tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35511102233827342572024-02-07T00:22:01.547-06:00Nothing Has Changedbig_red01027's blog about music, sports, and whatever else interests him.big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comBlogger367125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-19303417177717752742016-10-05T00:33:00.003-05:002016-10-05T00:33:51.452-05:002016 Houston Astros: It Was a Rough One<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Coming off the franchise's first postseason since the 2005 World Series, the Astros looked like an up-and-coming team in 2016. Over such a long season, there were a number of things that conspired to eliminate them from the playoffs (on an off day, no less).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd like to start with the team's performance in April...but there were a couple of moves that occurred prior to the season that had a significant impact. Most notable of these were re-signing Colby Rasmus, trading Jonathan Villar, non-tendering Chris Carter....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh, who am I kidding? We all know what the most impactful move of the offseason was; it was the trade that "landed" the team Ken Giles. Or as I like to call it, the worst trade since Jason Jennings came to Houston.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not entirely sure what happened with Rasmus. In April, he looked like a surefire MVP candidate. The only problem was, that was the only month in which he actually hit worth a damn. His season was cut short by a DL stint and then...well, he missed a good part of September for some reason that we are as yet not privy to know. The signing looks like a waste of money but there are some clear extenuating circumstances that would have to be explained away in order to truly evaluate it. So we'll leave that aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Much like J.D. Martinez, Villar and Carter left the Astros and flourished elsewhere. Truly, it is frustrating to see. And much like with Rasmus' situation, there isn't a whole hell of a lot to go on; some guys who perform poorly here go elsewhere and suddenly look like world-beaters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back to Giles, though. To put it mildly, the trade was stupid. What I find hilarious about the perception surrounding the team is that the brain trust is considered to be "smart". Certainly among the smarter groups in MLB, despite the relative lack of production. And yet, the Giles trade is another one that Astros GM Jeff Luhnow very clearly lost. He gave up way too much for a guy who didn't fill a position of need. There were holes in the lineup in the outfield, first base, and DH. Those holes got filled, technically speaking, but not by guys who hit above average. Instead the team got a guy who wasn't even the closer for the first month of the season because he couldn't stop giving up home runs. And then when he did become the closer, he still had a tendency to pitch poorly and give up long balls. Now, the perception of Giles pitching poorly is wholly reliant on the "eye test", as it were. The guy put some ugly outings out there even while being successful. That is to say, he got saves while not pitching his best at all times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still, I doubt that trade will ever be favorably received.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In part because of Giles, in part because of general malaise, the team stumbled to a 7-17 start in the month of April. That start essentially doomed the team, despite the fact that they were in playoff contention (mathematically, at best) until September 30th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another major problem was the team's performance against their in-state "rival", the Rangers. It's not much of a rivalry given how both teams have looked in 2015 and 2016. The Astros were 4-15 against the Rangers and really seemed lucky to get those four wins. Had they gone at worst 9-10 against the Rangers, things would look a hell of a lot different. Sadly, it was not to be. The Rangers have the Astros' number at present and I saw nothing to make me think that the situation will change in 2017.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Carlos Gomez started the season with the Astros and ended up with the Rangers after his release. Unsurprisingly, like the players I mentioned above who played better with other teams, Gomez had a nice little sample size of AB's with the Rangers wherein he hit better than he did in either 2015 or 2016 with the Astros. I'm not sure how that happened, as I did not see many of his AB's with the Rangers. Suffice it to say that he performed <i>a lot </i>better, to the tune of having an OPS over 300 points higher with the Rangers this season. It's not a tiny difference by any means; he was <i>much</i> better with the Rangers and I suspect that something happened in the interim between his last game with the Astros and his first game with the Rangers. What that is, I can't say for certain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rest of the story is mostly under-performance by key figures in the lineup and rotation. Even the supposed positive of giving Gomez his release turned negative, as offensive liability (what an understatement) Jake Marisnick started practically every remaining game in center field. Since I have nothing positive to say about him, I'll leave it at that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What went right in 2016 for the Astros? Well, not a whole lot.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jose Altuve is the team's best player. He may have been overshadowed somewhat last season with Keuchel and Correa collecting hardware (AL Cy Young and AL RoY, respectively), but this season proved that Altuve is the only hitter in the lineup that can be counted on to produce consistently. And that includes the last month and a half when he was "slumping".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alex Bregman was the only prospect to come up and hit above average. His skills at shortstop translated beautifully to playing third base also.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chris Devenski, in a just world, would be a full-time starter in 2017. His numbers were phenomenal across the board, despite being kept out of the rotation in favor of ...Mike Fiers? I can't say that Devenski was "more valuable" than Altuve, but he was damn near <i>as</i> valuable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As far as 2017 goes...there are still holes to be filled in the outfield, first base, and DH. I imagine that Gurriel will be playing somewhere every day. Gattis will probably cede the DH position to another player most days if he takes over as everyday catcher. And Bregman should sow up third base with no problem. That leaves left field and center field (and DH, but that seems like it'll be by committee). My pick for left or center would be Teoscar Hernandez. The only problem he's got is accuracy with his arm. If he can shore up his throwing, while hitting slightly better (he was only slightly below average as opposed to every other newbie not named Bregman, who were all stunningly below average), he should be an asset.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My main problem in 2017 is that Marisnick will likely be handed center field because he plays "great" defense. I have my doubts about that, but defensive stats as kept currently don't really give me enough to debunk Marisnick's supposed "value" in the outfield. The eye test tells me that he's probably better than average, but in order to make up for his utterly anemic bat tool, he'd have to be Ken Griffey Jr. out in center. Obviously, he's not that good. So to me it's a mistake to give Marisnick center field unless he makes noticeable strides with the bat. I don't see it happening, but I would be totally unsurprised if Marisnick is the starting center fielder in 2017.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As for how the team will do in 2017, that's anyone's guess. They were supposed to build on the success of 2015 and contend for the AL West. That didn't happen and they were five wins short of the 89 needed to win a Wild Card as well. If it shakes out that 89 wins gets a Wild Card next year as well, I think the Astros will probably be left out in the cold again, barring significant improvement from their current non-Altuve players or a huge impact signing in free agency.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's that for 2016. Enjoy the playoffs.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-88055340925217938802016-05-16T15:56:00.002-05:002016-05-16T15:56:22.186-05:00Off-Day Scuttlebutt (5-16-2016)<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Astros have made a couple of moves, so I thought I would take a little time on this off day to look at them.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tucker and Kratz are moving down while Gattis and new call-up Tony Kemp are moving up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm a bit torn on Tucker moving down; while he has potential to be a good hitter and showed it last season, something is not right this season and lately (that is, the month of May) he has not hit much at all. Still, Tucker has been more or less a part-time player, with a mere 89 PA's as of today. Was it a numbers game in terms of options and resources invested? Of course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not sure why Tucker and not Marisnick, though, or why Marisnick wasn't sent down in another move. A part-time player with even fewer appearances (and a trip to Fresno already taken), Marisnick is a very bad hitter whose defense doesn't make up the difference. If he were merely below average, I'd have no problem; after all, this team has plenty of below average hitters who haven't pulled their weight so far. Marisnick is so poor that his OPS+ is below zero, which is just unacceptable. For the team to not deal with this is short-sighted and makes it look like Tucker's demotion was scapegoating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So while neither Tucker nor Marisnick have gotten enough PA's to be considered full-time, they have woefully underachieved when given playing time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Evan Gattis returns from Corpus, newly invested in his role as backup catcher. When he was up with the Astros previously, he was similar to Tucker in terms of output. As DH or backup catcher, I would not expect great numbers from him because he will not likely get enough PA's to establish a steady groove.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tony Kemp comes up from Fresno with an ability to get on base. For this team, that just might be enough to get him playing time, especially if he can bolster the bottom of the lineup. The 7-8-9 hitters have been notoriously bad not only in terms of hitting with RISP, but in getting on base to start rallies in the first place. While I don't expect Kemp to duplicate his gaudy OBP from Fresno in Houston, pretty much anything will help.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, the elephant in the room and the reason for Kemp's promotion is Carlos Gomez. Were Gomez playing well, comparable with even White or Rasmus (who have both fallen off in recent weeks), there wouldn't be much of a problem. I don't expect Gomez to hit like Altuve, Springer, or Correa. I don't really expect a Gold Glove caliber effort in CF, either, though it'd be nice. What I do expect is for him to be competent offensively and defensively. So far, he's been competent in neither area, grounds into too many double plays and strikes out far too frequently. Much like other hitters on the team who have been scuffling, his approach is ass-backward, swinging as hard as he can more often than not and usually not making contact. It seems easy to say that he should shorten his swing and attempt to hit more pitches to the opposite field, but much more difficult for it to bear fruit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gomez has 132 PA's through 34 games so far. For his effort he has produced a .486 OPS, not only one of the worst on the team, but magnified greatly by the fact that he is regularly penciled into the lineup yet rarely does anything while in it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If Kemp were coming up to solve the problem in CF, the Astros would still have an issue at 3B. The general platoon at 1B of White and Marwin Gonzalez is okay for now, tolerable because both guys are hitting above average (again, as of today). All that says is that 1B is not as big a problem as 3B or CF, but the team could certainly be getting more production out of the position, especially given the expectations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also, it's worth noting that neither of the moves affect the rotation or bullpen. In the case of the starting rotation, the solution might just be to wait it out and see if they can give up fewer runs as a whole. The bullpen has been solid overall, despite having a rough go of it in Boston. I don't expect that kind of struggle, because few teams are as offensively gifted as Boston appears to be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still, the rotation and bullpen aren't so good that each and every guy can be thrown out there and expected to perform well. It has to be managed carefully. So far, I'm not sure that Hinch is the right guy to do that. There have been a lot of questionable decisions in terms of managing the bullpen and making out the lineup every day. While I tend to think that it's up to the players to get out of the extended slump most of them find themselves in, it would be beneficial if Hinch could put them in better positions to win.</span></div>
