Excuse me for being an ignorant Lakers fan, but at this point, I just assume they’re going to win every game. I should’ve realized that without Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma tonight, they would be tested – which was obviously the case. The Lakers lost their first away game of the 2019-2020 season tonight in what was a very close game against the Indiana Pacers.
The 14-game road winning streak was the third-longest in NBA history, which makes sense for a team with only four losses through 28 games. To be a truly great team you have to be able to win on the road, and although there have been some close calls, this Lakers team is finding a way to win.
They’ve had their share of close calls:
@ Dallas (119-110 OT)
@ OKC (130-127)
@ Memphis (109-108)
@ NOLA (114-110)
@ Atlanta (101-96)
Although some of these games were close calls, all that matters is that they pulled out a win. Yeah maybe the box score is ugly, and analysts will criticize the team for not beating up on inferior opponents like the Pelicans or Hawks, but who cares? The Lakers have not lost to a bad team yet this season. Their only losses this season have been to the Clippers, Raptors, Mavericks, and Pacers – all solid, playoff-bound teams. Most teams slip up once or twice against inferior opponents, but the teams that beat the teams they’re supposed to beat make the losses against competent teams easier to swallow.
Especially without AD and Kuz, the bench had to step up tonight, which they did decently well. The biggest surprise of the Lakers’ season so far, Dwight Howard was a perfect 10/10 from the field, along with six rebounds and two blocks. Rondo and Caruso also chipped in and put together solid games.
Despite the loss, I’m so damn excited about this Lakers team. They’ve showed that they can get it done in close games and on the road, which is excellent practice for the playoffs. And did you like how I went an entire Lakers blog without mentioning Lebron? I recognize he’s not the only player on the Lakers worth mentioning….but still #myKING.
Also, never thought LebronXSuperman was the duo I was missing all my life
Well, its official…The Los Angeles Dodgers have officially signed right-handed pitcher Blake Treinen to a one-year contract worth $10 million dollars. After a disappointing 2019 season where Treinen pitched to the tune of a 4.91 ERA over 58 2/3 innings, the Dodgers are hoping he can get back to his 2018 ways. He had an absolutely ridiculous 2018 season – just look at these stats:
9-2 W/L Record
0.78 ERA
80 1/3 IP
0.834 WHIP
AL All Star
6th in AL Cy Young Voting
AL MVP votes as a RELIEVER
A sub-1 ERA in 80 innings is a ridiculous stat, especially in the American League with the designated hitter in play. And although he was disproportionately bad in 2019, his 2018 season showedĀ that he has the ability to be very good.Ā Especially with Kenley Jansen coming off the worst season of his career, the Dodgers need help at the back-end of their bullpen.Ā
Sadly, the Treinen news was basically the only thing that salvaged the hot stove season for the Dodgers, as they failed to make any other moves. As I said in a previous post, the Dodgers needed to prioritize starting pitching this offseason, which they have failed to do thus far.
Just a quick rundown – the best starting pitcher free agents have signed to other teams, even though the Dodgers have been in on most of them; meaning they’ve been unable to recruit free agents to Los Angeles of all places. Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, Zack Wheeler, and just today, Madison Bumgarner are no all off of the board.
I don’t know what’s wrong with the Dodgers’ front office, but they seem to be content with JUST making the playoffs. They have been so close to getting all the pieces for a championship team, but fold when it comes to signing players. They are notorious for not making serious runs at top of the line free agents, but with the talent that was available this year, I really thought they would get somebody. A.J. Pollock is their biggest signing in recent years that wasn’t just a contract extension to a current Dodgers player (Kershaw, Turner, Jansen).
While it would have been an embarrassment of riches if the Dodgers signed Gerrit Cole, they needed to make a move for another starting pitcher. However, with a guy like Dallas Keuchel still available, I haven’t lost all hope, but there hasn’t been any rumblings that they’re even targeting him, which is ridiculous.
Bottom line is the Dodgers are one of the wealthiest teams in professional sports, but they need to start acting like it. After another disappointing postseason appearance, a big free-agent signing is exactly what this fan base needed to spark some excitement. Figure it out, Andrew Friedman.
