Because my brain is a useless amalgam of rap lyrics from the early 2000s and pop culture references, the first thing that popped into my brain after seeing this tweet was George Costanza’s Timberland boots. Clearly Kyler Murray took a page out of old Georgey’s book if this is true. Maybe Kyler met Kliff Kingsbury while he was wearing some Timberland boots in the cold Indianapolis weather and was now worried about not seeing eye to eye with his potential future coach. If this is in fact true I am totally fine with it because thats exactly the kind of gutsy, resourceful type of guy I want leading my team.
The NFL Draft is just a few weeks away and we are in full on wild speculation mode the closer we get. Kyler Murray to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 1 overall seems to be a done deal if you listen to pretty much anyone in the media these days.
Although these quotes from this Yahoo article have Kliff Kingsbury trying to throw some cold water on all the rumors.
“Yeah, just rolling around Indy saying it’s a done deal. I would have to adamantly deny that…It makes it fun having the first pick because nobody knows if you are trying to throw smokescreens or telling the truth or what. There are a thousand different ways you can go with this, and we are still 50 days away.”
Believe what you want, but I find it hard to believe Kliff was just pumping his opponents tires when he showered love bouquets on Kyler Murray just a few months ago.
So if you’re like me then you believe the Cardinals will absolutely scrap their long suffering quarterback of the future plan just 12 months after taking Josh Rosen at No. 10 overall. If in fact that does happen then the Cardinals would likely be looking to trade Rosen. Sure they could keep him like the Redskins did a few years back with RGIII and Kirk Cousins. It’s not like they couldn’t afford it, but I think having two highly drafted QB’s on the same team creates more animosity than competition.
Rosen had a pretty rough rookie year (11 TDs, 14 INTs, 2,278 Yards, 55.2 Completion %) but we’ve seen QBs have shitty rookie seasons only to become great. Most famously Peyton Manning who threw 28 (!) INTs his rookie year or more recently Jared Goff who was absolutely atrocious his first year and made the Super Bowl in his third year. So it’s not at all unprecedented for a guy to struggle before becoming a successful QB in the NFL.
Now the reason I keep coming back to this as a possibility for the Patriots is because of our favorite word in New England: value. The ask for Rosen was expected to be a 1st round pick since he’s literally 12 months removed from being the 10th overall pick, but recent reports by Peter King have pegged a 3rd rounder as a more likely compensation. The Patriots just so happen to have 6 picks in the first 3 rounds, including the last pick in the second round at No. 64, the pick they got from the Lions at No. 73 overall as well as compensatory selections at No. 97 and No. 101 in the 3rd.
Bill is in poll position if he wants to make a move.
Another point in the Patriots favor is the fact that Rosen makes PEANUTS. Seriously, for a guy drafted in the Top 10 I cannot believe how low his salary is. Over the next three years Rosen makes base salaries of $1.3 million, $2.1 million, and $2.9 million.
So now the Pats could have a 22 year old quarterback that they allegedly were interested in last year for just a 3rd round pick and a couple million bucks a year? If the Patriots were in fact intrigued by Rosen last year, they’d be stupid not to make this deal. That is however assuming they actually want him as there has been plenty of negative reports on everything from Rosen’s injury concerns, to personal makeup, and attitude.
“The questions arise regarding Rosen’s non-football traits. Some regard him as arrogant and narcissistic, with a combination of intelligence, confidence, and individualized ambition that could strain relationships in a locker room.”
Personally? With a quarterback that will be 42 at the start of next season and the opportunity to acquire a Top 10 pick from just last year at a fraction of the price in order to restart the clock on the next QB succession plan; I am all in.
Last week, everyone (myself included) was doing their best Chicken Little impression when talking about the Celtics, and now the media is acting like they are the King of the East this morning after taking out Golden State last night.
Yes, the Celtics did beat the Warriors in their own area by 33 points last night, which was the worst defeat Golden State has ever suffered at home in the Steve Kerr era. Gordon Hayward also had his best performance of the season – 30 PTS, 7 REB, and 4 AST on 12-of-16 shooting – and Jaylen Brown continued to be a force off the bench. All 13 guys who played for the C’s finished with a plus rating, and the team overall finished with 38 assists (including 11 from Kyrie) on 49 made shots. They actually played like a TEAM last night, which should be the game’s biggest takeaway.
