and balanced I've been over time. My first post was a two-part article on how utterly shambolic Arsenal were in the final years of the Wenger era, because they were. Now I can't say enough great things about them because it's been a massive turnaround compared to where they were before Arteta came in.

This person reads my posts, hasn't said one nice thing about me, but guess what, they're still a follower! Amazing, I know. 💡 Also, news flash: I don't write for everyone to like what I have to say. I write to educate, to challenge beliefs, to entertain, to inspire, and to create a written record of my philosophy and predictions, my successes and failures. Most importantly, I started this blog to build a community for myself with people who love the game as much as I do whether they see it the same way or not. And goodness me, I've been blessed with that 10x over. I actually have people I can watch games with now! I can celebrate with them, vent with them, and get to know them beyond the sport. I freaking love it. And the women's football blogs on here keep me so connected while I'm currently focusing on the men's game, I don't know what I'd do without them. 💖⚽

#tfd #anon #answered #manchester united #borussia dortmund #premier league #bundesliga #soccer #football #women's football #women's soccer #woso #wsl #nwsl #blogging

[thevindicativevordan]

you had a great post about what clark would get from his Kryptonian parents? what would he get from his earth parents?

Time to talk about good ol' Pa and Ma Kent.

Similar to the Els the most important attribute the Kents have is their goodness. They're decent salt of the earth folk, who manage to instill a sense of duty, compassion, and humility into their adopted alien son who is one of the most powerful people on the planet. They're not perfect, Jonathan in particular has been portrayed as having a temper (something he and Clark have in common), but they're the kind of people who would give you the shirt off their backs were you in need of it. Taking in a baby from a rocket which crashed in their cornfields sets the tone for their lives after Clark's arrival. Weird events occur and they basically just roll with it, nothing will ever top the insanity of the day Clark first arrived.

While the DCEU took it too far I don't think it's out of character for them to have some degree of "cynicism" per say. They are after all the ones who teach Clark the importance of hiding his powers, because people will be afraid of what he can do. Multiple origin stories for Superman have established Jonathan Kent as having some degree of military service, I know Post Crisis made him a Korean War veteran, and I like the idea that both Jonathan and Martha have traveled beyond Smallville and seen the worst of humanity. Similar to Clark I think the Kents work better if they're people who have seen some of the world's ugliness and yet refused to let it compromise their sense of right and wrong.

Jonathan Kent is the Heart

Just like Jor-El, what Jonathan gives Clark is already pretty well-established: his moral compass. Clark's ability to discern right from wrong is something Jonathan teaches him over many conversations across Clark's youth. Whenever Clark is unsure of what's the right thing to do, he often will fall back on lessons he learned from Pa over the years. Rarely does he find an exact answer to his problems, but he does find a starting point to work towards a solution. Loads of writers have given us great Jonathan/Clark moments across the ages, Morrison unsurprisingly has written my favorite scenes in All-Star Superman with the issue where Pa dies, but Johns having Jonathan tell Clark that Clark is his son when Clark is freaking out over learning he's adopted and from another planet is another great scene from Secret Origin.

Clark and Jonathan should have been thick as thieves before Clark reached adolescence, which is when the two started butting heads. Just can't accept the idea that Clark meekly acquiesces to his Pa telling him that he can't use his gifts for his own benefit as a teenager, I don't care how morally pure Clark is meant to be. No way he wouldn't be at least a little pissed that Pa doesn't let him play football where he knows he could excel and finally be popular. Only later as an adult does Clark truly come to appreciate the wisdom of what Pa was trying to teach him: that he shouldn't use his powers to exploit those weaker than him for his own advancement, but instead use them for a greater purpose.

Martha Kent is the Soul

Much like Lara, Martha is historically severely overshadowed by her husband when it comes to importance. Usually she's just kind of there, the doting mother who wants her boy to succeed in life. Nothing wrong with that per say, but more of an effort should be made to differentiate her role in Clark's life from Jonathan's. Mulling over what Martha could be, I've seized on one attribute of Superman's that could be tied to her influence: his interest in journalism.

Martha's influence on Clark should manifest itself in the form of his creativity. I want her as the one who nurtured Clark's reading and writing abilities, she should be the one who encouraged him to pursue writing as a career. Maybe Martha was a writer for the local Smallville newspaper, or maybe she just liked to entertain herself by writing small stories that sometimes she sent out to be published, and sometimes she wrote just for the pleasure of writing. Whatever her background in writing, make her the writer of the family, the one who sees Clark's potential to succeed in that area and nurtures it. Whenever Clark is reaching for the right word to put in an article, or for the right thing to say to someone who is in need of help, Martha is the one whose influence inspires him.

