Breaking
Author

Keets

Browsing
Sports

2020 NFL Draft Reactions. Do the Rams Not Want Any Protection for Cam Akers?

By

Well, it’s official. No one in the Rams front office reads this blog…yet. That’s because they clearly disregarded my biggest concern about the team entering the draft…THEY NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE OFFENSIVE LINE. Okay, technically they did, but it wasn’t until the seventh round, which means they either think they found a diamond in the rough or he’s just not that good. The guard in question, Tremayne Anchrum, was given a prospect grade of 5.90, and draft experts see him in a backup or special teams role in the NFL. In other words, he’s probably not the guy the Rams need to turnaround the productivity of their o-line.

My theory about the o-line not being addressed in this year’s draft is that they’re going to trade for someone. In my mind, that’s the only logical explanation for not doing so. Sean McVay has to know that a guy slated to be a special teams starter isn’t what the Rams need to get the most out of Akers. If they don’t get some protection in the interior, their investment in Akers will have been for nothing.

The fact that the Rams drafted a running back (Cam Akers out of Florida State) with their first pick (52nd overall) only exacerbated their o-line dilemma and makes me question their thinking. They were obviously looking for someone to fill Gurley’s role, but after such lack of productivity from their backs in 2019, you’d think they’d make it a point to draft a highly rated interior lineman. I’m not saying Anchrum won’t prove me wrong, but maybe instead of adding another tight end (that’s now 6 on the roster) they could’ve picked another guard who was a little more sought after.

Despite my opinions about their o-line, the Rams still had a pretty solid draft. They got a wide receiver with their second pick (57th overall), which I said should’ve been at the top of their list. They also drafted two linebackers and two safeties, which will add some defensive depth since Clay Matthews was cut and Eric Weddle retired. Possibly my favorite pick in the draft was Chonk kicker Sam Slomam out of Miami (OH), Sean McVay’s alma mater. I fuck with this guy because we seriously needed a kicker since Greg The Leg signed with the Cowboys and he has ice in his veins:

Plus chonk kickers are hilarious.

 

Overall draft grade: B – would’ve been a solid A if they drafted an o-lineman with one of their first four picks.

Keep Reading
By
Sports

NCAA Basketball Is on Borrowed Time Thanks to the G League

By

Jalen Green, the no. 1 player in the 2021 class, announced last week that he would forego a year of college hoops and opt for the G League’s developmental program instead. This one year program will operate outside of the G League’s traditional team structure and its main goal is to develop top high school players and prepare them for the next level: the NBA. Prospects in this program will earn a MINIMUM of $500,000 a season, while Green’s deal could range in the seven-figure range. Green’s decision has rocked the NCAA and raises the question “will college basketball ever be the same?”

For the most part, college is pretty great for top athletes. And there is something to be said about the pride aspect of playing college sports that they’re missing out on when they choose the professional route right out of high school. However, in the case of top basketball players, the choice is pretty clear – take the money. A sport like football is different because players need that time in college to physically mature…could you imagine an 18-year-old offensive lineman fresh off of prom night going up against Aaron Donald? Football players need those (at minimum) three years to mature and go up against some bigger boys. Baseball is similar in the fact that most guys who are drafted out of high school spend at least 3-4 years in the minors before they’re called up anyway, so they might as well play college ball and develop there while getting an education. But basketball is different. Top high school basketball players are ready for the NBA by the time they’ve graduated. Don’t believe me? Here are some guys who went straight to the NBA, you might’ve heard of them:

Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, and the list goes on. 

Sadly, in 2005, the NBA and the player’s union came to an agreement that players had to be at least one year removed from high school to be eligible for the NBA draft. Enter: the one-and-done era. Now, the one-and-done route has been utilized by most top college ballers who would’ve been ready for the NBA out of high school but were forced to attend college for one pointless year. So instead of not playing under the NCAA’s iron fist for a year, more guys are starting to forego this year of college and play professionally elsewhere. Americans R.J. Hampton and LaMelo Ball are two of the top prospects for this year’s NBA draft, and they play in the NBL (a professional basketball league in Australia and New Zealand). Seeing that this would be a trend for more players who would rather get paid than play in the NCAA, the G League set up this developmental program to keep these players on home soil. 

