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Tom Hanks Had the Best Ten Year Run of Any Actor Ever

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Tom Hanks has had an unbelievably successful career. Many people (including myself) consider him the greatest actor of all time, and deservingly so. He has made hit movie after hit movie AND brought coronavirus attention to the forefront of people’s minds (not intentionally, but nonetheless!). Anyway, I think it’s fair to say that Hanks’s stretch of movies from 1992-2002 was the greatest ten-year run of any actor ever, in the history of the universe. Let’s take a looks at what Tommy put out over that time:

  • 1992: A League of Their Own
  • 1993: Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia
  • 1994: Forrest Gump
  • 1995: Apollo 13, Toy Story
  • 1996: That Thing You Do!
  • 1997: (Took a well-needed break)
  • 1998: Saving Private Ryan, You’ve Got Mail
  • 1999: The Green Mile, Toy Story 2
  • 2000: Cast Away
  • 2001: Band of Brothers (Executive producer)
  • 2002: Road to Perdition, Catch Me If You Can

Unless you’ve been living under a rock your whole life, or are younger than twelve years old, you’ve heard of, if not watched, at least 80% of the movies above. He made 14 movies in ten years, four of which are arguably the best movies of all time in their respective genres.

Saving Private Ryan is probably the greatest war movie ever, and a top ten movie of all time. I could be considered biased because it’s personally my favorite movie ever, but regardless, you can’t deny that it’s about as close to perfection as a war movie can get. It’s also worth mentioning that while he didn’t star in Band of Brothers, Tom Hanks, along with Steven Spielberg gave us one of the best miniseries’ of all time. I recently made it the #1 TV show to watch during the COVID-19 quarantine, and deservingly so. It’s not a surprise that just a few years after making arguably the best WWII movie of all time, Hanks gave us the best WWII TV show of all time – the guy just loves those stories. Legend.

Toy Story is was the world’s introduction to the animation powerhouse known as Pixar. Pixar has missed on a few movies, but for the most part, they only put out classics. Toy Story should go down as one of, if not the best animated movie of all time, and the fact that if propelled Pixar to the forefront of the animated movie world makes it all the more impressive.

The first time Tom Hanks teamed up with Meg Ryan was in 1990’s Joe Versus the Volcano, which is the ultimate movie to watch on shrooms. Actually, it was so weird when I watched it sober that I think I’d be way too freaked out if I watched it high. Regardless, if you want to watch something that is truly unique I recommend watching it. 1993’s Sleepless in Seattle, however, was a much more traditional and marketable movie for Hanks and Ryan. It’s also one of the best rom-coms ever made. As someone who loves The Bachelor, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I am a huge fan of rom coms, and Sleepless in Seattle is a top-tier choice.

As far as sports movies go, specifically baseball movies, A League of Their Own is one of the best of all time. It tells the story of the first female professional baseball league amidst the backdrop of WWII (inarguably one of Hanks’s favorite era’s). It also gave us the classic line “There’s no crying in baseball!” delivered by Hanks himself. It’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you cry, and I don’t think anyone else could’ve played the role of Jimmy Dugan better than Tom Hanks.

And I couldn’t write a Tom Hanks blog without mentioning Forrest Gump. It’s absurd to me that there are a group of people out there who actually think this is a bad movie. I understand that the movie’s storyline is absurd in its own right, but it’s a FANTASY. In the real world it would be nearly impossible for one man (with an IQ of 75) to make it out of rural Alabama to be a college football star, war hero, ping pong phenom, millionaire restaurateur, and cross country (literally) runner, but that’s the film’s charm! I’ll admit the Jenny storyline can get frustrating, but the rest of the movie overwhelmingly redeems the plot. I’m sure the same people that hate Forrest Gump also hate Inglorious Bastards and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood because those movies took actual historical events and modified the details to change the course of history. Idiots. Love you Hanx!