There were also no post-game blowups or bitchy comments. Brad did not seem exasperated after the game. And again, we beat the two-time reigning champs by over 30 on their home floor. It’s OK to be happy about this one.
BUT don’t be fooled into thinking this team is definitely “back.” Right off the top, it’s important to note that the Warriors were playing without Klay Thompson last night. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant also sat out the entire fourth quarter (sure, the game was already well out of hand at this point, but still). Also, the Warriors are reeling a bit right now, losing 5-of-their-last-8 games; the Celtics may have very well caught them at the perfect time. It also helps when you shoot over 50 percent from the floor, and your opponent barely cracks 40.
Above all, there is also one glaring issue with this team right now that is being overlooked, and it is one that still remained true even during last night’s big win: free throw attempts. The Celtics are shooting the second least amount of free throws per game this season (19.2), and last night three starters failed to attempt even ONE. Overall, the team shot 17, while Golden State had 23.
We haven’t really seen a whole lot of this in 2018-19.
I am not saying there is a direct correlation between success and free-throw attempts; while teams like Orlando, Cleveland, and Chicago all rank near the bottom of the league in this category with the Celtics, others like Indiana, San Antonio, Denver, and Golden State are also in the bottom-eight. The Celtics have also been able to overcome a lack of volume at the charity stripe by shooting the sixth-most three-pointers in the league and converting over 36 percent of them. Fine.
But it still illustrates the team’s lack of aggressiveness much of the time, as it is much easier to settle for a three than it is to take the reigns and drive it to the bucket. With guys like Kyrie, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier – all of whom have great slashing ability – it’s a bit frustrating to see them pass up some easy opportunities. It also speaks to the overall psyche of the team right now as well as the fact that we still aren’t exactly sure who wants to be THE top dog behind Kyrie.
The time is now, Gordon! Carpe diem!
So, it’s not so much the lack of free throws, per se, but rather it’s the lack of cajones – from both the players and coaching staff alike – that has held this team back. Nobody wants to be the man to step up and do what needs to be done to right the ship.
OK then. I’ll do it for them. After last night, I think it’s glaringly apparent that a few things need to happen going forward:
Jaylen Brown needs to be starting again. After being bumped up to the starting five around Thanksgiving, Marcus Morris was on fire during the month of December. Since this time, he’s been mediocre to outright bad (which included putting up a GOOSE EGG in 17 minutes against Houston on Sunday). Brown, however, is shooting over 46 percent from the floor in his past five games and just looks like he wants it out there. The young fella could provide this team with the energy and spark it needs to get out of their funk.
The kid is locked in right now.
Morris then needs to battle Gordon Hayward to be the sixth man. Bench scoring has been a huge issue on this team, but one of these guys needs to step up and solidify themselves as the consistent top dog off the pine.
Brad needs to keep tightening the rotation, giving the minutes to those who show that they actually want to play and burying those that don’t. It’s March, the playoffs are right around the corner, and it’s time for the men to be separated from the boys.
So, there was definitely a lot to like from last night, but this team still has a ways to go. The Celts have another sneaky tough contest tonight in Sacramento and aren’t home again until next Thursday night. Here’s to hoping the boys can keep it up!
IGN – Oscar Isaac wants the world to know that he is game to play Solid Snake in the planned Metal Gear Solid movie adaptation.
While participating in IGN’s cast roundtable for Netflix’s Triple Frontier, IGN host Max Scoville asked the star-studded lineup — including Isaac, Pedro Pascal, Ben Affleck, Garrett Hedlund and Charlie Hunnam — which video game-turned-film they would want to be a part of. Isaac, who is best known for his role in Star Wars as Poe Dameron, was quick to voice his interest in the Hideo Kojima classic Metal Gear Solid.
“Metal Gear Solid, that’s the one,” said Isaac. “I’m throwing my hat in for that one.”