Herein lies the issue for the NCAA…most top high school players will no longer need the NCAA’s platform for exposure. Don’t get me wrong, NCAA basketball isn’t going anywhere, but the threshold of talent will be significantly reduced. We may no longer see the Zion Williamson’s and Ben Simmons’s of the world play college ball. Will it be weird to watch a Duke vs. UNC game and not see any top-10 draft prospects? Absolutely. But if you were faced with the decision of earning $500,000+ over a year of uncompromised training vs. a year of college, when you know you’re NBA-bound anyway, what would you choose?

Keep Reading
By
Sports

The Red Sox Technically Cheated the Dodgers out of a World Series

By

It’s official: the Dodgers lost back to back World Series against CHEATERS. While there wasn’t sufficient evidence to conclude that the Red Sox cheated in the playoffs, but only during the regular season, they’re cheaters nonetheless. As good as the Sox were in 2018, maybe things go differently in the regular season had they not cheated…dare I say the Yankees could’ve won the AL East??

The fact that some video room guy got blamed for this whole thing is laughable. It’s not a coincidence that Alex Cora was cheating in Houston and the Red Sox just so happened to get caught for cheating the very next season. Don’t forget that the Sox were also busted for using Apple Watches to cheat in 2017 as well. They clearly have no respect for the game of baseball and spit in the face of order. I think the only thing keeping the Sox from being the Astros is that a whistleblower hasn’t come forward to expose them for the scumbags they are.

Ultimately, there’s really nothing more the League could’ve done here punishment-wise, but just like with the Astros, the league comes out losers here. The big winner is Alex Cora, who will probably end up not serving a single day of his suspension and will more than likely have a job in 2021.

The sad part is…I’m so desperate for baseball to come back that I’d be willing to absolve the Red Sox of any penalties if it meant we got the 2020 MLB season in return. It’s “fuck the Astros” till the day I die, but the Red Sox penalties are so weak anyway that I think it’s a fair trade. And just like 2017 and 2018, coronavirus is cheating the Dodgers out of another World Series win in 2020.

Keep Reading
By
Sports

These Should Be the Rams’ Main Concerns Entering the 2020 NFL Draft

By

The Rams have seven picks in the upcoming 2020 NFL Virtual Draft, but their first isn’t until the late second round. At best, the Rams will claim the 52nd pick in this year’s draft, which doesn’t create much excitement for fans in comparison to teams vying for first-round talent. However, the Rams still have a ton of holes worth acknowledging, especially after the busiest offseason in the Sean McVay era.

Todd Gurley, gone. Brandin Cooks, gone. Cory Littleton, gone. Dante Fowler, gone. Greg Zuerlein, gone. Nickell Robey-Coleman, gone. Clay Matthews, gone. Eric Weddle, gone.

After the quick demise of Todd Gurley’s career with the Rams, I’ve realized running backs (for the most part) aren’t worth the risk. And with Darrell Henderson Jr. and Malcolm Brown on the roster, the Rams are still in a good position to get decent productivity out of those guys to replace Gurley. There’s a chance they could take a RB in the later rounds, but it’s unlikely they’ll take one early on.

While the Rams managed to retain Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods throughout all the offseason turmoil, Brandin Cooks will need to be replaced. Kupp was by far Goff’s favorite target last season, and particularly in the red zone. Kupp scored ten TD’s, while the next closest receivers (Cooks and Woods) only scored two. Clearly, Goff needs another receiver he feels comfortable targeting, especially after the disappointing year he had. Odds are the Rams take a receiver early on.

However, I think their biggest need worth addressing entering the draft is the offensive line – specifically the interior. The fact that the Rams’ best o-lineman is 38-year-old Andrew Whitworth should be a major concern, especially for a team that doesn’t have an outstanding running back to make up for the line’s faults. A year after the Rams lost center John Sullivan and guard Rodger Saffold, the Rams saw a significant dip in offensive productivity, specifically in the running game, where they averaged 1.2 yards less per carry in 2019 than 2018. If the Rams do elect to draft a running back to replace Gurley, they’d have to address their weaknesses in the interior first.