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‘Tiger King’ Will Go Down as the Show That Got Us Through the COVID-19 Quarantine

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I just finished watching Tiger King on Netflix. I think we can all agree that it’s the most insane documentary that’s ever been made. I’m upset that I never heard about Joe Exotic before this. How did a story this big remain relatively under wraps for so long? Regardless, it’s the best money that Netflix has ever spent. First you’ve got a gay, tiger-loving Joe Dirt, then a psycho cat lady who (might have ) killed her husband, and to top it off, an elephant-riding, orgy cult leader. That’s just gold TV,  and is as entertaining as any scripted TV show out there.

In a time where we have literally nothing else to do in our free time except watch TV and movies, this series came along at the perfect time. Did Carole kill her husband? Being that Carole and Howard are willing to sue anyone who slanders her name, I’m not going to give a definitive yes or no, but the documentary absolutely led us to believe that she did.  I mean, who includes “in the event of my disappearance” in their will?? Even if she didn’t do it, you’ve gotta hand it to her for being a world-class manipulator in ever other facet of her life/business. She profits off of her animals the same way Joe did (minus the breeding), but because she labeled it a “rescue” she’s magically free of all hate. Well not anymore!! We all see through her facade now even though I’m sure the local Floridians will still give the crazy cat lady some business.

Did Joe Exotic get set up by Jeff Lowe? Absolutely. Is he a good guy? Definitely not. No one in their right mind makes that many death threats towards a person and can be considered sane, but I don’t think he actually paid Allen Glover to kill Carole. And thanks to Cardi B, Joe Exotic could be a free man sooner than later, but he’s not free of all guilt. The way he reacted to Travis’s death proves he’s not genuine and lacks common human decency, plus he definitely killed some tigers. It doesn’t mean that he should spend the next twenty years in jail, but he should always be on a government watch list. And keep him from within 1,000 feet of a school at all times while you’re at it.

The cherry on top of this whole series was the shot of James Garretson riding a Sea-Doo in the last episode. There’s just no way they could’ve made this documentary without “Eye of the Tiger” being played at some point:

And are we absolutely sure he’s not the maid Berta (Conchata Ferrell) from Two and a Half Men?

I think the best thing to come out of this documentary is everyone casting their favorite actors and actresses to play these people if they were to make a movie. Kate McKinnon is already making a limited series on the subject, so the last thing to make is a full-length movie. The only actor who would absolutely NEED to be cast is Danny McBride. Personally, I see him portraying Doc Antle, but regardless of who he gets cast as, he should be at the top of the list for any director tackling this insane story.

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Rams Release Todd Gurley, Reminding People That No One Is Safe in Pro Sports

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The Rams have released star RB Todd Gurley and LB Clay Mathews. Sorry Clay, but this whole blog is going to be about Todd Gurley. Gurley was the face of the franchise – if Rams superfan YG is repping your jersey, you know it’s your team.

Gurley had been with the Rams since before their move to Los Angeles, and it sucks that he’ll never be able to call SoFi Stadium home. He endured the pain and suffering through the Jeff Fisher years and was a big reason they were able to reach the Super Bowl in 2018. Claiming the 2017 NFL Offensive POY, the Rams signed Gurley to a huge extension before the 2018 season for four years and $60 million – making him the highest paid running back in NFL history. And despite leading the league in touchdowns for the second straight year, Gurley’s knee became an issue, forcing him to sit out the final two games of the 2018 regular season.

Gurley’s usage continued to decline in 2019 as he rushed for a career-low 857 yards. As tough as it is for me to admit, I think this trade might be in the best interest of both the Rams and Gurley, who probably feels like he should be getting 20 touches per game. And for the Rams, this move is yet another in a trend of cleaning house this offseason. Sean McVay and the Rams have already parted ways with several coaches including special teams coordinator John Fassel, defensive coordinator Wade Philips, and running backs coach Skip Peete which should’ve tipped us off about Gurley.

As far as we know, Gurley’s knee is healthy right now, which is why this move is all the more surprising. Although, with it being a huge question mark the entire 2019 season, it seems like McVay would just rather start from scratch. This move also saves the Rams million$ in cap space, which is why I can appreciate it from a business perspective – why keep a guy you’re not 100% confident you can run your offense through (when he costs as much as Gurley)?  Alternatively, I’m a big homegrown talent guy. Nothing fires me up more than when a player my team drafted and nurtured becomes a stud…Gurley was one of those guys. As great as trading for premier talent is, there’s a different sense of pride fans take in being able to call a player exclusively theirs.