The Metal Gear Solid franchise is one of, if not my favorite, series of games of all time so any tidbits of news regarding the oft rumored live action movie is lifeblood to me. I also just called Oscar Isaac one of the best actors of my generation so to say I would be excited for this would be the understatement of the century.
Friend of The 300s, BossLogic, actually photoshopped Isaac as Snake last summer and I think its safe to say the mullet would fit him well.
OK let’s get back to serious Bid-NESS and that’s rolling with the hype of a #metalgearsolid movie.
Even the MGS movie’s director was tweeting about the whole thing this morning so suffice to say it sounds like the man running the whole operation is into it.
THIS-MUSING-IS-NOT-NEWS-PSA:
To everyone asking how I feel about Oscar Isaac saying he wants to be Solid Snake.
The full process required to cast an icon hasn’t even started, but..
Ask @Bosslogic where the idea for his brilliant mock up came from.
Now I’ll believe this movie actually gets made when I see it at the Fenway Regal Cinemas. It’s been in the works for years before landing the director of Kong Skull Island (never saw it) and Metal Gear Solid stan, Jordan Vogt-Roberts. Seriously this guy literally campaigned for the director role and last summer tweeted out 31 straight days of MGS concept art to honor the 31 years of the franchise.
Now why has this movie taken so long to get made when garbage games like Rampage (no disrespect, Dwayne) are already getting adaptations? Well Metal Gear Solid just has such a complex web of storylines, characters, political commentary, and general idiosyncrasies that only really make sense after multiple 30-40 hour sittings. Hideo Kojima is a legend, but I honestly have zero idea how you turn something like Sons of Liberty into a coherent movie without it being 5 hours long. GOOD LUCK trying explain the differences between Solid Snake, Solidus Snake, Liquid Snake, and Big Boss to someone unfamiliar with the games. I’ve been playing these games since 2002 and sometimes I’m not even sure.
With that being said, I would love to see some of the Metal Gear Solid characters on the big screen. Some of these characters are bat shit insane and would be pretty difficult to pull off in a feature film, but hey thats not my problem to worry about. But please, for the love of god do not include Raiden in this movie. The single most disappointing part in this entire MGS franchise, is the switch in antagonist from Snake to Raiden in MGS2.
Since this movie is still in early days they have yet to cast anyone or even teased a general synopsis. So lets break down the characters I’d most want to see on the big screen and who should don those roles in a Metal Gear Solid movie.
Vamp – Jason Momoa a member of Dead Cell from Romania. He is a knife-throwing specialist endowed with numerous vampire-like abilities and attributes, such as a taste for blood, superhuman strength, speed, agility, the ability to walk on vertical walls and run across water
Momoa has the perfect look to play Vamp and we know he can do an accent after a whole season of speaking Dothraki. Momoa has the intimidating physical presence and subtle humor to pull off the deadly Vamp.
Psycho Mantis – Ben Foster a psychic expert for Liquid Snake’s FOXHOUND unit in Metal Gear Solid…Prior to joining FOXHOUND, he worked with the KGB and the FBI. His special abilities include the psychic powers of psychokinesis and telepathy…As a result of being disgusted with his father’s inner thoughts, he burned his own village and started despising people.
Ben Foster has crazy down pat. I just keep coming back to his absolute meltdown in 2006’s Alpha Dog where he literally beats up an entire room full of people while searching for his kid brother.
Skull Face – Ed Harris The commander of the mysterious Special Forces XOF unit, he is distinguished by his heavily scarred face, hairless head, and his choice of tailored suits over combat fatigues. His identity and nationality are initially unknown.
If you’ve never watched Westworld then this might seem out of left field, but Harris would crush this role as the calm, calculated, and sinister Skull Face. Plus he’s already got the suit and black cowboy hat to fill out the role.
Revolver Ocelot – Christoph Waltz a gunslinger-themed member of the FOXHOUND terrorists involved with the hostile revolt on Shadow Moses Island which housed Metal Gear REX, serving as the team’s interrogation expert and their leader Liquid Snake’s right-hand man
This role is going to take an A-list thespian who can play the eccentric, power hungry, treacherous character in Ocelot and I think we’ve seen that from Christoph Waltz. Just take a look back at Inglorious Basterds for even 10 minutes if you disagree.