big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-89046190093791073762016-05-13T11:56:00.002-05:002016-05-13T11:56:15.559-05:002016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Round 2<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess Game 7 isn't automatically the most exciting thing in sports. Or maybe the two iterations in the 2nd Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs just stunk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also, I picked the Stars to win, so I look like a boob again. I did better on the whole, getting 3-of-4 teams right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As expected, Dallas' goaltending "tandem" failed them miserably. Neither of them showed up in Game 7 and the Stars got thumped as a result. I'm surprised they actually made it to Game 7 given how weak the goaltending was, especially relative to the other teams. So now St. Louis is moving on to the Western Conference finals. Not exactly the development I was looking for; after they got out of the 1st round, I was hoping they'd be on the outs, given that Dallas was the #1 seed going in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other finalist out west is San Jose. I'm not sure how this team is so much different from other Sharks teams of years past (much like with St. Louis). It would appear, though, that elevating Joe Pavelski to captain had tangible results. It also didn't hurt that Nashville G Pekka Rinne fell apart in Game 7 (though he was definitely aided and abetted by the Predators' top defensive pairing). Martin Jones, on the other hand, has looked very good through two series. He doesn't seem prone to the meltdowns that the Dallas goalies suffer on a regular basis, for example.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the east, we have what should have been the expected conference finals all along. Before the playoffs started, everyone was on the Capitals' bandwagon. I thought that was stupid and short-sighted. After all, just <i>last year</i> they got knocked out in the 2nd round by the Rangers in memorable fashion (well, memorable for the Rangers' part in it). Yet thanks to winning the Presidents' Trophy, the Capitals were the chic pick to make the Stanley Cup Final.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So when Nick Bonino scored in OT in Game 6 to eliminate the Capitals, I was pretty pleased. While I'm not crazy about the Penguins moving on, I figure anything is better than seeing the Capitals move on and have to deal with all the people kissing up to them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unsurprisingly, the Lightning are in the conference finals again. Even though they are missing two key players, they still have Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. Hedman is getting most of the pub as he's a defenseman with a notable offensive skill set. But to me, it's Kucherov that is the team's best player at present. He's pretty much unstoppable and has shone brightest when it counts the most. There seems to be a lot of gum-flapping about players being shut down as though it happens to pretty much everybody. Kucherov, like Tyler Johnson last season, has shown up in the playoffs and done significant damage. So while some players do get shut down by the opposition in the playoffs, I don't think it's a matter of some esoteric "goal-scoring climate"; it's just that some guys show up when the moment is huge, like Kucherov and Johnson, and others don't...like, say, Ovechkin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 3rd round should be entertaining. I'm picking the Sharks and Lightning, personally, but any match-up in the Stanley Cup Final would be an interesting one.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-52442310739170144082016-04-28T16:06:00.001-05:002016-04-28T16:06:59.097-05:002016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Round 1<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs is over, with Game 7 of the last series occurring on the same night as Game 1 of the 2nd Round. Odd, that.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, here were my first round picks:</span></div>
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Stars in 5, Blackhawks in 6, Ducks in 5, Kings in 6</div>
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Panthers in 6, Lightning in 7, Capitals in 5, Rangers in 6 </div>
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Here's what actually happened:</div>
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Stars in 6, Blues in 7, Predators in 7, Sharks in 5</div>
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Islanders in 6, Lightning in 5, Capitals in 6, Penguins in 5</div>
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That didn't go as expected. With 3-of-8 matchups picked correctly, I was way off from what happened, and I stunk compared to last season. What can I say, I was a year early on the Blues and Islanders.</div>
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We learned quite a bit from the 1st round. In the West, there is complete and total anarchy, as the defending champions are out, as are the Kings. It's hard to pick a favorite, because these teams all have glaring issues and share a sense of playoff futility as none of them have had sustained success in the playoffs in years. For example, the Stars have no #1 goaltender. Lehtonen and Niemi are both inconsistent. The Stars can score a ton, which is helpful because they'll have to keep scoring when their goaltenders are as bad as they are. The Blues are in strange new territory, while the Predators have inexperience and a somewhat shaky goaltender in Rinne. The Sharks have an excellent top line and a solid goaltender in Martin Jones, though their depth showed up in the 1st round it could be considered questionable as the other three forward lines got out-shot and outscored routinely in the regular season.</div>
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In the East, we have more familiar faces. Though the Islanders made the 2nd round for the first time since 1993, the other three teams are more experienced. The Lightning are down a couple of key players, yet thanks to Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, and Jonathan Drouin, aren't really missing the injured guys. The Capitals took six games to beat the Flyers and thus look overrated, as if they weren't massively overrated coming in. Washington is known for choking hard in the playoffs and I expect them to lose to Pittsburgh. Speaking of the Penguins, they looked a lot better against the Rangers this year than they did last year. I guess having a full complement of defensemen is important.</div>
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How will the 2nd Round go? Well, based on the 1st Round, I have no clue. That said, here are my picks:</div>
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Stars in 6, Sharks in 6</div>
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Lightning in 6, Penguins in 5</div>
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No matter who wins, though, I expect a compelling 2nd Round. So far, the Islanders put up four goals on Ben Bishop and won Game 1 5-3. Given that Bishop is a finalist for the Vezina trophy, he'll play better. Though, really, he can't get much worse.</div>
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Enjoy the 2nd Round, everyone!</div>
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big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-39806298396622299622016-04-28T15:24:00.001-05:002016-04-28T15:24:20.709-05:002015-2016 Houston Rockets: They Stunk, The End<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TL; DR: this team stunk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The season began on 10-28-2015 in Houston against the Denver Nuggets. An improved team, but not one expected to contend as the Rockets were. The previous season's playoff success was much-referenced and was probably an albatross hanging from the team's necks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That first loss was a bit of a surprise. Along with it came what Rockets fans would come to rue as the recurring theme that will define this era of basketball for the team: a lack of effort, especially defensively.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Perhaps I and others overrated the ability or potential of the team to play defense at a high level. After all, with Dwight Howard injured for various parts of the 2014-2015 season, the team won with defense, transition offense, and the general brilliance of James Harden. With Howard and Harden healthy in 2015-2016, the results and the effort were not there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Looking back at this season, there were very few games where the Rockets flat-out dominated the other team. The big one that sticks out is when they played an undermatched Memphis team late. Other than that, the Rockets rarely hit that gear where they played excellent team basketball. They usually looked like they were a couple baskets away from getting blown out on many nights and took horrible losses to moribund teams like Brooklyn on multiple occasions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then we come to the main difficulty the Rockets had, which was sticking with the teams at the top of the conference. Though they split with the Thunder, they went 1-3 against the Spurs (bad) and 0-4 against the Warriors (worse). The Warriors really are a special case for the Rockets. Much like previous incarnations of the Rockets had trouble beating certain Western Conference opponents (e.g. Seattle during the 90's, Phoenix in the mid-00's, the Lakers and Spurs in general) this team just seems to be snakebit against the Warriors and have yet to be constructed in a way to give them a challenge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the last two seasons combined (including playoffs), the Rockets are 2-15 against the Warriors. Both wins occurred in the playoffs and were basically flukes. The Rockets don't belong on the same court with the Warriors, a fact that is particularly frustrating because their styles of play aren't all that dissimilar. The Warriors just do it a lot better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stylistically, the Rockets seem to be ill-matched when it comes to personnel and philosophy. They want to restrict shots taken to 3-pointers and anything in the paint. It doesn't work, because the team shoots inefficiently. It doesn't matter if the shot itself is "more efficient" than a midrange jumper (which the team, ironically, shoots better than the long-distance shots) if the chance of it going in the basket are so low. The Rockets have lacked consistent 3-point shooting and are generally reduced to gunning three-point shots by opposing teams who realize that if the inside game is cut off, that's all the Rockets can do. The Rockets limit themselves on offense and usually don't move the ball or themselves in order to get better shots.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The selfishness of the team is concentrated in its two "stars", Harden and Howard. While Harden is a legitimate NBA player and probably top 10 in terms of offense, he leaves a lot to be desired on defense. I wonder whether the Rockets can build around him and be successful. This season really leaves me thinking that it is not possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Howard, on the other hand, despite everyone in the media and on the team saying he needed the ball more, was basically an afterthought. His personal success often had little or nothing to do with the team's success. Sure, he could put up double-doubles (10 or more points and rebounds in one game) with just about anybody, but the stats were ultimately meaningless in the face of the teams winning percentage. Since he is a free agent to-be, it seems likely that he'll be on the move again, in search of that elusive team that fits him to his lofty specifications. To the team that signs him, all I can say is good luck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rest of the team left a lot to be desired too, for the most part. I will single out Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverley as guys who got minutes and did valuable things with them. They were a couple of guys who played hard and put in the requisite effort pretty much every night. I'm not sure what the team has in recent draft pick Sam Dekker, but if he can shoot and put in a solid effort on defense, he should be an important piece of next year's team. The same goes for Montrezl Harrell; though I don't expect any heroics from long-range, I think his constant effort will be something the team should utilize more often than it did this season. For whatever reason, Harrell didn't get on the floor a whole lot in situations that actually mattered, and the team suffered for it because he was one of a precious few that seemed to give a damn. I hope Jason Terry comes back, but he deserves better, really.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The great hope I have for next year is Clint Capela. Actually, you could add Donatas Motiejunas to that as well. Assuming that both are healthy, I think both should develop into good NBA players.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While this season was disappointing, the team is not without talent. Whoever coaches the team next season, I hope they better utilize Harrell and keep Capela and Motiejunas in the rotation. With any luck, Dekker will be healthy and able to contribute on a nightly basis. And maybe Harden will be better on defense while he torches other teams on the offensive end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's still hope to be had, but any success in 2016-2017 will be dependent on consistent effort on both ends. If that doesn't happen, another season like this one will be on offer, and I'm not particularly interested in reruns.