While both of the Kents guide Clark on the road to becoming Superman, I'm not really a fan of them being the ones to make his costume, come up with his "superhero" name, or tell him he should use his powers openly to help people. Takes too much of the decision on what he wants to do with his powers away from Clark, just like Jor-El sending him to Earth with the express intent that he serve as a guiding light for humanity does. Crafting Superman needs to be something Clark does on his own, becoming Superman is his first big choice as an independent adult in my ideal take on the character. Totally fine with Pa and Ma emphasizing that he has a responsibility to use his power to help people in need, but the how of it should be Clark's choice.

Also they should be dead by the time Clark becomes Superman. Many Superman fans would disagree with me, arguing that Jonathan and Martha offer more alive than dead. Some of the most common arguments are that Clark can go back to them for wholesome conversations and advice as an adult, that giving him dead parents makes him too much like Batman, and that he already has Krypton's destruction plus his birth parents' deaths to provide a tragedy if one is necessary. Those arguments don't sway me for a couple of reasons.

First off the Kents can still provide plenty of wholesome moments and advice while dead via flashbacks. Both Bendis and Snyder were able to do great scenes recently where Clark is struggling with his temper or an obstacle, and the memory of his adopted parents is what gives him the strength to carry on. Really Clark running back to Smallville for pies and pep talks every time life gets hard just makes him seem infantile and over reliant on other people to tell him what to do. Furthermore what could the Kents possibly say at this point that Clark himself doesn't already know? Most of their advice is "follow your heart", "do the right thing", basic shit that Clark should be able to figure out himself. Not like Pa and Ma are going to be able to help strategize to beat Brainiac. If somehow they are able to solve a problem for him, well then where's the tension? Since they're so wise and all-knowing, why doesn't Superman just fly back for some home-grown wisdom every time he can't figure out what to do? People say that the most interesting Superman stories are the ones where he's presented with problems he can't solve by punching, kind of undercutting that premise by giving him access to two people who always know what the right choice is and can tell him what to do. Plus if he needs someone to unload his problems on, that's what Lois, Jimmy, Lana, John Henry Irons, or even Kelex are for! Those are his friends, peers, confidants, his wife, they're the ones he should be talking to about his problems!

Second off he came before Batman, and the Kents were dead for most of Pre-Crisis, so I don't accept the argument that dead Kents means he's going to become too much like Batman. Hell that's part of the reason they should be dead, to show how he is able to process the death of his parents differently from Bruce. Unlike Bruce or Barry who obsessed over their parents' deaths, Clark mourning his parents but not letting their deaths define his life is downright inspiring. It demonstrates that Superman isn't a product of the Kents' deaths, but instead of their lives and their lessons.

Finally when it comes to Krypton and the Els, while I do think he mourns and honors them he doesn't know them. Not like Kara did, traditionally for Kal post-Crisis his memories of Krypton are a few scant memories at best. Doesn't really work for him as a tragedy given he doesn't know what he lost, and Superman does need a tragedy. Why? Because otherwise his whole "hope" and "it gets better spiel" comes across as pretty hollow. Sure is easy to say that Superman when you're the most powerful guy on the planet, with everyone damn near worshipping you as the Second Coming of Christ, your civilian identity is also well-regarded as a good journalist, your wife is a super hot star reporter, your son is a chip off the ol' block who idolizes you, there's an entire superhero team from the future you adventured around with that views you as their role model, and your Earth parents are also still around, love you, give you advice when you need it, and are proud of you.

When has it ever been tough for you? When have you ever suffered, ever really had your ideals challenged to the core, and you had to suffer through it alone? Given the rise of so many goddamn stories lately where Clark loses his fucking mind the minute one of his loved ones die (especially Lois) yeah I think we need to establish that is not true for the main guy. He needs to have loved ones die, go through the long dark night of the soul, and come out the other side with his mind and morals intact. Show he's not weak, he's had his "one bad day" and didn't break. Frankly I don't see how he works anymore without that being part of his character. Leaving it out now means people go "well he wouldn't be such a good guy if one of his loved ones died, as we've seen in Elseworlds".