It’s actually incredible how many moves the Rams have made this offseason in preparation for their first year in SoFi Stadium. It’s also remarkable how well Todd Gurley took the news that he had been fired.

At his healthiest, Gurley is a top 5 running back and one of the most electric players in the league and I  truly wish him nothing but the best in the future. As far as the future of the Rams goes, it’s easy to question the youngest head coach in the league especially after a disappointing 9-7 record last season, but as calculated and smart as Sean McVay is, I think he knows what he’s doing. But, if Gurley comes back with a vengeance next season with another team, the only logical thing for McVay to do is blame this decision on having the Coronavirus and not being in the right state of mind.

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Would Clayton Kershaw Ever Pull a Tom Brady and Leave the Dodgers?

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When Tom Brady announced on Tuesday that he would not be returning to the New England Patriots for the 2020 season, it got me thinking about the fate of my own sports heroes. Tom Brady has meant as much to the city of Boston these last 20 years as John Adams did back in the Revolutionary Period. So when I started relating Brady’s situation to current long-term Los Angeles athletes, there’s really only one name that comes to mind: Clayton Kershaw. Of course I can’t bring up LA sports icons without mentioning Kobe Bryant, but he DID spend his whole career here. We got to witness all 20 years of his career right here in Los Angeles. On the other hand, Kershaw, like Brady, is still playing. So if we’re talking about the most impactful LA professional athletes of the last 15 years, Kershaw is second to only Kobe.

Eight All-Star selections, three Cy Young Awards, and an MVP are just a few of the accolades that Clayton Kershaw has managed to capture over his twelve year MLB career. The only thing that has eluded the long-time Dodgers ace is a World Series championship. However, knowing what we know now, it’s safe to assume the Dodgers were cheated out of a championship in 2017 at the hands of the Houston Asterisks. Regardless, despite the lack of a World Series trophy and postseason hardships, he is still my favorite player on the Dodgers, and has been for the better part of his career. So, if he decided to pull a Tom Brady and leave Chavez Ravine for another franchise, how would I feel about it?

Kershaw still has two years left on his current contract with the Dodgers, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2022. Despite some back issues over the past couple years that have sidelined him at times, he is still very effective. Just last season he was named an N.L. All-Star and finished eighth in Cy Young voting with a 16-5 record and 3.03 ERA in 178.1 innings. It’s tough to say whether or not he’ll be able to reach the 200 innings mark again in his career, but being that manager Dave Roberts named him the 2020 Opening Day starter (before Coronavirus delayed the start of the season) for the NINTH time in his career, it proves he’s still got it. In a rotation that includes young stud Walker Buehler, Kershaw really must’ve shown Roberts that even at 32 years old (happy birthday) he’s got the stuff to lead the staff.

The biggest difference between Kershaw and Brady at this point in their careers is their ages. Kershaw is ten years younger than Brady, which probably made it easier for the Patriots to part ways with the six-time Super Bowl Champion, being that coach Bill Belichick is known for parting ways with players sooner rather than later. In 2022, when Kershaw will be 34, assuming his performance hasn’t declined too much by then, he will be a highly sought-after free agent. He’s one of the most decorated pitchers in the league, and if he can manage to pitch 150-175 innings over the next two seasons and stay relatively healthy, why wouldn’t teams go after him? The Dodgers are one of the wealthiest sports teams in the world, but who knows if they think he’ll be worth his hefty price tag by then. Brady knew he could get more money going elsewhere, so what happens if Kershaw does the same thing.

At 34, assuming he hasn’t suffered any major injuries, Kershaw will no doubt have a lot left in the tank (5+ more years) and will be looking for the best deal. Sure, he’s been with the Dodgers since he was drafted by them in the first round back in 2006, but plenty of guys have left the only organization they’ve ever know in search of greener pastures. I’m at the point in my fandom that even if the Dodgers are foolish enough to let him go, I will root for him no matter where he ends up. He has given me so many fond memories throughout the years and is such a charitable person off the field that he’d be impossible to root against.