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-32467490048548619332016-03-31T14:31:00.001-05:002016-03-31T14:31:06.740-05:00Bleach 667 & 668 - Bigger, Louder, Stronger & Bigger, Faster, Stronger<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A new chapter of Bleach is out, so let's talk about it.</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And since we didn't talk about last week's chapter, let's do that as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spoilers and the usual revelations after the cut.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With Gerard Valkyrie being the Quincy version of Yammy, it makes sense that Kenpachi would reappear in all his glory to take on the beast, no?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unsurprisingly, Byakuya and Toushirou were unable to beat the giant Quincy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So here comes Kenpachi to save the day, Nozarashi released and at the ready. He even took off his eyepatch early in the fight to do maximum damage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then, like the other recent fights we've seen him in, we get the disappointment of seeing the previously invincible berzerker get taken out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And here we have the revelation that I'd been dreading. Though I guess I could have only been dreading it had I known it was coming. Yachiru, the 11th division "vice-captain", reappears right at this time; somehow, she made it up to the Wahrwelt along with Kenpachi, even though at the time of her disappearance she was down in Seireitei.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She brings a message of despair to every <i>Bleach</i> fan who uttered the phrase "bankai is for the weak". I don't think it was something ever said in the manga itself, rather it was a meme that got attached to Kenpachi, who would routinely cut down people without even using shikai, much less the great crutch of all shinigami past and present.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not only has Kenpachi figured out the name of his zanpakutou, he's also got his shikai form. And now he'll be getting his bankai.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I honestly never thought it would happen. But I made a vow that if it ever <i>did</i> happen, I would quit reading the manga. There are only so many things an author can do to his characters in the name of "development". This is not a positive development and is indicative of the further weakening of Kenpachi's character, for the mere fact that Kubo had no idea where the hell to take him, other than downward.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kenpachi has become so weak that he must now rely on bankai just like every other shinigami out there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And while there is more of the story to be revealed (obviously, as the manga is unfinished), I won't be reading it. Maybe after the manga is finished I'll go back and see how it all unfolded (and deal with the disappointment all at once).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I would like to thank everyone who read my chapter recaps on the blog. I've been doing these since September, 2013 and they've been one of the main features on my blog since I basically stopped writing about music.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since I won't be writing these any more, you might wonder what I'm going to do with the blog. The short answer is that for now I don't know. I probably won't update for a while. I don't really have anything else to write about on a weekly or even monthly basis until the next NFL season starts. While there are always possibilities floating around my head, I haven't really felt the urge to translate them into reality. So it could be some time before I post here again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That said, I won't close down the blog. I'm proud of everything I've written in the last couple years here and I want it to remain online in its original form.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks again. Enjoy the manga.</span></div>
big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-41229921991501291242016-03-17T14:09:00.000-05:002016-03-17T14:09:00.489-05:00Bleach 666 - Empty Hall of the Puppet Temple<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A new chapter of Bleach is out, so let's talk about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Spoilers and devils in the details after the cut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm not sure what the title refers to this week. Urahara's bankai, maybe?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At any rate, what we've got is one of those transitional chapters; as one battle fades from prominence, another re-enters. Urahara and Grimmjow have successfully (?) taken down Nakk le Varr. However, in a twist probably everyone saw coming, he doesn't just go away quietly. No, he takes them down with him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Or so it would appear. Outside the range of the "gift ball deluxe" stands Neliel, apparently ready to save our erstwhile author avatar and his arrancar cohort.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm not sure how Neliel intends to save them, but given her line that she was looking forward to seeing Ichigo again, it sounds like it's not going to end well for her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The scene then switches to Hitsugaya and Byakuya battling Gerard Valkyrie. It feels like it's been a little while since we've seen anything happen here and it seemed like it'd be a stalemate. Valkyrie is too large to effectively trap Hitsugaya and Hitsugaya is far too tiny (even with Byakuya's help as we see here) to do anything in return.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So here comes the madman of the Gotei 13 to save their bacon again. And in doing so, Valkyrie is turned into nothing more than Yammy 2.0.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That's right, Kenpachi is back. Again. I'm hoping that his brush with death has led to a Saiyan-esque increase in power. Because even after cutting off Valkyrie's hand at the wrist, the dude is still quite large and poses a problem that they've been unable to solve as yet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And even though Kenpachi's rep has taken a couple hits recently, his re-entrance was still badass.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-49351722004222238792016-03-10T10:24:00.002-06:002016-03-10T10:24:20.240-06:00Bleach 665 - The Princess Dissection<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A new chapter of Bleach is out, so let's talk about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spoilers and unnecessary surgery after the cut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the author avatar of the manga, it could reasonably be presumed that Urahara would have something particularly nasty for his bankai. Even though Hyousube is thought to be the "strongest" shinigami (as head of the Royal Guard, this makes sense), he is not the person one thinks of as driving the story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urahara most definitely drives the story. And his bankai is something, alright.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">His power is "reconstruction", which he demonstrates by trying to split one of Nakk le Varr's arms. Then after "duking it out" for a little while, we get a guest appearance by a guy who was left for dead a second time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Grimmjow tears Nakk le Varr's heart out, coming back from what looked like utter defeat. It is interesting that Urahara's bankai allowed such a ploy to work when Grimmjow's reiatsu should not have been able to damage Nakk le Varr (though I guess the change to Resurreccion form might have something to do with how Grimmjow can damage the Stern Ritter again).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I feel relatively certain that Nakk le Varr is not done just yet; this is <i>Bleach</i> after all, and nobody who looks dead stays dead. Hell, Grimmjow looked dead twice and he's still kicking around.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And even though Urahara's bankai is an interesting sight to behold, it is still not much more than a distraction from the real fights that we want to see; the ones that involve the top brass of the Vandenreich.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-76763463846061905242016-02-25T12:00:00.001-06:002016-02-25T12:00:09.301-06:00Bleach 664 - The Gift<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A new chapter of Bleach is out, so let's talk about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spoilers and hastily wrapped presents after the cut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even though I have complained in the past about how the story is going, it is clear that the cards are being laid out on the table in the final arc. We have a much better idea of the powers of the people involved in this struggle. And finally, we're going to find out what exactly Urahara's bankai does.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The author avatar of this story is perplexing and frustrating even when he's just standing there doing nothing at all. It's been many a year since a throwaway comment uttered by Urahara wherein he rebuffed Renji about training Ichigo's friends, saying that his bankai was "not suitable for training others", or something to that effect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What does that mean, exactly? We still don't know, but we're about to find out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Given that other captains of similar vintage have powers that flat-out dwarf most of the ones we see on a regular basis, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Urahara's will not only be impressive, but utterly fatal to his enemy Nakk le Varr.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What I would really like to see with <i>Bleach</i> is something a bit less haphazard. Really, the crux of my complaints is that things don't seem to proceed in an orderly fashion, but jump around willy-nilly. Such as this fight between Yoruichi/Urahara and Nakk le Varr being sandwiched around fights involving Ichigo, Hitsugaya, and their respective opponents. The manga has not been an example of textbook storytelling, it is far too chaotic for that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And yet, the revelations we've seen in the final arc, especially in this chapter with the author avatar releasing his bankai (something I didn't expect to <i>ever</i> happen) have been nothing short of scintillating.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now if only Ichigo were actually treated like the main character again!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still, I think we're in for a treat next week...assuming the focus doesn't shift to another fight.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-80310566802717637422016-02-18T12:06:00.002-06:002016-02-18T12:06:20.983-06:00Bleach 663 - God of Thunder 4<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A new chapter of Bleach is out, so let's talk about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spoilers and ever-changing attributes after the cut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a <i>Bleach</i> fan, I'm used to reading ridiculous things on a week-to-week basis. Sometimes they are more ridiculous than others, but there is a baseline of general weirdness, or maybe an area that the manga occupies in terms of how certain things are expressed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then you get chapters like 663 and even a jaded veteran (since 2007; not the beginning, but a while ago nonetheless) like myself has to tip his cap to the author for being so absurd.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Author avatar Urahara Kisuke has entered the battle between Yoruichi and elite Stern Ritter Nakk le Varr, transforming Yoruichi in the process. She changed into her new form which is an extension of her previous cat body in the previous chapter. Here she attacks Nakk le Varr and Urahara drops the first bomb of incredible foolishness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He claims that Yoruichi's reiatsu changes 48 times per second in her new form.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not sure how this is possible and Urahara's explanation does not resolve the quandary satisfactorily. No surprise there; Urahara is a troll and as a rule I tend not to believe anything he says.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After Urahara plays with Yoruichi and lets her fall asleep on his lap, another ridiculous thing occurs: Nakk le Varr activates his Quincy Vollstandig, "Hassein".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">His appearance is laughable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also, since he's still among the living, Urahara will have to resort to more dirty tricks, likely without Yoruichi as it appears that her five-minute limit has come to an end.