Who do you think should star in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid movie? Tweet your best castings to @The300sBoston
Wow. That was unexpected. In the midst of all the drama and doubt, the Celtics easily pulled off their most decisive win of the season last night, handing the Warriors their worst home loss in the Steve Kerr era. They absolutely wiped the floor with GSW, dominating every quarter in a wire to wire win. And as we all know, it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Dubs may have been without Thompson, Looney and Livingston, but even still, the Celtics were able to do something they’ve struggled with all year, and that’s beat a good team on the road.
The offense looked totally in sync, the defensive rotations were much improved, and the passing was as crisp as it’s looked in a while. The Warriors shot under 23% from deep and 40% from the floor, with the Celtics defense finally making an appearance after taking several weeks off. Kyrie looked focused, the bench played as good as they’ve played all year, and Marcus Morris only took 8 shots (seriously, why he’s been taking more shots than Kyrie recently baffles me). Jaylen continues to provide an explosive energy when he comes in, and Gordon had his best first half as a Celtic and as efficient of a game as he’s had in green. Maybe he needs a black eye all the time a la Jan Wolfhaus.
The thing that gives me the biggest confidence boost was that they finally played like a team, both laughing and supporting each other and having each others backs when Boogie started running his mouth.
Now, I’m not about to say all our problems have gone away. Far from it. Could this team still get bounced in the first round? Absolutely. But I fully believe the Celtics are the only team that can stop the Celtics from reaching the finals. When they play like they did tonight, there isn’t a team in the East who can beat them in a 7 game series. This west coast trip is huge for team building and a much needed respite from the over-analyzing Boston media. If they can rattle off 5-6 straight wins here, I’ll be pacified. Honestly, I didn’t expect them to beat the Rockets the other night, and the way they finished that game did actually give me a little confidence, although I still think Jaylen should be starting over Marcus Morris. My biggest problem with their play recently has been the way they play in the second and third quarters, but they killed it tonight.
Speaking of over-analyzing, why the hell were people freaking out about this? Read the whole quote. Obviously he’s not going to miss cameras following him everywhere he goes all the time, are you kidding me? I was driving home after that game and all anyone could talk about on the late night talk shows were his atrocious, anti-Boston pregame comments and that’s what he says? Fuck outta here. You assholes on the radio are half the reason why the circus surrounding Kyrie exists in the first place. You misconstrue his candid takes and twist them to try to make him look bad, and then go and blame him for those mischaracterizations which you made in the first place. Same thing they did with Jaylen Brown’s “toxic” comment too. Hey guys, cut that shit out and try rooting for the hometown team for a change. Whaddya say?
Blogger’s Note: The 2019 NFL Draft Combine ended earlier this week after a grueling four days where players were made to wear spandex while running, lifting, jumping, being asked if they had both nuts, and doing positional drills. Now we’ve been given the yearly transparency into how these players stack up side by side, from a raw athleticism point of view.With that in mind I kicked off a little electronic mail with Mattes, my fellow draft nerd, about this year’s class and what it could mean for the Pats.
Joey B:
Hey Mattes,
So the combine is all over and apart from the Pro days the stage is set for the draft. What are your thoughts coming out of the “underwear olympics” and of this draft class?
Mattes:
I’mma let Maverick sum this one up for me:
Seriously, though, if this weekend didn’t prove how the NFL is all about speed now, then I don’t know what will. Gone are the days where the big, no-neck dudes reign supreme. In today’s NFL, it’s about the more svelte, quick-burst type guys, even at historically beefy positions like D-tackle, D-end, and middle linebacker. Just look at all of the hype surrounding Montez Sweat (DE, Mississippi State) after his 4.41-second performance in the 40 this weekend. That’s an excellent time for anyone to post, but that’s absolutely insane for a defensive lineman. He probably just vaulted himself into the top 10 (top 15, at minimum) after that one. Even Michigan’s Rashan Gary – with his 6’5″, 282-pound frame – posted an impressive 4.58-second mark and undoubtedly moved himself even further up in the first round, too. There were also four linebackers who posted times 4.5 seconds and below. If there’s one area the Pats desperately need to improve, it’s speed over the middle of the defense (e.g. a linebacker with sideline-to-sideline ability). Fortunately, it looks like there might be some help in this year’s crop.