Although it’s in Korean and has limited theatrical release in the U.S., there’s no doubt in my mind that Parasite was the best movie of 2019. Sorry to burst your bubble, comic book movie stans. I won’t give away the plot at all, but just give a general overview of Parasite and why you need to find a theater that’s showing this movie.
Living in Los Angeles, I’m lucky that this is the capital of the movie industry, but even here, I had to drive a solid 25 minutes to the closest theater showing Parasite; so I can see the challenge if you live in a more rural area. But man was it worth the trek. I’ll admit I was hesitant at first being that I’d never seen a Korean movie before and wasn’t sure if the culture would translate – but it definitely did. The movie seldom used Korean-specific references, so my American brain was not thrown off by anything. And this isn’t a dialogue-filled movie, so even if you’re a person who hates subtitles, it’s not hard to follow along with at all.
I also kept getting asked if this was a horror movie because of the title, but it’s not. Maybe some people thought it had to do with an infestation of bugs or something, but ‘parasite’ is meant to describe the characters in the film, who are metaphorically parasites to society.
Movie Summary (No Spoilers)
So this movie follows the Kim family – a poor family living in basically the slums of South Korea. None of them (father, mother, son, daughter) have steady work, so they basically just do freelance work for random businesses – they’re folding pizza boxes for a pizza shop in the beginning of the movie. Then, the son’s (Ki-woo) wealthy friend (Min) visits him and tells him to take over as an English tutor for the family of a wealthy family’s daughter (Da-hye). This wealthy family is the Park’s, and they have no idea that the Kim family is going to change their lives.
The Park family consists of a father, mother, son, and daughter as well. The father (Dong-ik) is a rich businessman, so he leaves all of the family stuff to his stay-at-home wife (Yeon-kyo). She is very impressionable, and the Kim’s take advantage of that. Ki-woo establishes a relationship with the Park’s and eventually convinces Yeon-ko to hire each member of his family to work for them. His sister (Ki-jung) gets hired as an art tutor for the Park’s youngest son, the father becomes the family chauffeur, and the mother becomes the maid. And at no time do they tell the Park’s that they’re related – which makes things veryyyy interesting.
It might sound simple enough to convince a wealthy family to hire help, but the way they do it is savagely executed. They lie, get people fired, and there is one hell of a twist(s) at the end. This film might redefine what a thriller is…it’s so unique because in between the tense moments, they work in comedy and bring you back down to earth. What a gem.
Trust me, it doesn’t have a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes for nothing. Go see ‘Parasite’, trust me.
The Dodgers are considered one of the frontrunners for free-agent slugger Anthony Rendon, along with the Texas Rangers. While Iāll admit it would be a great addition to the Dodgersā lineup that already includes MVP Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner, is his addition necessary? This free agent market is stacked with starting pitching, which I think the Dodgers should prioritize.
Donāt get me wrongā¦Rendon is a very good player, and before the 2019 season, was probably the most underrated player in MLB. However, the Dodgers still had the best offense in the National League, and the fifth-best in MLB. My feelings would be much different if Rendon wasnāt so expensive. He placed third in MVP voting last season, and is no doubt looking for a long-term home, which means more $$$. In a perfect world, I would welcome him with open arms, putting Rendon at third and sliding JT over to first base. But, signing Rendon means the Dodgers are probably out on other players that I believe they need more.
With Kershaw not looking as great as he has in the past, Rich Hill hurt every other start it seems like, and Hyun-jin Ryuās future with the team uncertain, the Dodgers should be prioritizing pitching right now. Iāll admit, it may be tough to believe that since they were the #1 staff in the league last season, itās a new year. We may not get Ryu back, Kershaw could blow out his back again, and Hill could get another blister. We all know Gerrit Cole is still on the market, and Stephen Strasburg just signed an extension with the Nationals today, so heās off the table. Of course Cole will be expensive, but as I look at the Dodgers starting rotation for next year, I will be a little disappointed if their only addition is Jake Odorizzi or some shit, given who was available.