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-90066547473718112742016-02-10T20:38:00.001-06:002016-02-10T20:38:35.108-06:00Bleach 662 - God of Thunder 3<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A new Bleach chapter is out, so let's talk about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spoilers and scary cats after the cut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To no one's surprise, the story couldn't stick with Ichigo and co. for more than a couple of weeks. Why would it? It's not like Ichigo is the main...oh, right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urahara's appearance seemed quite likely as well. After all, he was the one who engineered opening the gate to Reioukyuu/Wahrwelt and got what remains of the Gotei 13 up there. And since Yoruichi is hanging with Ichigo's group, it was just a matter of time until he butted into her fight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The only thing that did surprise me was that Urahara was classed with the "Special War Powers", a group of five shinigami with abilities that exceed the normal cannon fodder that comprises the majority of the Gotei 13.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We knew that Ichigo was among them, as well as Kenpachi (though I think he was removed after getting his arse kicked by one of the Loyd twins); Hyousube, Aizen, and Urahara are the others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why Urahara? "Unknown means", according to Nakk le Varr.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why Urahara, for real? He's the author avatar, an annoying one at that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So not only does Urahara show up, he does something to Yoruichi that lets her recover her lost stamina. He then does something even more surprising: he makes her transform into a Super Saiyan-esque form that combines her normal body with her cat body, plus the incredible power of her Shunkou.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I don't doubt that Nakk le Varr will find some way of countering it, either.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, we have no idea whether or not this part of the story will be featured in 663. It might go back to the fight between Hitsugaya and Valkyrie, for all we know.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-26283880938181463862016-02-08T12:25:00.001-06:002016-02-08T12:25:02.622-06:00Super Bowl 50<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Super Bowl 50 has come and gone, so let's take a quick look at what happened and what it might mean in the big picture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The game itself was uninteresting. It's unfortunate that the last and most meaningful football game of the 2015 season turned out the way it did. For my part, I thought that Carolina's offense would be able to do <i>something</i> against Denver, and that the Panthers were basically a shoe-in. I really couldn't have been more wrong there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Late in the regular season, a lot of people seemed to bristle at anyone who criticized Carolina, often brashly proclaiming them "the best" in the NFL. The problem with that proclamation lay in their schedule; they had few games of consequence as a result of playing in the NFC South and lost one of them to a mediocre Atlanta team. They coasted through their two previous playoff games and looked unstoppable, to boot. But they didn't look ready for prime time in the biggest game of the season and I tend to think their easy schedule has a little to do with that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Given how "dominant" (I dislike using that word, because it implies things that aren't necessarily accurate) Denver's defense was, I also have to question the notion that the NFL is a "passing league". The defenses for both teams controlled the pace of play and the result of the game. I mean, I have my doubts as to how much Denver really wanted to do; they seemed content to let their defense do the bulk of the work while not trying anything that would be considered "risky". If the NFL is indeed a passing league, last night's game was a huge exception...or it proves that running the ball and playing defense is the way to win championships as we're always told it has been since the advent of the league.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My problem with the whole "run the ball/play defense" style of play is that it's usually bland and uninteresting. Both teams exemplify that style to a great degree.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To that end, it was obvious that someone on Denver's defense was going to win SB MVP. Von Miller ended up being the guy, though it was a team effort by all indications. One interesting thing to note, though, is the effort by Carolina DE Kony Ealy. He was just as effective as Von Miller, but gets less credit due to the fact that his team didn't win. Fair enough, but worth pointing out and giving credit nonetheless.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, the MVP of the regular season came up small. No play showed this more than the 4th quarter strip & sack that Miller had. Cam Newton basically jogged toward the ball on the ground and then backed away slightly rather than dive onto the ball. As I recall, the score was 16-10 in favor of Denver; a recovery could have led to a game-winning TD (but more likely another Panthers error). At any rate, the game was there for the taking for most of the night, but Newton's play was not even close to what they needed. I thought his performance in Week 16 was his nadir; wrong again, chum.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While the fumble by Newton in the 4th quarter closed out the game, it was the fumble in the 1st quarter that may be more noteworthy. The 1st quarter fumble (and resulting TD for Denver) not only set the pace for the game but is probably what won the game for the Broncos.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Newton had just thrown a pass to Jerricho Cotchery which was called incomplete and then challenged by Panthers HC Ron Rivera. The call was upheld. The problem with that call, however, is that Cotchery had actually caught the ball. So the failed challenge directly led to the fumble that gave Denver their only TD for the majority of the game. Was it a game-changing play? To me, there's no doubt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I thought the officiating was spotty in general. But when calls weren't going the Panthers way, they did themselves no favors with their play on offense. Too many turnovers, bad passes, ineffective runs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">And in the end, Peyton Manning gets his second ring, in a game where he did virtually nothing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Given all the hype for Super Bowl 50, it was underwhelming at best.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Also of note, since Von Miller won MVP, that means that two of the last three Super Bowl MVP's have been defensive players. And let's not forget that Super Bowl 49 was basically determined by a defensive player.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Has defense been taken out of the league? Hardly. Not when it reigns supreme at the highest level.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">See you next season.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-47405510304073453932016-02-04T17:39:00.000-06:002016-02-04T17:39:27.454-06:00Bleach 661 - My Last Words<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another chapter of Bleach is out, so let's talk about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spoilers and running away after the cut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a mere two weeks, my conception of the events leading to <i>Bleach</i>'s finale have been totally crushed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As stated previously, my expectation was that Ichigo would end up fighting Ishida, Haschwald, and Bach in some order.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not only did Ichigo <i>not</i> fight Ishida last week, this week's chapter reveals that he won't even be fighting Haschwald either.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Really, now, what sense does that make? Ichigo looked at Ishida as something of a comrade while they got along like brothers who constantly bicker. Ishida going over to the other side had to disturb Ichigo; we saw as much when the three top Quincy went up to Reioukyuu/Wahrwelt in the first place. That kind of betrayal wouldn't be forgotten or even postponed by words.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Haschwald broke Ichigo's bankai, setting the stage for whatever the hell Ichigo is now. We still have no idea what Ichigo's powers are now that he has two swords instead of one. If Ichigo has any motivation at all, it ought to be to hand Haschwald his head.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instead, what does Ichigo do? The same goddamn thing he's been doing for over 100 chapters: running. Now he's headed up to Bach, which is fine, I suppose, but the order is all screwed up. Not only that, I can't imagine that Ishida will be able to hold off Haschwald for any length of time, certainly not long enough for Ichigo to do anything to Bach.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also, I have my doubts that Bach is as weak as he's been portrayed while he's "sleeping".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And now Ichigo and the rest of the team are engaged in a battle with statues. On a really long flight of stairs. Delightful. Yeah, this is much more interesting and/or epic than seeing Ichigo fight either Ishida or Haschwald.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-18400559336893319972016-01-29T18:47:00.003-06:002016-01-29T18:47:44.857-06:00Bleach 660 - The Visible Answer<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A new chapter of Bleach is out, so let's talk about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Spoilers and unbelievably stupid choices after the cut.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While there have been many interesting developments (and a couple good fights) in the so-called "final" arc, the latest to occur in chapter 660 has dimmed my enthusiasm somewhat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The major confrontations I expected were a mere three, once the elite Stern Ritter get taken out. Those battles were to be: Ichigo vs. Ishida, Ichigo vs. Haschwald, and Ichigo vs. Bach (presumably to end the manga).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Instead of the first of those battles, we've been treated to a dull and lackluster "oh, Ishida was a traitor <i>this whole time</i>!" angle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Seriously? GTFO.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thus, chapter 660, which by all rights ought to have been one of the best chapters of the manga, is one of the ten <i>worst</i> chapters instead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have no patience for this sort of crappy storytelling, especially when the correct route was right there within reach: just tell the story through the final three battles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Haschwald (with Bach's power, currently) knows exactly what is going on and there's no way that Ishida (lame as he usually is) can trick him.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">But yes, let's continue with this stupid sham to its even more stupid conclusion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Because why not? Ruining the manga is just as valid a choice as going along the route it should have taken.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-77967800526768758932016-01-25T14:56:00.004-06:002016-01-25T14:56:35.102-06:00Championship Round<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We know who'll be in Super Bowl 50 and have two weeks to stew over who will win. In the meantime, let's take a quick look at the Championship games.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>2 New England @ 1 Denver:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why was Denver #1 in the AFC? The Patriots went to Miami in Week 17 and lost. Were it not for that result, the AFC Championship would have been played in Foxboro and probably would have turned out differently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brady and co. play poorly in Denver; that's been established and there was little to no deviation from it on Sunday. It was an effort much like the one that was on display in Week 17.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because of that and a few calls that went against the Patriots, the Broncos are an improbable Super Bowl entrant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't think the Broncos <i>deserve</i> to be in the Super Bowl. Yes, their defense is good. The QB play leaves a lot to be desired and the offense in general is lackluster. I don't care for Kubiak's head coaching style and I think he was lucky that his right tackle didn't get worked over like he had in a couple previous games.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also think that the Patriots weren't really prepared for this eventuality. When the draw came out, I think they expected that they would be in Foxboro hosting Pittsburgh for the Championship.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Denver was lucky to get past Pittsburgh and weren't a whole lot better than the Pats on a day where Brady was knocked around regularly. In order to win Super Bowl 50 (a likelihood I don't see, even after the previous two weeks), they'll have to be a lot better than they've showed to even be <i>slightly</i> better than the team they'll be up against.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>2 Arizona @ 1 Carolina:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Over in the NFC, we had an old fashioned beatdown.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Carolina put it to Arizona pretty much from beginning to end, dominating on both sides of the ball as they put up 49 points. Cam Newton in particular was excellent, putting up two passing TD's and two rushing TD's.