Jason Haskins's Blog, page 29

Women's soccer world cup: USA vs the field

photo:commons.wikimedia.org
The 2019 FIFA women's World Cup is underway, with the United States set to open group play on June 11 against Thailand.Back in 2015, the United States women's national soccer team had one of the greatest defense-minded World Cups of all time. A defensive backline of Becky Sauerbrunn, Ali Krieger, Meghan Klingenberg, and Julie Johnston (now Julie Ertz), plus keeper Hope Solo, locked down opponents in a breathtaking manner. After allowing one goal to Australia in the cup opener, the United States women didn't cede another goal until the final, a whopping 539 minutes between goals, a 5-2 victory over Japan.
Don't count on that type of production again.
That is not to say the Americans don't have the talent. Sauerbrunn still locks down the center back position, but the rest of the line has been in flux over the past year with mixed results. Ertz has moved to the midfield and Klingenberg, despite playing every single minute in the last World Cup, is not on the roster. Krieger is, but will likely be on the bench.
And Solo is gone as well (and still plenty vocal), with Alyssa Naehar earning the right to handle the duties between the posts (and under the crossbar, natch).
Likely joining Sauerbrunn on the backline will be Kelly O'Hara, who has made a late-career shift to playing left and right back, Crystal Dunn, and Abby Dahlkemper, with Tierna Davidson possibly earning one of the outside back positions.
Defense was certainly the story of the 2015 for Team USA -- until a five-goal explosion in the final. The unit will still be strong in 2019, but it will be the forwards and the offense of Americans that will need to carry this team to victory.USA front a cohesive bunchPerceived deficiencies as part of the back four will be made up for the ultra-talented forwards and midfield of the United States team. The leader of this bunch, some say the lifeblood of this team, is forward Megan Rapinoe.
Rapinoe ties this team together and makes the team tick, with teammates finding off of her endless energy. She also has a knack for making a huge play at just the right moment, whether that involves coming up with a key goal or tackle or finding a teammate, like Tobin Heath for example, with the perfect pass in setting up a goal.
Heath has found the back of the net with frequency as of late and might be the player on the hottest of streaks right now. Heath has scored 11 goals in her last 15 matches, including one against Mexico in the team's last tuneup game prior to the cup.
Veteran Alex Morgan is also up front at forward and is still one of the best players in the game. Back in April, she notched her 100th goal as a member of the national team and -- as she has since making her World Cup debut in 2011 -- will be an important factor on the pitch.
The deep squad of the United States women team also sees 2015 World Cup star Carli Lloyd coming off of the bench. She will be playing the role Abby Wambach played in the last World Cup, in which Wambach was a veteran super-sub, providing a spark in the second-half of games.
Lloyd has 14-career national team goals when entering the game as a substitute.
Rose Lavelle and Ertz will be part of the midfield as will Lindsay Horan and Sam Mewis. Forwards Mallory Pugh should also see some action coming off the bench as the women defend their title against a strong field that's only getting better each year.The favoritesThe Americans are ranked number one in the world and are the odds-on favorites to garner their fourth World Cup title. Along with Thailand, Chile and Sweden are also in USA's group F, with the Americans playing the Swedes for the fifth-straight World Cup.
Standing in their way outside of group play are formidable possible opponents like Germany, Japan, Brazil, Norway, England, and the host country, France.
France defeated the Americans back in January, 3-1, handing them their only loss in the last ten games. Group A will likely end up being a battle between France and Norway, both of which won their opening matches.
Norway, even without possibly the world's best player in Ada Hegerberg, still has enough firepower to make noise in the 2019 World Cup. Hegerberg, who at 23 is already scoring goal after goal, isn't playing thanks to a protest very little is known about, outside of the main fact of wanting the national team to be given equal footing as the men's national team.
Brazil will be without top-scorer Marta for the opening game while Japan, the 2011 champion, seems to play their best ball come the World Cup. Germany is currently ranked 2nd overall and England made the semifinals in 2015.
If you're looking for an underdog (if you want to consider a ranking of sixth-overall an underdog) to make the knockout stage and possibly get far, look no further than the team out of Australia. They have played the Americans tough in recent years and could very well be ready to take the next step on a world stage.Early resultsFrance got things started with a 4-0 win on Friday.  
Germany had plenty of opportunities but only one found the back of the net in the second-half as they held on for a 1-0 win over China.
Spain handled South Africa, 3-1, and Norway scored three first-half goals to defeat Nigeria 3-0.
Sunday's games include:
Australia vs. ItalyBrazil vs JamaicaEngland vs Scotland
Jamaica is making history in this World Cup. The Reggae Girls are the first team from the Caribbean to be playing in the World Cup.
Make sure to check back here with updates and more over the next month as the World Cup tournament crowns a champion in 2019. 