However, this is the type of player no team should ever let go of. He has become such a leader in the locker room and his name is so engrained in Dodgers lore that it is nearly impossible to think of him in another uniform. I’m not Andrew Friedman, but if he’s happy with the organization (all signs say he is) then the Dodgers need to do everything in their power to resign him and have him end his career in Dodger Blue.

Aaaaand now I’m feeling sentimental:

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“Just Before Your Time” TV Shows Millenials & Gen Z Should Binge During Quarantine

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It’s an odd time to be a sportswriter given every American sports league has been postponed or cancelled. Lucky for you, I am also obsessed with TV and movies. Now that we don’t have any sports to watch, there has never been a better time in the history of the world to binge watch TV shows. But what should you watch? So often we forget about how good shows from the past were, given we’re usually just trying to keep up with what’s current. In doing that however, we miss out on so much. Based on conversations with other people my age (early 20’s), I’ve come to realize that most either haven’t heard of these shows at all or just haven’t watched them. It’s true, these were our parents’ shows, but they are just as enjoyable today as they were when they originally aired. They all stand the test of time and are definitely worth a binge. Here are the top 5 shows young(er) people might’ve missed but definitely need to watch during the age of social distancing and quarantines.

5.Mad Men (2007-2015)

The most recently-aired show of the group, Mad Men will introduce you to the world of advertising in the turbulent 1960’s. Arguably the wildest decade of the twentieth century, ranging from the Civil Rights movements, counterculture, the assassination of JFK, the space race, etc. you get it all. This show introduced Jon Hamm to the world as Don Draper: advertising creative executive. Draper is the epitome of what every 15-year-old boy strives to be when they grow up – wealthy, handsome, and suave (in business and with the ladies). Every girl likes Don and every guy wants to be him. He’s also hiding a huge secret that is essential to understanding why he is the way he is. If I made this show seem like it’s only for testosterone-filled men I apologize…the show also dives deep into the women’s empowerment movement with characters like Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) and Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks). Women were still thought of as second-class citizens behind men in the 60’s, and these ladies prove to be strong-willed role models that young and old women of today can look up to. If I’m still not enticing you to watch this show, then I’ll let the Emmy awards speak for themselves.

4.Entourage (2004-2011)

The lone comedy on the list, Entourage follows Hollywood rising star Vinny Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his boys: E (Kevin Connolly), Drama (Kevin Dillon), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), plus his agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). Most of us will never be famous actors, and will never experience the sex, drugs, and rock and roll that go along with it. Be so that it may, Entourage is the closest we will ever get to that lifestyle, and shows why fame can also be exhausting despite the money and girls. As entertaining as Vinny and his boys are, the show isn’t what it is without Ari Gold. Early on in the show, Ari’s character isn’t much more than a pervy-douche Hollywood agent, but the smartest thing the writers ever did was make him a likeable character. His one-liners usually aimed at his gay Asian assistant Lloyd would be too taboo for TV nowadays but are hilarious nonetheless and remind you just how much society has changed in the last 15 years. Unlike Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad, where viewers are required to follow the story attentively, Entourage is not that type of show; It’s easily digestible show with episodes ranging from 20-30 minutes. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

P.S. The movie is much better than the reviews say. 

3.The Wire (2002-2008)

Stated by me to be the most underrated show of all time since it never won a single Emmy, The Wire is one of the most entertaining shows I’ve ever seen. Set in Baltimore “B-more”, Maryland, the show revolves around the Baltimore Police Department and their relationship with the crime scene largely centered on drugs. One of the most interesting things about the show is that you aren’t necessarily seeing things through the eyes of one person. You could consider the main character to be Detective Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West), but you see things through the lens of various cops and criminals throughout the show which gives you a more well-rounded view of the characters. Idris Elba and Michael B. Jordan also played key roles in the show, with Elba acting as the mastermind of the “Barksdale crew”. A fan favorite is Omar Little (Michael K. Williams), who is the sawed off shotgun-wielding gangster who robs drug dealers. There are so many aspects of this show show you just how complicated the police department and crews run in the city. After watching this show you’ll feel like you know “Bawlmer” like the back of your hand.