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Panthers also made Palmer look completely foolish, which was a nice bonus. While some are already circling the wagons around their so-called MVP candidate, this was his third terrible game <i>in a row</i> and he really let it all hang out. He threw four INT's, most of which were inexcusably bad, one of which was a pick-six and fumbled twice to boot. His O-line wasn't great, to be sure, but the mistakes were generally on Palmer alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Newton made one mistake, an INT by Patrick Peterson that almost (but not quite) made up for his odd gaffe in special teams. However, Cam was helped out by Ted Ginn, Jr., who tackled Peterson before he reached the end zone, and safety Kurt Coleman, who picked off Palmer in the end zone on a nice play.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While I wouldn't call it a fait accompli, necessarily, I will say that the NFC Championship was basically the game that decided who gets the Lombardi Trophy. Carolina was the better team and I expect that to be the case in two weeks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Given that the Panthers are coached by Ron Rivera, who played on the 1985 Bears and won Super Bowl 20, I thought it might be interesting to see which team the '85 Bears and 2015 Panthers lost to. Each of these teams lost once, the '85 Bears to Miami, the 2015 Panthers to Atlanta.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The '85 Dolphins went 12-4 and lost in the AFC Championship to New England.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 2015 Falcons went 8-8 and missed the playoffs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not sure that means anything either way, but I found it to be an interesting tidbit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As far as the picks went, I split. I took New England and Carolina and was quite close to being rewarded with a perfect Championship Round. Alas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm going to take a week off, as I have no interest in Super Bowl 50 hype (which is sure to be even more outlandish than usual). See you in two weeks.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-56833447884604733962016-01-21T15:13:00.003-06:002016-01-21T15:13:32.061-06:00Bleach 659 - There Will Be Frost<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A new chapter of Bleach is out, so let's talk about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spoilers and chilly relations after the cut.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Valkyrie has a funny way of making friends.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hitsugaya goes into bankai, which every reader saw coming from a mile away. And Hinamori is concerned about the little bastard. That isn't surprising either.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once again, that fight is treated as though it carries less importance than everything else that's going on. And that's fine with me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because finally, we're going to see the encounter that the manga has been building toward for well over a year: Ichigo vs. Ishida!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After Ichigo ran off, I figured that since he wasn't going to get his butt kicked by Nakk le Varr, either Ishida or Haschwald would do the honors.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I didn't expect that Ishida had been planning some kind of trickery (maybe even treachery), or that he'd get caught by Haschwald (who currently has Bach's power while the old man sleeps).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Either way, what we've been given for the moment is the meeting. An excellent place to have a cliffhanger so as to build suspense for the coming weeks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All I want to see is a good fight. Whether it's Ichigo vs. Ishida or Ichigo vs. Haschwald. I'm hoping they don't fight Haschwald together, though given that he has Bach's power right now, Ichigo probably wouldn't beat him without some kind of ridiculous Mayuri-esque ass-pull.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We're set, though, and the course I predicted many moons ago just might be taking place. Better late than never, I suppose.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-91164341289129086592016-01-19T16:47:00.001-06:002016-01-19T16:47:16.320-06:00Divisional Round<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The second weekend of the 2016 NFL Playoffs is done, so let's take a quick look at what happened.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>5 Kansas City @ 2 New England:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Brady-to-Gronk is pretty much unbeatable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">People have focused on the clock management on KC's side, and I agree that it was problematic. But really, were they going to win? Were they <i>expected</i> to win?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think not. What we did see, on the other hand, is Alex Smith's ceiling, especially when the coaching is not perfect at all times in all situations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It may have helped to have a couple of the guys healthy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Even still, Brady-to-Gronk (and Edelman) won the day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>5 Green Bay @ 2 Arizona:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The most exciting and ridiculous game of the weekend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Carson Palmer was terrible; his performance (or lack thereof) allowed the Packers to stay in the game for as long as they did.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And much like the clock in the previous game, the coin toss and overtime rules have been scrutinized. However, I find that there is little merit in criticizing how overtime is carried out. Changing the rules would be overly reactionary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Rodgers didn't get the ball? Oh, well. Arizona did what they had to do: they got the ball to Fitzgerald and he put in supreme effort to win the game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That's right, people. Herm Edwards' admonition that "you play to <i>win</i> the game" is still accurate and relevant even in 2016.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>6 Seattle @ 1 Carolina:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Going up 31-0 was a big deal. That's five scores and a guaranteed win.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Seattle then went out and proved it by coming up short.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's not that they didn't play well in the 2nd half. They just dug themselves a hole so big that they had no chance to recover. Russell Wilson was primarily responsible by throwing a terrible pick-six that essentially sealed it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He has a lot of fans who want to defend everything he does and claim that his late-season run of 19 TD's and 0 INT's somehow meant that he had "turned the corner" or whatever. I didn't buy it then, I don't buy it now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What Wilson has done is benefit from a great defense and strong running game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And in going down 31-0, you could safely argue that the defense let him down. But he was definitely an accessory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Also, Cam Newton played excellently (befitting an MVP, I'd say) in the first half and rightly threw some blame on the coaches for their pathetic second half game plan. You have to score to win in the NFL, even when you're up 31-0, because we all knew the comeback was coming.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Of course, we all knew it'd come up short, but it still doesn't hurt to put more points on the board.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>6 Pittsburgh @ 1 Denver:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Was it the wind that made this such a mediocre game?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Either way, it was mostly even until a late turnover by Pittsburgh's third-string running back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Peyton Manning was again nothing special, but they won the game, so in a way it doesn't matter as much. Playoff wins don't come around every day, after all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Really, the only interesting thing to look at is how Peyton and Denver will play against New England. The obvious conceit is that if he plays like he did against Pittsburgh, Denver will go down in flames and it will be ugly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That's all for the Divisional Round.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I went 3-1 straight up in my picks (again). For whatever reason, I had Pittsburgh winning and was damn close...until late in the 4th. Oh, well.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-55358094943223068762016-01-14T17:46:00.002-06:002016-01-14T17:46:59.757-06:00Bleach 658 - Fatal Matters Are Cold<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A new chapter of Bleach is out, so let's talk about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spoilers and unwelcome comebacks after the cut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are times when I think that Kubo is following his own muse, often to his doom since he is a bit...lacking as a writer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then there are other times where it looks like he's pandering to the crowd.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chapter 658 is a definite example of the latter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First, though, we're treated to a couple of pages of the Super Shihouin Brothers...I mean, Yoruichi and Yuushirou taking on Nakk le Varr.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Blah blah, lethal dosage, down goes Yuushirou; not a whole lot to see here, really. Neither one of them can take down Nakk le Varr since he's absorbed enough of their reiatsu without dying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How will he get taken out? Not sure. With Ichigo having moved on to another target (*cough* Ishida *cough*), no one else can use a massive amount of reiatsu to take out the bastard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are then transferred over to the other ongoing battle against Gerard Valkyrie.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And here we have the first of two unpleasant (and unwelcome) surprises. Yes, the Vizard are back. They gang up on Valkyrie and as usual end up doing nothing of note. Flashy attacks that do nothing seem to be the norm with them. And once they are scattered by Valkyrie waving his arms about, we are treated to the second unpleasant (and entirely unwelcome!) surprise:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">HITSUGAYA IS BACK! YAY!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For reasons I don't entirely understand, the arrogant little shrimp is beloved by many readers. I think that accounts for his presence in such a large part of the manga. In fact, I would venture to guess that he's been more involved than Ichigo for the simple fact that Ichigo has been pushed to the side for so much of the "final" arc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So Hitsugaya is back and freezes Valkyrie's arm as though that will actually stop him and/or do noticeable damage. Great.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And once again we are treated to a display of pandering that is unnecessary and further delays conclusion of two fights that need not last much longer than another two or three chapters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then again, maybe Valkyrie will finally finish the job.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just kidding.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-63525381562798127092016-01-11T20:21:00.003-06:002016-01-11T20:21:49.438-06:00Wild Card Weekend<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What the first weekend of the 2016 NFL Playoffs lacked in scoring and general offensive production, it made up by being dramatic and producing memorable games.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let's go through them one-by-one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>5 Kansas City @ 4 Houston:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Was it over after Knile Davis' 100+ yards kickoff return for a touchdown?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rest of the game sure seemed like a formality. Kansas City had little trouble dispatching the Texans, winning 30-0 and getting that rarest of prizes, a playoff shutout.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Texans' offense didn't gain traction at any point and the one time they were in the red zone, they ran an incredibly stupid play that had J.J. Watt running the ball behind Vince Wilfork...and losing a yard or two. Much of the futility rests on the shoulders of QB Brian Hoyer, who threw four INT's and lost a fumble. Each interception was indefensible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kansas City looked as they usually do. QB Alex Smith ran around a little and threw the ball to TE Travis Kelce and WR Jeremy Maclin, just as expected. Unfortunately, Maclin went out with an injury. That didn't slow KC in the 2nd half, but it may be problematic in the next round.