JB: Hah yaaa it was a big long weekend for the front-7. To that end I don’t think it will be one of those “glamorous” draft where we have marquee names at skill positions littering the top-20. Those names just aren’t out there (really outside of Kyler Murray, who are the “10 year” talents?. What there are a lot of are guys like Ed Oliver who can change the game in the trenches and try to alter these pass heavy NFL offenses.
But we’ll get to that. I think it’s important to address how many possible bust situations this combine has created. A lot of guys with not a lot of production in college but eye-popping results in Indianapolis.
Mattes: I agree that the potential for busts has increased significantly over the past few years with all the Combine hype. While there’s no doubt that pure speed is definitely becoming more valuable than pure strength, I do think people put way too much merit in the 40-yard-dash. Not only does it prove absolutely ZILCH in terms of football I.Q. and ability, but very rarely do guys run 40 yards in a straight line. Like ever. To be honest, drills like the shuttles or the three-cone drill are a much better indicator of how well a guy can move all around the field. I think most NFL teams around the league are smart enough to still look at game tape before locking in on their guy, but there are plenty that still fall victim to the all the Combine B.S. (see: Raiders, Oakland).
I think the best example of a “look before you leap” candidate this year is wide receiver D.K. Metcalf from Ole Miss. Besides Sweat, this is the dude who has been getting the most attention in Indy, and rightfully so. It all started last week with him looking like he was formed straight from Zeus’s forehead on Instagram.
Then, the guy ran a 4.33-second 40-time, posted 27 reps on the bench press, and almost jumped through the roof of Lucas Oil Stadium with a 40.5-inch vertical – all at 6’3″ and 228 pounds. But let’s not forget that this guy has just 67 catches in 21 college games (although he did average over 21 yards per catch in 2018). So, again, all the measurables are there with this guy, and then some, but I’m not sure if he’s truly worthy of a spot in the top half of the first round. At least, he certainly doesn’t come without risk. I’d be more comfortable with a guy like Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry, who posted just as many reps on the bench, is about the same size (6’4″, 213 pounds), and has over 200 catches and 25 total TDs over the past three years.
JB: Yup! Metcalf is certainly going to now be picked higher than necessary. I actually REALLY like his teammate from Ole Miss, A.J Brown. He has Q Boldin-like (<3) size (6’0 226lb) and caught over 1,300 yards with 6 TDs this year.
Moving onto the Pats, one of the funkier things about looking at their drafts is that obviously you have to always keep the past season in mind. Not to sound like jackass New England fans but we’re always a top team year to year so it’s sort of difficult to peg where our most glaring need is, especially in the top few rounds. Where do you think positionally we could use some draft help?
Mattes: Wide receiver is the most obvious, and there could be some good guys to be had at the end of Round 1. I’ve seen as many as three or four wideouts being taken in the first round of some mocks; there’s just not really a consensus as to how the top ones all shake out. Metcalf and Brown are likely to be gone early on, but I wouldn’t mind a guy like Harry at No. 32. I’m also a really big fan of Marquise Brown from Oklahoma.
Tight end is another area they should look at, whether Gronk comes back or not. The reason why is because there’s actually a very rare amount of tight end talent near the top of the draft, and it could be worth nabbing one of them, possibly by even trading up in the first round to do so. Somehow, two of them are from Iowa, T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant, with the former being more of a pass-catching/blocking combo (a la Gronk) and the latter being a more athletic, Evan Engram-esque type. Alabama’s Irv Smith Jr. is another solid option, and he caught everything thrown his way in the gauntlet drill this weekend. I know I’m on the record as saying they shouldn’t reach on a tight end this year just because we’re nearing the end with Gronk, but if any of these guys are somehow still there at the end of the first round, Belichick shouldn’t even blink before handing in the card.