2.The Sopranos (1999-2007)

As one of the most famous TV shows of all time, I’m surprised more people my age haven’t watched The Sopranos. It’s commonly referred to as the show that changed TV and it solidified HBO as a premium cable network. Plus, everybody loves the mafia. Some of the best movies ever made dealt with the mob, and The Sopranos is basically a prolonged, modern day (in 1999) Goodfellas. You get to see the world through the eyes of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), who tries to balance life between the mob and his family. Trying to hide the fact that he’s in the mob isn’t easy for him in an age where his kids have access to TV and the internet, and it’s a constant struggle for him to keep that side of his life hidden. While constantly in the high-intensity, masculine environment of the mob, Tony’s confides in his wife Carmela (Edie Falco) and therapist Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) proving that he’s not the average mobster. It’s popularity has never dwindled for those that watched the infamous series, as they are making a prequel movie about the early life of the show’s protagonist Tony Soprano, who is portrayed by his real life son, Michael. Better watch the show now before the movie comes out!

1.Band of Brothers (2001)

I’m not sure how long this coronavirus pandemic is going to last, so if there’s one show you NEED to watch over the course of the next few weeks/months it’s Band of Brothers. It’s a ten episode miniseries that chronicles the story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division, and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord, through V-J Day. What makes this show so unbelievably good is that they used accounts from the actual men who served in Easy Company, making it arguably the most historically accurate depiction of WWII in television and movie history. The great thing about miniseries’ is that they get straight to the point. Over the course of ten hours you learn everything about what these men went through to (spoiler alert) defeat the Nazi’s. Executive produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg and a cast featuring Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Donnie Wahlberg, and David Schwimmer, every person needs to watch this show. Even if you’re not a war show/movie person, the shot of patriotism it’ll give you is more than enough reason to watch. ‘MERICA.

If you’re keeping track, that’s 4/5 HBO shows on the list. I don’t have a bias toward premium cable television, it just so happens that they’ve made some of the best TV shows of all time. And if you think I left a show off my list, there’s a reason why Breaking Bad didn’t make the cut: most people I know have seen it. While it was on at the same time as Mad Men, it was absolutely the more popular of the two, even among the younger demographic. However, it you haven’t seen Breaking Bad, it is a must-watch as well. I clearly have watch a lot of TV in my day, and I’m proud to say I feel like I’ve chosen the right shows. I love bad reality TV as much as the next person, but instead of filling your head with that nonsense while quarantined, try out one or more of these shows listed above and experience what well-written TV is like. If you could care less about my recommendations, at least watch them to understand more Family Guy references.

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NCAA Will Grant Spring Sport Athletes Another Year of Eligibility

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The above statement, released by the NCAA today on Twitter basically states that they are granting spring sport athletes another year of eligibility. It was heartbreaking when the NCAA announced that they were cancelling games and championships for the rest of the season knowing how hard the athletes worked for this  year.

And while it sounds great on the surface, what are the real consequences to another year of eligibility across all spring sports?

Impact on Graduate Programs

Now that this season has been cancelled, each spring athlete effectively “redshirted” this season, meaning that they have another year of eligibility. This means that a ton of seniors will be seeking out opportunities to compete next year as “fifth years”. Some programs endure more turnover (players quitting/transferring) than others, and a lot of the time they don’t notify the coaching staff until after the season or over summer. Since coaches are then forced to quickly replace those players that left, fifth years are a relatively safe option since they are more experienced than a player out of high school or junior college.  However, schools that don’t experience as much turnover and have a whole new batch of freshman slated to enroll in the fall will be forced to cut the seniors or take away the scholarship of a high school recruit.