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>6 Pittsburgh @ 3 Cincinnati:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Probably the wildest game of the weekend. Pittsburgh took a 15-0 lead and then watched in horror as Vontaze Burfict took QB Ben Roethlisberger to the ground and injured his shoulder. It looked like that injury to Roethlisberger would end up defining the game. And it would have, as Landry Jones' late INT to Burfict sealed it for Cincy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then something funny happened: RB Jeremy Hill fumbled.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It wasn't something I expected, to be sure. With the lead and game secure, all Cincy had to do was run out the clock. Mistakes in that part of the game usually don't happen. And yet, the fumble happened and Roethlisberger gamely made an effort to return to the field.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was obvious that he was hampered, yet he took the Steelers into opposing territory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then another funny thing happened: Burfict tried to level Steelers' WR Antonio Brown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On replay, it's a lot less vicious than it appeared in real-time. Though I'll grant that Brown's fall (with his neck snapping back and forth in what appears to be painful fashion) still made the hit look bad enough to be flagged. The flag was thrown and the Steelers got a well-earned 15 yards, enough to make a field goal try a possibility.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then Adam Jones got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, perhaps egged on by one of the Steelers' coaches, former LB Joey Porter. The Steelers suddenly had a make-able field goal of a mere 35 yards, made it, and won the game. They went from coasting, to losing, to scraping by with a win as the 4th quarter progressed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While most will point to the penalties and the stupidity behind them as the reason that Cincinnati lost, I have another take on it. Down 15-7, Cincinnati had the ball and was driving. They were stopped in Steelers' territory and inexplicably chose to go for a field goal that made it 15-10. Had they gone for the TD and the two-point conversion (which they did later and missed, granted), they would have been tied. And had events played out, WR A.J. Green's TD would have given the Bengals a seven point lead, thus forcing the Steelers to go for a TD just to tie.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now imagine that the Steelers are in Bengals territory with :18 on the clock and less than 20 yards to go to get in the end zone. Can you see them scoring a TD with all that had happened?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Honestly, I can't. But because Marvin Lewis played it conservatively (as usual), we'll never know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>6 Seattle @ 3 Minnesota:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Winter in my neck of the woods is hardly a scary proposition. It wouldn't stop anybody from playing football.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Minneapolis is a lot different. Did the -9 degree temperature at kickoff, not to mention the well below zero wind chill, affect the game negatively?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Absolutely, though there were a couple of plays where the guys on the field transcended the conditions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Seattle ended up winning on a missed field goal by Minnesota's Blair Walsh. Minnesota's offense was nothing but field goals and even in sub-zero temps, if you settle for field goals, you lose. Minnesota found that out the hard way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And while Seattle didn't do a whole lot to win the game, they get to move on to the next round. How they'll do there is anyone's guess, though I personally doubt that they are suddenly "a contender".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>5 Green Bay @ 4 Washington:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As it turned out, the Packers were the better team. Either that, or Washington just choked the game away.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The game turned when the Packers scored 17 unanswered points. Washington did score another TD to make it 18-17, but by failing to put the Packers away early when they had a great opportunity to do so, Washington practically guaranteed a win for the opposing team.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All the things that we had seen the Packers flub over the past few weeks suddenly worked and did so beautifully. The O-line had no problem with Washington's front seven; Lacy and Starks ran it well; the receivers got open and didn't drop the ball.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the Packers move on to face Arizona, a team that drubbed them as recently as Week 16. Yet, despite Green Bay's performance this past weekend, I see nothing to convince me that anything will be different next week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's it for Wild Card Weekend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As usual, I made picks for all the games; I went 3-1 straight up. My one loss was the foolish consideration of going with Washington against Green Bay. Still, given that four road teams won this past weekend, I think it would have been rather interesting had I gotten them all. Interesting, and impossible.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-72661153438364919432016-01-05T18:44:00.001-06:002016-01-05T18:44:12.115-06:002015 NFL Power Rankings, Week 17<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2015 bled into 2016 just a bit. But now the season is over and we know where everyone stands.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not all of the playoff teams are looking strong. Injuries have prevented some from being at their best, while others dropped off performance-wise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the final week of picks for the regular season, I had another lackluster effort. 9-7 straight up, for a season total 153-103. If that sounds bad, yes, it is quite bad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Still, it's been a great season, even if there are fewer <i>great</i> teams at the top than we're used to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are the Rankings for Week 17:</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1.) Carolina (15-1) [+1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Though they did not go undefeated, Carolina went 15-1, took the #1 seed in the NFC and will have home-field until the Super Bowl. In addition, Cam Newton locked up the MVP with a performance that vindicated his previous effort (or lack thereof) against Atlanta. Now they wait to see who they play; without a doubt, they are in an advantageous position and should reach the Super Bowl with little trouble.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: TBD (1/17)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2.) Arizona (13-3) [-1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A surprising collapse in the final game. I don't think it did any long-term damage, though it did completely implode Palmer's chance of winning MVP (which, really, wasn't that great to begin with). Arizona's no-show against Seattle accomplished one thing: it lessened the confidence that people can have in them. After a performance like that, it's a lot easier to see them going one-and-done in the playoffs against whomever comes calling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: TBD (1/16)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3.) Denver (12-4) [no change]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> With wins in their last two games, Denver unexpectedly vaulted into the #1 seed in the AFC. Their reward is a home game, likely against the Steelers. Peyton Manning returned to some fanfare, taking the turnover-prone Osweiler's place and leading the team to victory. His numbers were mediocre at best, but I don't doubt that Denver would have lost the game had Osweiler continued to play. Peyton let the running backs do most of the work, that much is for sure. At this point, that might be the best move, though it is an unexciting one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: TBD (1/17)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4.) Cincinnati (12-4) [+2]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> While McCarron has been a decent option at starter, it's hard to see how he overcomes the prime time playoff game against Pittsburgh, at least on his first attempt. And if Dalton comes back, there are problems there as well. So it's not looking good for Cincinnati's chances of moving past the Wild Card round this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Pittsburgh (1/9)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5.) New England (12-4) [-1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Not exactly the finish we were expecting. Sure, they have trouble in Miami, that much is true, but for them to lose to that Miami team is troubling. Especially when the best coach in the business is throwing in the towel in the 2nd half. So the Pats end up with the #2 seed and a bye they sorely need, while avoiding Pittsburgh until the Championship game (assuming both teams get that far). In that light, is the Miami loss as troubling? Probably not. Having to face Cincinnati without Dalton, KC, or Houston shouldn't be insurmountable, nor should the Championship game. Will they make it to the Super Bowl again? Right now, I'd have to say no. There aren't enough weapons on offense and the O-line is hurt and ineffective. That's not to say they can't pull it together; after all, these are the Pats we're talking about.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: TBD (1/16)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6.) Kansas City (11-5) [+1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> For winning 10 in a row, Kansas City's reward is to come down to Houston. Seems damn unlucky to me. At any rate, I fully expect the Chiefs to come out with the win, seeing as they've done it 10 times in a row under what were unlikely circumstances for most of the run. Their opponents might not have been as tough as some would have liked, but they were missing Jamaal Charles the whole time and were relying partly on Alex Smith to make plays with his arm. He's done better in that regard, but nobody's confusing him with Brady or Cam or even Wilson.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Houston (1/9)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7.) Minnesota (11-5) [+1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> While they didn't show up like they did against the Giants, Minnesota won convincingly and took the NFC North from the Packers. Their reward is another game against Seattle. And though life isn't fair, Minnesota has an opportunity to do some damage, if Bridgewater plays well. I doubt that they'll be letting him throw more often, but if they can control games with Peterson and take shots when they get 'em, they can take down Seattle and maybe Carolina as well. Of course, if they end up in a shootout with either team, they'll go down quickly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Seattle (1/10)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8.) Seattle (10-6) [+2]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> One of the more surprising results was seeing Seattle go on the road and smack Arizona in their collective mug with a lead pipe. As badly as Arizona beat down Green Bay in Week 16, they took it right in the mouth in Week 17. Despite a lack of receivers and not much of a running game with the top two guys out, Russell Wilson produced and looked like the St. Louis game the previous week never happened. The team has been in the last two Super Bowls and may just make another run. That would not surprise me, but it sure would be annoying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Minnesota (1/10)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9.) Pittsburgh (10-6) [-]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I know I was surprised to see the Steelers get into the playoffs. Roethlisberger missed time on multiple occasions and the loss last week to Baltimore was simultaneously inexcusable, unbelievable, and seemingly season-ending. Then the Jets went to Buffalo and gagged, thus opening the door for Pittsburgh who just had to beat Cleveland. Of course, Pittsburgh beat Cleveland (like that was ever in doubt). So that means there's another multiple Super Bowl winner in the field. If that's not an advantage, I'm not sure what is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Cincinnati (1/9)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10.) Green Bay (10-6) [-1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> As a result of losing the NFC North on Sunday night, the Packers now head to Washington to face a "surprising" team led by Kirk Cousins. Cousins is apparently a good QB now after winning the NFC East handily over no competition. If Rodgers were playing anywhere near his usual elite level, this game wouldn't be competitive. Since Rodgers has fallen apart thanks to Jordy Nelson being out and the O-line not performing as capably as it has in previous seasons, it looks like Washington is the favored pick.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Washington (1/10)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's all for this week. See you next season.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-20926288052563116942015-12-29T06:00:00.000-06:002015-12-29T06:00:04.551-06:002015 NFL Power Rankings, Week 16<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another upset week in the NFL, for which there may be ramifications for a couple teams.