Finally, I’d like to see them add to the defensive front, especially at linebacker and especially in terms of speed. I just want guys who can cover someone – ANYONE – over the middle of the field and who don’t look like their feet are stuck in concrete half the time. We could also use some reinforcements along the line with the potential to lose three rotation guys in free agency, most notably Trey Flowers. Fortunately, this draft is absolutely LOADED in terms of pass-rushing talent, so the Pats can probably wait on selecting one. Although perhaps an interior guy with some ability to get to the quarterback (Ohio State’s Dre’Mont Jones and Notre Dame’s Jerry Tillery come to mind) wouldn’t be a bad choice at 32.
What do you think?
JB: While I agree WR is a huge position of need and would love to grab Harry or M.Brown we just don’t have the history of drafting them that high. Action Jackson was the only one we’ve even reached into RD2 for to my memory (I’m probably forgetting a couple). Maybe Belichick just likes to stick to vets who can prove they can do the “little” things at WR the “right way” (he loves the little things).
I agree the DL could use the pick as much as any other positional group. Dre’Mont Jones is an excellent call. I could also see them looking local and grabbing Zach Allen out of BC. Allen is a similar size ( 6’4 280lb) as Jones but is more an End to Jones’ Tackle. He’s got a little Trey Flowers in him as he is a guy who can play the edge on 1st and 2nd and then move inside on passing downs. Finally, if he is around, and this is a HUGE if, I wouldn’t mind landing Dexter Lawrence, a DT from Clemson. He is a MAMMOTH tackle (350lb) who we could potentially use as a run stuffer a la Big Vince.
What about past round 1? Any wildcards you like for the Pats or otherwise?
Mattes: You are correct, sir: Belichick has never taken a wide receiver in Round 1. But hey, there’s a first time for everything, right? We shall see.
And nice choice with Allen there. He’s very Flowers-like in that he can both defend the run and rush the quarterback. As far as Dexter Lawrence goes, while I’m not denying how much of a force he can be, I think Lawrence Guy proved last season that he is more than capable of being our big run-stuffer. Sure, we could always use more than one, but I think there’s much more value to be had in bringing in high-end talent at other positions with such a high pick. Like I mentioned above with Jones and Tillery, I wouldn’t mind bringing in more guys who can bring some interior pressure at first and then looking at guys who play more on the outside a little later on.
As far as a wild card pick at the end of Round 1, don’t be shocked if the team decides to bring in more help on the offensive line. Even after what was an historic year for the O-line as a whole, we’re likely going to lose Trent Brown in free agency this offseason. And Isaiah Wynn, who wasn’t even a full-time left tackle in college, is coming off a tough injury and is entirely unproven. What if he doesn’t work out? Also, Joe Thuney is scheduled to be a free agent after next season. With an aging QB and a much bigger focus on the ground game going forward, Belichick could continue to bolster the boys up front. (Kansas State’s Dalton Risner is a name to keep an eye on near the end of the first.)
What about some late-round guys? Who are some sneaky sleepers for the folks?
JB: I think Thuney is a prototypical “guy we’ll actually pay” but the OL is something I’m never going to be comfortable with. I like Risner a lot. That’d be a great get. I also like Mike Jordan (yup) out of Ohio State. He’s a bit of an odd fit as he’s about 6’6 but projected as an interior lineman. He is a Pats-type player, though, as he can play multiple positions (Guard or Center). To add to that though people are saying “no way” to Jordan being a Tackle, I think even either of us, weighing maybe 300lb combined, could probably play a down or two after a couple months training with Dante Scarnecchia.
O YOU WANT TO TALK SLEEPERS?
Keeping with the Pats you have to love David Sills. Once offered a scholarship by the USC Trojans as the next big thing at QB, his career didn’t pan out under center and he ended being a productive WR for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He still has the QB size (6’4 210lb) and you can’t ever wipe the “QB brain” for the game, something you know Belichick would love. He’s not freaky-athletic, posting a 4.57 and a 37.5 jump, but maybe a big body who can move the chains.
Next the cure to your TE ills we have Donald Parham out of the powerhouse known as Stetson. He is from the Jimmy Graham-Tony G mould where he began on the hardwood and transitioned to football. That’s the high school hardwood. He then had to prove himself for a few years on the Hatters football team before going off for 1,300+ yards and 8 TDs this past year. O and he’s 6’8. Parham might never be a blocking talent but a jump-ball end zone threat? Maybe.