So if you’re a college coach and figure the best way to “win now” is to keep the senior and cut the freshman, the school will be forced to admit more students into its graduate program. On the flip side, if the coach determines he’d rather keep the freshman, the senior must now scram to find another school with an open spot or accept that their career is over. Usually graduate programs only admit so many students in a year, putting a strain on the schools that don’t have the capacity for additional students. And unless the student is willing to pay full tuition price (unlikely), that’s an additional scholarship they’ll have to dish out, which brings me to my next topic.

How Will Scholarships Work?

A sport like baseball is already extremely limited in their scholarship-giving abilities (11.7 scholarships for a 35-man roster) so I highly doubt that schools could afford to keep additional players. And in being so, I’m sure most athletes wouldn’t be able to afford to pay full tuition plus room and board. Also, does this mean that the roster will be expanded to make room for the seniors that will now be fifth years? Not only is it very seldom that a player receives a full scholarship, but now the NCAA would undoubtedly have to step in to cover the cost of additional players. These are questions that will need to be answered by the NCAA, which I’m sure will happen in the coming weeks.

As I’ve mentioned previously, I was a college athlete, so I understand how painful this would be. If I were still in school right now I’d be doing everything in my power to get that extra year of eligibility. But sometimes the most logical decision is the toughest to make, especially when it involves retiring from a sport you’ve played your whole life. As tough as a decision like this would be, it would make the most sense to just cut your losses and start preparing for the real world (if there aren’t fifth year opportunities out there).

I still think it’s ridiculous they cancelled the rest of a season that goes into May and June. The NCAA could’ve very well delayed the season like the NBA and made a decision at a later date. Although, it’s not 100% the NCAA’s fault. When schools started kicking students out of the dorms it made it difficult to justify keeping the athletic programs active. Ultimately, hindsight is 20/20, and I’m sure a lot of things could’ve been done differently for a more favorable outcome, but this is our reality. And yeah it sucks, but life has a weird way of knocking you on your ass from time to time. As disappointing as this is for all the athletes out there who will never play collegiately again, my advice can be better summed up in the following tweet:

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The Sports World Has Given Coronavirus the Attention It so Desperately Wanted

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March 11, 2020 will officially go down as one of the worst days in sports history, courtesy of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Here’s a quick rundown of what went down:

And just for good measure, of course they had to throw my favorite actor Tom Hanks into the mix.

I never thought I’d say this, but it’s finally time we show COVID-19 some respect. March Madness is by far the biggest sporting event of the spring, and a major money machine for the NCAA. So the fact that no spectators will be allowed in the games is a major blow and will cause serious monetary implications. What’s even more scary is that this could get worse…they could very well end up canceling the entire tournament amid fear that players could catch the virus whenever and wherever.

While it’s unlikely that the entire NBA season will come to an end, it is postponed until further notice after Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. It’s not clear how long this hiatus will last, but it would be devastating if the entire rest of the season was cancelled because of this. I couldn’t imagine being in the front office of a title-contending team like the Lakers, Bucks, or Clippers right now knowing that all the offseason moves they made might’ve been for nothing.

The Ivy League took it one step further by already canceling the remainder of the season for all spring sports. To have trained tirelessly all offseason just to have the rest your season cancelled just as it’s getting started is truly devastating from a college athlete’s perspective. Not to undersell the impact this has on NBA players and other professional athletes, but those guys have already made it. For most college athletes, they get four years to play the sport they love before being unleashed on the real world. I truly couldn’t feel worse for all the seniors in the Ivy League who will miss out on the rest of their season because of it. You might be saying “it’s just sports” or “those Ivy League kids are going to be rich anyway” but it’s so much more of that. If you’re in that group, I apologize if this comes off as pretentious, but unless you played sports in college (which I did) you wouldn’t get it. It takes such a high level of commitment and dedication to play sports in college and especially the Division 1 level.

I haven’t even mentioned the implications this could have (and is already having) on the NHL, MLB, PGA Tour, and the Olympics. The NHL is nearing the end of its season which means the playoffs could be affected, the PGA Tour has no plans to cancel any events, but as we near The Masters it’s something to keep in mind as a possibility, and there’s a good chance the MLB season could be delayed or have empty stadiums. However, in my mind the biggest question pertains to the status of the 2020 Summer Olympics due to it’s close proximity to China, where COVID-19 originated. What’s interesting, though, is that they have less confirmed cases and deaths than the U.S. The Olympics are by far the most important sporting event of the year in terms of global impact, so if they were to get delayed or canceled, it would be devastating.