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Really, the big story in Week 16 is that the Panthers are no longer undefeated. The rest of the teams that are either jockeying for a playoff position or seeding don't have the kind of juice behind them that Carolina did, because they weren't on the verge of doing something historic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And to that end, I have to say that Carolina's effort against Atlanta was not very good. Credit Atlanta if you like or point to the fact that it was a division game on the road; Carolina beat down Atlanta the last time they played and this time should have been the same thing. It wasn't, and that diminishes this NFL season.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We likely won't remember it much longer than it takes to get to the Super Bowl. And after the Super Bowl, especially if Carolina either doesn't win or fails to make it that far, we probably won't think about the undefeated season that could have been. I'm sure I won't.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since it was a week with more upsets than usual, my picks suffered. The last few weeks haven't been all that kind anyway, but this week required a late comeback by Denver (in OT, no less) to get me to 9-7 straight up. I'm still toiling in mediocrity, in other words.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are the Rankings for Week 16:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1.) Arizona (13-2) [+1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The Cardinals had the best win and the best performance of the week. A good team came to their place and Arizona was up to the task, beating them down and making Rodgers look foolish for most of the game. With some luck (okay, a lot of luck) they can take over the #1 seed in the NFC, but being #2 isn't all bad. After all, a bye is a bye, regardless. Someone will be coming to Arizona in the 2nd round of the playoffs and it won't be a juggernaut given how seeds 3-6 have played recently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Seattle (1/3/2016)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2.) Carolina (14-1) [-1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> As I tweeted not long after the game, the Panthers choked. I think it's safe to say that Cam Newton is still the MVP, though the end of the game against Atlanta would cast some extreme doubt on his candidacy if anybody else were within striking distance. I'm not sure Brady or Palmer are so close that not going undefeated will be a mark against Newton. So the tide hasn't really turned. Now that the Panthers are no longer undefeated, they can regroup and set their sights on the next major goal: winning playoff games and getting to the Super Bowl.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Tampa Bay (1/3/2016)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3.) Denver (11-4) [+3]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Other than the missed field goal and all of the terrible offense, Denver is looking solid. But seriously, their offense is garbage and anyone who thinks Osweiler is better than Peyton (yes, even 2015 Peyton) should probably reevaluate said thought. Osweiler is not quite terrible, but he certainly isn't great and I would be exceptionally leery of handing the team over to him should Peyton retire after the season. Really, though, the worst part is the offensive system that's in place, especially with Kubiak's penchant for settling for field goals rather than take risks to get touchdowns. He coaches as though he's scared and that's going to get Denver beat, no matter how good their defense is (and given that people cite it as being the "#1 defense in yards allowed" I'm a bit skeptical).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. San Diego (1/3/2016)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4.) New England (12-3) [-1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A bad loss. No other way to put it. While it has no bearing on seeding or the division title (which the Pats sewed up a couple weeks ago), it's not really a good thing to lose to a division rival, especially when it lets them get into the playoffs easier than it might have been otherwise. People have brought up that the Jets win and Pittsburgh's loss really hampers Pittsburgh's chances. Well, Pittsburgh's defense is a sieve, while the Jets' D manhandles people. No matter how tough Pittsburgh's offense is, they'll always be at the disadvantage because their defense looks more like New Orleans than Denver or Cincy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Miami (1/3/2016)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5.) NY Jets (10-5) [+3]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Bad move or not, the Jets took advantage of receiving the first possession in OT and did what was necessary to get a touchdown and the win. So many other teams would have done what we saw in Denver on Monday; they would have gone for gold for a little while, but once they got near the red zone they would turtle up and play for a field goal. The Jets did no such thing, and while I'm not pleased about the Patriots losing to them, at least I can appreciate the way the Jets picked up the win. They didn't play not to lose, they played to fucking win.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Buffalo (1/3/2016)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6.) Cincinnati (11-4) [-1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> When you go up 14-0 in the first half, you really have to win the game. Instead, Cincy got a field goal in the entire second half and despite McManus shanking the hell out of a potential game-winning kick, ended up losing in OT after a fumble that was called an incomplete pass led to another fumble that was confirmed without a doubt. A truly bad game for the Bengals even when McCarron showed up and played well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Baltimore (1/3/2016)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7.) Kansas City (10-5) [+2]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Nine wins in a row and the train just keeps rolling. Since Denver won on Monday, KC now needs to win and have the Broncos lose in Week 17 to get the AFC West wrapped up. It's hard to believe given the start and whatnot, but it is still something of a possibility.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Oakland (1/3/2016)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8.) Minnesota (10-5) [+2]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> It's a wonder to me that a team with so little in the way of passing offense can put up points the way Minnesota did. I get that they were playing the Giants, a team that is inferior on multiple levels to most of the good NFC teams, but still, Minnesota almost scored 50. And this is a team that does not pass the ball well and has a QB who frequently looks very bad. Bridgewater was certainly better on Sunday and Peterson ran through anybody who tried to tackle him, but anyone who thinks that game and the next one will have much in common is likely a Vikings fan or out of his depth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Green Bay (1/3/2016)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9.) Green Bay (10-5) [-5]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Rodgers seems convinced that the Packers will show up when it really counts. Consider me skeptical. They didn't show up in any phase of the game on Sunday and were comprehensively beaten down as a result. The offense has problems that weren't solved by having McCarthy take over play-calling again (big surprise). Whoever wins the next game takes the NFC North and the #3 seed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Minnesota (1/3/2016)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10.) Seattle (9-6) [-3]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A thoroughly disappointing loss to an inferior team that was lucky to win back in September. This time was hardly luck; Seattle wasn't up for the game for the majority of it and the close score really belies the advantage that St. Louis held. I doubt that other teams are really all that worried about playing Seattle now; if they have to go to Green Bay again, for example, the Packers probably think they can win with relative ease.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Arizona (1/3/2016)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's all for this week. See you next week.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-8287394269141049782015-12-26T17:06:00.003-06:002015-12-26T17:06:49.215-06:00Bleach 657 - God of Thunder 2<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A new chapter of Bleach is out, so let's talk about it.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spoilers and sibling rivalry after the cut.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It looks like the path will be going through Nakk le Varr's battle against Yoruichi before Valkyrie or the rest get their turn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My hope is that Valkyrie's fight isn't resolved off-screen (off-page?) like Yammy's was. Then again, that one was so ridiculous that it's not like Kubo left himself much of a choice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yoruichi seems to have painted herself into a corner against Nakk le Varr. She and Yuushirou have both taken a turn on the offensive and the result is that Nakk le Varr has used his "Lethal Dose" power to effectively negate any attack by their reiatsu.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, since this <i>is</i> Yoruichi we're talking about, I'm in no way willing to concede that she's lost the fight. In fact, Nakk le Varr's overconfidence in his ability will likely lead to his own demise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also, Yoruichi's a big cheater just like her good buddy Urahara. That association between her and the former 12th captain practically guarantees that she'll be moving on alive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, Ichigo and co. have been sent ahead. Since they'll no longer be a factor against Nakk le Varr and Valkyrie is currently engaged, that leaves the big three of the Vandenreich to be dealt with. My guess is that both of the elite Stern Ritter battles will be resolved before Ichigo takes on Ishida.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How it'll play out is anyone's guess, though.</span></div>
big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-80549673036263656432015-12-23T13:21:00.003-06:002015-12-23T13:21:36.630-06:002015 NFL Power Rankings, Week 15<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fifteen weeks in, and I think we've got an idea who's good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were some bumps in the road to be sure. But now that the midseason slumps have gone away, the elite teams have separated themselves and now the arguments about contenders will rage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess most people were talking about Carolina vs. the Giants the last two days. It was a good game, although closer than expected. Cam Newton locked it up late with a drive for the game-winning field goal; I'm still not a fan of field goals when it's winning time, but the way he played was clearly MVP-level.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And if they finish undefeated, he's the guy. Hell, he might get it even if they don't finish undefeated, that's how well he's played.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The picks were a little better, at 10-6 straight up. Had no idea Indy would lose at home to the Texans (an embarrassing loss if there ever was one) or that New Orleans would fail to show up again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are the Rankings for Week 15:</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1.) Carolina (14-0) [no change]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Newton looks like the MVP and the Panthers remain undefeated. His poise late was admirable; despite being down, he <i>knew</i> they were going to win and then made it happen. Now we'll see what happens as the team tries to navigate getting ready for the playoffs and possibly going undefeated. Is 16-0 more important than resting players? It ought to be, but stranger things have happened.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Atlanta (12/27)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2.) Arizona (12-2) [no change]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> It was more bombs away than the previous game, for sure. Then again, they had a RB go for well over 150 yards, so I'm not sure they're trending in the proper direction offensively. People talk about balance, and whatnot, and that's fine, but passing is going to win games and Arizona does that exceedingly well. For them to not try to shorten games by burying opposing teams under a pile of points is silly. They clearly are not a team like Minnesota that lacks offensive firepower.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Green Bay (12/27)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3.) New England (12-2) [no change]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> It was practically a given. We presume that the Pats will eventually get healthy, though if they have Brady and Gronk minimum, they'll win at least one playoff game. That would put them in the AFC championship again, actually. I don't see anyone beating them, until it happens.