It has been two weeks since the Rams got destroyed by the Ravens on Monday Night Football, and I am fully back in on them. They were 100% in charge of last nightās Sunday Night Football game against the Seahawks, as they routed them to a 28-12 victory. As I predicted was going to happen, Russell Wilson had a rough night; although even I thought he wouldāve thrown for at least ONE touchdown.
The Rams jumped out to an early lead, executing on both sides of the ball to take a 21-3 lead into halftime. The only spark in the game for the Seahawks was when Quandre Diggs intercepted Jared Goff for a 55-yard pick-six.
They were able to kick another field goal midway through the fourth quarter, but with it being a 14-point game and the Rams playing lockdown defense, Seattle was done for.Ā Iād say the nail in the coffin came when Todd Gurley threw down Tre Flowers on the Ramsā last scoring drive:
Thatās the Todd Gurley people thought we had seen the last ofā¦apparently not!! Gurley was dynamic in probably his best game of the season, having rushed for 79 yards and receiving for another 34. And while Goff threw two picks ā his first can be partly blamed on Robert Woods (insert video/post), and his second was basically an elite punt, as it pinned Seattle on their own two-yard line – he still wound up with 293 yards and two touchdowns.
The only irritating part about last nightās win was realizing that the Rams shouldāve beaten Seattle twice this year. Thinking about Zuerleinās missed field goal in their first matchup is frustrating mostly because of how automatic āGreg the Legā has been. I guess nerves just got the best of him. Had the Rams won that game, theyād be tied with the Vikings for the second Wild Card spot, and even closer to taking the Seahawksā spot. The Rams can definitely win out, but if they can at least take 2/3 of their remaining games against the Cowboys and Cardinals, they have a good shot at the āyoffs. Their toughest opponent will be the 49ers, who they struggled to get any offense going last time. But this is a team playing more dynamically on both sides of the ball now, so you never know what could happen.
After the first three episodes of The Mandalorian, I wasn’t quite sure what angle they were going to take as the show progressed. After watching the fourth and fifth (which dropped today) episodes, it’s clear that this show is a western. And that is FINE with me.
This show doesn’t have a whole lot of depth, and that is okay. Does every show have to have some huge underlying plot that leads to a huge reveal like Watchmen likely will? No. But, the The Mandalorian does give us a bunch of badass action scenes from an intergalactic bounty hunter….plus Baby Yoda.
The fifth episode was the first where we saw Baby Yoda in real danger at the hands of Toro Calican (Jake Cannavale). We all knew this whole episode that Toro was gonna do something stupid, but threaten Mando with Baby Yoda? Even I thought he was smarter than that.
And that’s exactly where the western elements start to play in. This whole show is basically just Mando jumping from planet to planet doing bounty hunter-y things…like you would see in a classic Western.Ā For example, tell me if this plot sounds familiar: an outlaw comes across an quaint little town and finds that there’s trouble brewing. He feels it is his duty to rid the town of the evil that is corrupting the area. That’s more or less the plot of The Lone Ranger. Point proven. Additionally, there isn’t an ensemble cast – it’s basically just Mando and Baby Yoda, with Greef Carga (Carl Weathers) making the occasional appearance.
Episode 5
Mando and Toro (honestly kind of a badass bounty hunter team name) go to hunt down Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen), who is an absolute master with that rifle of hers. And they make Toro out to look like this young punk who has clearly bitten off more than he can chew, but continues to act like he knows better than Mando.
When Shand gives Toro the information that killing Mando would make him a legend, he stupidly kills her and goes to capture Baby Yoda. Mando eventually gets back to the hangar where Baby Yoda and his ship are. Of course Mando kills Toro and Baby Yoda is saved, but the whole point to this rant is that there’s not much substance behind each individual episode – which like I said, is fine.
Of course they gave us a nice little cliffhanger at the end of the episode where we see the legs of someone whom we don’t know walking toward Shand’s lifeless body. Now THAT’S what I’m talking about! Give me a character that’s gonna hunt down Mando. I’m hoping this creates a little more continuity besides just the Baby Yoda storyline.
To literally everyoneās astonishment, newly-instated USC athletic director Mike Bohn has announced to keep Clay Helton as the head football coach via Twitter:
Heading into 2020, Coach Helton and I will work together to take a hard look at all aspects of the football enterprise and will make the tough decisions necessary to compete at a championship level.