Keep Reading
By
Sports

Clayton Kershaw Has Been a Stud Since His MLB Debut

By

MLB Network played a rerun of Clayton Kershaw’s MLB debut tonight, and I’m both thankful and depressed because of it. I’m thankful because since it was a Thursday day game back in 2008, I was probably busy dominating a game of kickball or handball during lunch break at the time and wasn’t able to watch the game. After watching it, I’ve realized how much baseball has changed in twelve years. I think the biggest difference is how much more athletic the average baseball player is now compared to then. The main culprit for this change is that players need to be a lot more versatile now because rosters are extremely pitcher-heavy. But as much as I enjoy spotting the differences in today’s game compared to then, the reason I watched this game was because of Clayton Kershaw.

Twenty years old and only two years removed from playing against slapdick high schoolers, he was facing Albert Pujols. His final line of the night was: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 7 K’s…not bad for a seasoned vet, let alone a guy making his debut. We should’ve known he was destined for greatness after striking out the side in his first inning of work as a big leaguer. He’s still one of the best pitchers in the game, but it was clear after watching his debut, how much sharper he was back then. While his fastball hovers around 90 mph nowadays, he threw an easy 95 when he was younger. Similarly, his curveball used to absolutely FALL off the table, while now it’s not as sharp – understandably so (it would be ridiculous if his curve was as sharp at 32 as it was at 20 years old). Seeing Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Russell Martin as young bucks also brought back a ton of nostalgia.

As great as it was seeing Kershaw and the other guys in their early MLB careers, as I said earlier, I am now depressed. I’ve been avoiding these throwback games for this very reason…it makes me very sad that there is no baseball or sports of any kind. The Dodgers (and Lakers) should be on their way to championships this season, but it’s not looking like either team will be able to compete for a title in 2020. While watching the game, I also got pissed me off because I realized how good the Dodgers have been for so long, and that players so deserving of a World Series title like Kershaw and Ethier were cheated out of a one by the Astros. That’s just something I will never get over, regardless of how many years have gone by or however many apologies I hear. Regardless, Kershaw is still my hero, and it’s debatable if I will ever be able to love something as much as I love the Dodgers (besides my parents and possibly my children). It’s safe to say I will be avoiding any sentimental games for the rest of the quarantine.

Keep Reading
By
T.V.

‘Dave’ Has Made Me a Lil Dicky Stan

By

I was never sure what to think of Lil Dicky, mostly because he was pretty much irrelevant to me until recently. I knew who he was, of course, but in all honesty I thought he was just some clown who made funny songs. He’s only released one album (back in 2015) and it wasn’t until he made ‘Freaky Friday’ with Chris Brown that I even listened to one of his songs. I’ve listened to a handful of his songs since then and actually like his feature on Justin Bieber’s song, “Running Over”, but as far as mainstream success, he’s nowhere close to that in the music game. However, let me introduce you to a little show on FXX called Dave.

I’m simultaneously happy and mad that I didn’t start watching Dave until the eighth episode. Happy because I was able to binge the first seven episodes in one day, but mad because I slept on this awesome show for so long. Oops, the cat’s out of the bag…I think this show is awesome. I didn’t watch at first because of my preconception that Lil Dicky was just some clown rapper (as I said earlier) and I didn’t think he was an actor. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Much like what makes Curb Your Enthusiasm so great is that Dave is based on a real-life famous person dramatizing their life, but with more contemporary cameos than Curb. We’ve already gotten appearances from Justin Bieber, YG, Trippie Redd, Benny Blanco, and Macklemore, which shows just how well-liked Lil Dicky is in the music industry. Although if I could relate it to one show in specific, I’d have to go with Master of None, to which Dave has a very similar type of comedy as opposed to Curb. Lil Dicky is also credited with writing four of the ten episodes this season, which shows me that he is so much more than some clown rapper and deserves serious credit for his comedy writing skills.