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at NY Jets (12/27)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4.) Green Bay (10-4) [+1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> It's been a little bit since the Packers went out and dominated the opponent. If people were expecting that sort of thing with McCarthy calling the plays again, well, you were wrong. There's still the possibility of domination in the last two weeks, but I wouldn't expect it. Although they could pull out wins late like they have the last three weeks and be just fine, they won't have bonafide contender status because at the moment they are little more than a speed bump.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Arizona (12/27)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5.) Cincinnati (11-3) [+1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I thought they might have been a little vulnerable. Then I remembered they were playing San Francisco. Not much has changed for the Bengals, though, although I guess it could be argued that they play it even more conservatively on offense without Dalton. If McCarron is all he claims to be, it should be a cakewalk this week, more or less.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Denver (12/28)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6.) Denver (10-4) [-2]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Are the Broncos "in trouble"? Based on the inconsistent play on offense and the presence of other strong teams in the AFC, it's easy to say yes. They're also held back by a coach who thinks he's better than Peyton Manning, this despite the fact that Peyton won a Super Bowl more recently. This week, they'll have their hands full and will be counting on their defense to hold down the opposition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Cincinnati (12/28)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7.) Seattle (9-5) [no change]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The team "nobody wants to play" (already a tired meme) keeps chugging along. Wilson-to-Baldwin is suddenly a dangerous QB/WR combo that just produces touchdowns when it counts. Is it easier to do that against Cleveland than a top-tier NFC team? Probably, but every win counts the same, and all that nonsense. The Seahawks finally get a shot at the Rams again; I'm expecting a bloodbath given the respective trajectories.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. St. Louis (12/27)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8.) NY Jets (9-5) [no change]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> On a short week, the Jets managed to win a tougher than expected game against the Cowboys. It took a late field goal and some miscues by the opponent though, and that has to be slightly concerning. They obviously won't be getting any lucky breaks this week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. New England (12/27)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9.) Kansas City (9-5) [no change]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Eight down, two to go. Can't stop, won't stop winning. It's still difficult to believe that losing Charles and starting 1-5 somehow led the Chiefs to where they are presently. And with Denver's question marks at QB plus an easy closing schedule, it's entirely possible that KC wins the AFC West. Was that even a consideration in Week 7 or 8? Not likely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Cleveland (12/27)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10.) Minnesota (9-5) [no change]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> They took advantage of a weak Chicago team despite the loss of Peterson to injury. If he's out for a lengthy period, it could be troublesome. The Vikings offense isn't meant to be downfield passing all the time and if they're forced to do that, they'll lose. Still, they have another game against Green Bay, so they're in the driver's seat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. NY Giants (12/27)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's all for this week. See you next week.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-83284505767925100012015-12-17T14:58:00.002-06:002015-12-17T14:58:15.419-06:00Bleach 656 - God of Thunder<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A new chapter of Bleach is out, so let's talk about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spoilers and black cats after the cut.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Apparently, Yoruichi is now Lord Raiden.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's always a little weird and/or off-putting to move elsewhere while a battle is ongoing. Last chapter looked to be the start of a lengthy battle between Valkyrie and Renji/Byakuya.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instead, we've moved from Valkyrie to Nakk le Varr. And being the talkative fellow he is, Nakk le Varr has obliged us by revealing information we probably didn't care about beforehand that doesn't really answer any questions we had previously.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Case in point, he tells us that Barro was the nominal head of the "elite" Stern Ritter, a.k.a. the Schutzstaffel. He had his letter (Schrift) the longest and as such his position was "iron-clad". Valkyrie and Pernida, on the other hand, were relative noobs (though how long they've both been around is obviously a matter for debate), so the rest of the Stern Ritter naturally assumed they had other identities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Valkyrie is thus revealed to be the "heart" of the Soul King. Whether this is true or just Nakk le Varr bullshitting us, I'm not sure. But would it really matter? The Soul King is a non-entity at this point, having been replaced by Bach many chapters ago.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I mean, it's starting to turn into something out of Castlevania 3 with this guy, who wasn't as interesting as he could've been. I guess a lot of that has to do with the fact that his parts were scattered all over kingdom come, but still. The Soul King as portrayed in the manga was not an interesting character.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At any rate, Yoruichi then takes on Nakk le Varr and looks to have dealt a nice blow to him. Knowing how <i>Bleach</i> works, that was obviously not the final blow, but merely the first salvo in a protracted battle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If Ichigo can't even touch Nakk le Varr, I'm not sure what Yoruichi can do to stop him. Of course, this is a nice start. But at the moment, that's all it is.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3551110223382734257.post-90216536059910540762015-12-15T11:07:00.002-06:002015-12-15T11:07:05.945-06:002015 NFL Power Rankings, Week 14<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's possible that I assumed good health would carry through for the majority of the players in my top ten. An injury to a QB this late can really derail a team, though.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was thus a week of fluctuation as all but two teams were on the move.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That uncertainty was reflected in my rather terrible picks. I went 7-9 straight up and picked worse than a barrel of monkeys trying to write Shakespeare.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A number of teams let me down, not least of which were Buffalo, Indianapolis, and Miami. I'm not sure why I thought any of them would win, looking back on it now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then again, could anyone have predicted Jacksonville putting up 50 in a single game?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are the Rankings for Week 14:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1.) Carolina (13-0) [no change]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> A beatdown against Atlanta ensures that the Panthers remain unbeaten and atop these rankings. The only problem from the game might be the injuries to Stewart and Olsen. Of course, if they both play well in Week 15, then there'll be no worries. Cam Newton continues to produce at an MVP level. I find it hard to believe, but I'm getting used to the thought of Newton as MVP. Pretty amazing considering that the Panthers were 7-8-1 last season.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at NY Giants (12/20)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2.) Arizona (11-2) [no change]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Interestingly, the Cardinals have matched the Chiefs in terms of winning streaks. They have won seven in a row as well, despite looking pretty vulnerable recently. I continue to wonder why they didn't go for the throat in the passing game, choosing to run the ball and keep the game close against a team that is stunningly ill-equipped to play from behind. I guess Arians was being nice or something. Something tells me that won't happen this week.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Philadelphia (12/20)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3.) New England (11-2) [+2]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The Pats were the main beneficiary of the Week 14 nonsense. With their win against the Texans, plus losses by Cincy and Denver, New England is back in the driver's seat in the AFC. Will it last more than a couple weeks? Who knows. They're the best team in the conference right now, though, and their remaining schedule consists of winnable games.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Tennessee (12/20)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4.) Denver (10-3) [-1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Kubiak's vaunted offense (which has won precisely squat since 1998) has cratered and new golden boy Osweiler looks just as human as Peyton. So what is the answer now? I guess they'll have to hope that Peyton is healthy, and if he is they'll go back to him. Otherwise, they have to coach up Osweiler to stop taking sacks and get the ball out quicker. It would also help to score TD's instead of FG's. Probably.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Pittsburgh (12/20)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">5.) Green Bay (9-4) [+1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Why #5 despite being one win behind Cincy? Rodgers is still healthy. Let's not get too crazy, though, with all the talk about McCarthy taking back play-calling. He still doesn't know how to run an offense (yeah, they looked competent against the Cowboys, but that's not going to last). The ceiling is probably not all that high, even with the division within reach.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Oakland (12/20)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">6.) Cincinnati (10-3) [-2]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> With Dalton out, McCarron takes over. And while this does derail Cincy's fairly successful season (to this point, at least), I'm not sure how it'll impact the playoffs, because Dalton may be back by then. Also, I didn't think much of the Bengals with Dalton, so losing him shouldn't have much of an impact. McCarron could play his first postseason game and the Bengals could easily lose. What's the difference between he and Dalton in that case? There isn't one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at San Francisco (12/20)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">7.) Seattle (8-5) [+1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The team "nobody wants to play" keeps putting up points in bunches. It's really a tired meme at this point; I'm sure there are teams that would love to play Seattle. Despite their suddenly potent offense, their defense still looks like it has fallen off a cliff when it comes to defending elite QB's. Obviously, going against Jimmy Clausen a second time was easy pickings, but the playoffs will be a different animal entirely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Cleveland (12/20)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">8.) NY Jets (8-5) [+1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Easy win against Tennessee, but that was to be expected. They have Pittsburgh in the rear-view mirror and that could be troublesome. A wild card is not necessarily guaranteed, and the division has already been locked up (surprise, surprise).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Dallas (12/19)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">9.) Kansas City (8-5) [+1]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> After Carolina, the Chiefs have the longest win streak going. While they are probably out of play for the division, a wild card is looking increasingly likely. Then again, if Denver's offense continues to sputter and the Chiefs keep on winning, there's no telling what could happen. Also, it is notable (yet generally unnoticed) that they held Rivers to 6 points combined in two games.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Next opponent: at Baltimore (12/20)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">10.) Minnesota (8-5) [-3]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Almost hard to remember what happened last Thursday after such an eventful Sunday and Monday. I think that Minnesota was in the game against Arizona for as long as they were thanks to the Cardinals playing it safe. Had Arizona gone bombs away on a depleted secondary as we expected, the score would have been a lot higher and the game wouldn't have been in doubt for as long as it was. Minnesota has demonstrated no real ability to come back and got stifled on their last drive when a makeable FG would have tied it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Next opponent: vs. Chicago (12/20)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That's all for this week. See you next week.</span>big_red01027http://www.blogger.com/profile/16129687221650005351noreply@blogger.com