What a Bohn-head move! (Let it be known in the history books that I came up with that saying all on my own). Fans of the once-football powerhouse have been disappointed with Heltonās head coaching tenure that started in November 2015. In a decade that has been racked with controversy and dissatisfaction, Helton did sneak in a couple solid years. They won the Rose Bowl against Penn State in 2017 and the Pac-12 title the following season. However, he followed up those seasons with a terrible 5-7 record last year, and an decent 8-4 record this year.
Heltonās tenure wouldnāt be a big deal at most colleges, but this is USC football weāre talking about. Theyāre one of the winningest programs in college football history with 11 national championships, and a plethora (big vocab guy) of NFL stars.
So as you can see, fans and alumni demand excellence. I mean, after all those years of winning itās what
people expect from the program. Thinking back to those Pete Carroll years in which they won two
national championships, which donāt seem that long ago, itās amazing how far theyāve fallen. Of course,
a lot of that had to do with the NCAA sanctions.
Not to mention the blue balls every USC fan got after expecting Bohn to announce that Urban Meyer
would take over the reigns as head coach. However, that whole situation involving Meyer was
unfounded because he never even said he wanted the job! Everybody basically just thought he was the
logical choice and made up these fantasies that he wanted the job ā which is obvious now that he
doesnātā¦at least for now.
But, itās good to see USC fans are taking the news well!
I am pleased to announce that I will not spend a single dollar on USC athletics anymore. I will also not waste my time watching and caring about a school that clearly doesn't care about its fans. Enjoy the 1/2 full Coliseum next year and for years to come
What a colossal – and avoidable – mistake. You will regret this day for your entire – and likely short – tenure at USC. And yes, the same can be said for @PresidentFolt. #USC#USCFootball#ClayHelton#SadDay4SC
You just lost more than half of your fan base. Your donations and sales will be killed by this decision. The lack of comprehension from you and the school is beyond infuriating. You have now accepted and become a middle of the road athletics department. Disgrace
— Encino Man Hates how all his teams suck (@TrojanNoleLADNE) December 4, 2019
Fair warning, I am by no means a Watchman expert. I didnāt read the comics and have only seen the movie once, but I am super into this show. So comic book nerds, if Iām off about something that the comics or movie answers, please donāt roast me.Ā
Episode 7 ofĀ HBO’s WatchmenĀ aired on Sunday night, and like after every episode, I have some questions.Ā First of all, if you havenāt been watching this show, I highly recommend it; Iāve been a big fan of Regina King sinceĀ Southland, so my interest wasĀ peakedright off the bat. You also may rememberĀ The WatchmenĀ movie came out a few years ago, but from what Iāve heard, you donāt need to have seen the movie to understand the show.Ā
Alright so episode 7ā¦is Will an elephant?? What was up with that AdrianĀ VeidtĀ trial?? and Cal has been Dr. Manhattan this whole time?? If you havenāt been watching this show, that last sentence is going to sound insane, and if you have been watching the show itās stillĀ pretty insane.Ā
Is WillĀ AnĀ Elephant??