Lastly I’m going with Justin Hollins out of Oregon. He is an edge rusher, probably a 3/4 OLB, who steadily progressed over his career with the Ducks rather than making one giant “leap”. His teammate and fellow pass rusher Jalen Jelks is getting more burn on the draft circuit, but Hollins might end up being the better player.
O and ya I know, Tyree Jackson is gigantic and fast and can throw the ball hard.
Mattes: HA! Tyree Jackson is a MONSTER (think Cam Newton but two inches taller). I think probably the funniest moment of the weekend is former NFL stud receiver Steve Smith having to go over to tell Jackson to stop throwing the ball so damn hard at receivers in the gauntlet drill. But being so raw and after playing for a small school like Buffalo, I think there are much better options on which to take a stab at QB, even though he’d be a blast to watch.
Speaking of, one of my big sleepers for the Pats is Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson. A 32-to-27 TD-to-INT ratio over the past two seasons might give some people pause, but he’s started more games (53) than anyone in Big Ten history and has more wins than any other N.U. Wildcat that ever lived. He’s also posted two straight seasons with QB ratings over 120. What’s most impressive, though, is that he played a full season of football in 2018 after tearing his ACL just last January. So he’s one tough S.O.B., and he’s also 6’4″, 226 pounds. Above all, though, his last name is “Thor-son.” Just think of how much fun we could have with that name.
I also like Anthony Nelson, a D-end from Iowa. Like A LOT. The 6’7″ defensive end might be one of the draft’s best-kept secrets due to an abnormal amount of talent depth at the position this year. His 9.5 sacks were good for second in the Big Ten last season, after totals of 6.0 and 7.5, respectively, in his previous two years. He has the ability to play in multiple schemes, potentially even as a standup linebacker, and the guy also recorded the fifth-fastest 40-time for all D-lineman at the Combine this weekend. He could stand to add some beef to his sub-275-pound frame, but he could be a steal in the middle rounds.
JB: Well buddy we have about a month and a half left before we see how this all plays out. And before that we have the Pro Days and all the other little rumors trickling in. I’d argue from now until April 25th is the fun part.
Whats that saying? They don’t boo nobodies? Well thats how I’m going to take this one. YouTube commenter BuffaloMan can be the Newman to my Jerry.
I actually gave a pretty solid review of the Bills’ New Era Field, which you can see right here.
Had a great time watching the game, sight lines were excellent, stadium was intimate, fans were into it, overall a good experience.
I even met Buffalo’s prodigal son, William Fichtner!
The rest of Buffalo though?
I stopped by the Lids headquarters and I got buffalo wings from the place that invented them and that was pretty much all there was to do. Those are the facts BuffaloMan. Plus threatening my safety for joking about worrying about my safety in Buffalo is a bit ironic no? Dude has put my brain into a spin cycle. Touche, BuffaloMan, touche.
CCN – Last year, Heineken-owned Lagunitas slashed 12 percent of its total workforce, 17 months after it was acquired. At the time, Lagunitas had said the cuts were necessary for the company to adjust to the needs of a dynamic and significantly more challenging market.
To put that more bluntly: millennials just don’t drink beer like their parents did.
INJECT IT INTO MY VEINS! Companies run their business poorly, change nothing, and then blame their tanking sales on millennials, the modern day scapegoats. I love it.
Last month, Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes noted in an interview with CNBC that consumers are moving from beer to spirits and cocktails.
According to data released by the Distilled Spirits Council, a trade group based in the United States, spirits (including vodka, rum, and gin) gained even more market share in the alcohol market for 2018, as compared to wine and beer.
Bullllllshit. There is no way millennials are drinking *more* booze than beer these days. I am a proud millennial and I am a proud rum and coke guy, but I cannot drink for shit anymore. The hangovers these days are absolutely brutal so I’ve basically transitioned entirely into a few IPAs on a good night.
LOL wut?
Millennials are just not into beer anymore, and this is quickly pushing many beer companies to the brink. Molson Coors saw sales slump in four straight quarters in 2018, and the volume of Heineken cases sold has decreased drastically – even while wine and spirits sales are on the rise.