I never thought for a second that I’d be a Lil Dicky stan, but here we are. But can you blame me for not wanting to take a satirical rapper seriously? His stage name literally translates to “Little Penis” and he raps about being an average white guy who grew up in the suburbs (the polar opposite of most modern rappers). Also, the fact that everything in the show about his fucked up looking dick is based in reality, makes me like and respect him even more for releasing that wildly private information to the public (if you haven’t watched Dave yet, this sentence can’t help but make you intrigued, right?). In all honesty, Dave may be the best show on TV right now, and it’s time the whole world knew.

Keep Reading
By
Sports

Los Angeles Times Reports City Could Cancel All Sporting Events and Concerts Until 2021

By

Via LA Times:

Los Angeles may hold off on allowing big gatherings until 2021 because of the coronavirus threat, according to an internal Los Angeles Fire Department email reviewed by The Times.

Mayor Eric Garcetti raised the issue during his weekly briefing Monday with a group of high-level staff from several departments, including Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas. Garcetti indicated during the conference call that “large gatherings such as concerts and sporting events may not be approved in the city for at least 1 year,” according to the email.

…

Garcetti also talked during the conference call with his staff about reopening the economy, starting with “essential businesses and small businesses … phased in over a period of time (6-10 months),” according to Richmond’s email.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that events that draw hundreds or thousands of strangers will be off limits for the near future, based on current guidelines.

As someone who was really looking forward to seeing the Eagles in concert and the Dodgers and Lakers bringing titles back to LA this year, this is another major blow. Although, at this point, nothing surprises me anymore. I’ve accepted the fact that it’s a long shot any sporting events or concerts are held before 2021 due to how rapidly COVID-19 can spread.

The LA Times article didn’t mention whether or not teams would be able to play in empty stadiums/arenas, but any gatherings with hundreds or thousands of people are out of the question. Aside from the health risks, I’m curious to know what the public perception will be after the government declares it’s okay to return to our normal routine. Honestly, I’ll probably avoid large gatherings until I get vaccinated because it’s not like the virus magically goes away as soon as the government lifts the quarantine order.

I know most people think they’re invincible but I’ve seen enough healthy young people hospitalized by COVID-19 to know that it’ll be dangerous for a while. Especially for a city like L.A., where there’s a plethora of concerts and sporting events on a daily basis it’s probably best to keep everything closed until we’re sure everything’s safe. People come from all over the country and world to visit L.A., which only heightens the chances of someone spreading the virus…all it takes is one. Until then, for the love of god, keep Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit safe at all costs.

Keep Reading
By
T.V.

‘Better Call Saul’ Season 5 Episode 9 – Kim Wears the Pants in This Marriage

By

We always knew that Kim wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and never shied away from confrontation, but until last night that was only to guys with receding hairlines in suits. But in the penultimate episode of season 5, which aired last night, Kim revealed that she has the biggest set of balls west of the Mississippi.

The whole time Saul and Mike were walking the the desert last week (episode 8) I totally forgot that Lalo wasn’t supposed to know what happened. If he knew that Mike had saved Jimmy, he’d know that someone in the Salamanca crew was giving intel to Gustavo Fring (Nacho Varga). So, when it came to Saul’s story, it had to be airtight. He told everyone that his car broke down six or seven miles from the pickup location and he had to walk back to the main road through the desert, which required him to spend a night sleeping out there as well. However, Lalo takes the same road that Saul did to pick up the money (coincidence??) to meet his cousins so that he can leave the country, and he discovers Saul’s car in a ravine littered with bullet holes. Instead of continuing with his travel’s abroad, Lalo tells Nacho to drive him back to Albuquerque.

*Knock knock knock*

For two people that have literally zero friends or social life, a knock on the door of their condo only means one thing: trouble.