No, probably not, but the way this show is going I wouldnāt rule it out.Ā SoĀ we all know that Will is Angelaās grandfather/Hooded Justice, but why was her IV hooked up to an elephant? Iāll attribute it to the fact that elephants are known for having a great memory, and being that Angela is struggling with hers right now, thereās some scientific explanation for this. That still leads to the question: āWhere is Will Reeves?ā After Lady Trieu dropped that bomb on us that the Millennium Clock would be used to save the world, Iām assuming heās probably up there.Ā
Ā
Why Is AdrianĀ VeidtĀ on Trial??Ā
This was the oddest scene of possibly ~the entire series~. I think the main reason for this scene was to give us some background info on AdrianĀ Veidt/Ozymandias, thanks to Attorney Ms.Ā Crookshanks, who gave us a rundown of all the things that led to him being banished. Then we had a trial conducted by the Game Warden and a jury of several Ms.Ā CrookshanksĀ and Mr. Phillips. The Game Warden also said that it was day 365 of his trial, but we are not sure why he is on trial or who put him there. This storyline isĀ definitely theĀ most unexplained and āfar outā in the show, but still intriguing. I am looking forward to learning more about Mr.Ā Veidt.Ā
Ā
Cal is Dr. Manhattan??Ā
In one of the biggest plot twists of the season, it appears that Angelaās husband, Cal has been Dr. Manhattan in disguise. After Lady Trieu alluded to Angela knowing that she knew Dr. Manhattan has been in Tulsa this whole time, I thought the only logical person it couldāve been was Cal. Iām sure other die-hard Watchmen fans predicted it several episodes ago, but I still knew it before the unveiling so HA. Angela of course calls him Jon (Dr. Manhattanās birth name ā he wasnāt always a jacked blue man capable of unearthly powers), and proceeds to smash his skull in, then pulling out a hydrogen atom – Dr. Manhattanās symbol. We were told that Cal had an accident in Saigon and lost his memory, which we now know was just a cover-up. We still do not know Angela and Dr. Manhattanās relationship or how they met, but episode 8 should answer those questionsā¦.thenĀ undeniable add more.Ā
In this episode we also learn that anyone who has ever been close to Angela has died, specifically her parents (Vietnamese suicide bomber) and her grandmother (heart attack while rescuing her from Vietnam). Also can’t forget that the 7th Cavalry knows Dr. Manhattan is in Tulsa and is planning on taking his powers….aaand has kidnapped Laurie Blake. Quite a ‘sode for those fucks.
I feel like every episode answers my questions I had from the previousĀ episode, butĀ adds several more than I previously had. I canāt wait to see how they wrap up this first season, being that there are only two episodes left. I amĀ definitely notĀ looking forward to the hiatus until season two.
We will finally see what the College Football Playoff looks like without Alabama, after today’s loss to Auburn. The 15th-ranked Tigers were in the entire game against the 5th-ranked, and Tua-less Crimson Tide, trailing at most by 7 in this year’s Iron Bowl.Ā This game will no doubt go down as the best game of rivalry week 2019, mostly because of its playoff implications.
Since the inception of the CFP in 2014, Alabama has not missed it. They’ve no doubt deserved to be there every year, but isn’t it kinda boring seeing the same teams compete every year? I was definitely not looking forward to another Clemson vs. Alabama matchup. But now we don’t have to worry about that because there’s no way in hell a two-loss team could make it now!
This is how the CFP rankings stand as of November 30th:
Ohio State
LSU
Clemson
Georgia
While this list still contains some very familiar faces, the one newcomer is LSU, who has failed to make the CFP since its inception. Alabama’s loss also keeps one-loss (as of now) teams like Utah and Oklahoma in the mix. We’ll see how the SEC championship between Georgia and LSU impacts the rankings, knowing that one of these teams will have another loss on their record. Since Utah has the edge over Oklahoma in the rankings(6 & 7), they have to win out to keep their CFP chances alive. I would love to see some Pac-12 representation in there.
.@Utah_Football has given up just 48 points over the last 6 games combined…
The fourth episode of The Mandalorian dropped on Disney+ today and it did not disappoint. It opens with a group of savages on an unknown planet pillaging a peaceful town of farmers. We’ll get back to them later. After the credits, we see Baby Yoda (BY) annoying Mando by flicking the switches on and off in his ship. Seriously, what is it with babies that they always try to annoy you? As someone currently raising a puppy, I feel your pain Mando. Anyway, they are heading to Sorgan, the planet we were introduced to in the opening scene. They’re heading there to lay low for a while until the heat from the events that unfolded last episode die down.
Once they arrive on Sorgan, Mando encounters Cara Dune (Gina Carano), a former rebel alliance trooper at a diner of sorts. Mando knows something is up with this chick and asks the server when she arrived, but the server is not sure. After Dune disappears from the diner, Mando goes outside to confront her, as he definitely knows she is a problem. He is able to track her steps with his high tech helmet, but is still caught off guard when she attacks him. They go on to exchange a few blows (she lowkey kicked his ass) and when they eventually draw their blasters on each other, they call it quits.