Of course overall public health is the main concern and is the driving force behind the decisions these league commissioners and board members have been making, BUT I do think they have been premature and excessive. And yes, I can admit COVID-19 deserves respect while at the same time saying that the sporting cancelations are excessive. The following chart shows the death rate from COVID-19 as of 10 pm 3/10/20 via worldometer:

AGE
 DEATH RATE
confirmed cases		 DEATH RATE
all cases
80+ years old
21.9%
14.8%
70-79 years old
8.0%
60-69 years old
3.6%
50-59 years old
1.3%
40-49 years old
0.4%
30-39 years old
0.2%
20-29 years old
0.2%
10-19 years old
0.2%
0-9 years old
no fatalities

As you can see, the elderly are most at risk from dying from the virus which isn’t surprising since underlying health conditions such as emphysema, hypertension, diabetes, etc. are more common. And from what I’m gathering, people in good health like Tom Hanks, Rudy Gobert, and college/pro athletes experience mild symptoms. I’m really not sure what happens next, but all I can do is remain optimistic that this thing doesn’t get even more out of hand than it already is (unlikely). And thanks to the news and internet, the hysteria is growing more rampant everyday. The next most important thing COVID-19 could take away from me is the Eagles concert scheduled in April. If I am denied a live rendition of Hotel California by Don Henley 2020 will officially be the worst year in history.

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Sports Illustrated Hates Mookie Betts

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New Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani, the Angels’ two-way “sensation” recently landed the cover of Sports Illustrated. I think it’s great that they got two of the area’s best players to grace the cover in what should be an exciting season for both franchises. However, I do have an issue with the cover. The first thing that struck me when I saw the cover was how considerably taller Ohtani is than Betts. The second thing (which I have a problem with) is that Betts is looking up at Ohtani. Imagery is a powerful thing, and when I look at this cover, it seems to me like Sports Illustrated is saying that Mookie is the one with something to prove. Ohtani looks like a seasoned vet while Mookie looks like some young prospect that just got called up and is staring at his idol. Any time a guy has to angle his head more than 45 degrees up he’s better off not looking up at all or just praying there isn’t a camera around to capture the size differential. In Mookie’s case, both things happened, and he’s stuck resembling Ralphie in A Christmas Story looking up at Santa Claus.

Mookie Betts is a former MVP, World Series Champion, 4x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger, and 4x Gold Glove winner, yet he’s looking up to Ohtani?? His only accolades include winning Rookie of the year back in 2018 and being the most over-hyped player in baseball. I’ll acknowledge that he has great potential, but I’m the type of person that needs to see it to believe it…and Ohtani hasn’t been overly impressive yet; its probably because he’s only played just over 100 games in each of his first two seasons. Once he can stay healthy for an entire year and puts up some Betts-esque numbers, I’ll put some respect on his name.

The only pose that wouldn’t come off as disrespectful to Betts is if they were both facing the camera – I don’t care if they’re smiling or not, just facing the camera. Even if they were facing each other, Betts would look inferior due to his height, being that he’d still be forced to look up at Ohtani. I demand a re-shoot.

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‘The Bachelor’ Finale Pt. 1 Recap + Alice Springs, Australia Is the Most Disappointing Proposal Location Ever

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The first installment of the finale of Peter’s season of The Bachelor aired last night, and yikes was that an uncomfortable two hours. As with most of the season, Hannah Ann didn’t do anything especially memorable other than capturing the hearts and minds of Peter’s family. Hannah Ann is to the Bachelor what Oklahoma is to college football. She’ll be a strong title contender all season, even show flashes of being the favorite, but will eventually lose to someone from Alabama. On paper, she should be everything Peter wants. Their relationship hasn’t had any hiccups thus far, she’s polite, beautiful, and would probably make a great life partner. I could listen to her say “oh my word” forever.