*Saul opening the door to see Lalo Salamanca*: (in his head) “FUUUUCK”

Saul offers his guest something to drink, as any good host would, but Lalo isn’t there to socialize…he wants to know why the hell Saul’s Suzuki Esteem was in a ditch looking like it had just stormed the beaches of Normandy. According to Saul, it had just broken down, so why would it be all shot up and hidden? After Lalo makes Saul tell him the story of his trek through the desert with $7 million in cash three times, Kim has had enough.

Don’t forget that earlier that day, Kim discovered Saul’s “World’s Best Lawyer” cup, which had several bullet holes in it. She knew that Saul was lying about what really happened out there, but she’ll be damned to let some narco discover the truth!

Don’t forget that Mike has a sniper aimed at Lalo from a roof across the street this entire time in case he tries to kill Saul and/or Kim. 

In what was one of the most badass scenes of the series to far, Kim basically tells Lalo to fuck off if he doesn’t believe Saul’s story, because he is telling the truth! The part that really sold the story was when she said that in New Mexico you can’t even leave a can out without someone shooting at it, so how can you expect people to leave a car alone?? And that my friends, is a QUEEN. Had Saul or Kim wavered from his story for even one moment, Lalo would’ve known that they were full of shit. But, they stuck to their guns (no pun intended) and Lalo totally bought it. He then left their condo with absolutely no rebuttal and headed back to Nacho, who had been waiting in his car outside the whole time.

After quitting her job earlier in the episode, I was on the fence about Kim. I thought she was starting to lose it a little bit. However, after almost single-handedly sending one of the most dangerous men in the cartel packing, I will back her decisions till the end. Since she wasn’t in Breaking Bad, it’ll be really interesting to see what Kim Wexler’s future holds, because as of now, she and Saul seem unstoppable.

Keep Reading
By
T.V.

‘Westworld’ Season 3 Episode 5 – Serac Is Definitely a Bad Guy

By

I don’t think I’m smart enough/invested enough time into Westworld theories to be an authority figure here, but as a normal person watching this show, I think it’s safe to say this show is off the rails. Even though Dolores significantly altered the Westworld universe in “Genre”, the fifth episode of season 3, I won’t excuse it for being by far the most boring episode of the season so far. She finally released humanity of the routines Rehoboam had planned for them, thus allowing them to control their own fates for the first time in their lives. As was expected, people started to lose their shit when they found out their lives had been controlled by a system all along.

We also learned a little more about Serac’s origin, aside from the fact that Paris was nuked during his childhood. I’m not going to lie to you, I didn’t understand a single thing about the building of Rehoboam except for the fact that Serac and his brother built it to save humanity from itself. Enter Dempsey: owner of Incite, which has access to a ton of the world’s data. Dempsey backs the brothers and they build a supercomputer that can effectively predict the world’s events and plan the future. However, the most distracting part of the Serac/Dempsey storyline was the sudden jump in time where Serac aged 30 years and Dempsey aged five.

Via HBO

Another significant part of the episode was that Caleb knows Dolores is a host. She took those bullets like a champ, which obviously means that she is not human. But, that didn’t alter Caleb’s loyalty to her at all. If anything, it strengthened his loyalty because she effectively saved his life even though he was tripping on genre (a psychedelic drug) much of the episode.

This episode also continued the tradition of Westworld episodes incorporating orchestral renditions of pop songs. This week’s rendition was of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”, an all-time favorite song of mine; although “Wicked Games” takes the cake for my favorite rendition this season.

We also didn’t get any Maeve action this episode which tells me that we can expect to learn a lot more about her next week. My guess is that the robotic tag team duo of Bernard and Stubbs somehow link up with Maeve and take down Dolores. I think it’s too obvious that Maeve would team up with Dolores because she has as much reason as anyone to hate humanity. However, once she sees how reckless Dolores has been, she’ll team up with Bernard and Stubbs – especially after how Liam Jr. was just killed.

Through the first four episodes, this was my favorite season of Westworld so far, but episode five was a huge step back in terms of confusing storylines. The confusion aspect, in addition to my lack of empathy with the hosts in the first two seasons were my biggest concerns with the show before this season. All I know is that I need more Beast Mode in his #mood shirt.

Via HBO
Keep Reading
By
T.V.