That night, Mando is working on his ship when he is approached by a couple farmers from that village that was attacked in the opening scene. They want his help (given his expertise in kicking ass) to fight off the savages that attacked their village. He declines at first, but later agrees because it’ll be a quiet place to lay low and he persuades Dune to join him.
After some travel they end up at the village and they are immediately loved because they are supposed to be their saviors! Plus the kids in the village (like everyone watching the show) lovesss BY. I mean how could you not love that little guy?? The only thing I miss is his floating crib, because he mostly walked everywhere in this episode which was still adorable, but that crib was awesome. Like how did it stay on pace with Mando without a rope or anything pulling it? Is there some magnetic force attached to him that keptĀ it by his side? These are the questions that need answering.
Like I was saying, everyone in the village loves them, but don’t forget they’re there to take out a bunch of savages. After doing some recon, Mando and Dune realize that it’s not just the savages they have to worry about – although hidden from view in the opening scene we could see they had a huge weapon of some sort. After seeing it’s tracks, they learn that what they have is an Imperial AT-ST.
Knowing that this is going to be tougher than they had anticipated, they plead with the villagers to leave. After they refuse, Mando and Dune begin to train them for battle, knowing that it will take more than just the two of them to take these savages + the AT-ST down.
Throughout the episode we are introduced to a love interest of sorts – Omera, who has her eye on Mando even though she has absolutely no idea what he looks like. I’m sure she’s just tired of that weak farmer dick. She definitely makes it clear that she likes him and would probably do anything to keep him there….
We do, however, get some insight as to why he can’t take his helmet off in front of other people (he can take it off in private). His Mandalorian code says that if he were to expose his face to another person, he would not be allowed to put his helmet back on. So that basically rules out any romantic companionship for life smh. Honestly though, I don’t see him making it through even this entire season before he takes that helmet off. Doesn’t it make him stand out more? Everyone knows the Mandalorian armor so it makes it tough to keep a low-profile. We also learn that his parents died when he was very young and the Mandalorians took him in, which is why he is so loyal to them.
After training every able bodied adult to fight, it’s finally time to take down the savages, who we learn are called Klatooiinian Raiders. Mando and Dune go to their camp in the woods and proceed to take down several of them, but are followed by probably a couple dozen more plus the motherfucking AT-ST. The villagers had dug a huge watery hole to try and get the AT-ST to fall in, as they don’t have the machinery to take it down themselves. As everyone is fighting, the AT-ST doesn’t take the bait, and Dune is forced to get savage wit it. She takes Mando’s vaporizing gun (it literally vaporizes anyone he shoots….so badass) and she continuously shoots at the glass to try and subdue the operator.
During this time, the villagers are holding their own against the Raiders, as Mando just happened to have a bunch of weapons in his ship apparently, so they’re landing shots left and right. Dune finally lands a shot that breaks the glass, and the AT-ST falls forward into the water hole, and the Raiders run scamper back to the forest – battle won!
Time then jumps forward a few weeks after the battle, and Mando reveals to Dune that he plans to leave BY in the village, as he will have a good life there. Mando then goes to Omera (love interest) with plans to tell her of his decision, but she turns it on him and tries to get him to stay.Ā Things get real steamy when she tries to take his helmet off, but NOT TODAY woman! Mando isn’t gonna give up years of dedication to his Mandalorian brethren for some random lady on a forest planet fuck outta hereee.
During their convo, we see a sniper in the forest taking aim first on Mando, before turning it to BY. As they’re about to pull the trigger..BAM..Dune blasts them from behind, and saves BY. Realizing that nowhere is safe for Mando or BY where there are people, because everyone talks, and a Mandalorian with a little green kid is going to draw attention. Realizing they have to stay on the move, Mando leaves with BY in search for another planet. End scene.
Now, even though Omera is probably pissed, I’m glad that sniper showed up because I would’ve rioted if they left BY on that loser planet. He has the power of the Force and needs to be in a place where he can really use it for good.
I’m just stoked to see where they go next, and knowing that Dune will be in another couple episodes (I might’ve peaked at the IMDb page), I hope they team up for some other badass fights together.