But, as has been evident all season, Peter wants a challenge. And if Victoria F. wasn’t enough of a nightmare, Peter now wants a woman who is the complete opposite of him – but she’s hot. At least Victoria F. liked to party and is open to premarital sex (allegedly) like Peter. On the other hand, Madison is saving herself for marriage and doesn’t even drink alcohol. Now, that’s not the end of the world, but for a guy like Peter who is famous for having sex four times in a windmill and is the type of guy (according to his younger brother) who comes home from trips and likes to go clubbing.Not ideal for a girl who probably goes to sleep by 9 pm on a Saturday night to rest up for church on Sunday.

And we finally found out who Peter’s mom was hysterically pleading with Peter to BRING HOOOMMMMEEEE.

It was regarding Hannah Ann, which was a surprise to me BEFORE I saw how well she interacted with his family last night. Madison had already met them in person and she’s Peter’s clear #1 – I thought for sure that’s who Peter’s mom was referring to. But nope, as far as first impressions go, it’s tough to win over the hearts of your potential future in-laws when you immediately start talking about the ultimatum you gave their son (Madison claims it wasn’t an ultimatum but it really was). Then on their date a couple days later, Madison realizes it’s never going to work between the two of them and ends things with Peter.

However, I think there was a collective cheer around the country when Madison stood up for herself against Peter’s mom, who is officially the WORST. Do I agree with Madison’s ultimatum? No. But Peter’s mom is in no position to lecture Madison on the choices she’s made for herself or her relationship with Peter. Let her and Peter figure that one out on their own. It was also super unfair of her to cry and beg Peter to choose Hannah Ann when she could clearly see that his heart was with Madison. Like, doesn’t she already see how hard this is for him? Now he’s gotta worry about keeping his mom from being hysterical over him choosing another woman?? Why can’t they just support their son’s decision like every other Bachelor’s family? They just went about everything the wrong way, and while their overbearing parents shtick was cute in the beginning, after last night I am not a fan of the Weber’s.

I’m predicting that in tonight’s episode we’ll see Peter end things with Hannah Ann and he’ll go after Madison (since we saw in the preview that Madison regrets her decision). The only thing throwing me for a loop is that according to Chris Harrison “even Peter doesn’t know how it will end”. Have Peter and Madison just been dating since the show ended and he’ll propose tonight? That’s the most logical scenario, but since nothing with Peter this season has been logical, all bets are off.

Why Alice Springs?

Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Cairns, I could go on and on. How in the hell did Bachelor producers land on Alice Springs, Australia of all places as the location for the finale/proposal? I’m pretty sure this website doesn’t have a largeAustralian following, so I’ll be completely honest…Alice Springs could be the worst city The Bachelor has ever gone to, and they’ve been to Cleveland! It’s about as exciting of a location as Victorville, CA. I thought maybe there was more to Alice Springs than we were shown, but then I watched this tourism video about the city and my assumptions were confirmed – total shithole, which actually makes it more like Blythe than Victorville; it’s never a good sign when the first half of a tourism video is spent talking about an old post office. However, I will give credit where credit is due. Uluru is a badass rock. 10/10 would climb if given an all expenses paid trip to Northern Territory.

Australia, Northern Territory, National Park Uluru-Kata Tjuta listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, Ayers Rock or Uluru, sandstone rock sacred place for the Aboriginal people

But, a cool rock in the middle of an otherwise desolate region doesn’t excuse Bachelor producers for this decision. Imagine being Hannah Ann or Madison and thinking you’re on your way to the Great Barrier Reef or Sydney but all you get is a dusty picnic in the desert with flies circling you the whole time?

I guarantee Madison doesn’t break up with Peter if they go snorkeling instead of a helicopter ride over a big rock.

The only logical explanation for why they would choose Alice Springs of all places down under is that the city paid ABC a ton of money to film there. I might not be their key demographic but I’m sure a ton of people watching The Bachelor last night thought Uluru looked like a great place for a vacation. I mean who wouldn’t want to climb that thing? More power to ‘em.

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