Besides all that, their deaths teach Clark one of the most important lessons: he can't save everyone. For all his powers he's still mortal, still human, and sometimes he's going to fail. Failing doesn't mean giving up however, because even after he failed to save his parents, he still kept trying to be the hero they knew he could be. Ultimately I think the Kents are better off laying the foundations for Clark's character and then exiting the story when he's ready to stand on his own. Nothing they can give him as an adult can't be given by one of Clark's other peers or friends, and no wholesome conversation over apple pie is going to make me feel the way I did reading Clark cry on his father's deathbed while promising to use his powers for good. Know I won't convince everyone about this, but I'm pretty firm in my convictions that the Kents work better dead than alive.

#superman #jonathan kent #martha kent

[lalka-laski]

How did it feel outside today? It's chilly but really nice. I think it's gonna warm up a bit later.

Who did you last text? My groupchat of college friends

Are there any animals in the room with you? Lord there BETTER NOT be

Do you like the color of your eyes? I love them. It's one of the few features about myself I don't nitpick

When you watch T.V. what are you usually watching? Reruns of my favorite comfort shows

Can you open up to others easily? Yeah, I'm a little too trusting

Are you one of those girls who already have baby names picked out? Sure am! But I don't think it's that crazy considering my age and relationship status

Elaborate about the drunkest you’ve ever been? That could be any number of times...

Is there anything that you think is just simply beautiful? Love. Oh and babies!

Is there a friend of the opposite sex you can confide in? Mhm

How did you spend yesterday afternoon? It was lovely! I finished a book (that I had only started that morning, couldn't put it down), while Glenn watched football. Then I made us homemade alfredo & shells for dinner. It was my ideal Sunday!

Are any of your siblings taller than you? Kathleen and I are about the same height

Do you think anyone hates you? I honestly don't think so

Is anyone angry with you at the moment? Nope, not that I know of

Who’s in the room with you right now? Nobody

Ever did something you regret while under the influence? Too much

What car would you like to have, but know it’s way out of your reach? I don't desire any car

What religion were you raised on? Do you agree with those beliefs? I wasn't raised with any religion. I was christened in a Protestant church (just for tradition's sake, I guess) but we never attended church beyond that. Otherwise, my mom has a lot more Pagan/New Age beliefs (I struggle to define them aptly) and I find myself identifying a lot more with those practices and sentiments. Spirituality is an ongoing process of discovery.

Would you say that you’re flexible? Not at all. In any form of the word.

Keep the peace or finish out the fight to prove your side? I'm more of a keep the peace person but then everything left unsaid comes back to haunt me

Do you believe in giving second chances? Yes, because I'd be nothing if it weren't for the second chances granted to ME

Can people really change? Yes

Has anyone ever told you they loved you, but you didn’t believe them? Yes

What’s one of the worst experiences you’ve had so far? Idk, my childhood sex abuse prob ranks high on the list. Among other things.

Can anyone be described in one word? Humans are multi-dimensional but I think it's our nature to try to condense each other into single categories like that

When did you last have a nightmare? Last night! I've been having them quite a lot lately and that's a sure sign my mental health is failing.

Do you sleep well? I do but that's mostly because I take a sleep aid every night

What are you thinking about right now? How hungry I am and how hard this fast is gonna be today

Last person you spoke to, what did you say? "Have a good day" to a patient

Is there anyone in this world you would do absolutely anything for? Glenn, my babies, my sisters

Is there any certain thing you’re always thinking about? Whatever my Worry du Jour is

Do you have any other tabs open right now? What for? Thesaurus.com & Facebook because I'm working on a Facebook post for a company I write for

Are you hot or cold? Or neither? I'm ok for now but I'm almost always too hot

Rich and miserable, or poor and happy? How POOR are we talking? Because poverty is hell. This question was obviously written by someone who's never had to worry about money

What’s one of the weirdest things you believed in as a kid? That Maleficent lived behind the pool in my backyard

What’s your favorite type of weather? Crisp with clear skies & some sun

Do little kids and toddlers get on your nerves? No, I love them and much prefer them to adults

What’s the goriest thing you’ve ever seen? Umm...

Have you or do you attend pep rallies regularly? They were required in high school and took place during the actual school day

What’s the name of the city you live in? Rochester

Is anyone getting on your nerves right now? Meh, not really

Are you good at coping with stressful situations? I'm TERRIBLE at it, thanks for asking

Time? 10:52 am...just about halfway through my day. Woot!

Do you really think Lil Wayne is the greatest rapper alive? No

Have you ever seen a building on fire in real life? Yes

How many weddings have you been to? I just counted 6 but I can't help think I'm forgetting some

Have you kissed anyone and their first name started with an F, D, or L? D