‘Modern Family’ Finale Marks the End of an Era

By

The series finale of Modern Family aired tonight, capping off 11 seasons of one of the most successful sitcoms in history. Much like the Lakers were the team of the 1980’s, Modern Family was the show of the 2010’s, especially because it spanned the entire length of the decade. In my personal opinion, I think it’s the last of its kind. Networks are struggling to compete with platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video which allow for so much more artistic freedom. Seriously, when was the last time anyone really cared about a show on CBS, NBC, ABC, or FOX? I’m not saying people don’t watch the shows on those networks, but premium cable and streaming services are dominating the industry and awards shows.

Therefore, the finale of Modern Family marks the end of an era that we very likely will never see again. My family and I have watched this show religiously since the pilot episode, and we’ve celebrated the countless Emmy’s and Golden Globes that it received over the years like the Dodgers had just won the World Series. It’s stretch of FIVE consecutive Emmy wins for “Best Comedy Series” is only matched by Frasier, and is a feat I’m sure will never be reached again. Only the 1949-1953 Yankees have matched that type of success, and that was back when pitchers topped out at 85 and players still needed offseason jobs to survive. I’ll even go on record to say that those early seasons of Modern Family are undoubtedly the best of any sitcom in the last 25 years, and possibly of all time (you’ll need a boomer to tell you if it was better than Golden Girls or whatever shows they watched before the Clinton presidency). Yes, that means I hold it in higher regard than The Office and Friends, two of the most beloved shows by people of my generation. I’m not saying those weren’t good/great shows, I’m just saying that Modern Family was better. And just like The Office and Friends, I think Modern Family will have a resurgence in a couple years when younger people rediscover it on Hulu and realize just how awesome it was.

However, I’d be lying if I said I thought every season was better than the last, because they weren’t. But do you realize how hard it would be to write 250 equally amazing episodes of a single show? Eventually, the storyline falls a bit flat, the actors don’t exude the same charisma they did in the early seasons, or key characters exit the show. It happened to The Office when Michael left, in Friends when Joey and Rachel started to have feelings for each other, and to Modern Family when they brought back Dylan. I’ve never known what it’s like to write 22 minutes of intriguing TV, but even I knew that was a lame decision. But by then they had accomplished so much that it didn’t spoil anything about the series for me, unlike season 8 of Game of Thrones. I’d say season seven was the last truly great season of the show, even though the later episodes were still more enjoyable than anything else on network TV.

It would be impossible to write about Modern Family without reminiscing about some of its best episodes. I’ve narrowed it down to my top three episodes from the series: “My Funky Valentine”, “Family Portrait”, and “Caught in the Act”. “My Funky Valentine” introduced us to Phil and Claire’s sexy alter ego’s: Clive Bixby and Juliana, who they play when they want to spice things up in their relationship. “Family Portrait” set up an awkward situation for Phil when Gloria kisses him on the “Kiss Cam” at a Lakers game. He’s worried that Jay and Claire are going to find out and be pissed, which makes Phil act even weirder than he usually is. Plus the episode gave us on of the series’ most iconic family photos.

However, my all-time favorite episode is “Caught in the Act” which is where the Dunphy kids walk in on their parents having sex. Eventually Jay and Gloria are brought into the mix, because what father wouldn’t want to hear about his daughter having sex?! I also want to give a shoutout to “Manny Get Your Gun” which features one of my favorite Mitch and Cam scenes ever.

I’ve watched a lot of shows from start to finish in my life, but this one cuts deep. It was one of the first shows (aside from Disney or Nickelodeon) that I watched on a weekly basis. Now that I’ve started reminiscing about old episodes and watched some of my favorite scenes, it makes me realize how much of my life this show was on the air and how influential it’s been on not only me, but my family as well. Shows like this always feel like they’ll be around forever, but the sad reality is that all good things must come to an end. Wednesday’s at 9 PM won’t feel the same without you. Now if you don’t mind, excuse me while I binge all 250 episodes of Modern Family through the rest of this quarantine.

Keep Reading
By