Are these companies really just going to ignore the rise in craft beer and how breweries have popped up on every corner in major cities? From 2007 to 2018 the number of breweries in Massachusetts exploded form 34 to over 150! There are more than 6,000 breweries in the United States as of 2017 too.
Thats bananas.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not drinking that much less beer, I’m just not drinking Bud Light, Miller Lite etc. I’m drinking IPAs, Sours, Stouts and other craft beers that are owned predominantly by independent small brewers.
How does the major beer industry respond? By brewing nightmare fuel like this!
Pass.
Millennials just aren’t drinking the stuff our parents drank; well almost all of us.
IGN – The wording there is interesting. EW says the episode will “be” the longest battle sequence, not “include” it, which implies the battle will take up the entirety of its runtime. With some episodes this season expected to run up to 90 minutes long, that could be very considerable.
Besides being the greatest TV show of all time, Game of Thrones features the most technically complex battles scene that have a bigger scale than anything we’ve ever seen in the history of entertainment. Last season ended with the White Walkers waltzing through the Wall with a brand new ice dragon marching south. Meanwhile Khaleesi is on her way up to Winterfell so I would not be surprised if we see some massive action in the first episode. Things are going to get real messy real fast and I don’t know if I’m ready for it emotionally.
In the meantime lets take a look back at some of the biggest battles we’ve seen so far.
The Battle of Blackwater Bay
S2E9 is when we were introduced to just how intelligent Tyrion really is and we also learn that Wildfire isn’t just some garbage potion that wannabe wizards used to play with.
Battle of the Bastards
S6E9 is where Jon Snow became the GOAT and we witnessed the largest live action battle scene of all time. Suffocating, tense, and heartbreaking; the Battle of the Bastards always gets my blood flowing. Plus that sonofabitch Ramsay finally gets what he’s had coming to him for 4 seasons.
Hardhome
S5E8 is a truly terrifying episode where we finally fully realize the scope of what the White Walkers can do and how screwed Jon Snow and company all really are.
The Loot Train
S7E4 is where Dany shows everyone why the Targaryen’s ruled the world with nothing but a few dragons.
The Battle of Castle Black
S4E9 is just another beautifully coreographed sequence of events. Multiple fights at once, arrows flying all around, fires burning, and Olly…that sonofabitch Olly.
We’re just a little over a month away from the Season 8 premiere, so if you’re like me and woefully behind on your Thrones rewatch it’s time to get in gear.
TechCrunch – Tesla is moving all of its sales online, a dramatic shift in its sales strategy that will result in the closure of stores and some layoffs as the automaker looks for ways to reduce costs in order to bring a cheaper Model 3 to market.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk didn’t say how many stores would close. He noted that some stores would remain and turn into information centers and showrooms. The company didn’t provide specific numbers on how many retail employees might be affected.
Goddamnit, I was just about to go to the mall and buy a Tesla too. In all seriousness though, have you ever actually met anyone that drives a Tesla? I see them plugged into random parking garages around town, but I’ve never actually met someone that drives one.
Come to think of it, the only place I ever really see Teslas is in those absurd showrooms in ritzy malls. Like I’m just going to be walking from Auntie Anne’s Pretzels to Lids and I’m going to stop and say ya know what, I should buy a car. Preposterous.
Just a ridiculous idea really, but I guess they are more so using the Apple model. Apple knows these gigantic showrooms cannot possibly be ROI positive, despite how expensive some of these iPhones have become. No, they’re thinking more longterm than that because they’re evil geniuses. How many kids do you see going into every Apple store playing with all the new iPhones, Apple Watches, and whatever other gadgets they put out? They’re basically just planting a seed in these kids’ brains so when they do come of age and have some disposable income they are already Apple disciples and they don’t even know why. McDonalds did that for decades with those gigantic play places.
Marketing is a trip, huh?
PS – When I was in Buffalo last year I was driving around the industrial part of town and stumbled upon the Tesla factory and it looks like the goddamn Avengers Headquarters. Just a massive building putting together technology I don’t understand in the absolute middle of nowhere.
The 300s 