Out of nowhere, the Blair Witch beckoned in 1999

Found footage films announced their arrival in 1999 with The Blair Witch Project scaring up nearly 250 million dollars at the worldwide box office. Plus, we are down to the final 16 in the favorite summer films of '99 tournament.It was late April or very early early May. 1999. Alone in my dorm room playing a video game -- possibly NCAA basketball on the original PlayStation™ -- excitement filled the halls beyond, drawing a little attention my way. The semester was winding down, many of us prepping to leave our new friends behind as we returned to our hometowns for the summer.
A wave of energy, in the form of my roommate, burst into our room. Before I could even acknowledge his arrival, he blurted out, "Dude, you're not going to believe this."
Thus my introduction to The Blair Witch Project was born.


My roommate had just returned from a friend's room on the same floor, reeling from having watched (if memory serves correct) a version of the film that had leaked online. He went into great detail of how the film had him covered in goosebumps and what drove a deep sense of fear into his stomach.
Skeptical at first of the veracity of this film being a true story, I was directed to the Blair Witch website. At the time, this site had all the info that had me giving up some of my skepticism: a history of the region and of the Blair Witch, some footage, a missing person's report and much more.
Not only did The Blair Witch Project unleash the found footage phenomenon upon us, but it gave us a great viral marketing campaign.
There was an excellent job done in creating an air of intrigue around this story. Marketing material listed the actors Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard as missing or deceased. Being the internet was still in an infancy of sorts (compared to today), word slowly built around this film, dating back to its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier that year.
Between the word of those who had seen the film and the work put into the website, the mythology of The Blair Witch Project took on a life of its own. As with any game of telephone, the "facts" were expanded on, with people likely sprinkling in tales of other urban myths into the tale of the Blair Witch.
The film itself is widely regarded as kicking into gear the "found footage" genre, inspiring other films like Paranormal Activity films, The Last Exorcism, and Cloverfield, among others.
Shortly after its release, the film was rife for spoofing, notably the seen where Donahue is crying into the camera.

The Blair Witch Project  was ultimately released in July of 1999, going on to make almost 141 million dollars at the USA box office. A nice little sum for a film with a budget of roughly $60,000.
May regionVoting was a little out of control leading into the final 16, with double-digit seeds advancing in all of the regions but August.

Three of the number-one seeds advanced to the final 16, but it was here in May which the movie Go took down Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

Here's your final four of the May region:

(8)- Go(5)- Life(3)- Notting Hill(10)- Election
June regionTwo animated films, a blockbuster sequel, and a smart indie film are the four films left standing in the June region. As far as favorite summer films from 1999, June and July might be the toughest regions to settle going forward.

Here are your two matchups:

(1)- Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me(12)- Run Lola Run(6)- South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut(2)- Tarzan (animated)
July regionA couple of surprises at the box office -- but not in voting -- will enter the Thunderdome in the July region. The one double-digit seed to move on is Drop Dead Gorgeous, winning a tiebreaker over Inspector Gadget.

(1)- Runaway Bride(12)- Drop Dead Gorgeous(3)- American Pie(2)- The Blair Witch Project
August regionThe Sixth Sense, the number one seed, continues to represent this month. Will it have enough to continue its march to the final four?

The two matchups:

(1)- The Sixth Sense(5)- The 13th Warrior(6)- Mystery Men(7)- The Iron Giant
Be sure to vote on Twitter, in the comments, or leave a GIF of any of your favorites on Facebook (which still is not telling me why I don't have a poll option anymore. So I will continue to scream to the high heavens until the answer is received).

We'll be back next weekend with the final eight.

photo credit: flickr.com
Summer films of 1999: Part 2 and the movie 'Go'

Summer box office of 1999 and the underappreciated film, Go

This week, in looking back at the summer box office films of 1999, we take a look at the movie 'Go', plus the round of 32 in the tournament deciding your favorite film from that summer. [Author's note: The film was released in April of 1999, but is considered for this tournament due to the fact May was a light month that year for film releases.]

The landscape of the box office in 1999 was dominated by teen-centered movies, big-name comedians, and a couple of smaller budget films that reaped tons of rewards (see: money!)

And then there was Go.
Written by John August (who recently penned the Aladdin live-action remake) and directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow), Go was an ensemble piece, a story told from three points of view that was a comedy dark in nature. Written and edited in the vein of Pulp Fiction, Go sees the three different stories intersect and is set around the ecstasy and rave scene that was popular in the late 1990's.
The combination of bored youth, drug deals gone bad, bachelors in Vegas, and an undercover sting with actors are central to this story set in and around Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Plus, it has the best thoughts on The Family Circus in the history of film. (Warning: language)

The dialogue is delivered by Todd Gaines, played by Timothy Olyphant. Olyphant was still an up-and-comer at the time, coming off a performance in Scream 2 that he turned a few years prior. Olypant's star shined in this movie and the trajectory only continued to rise over the years.
Olyphant was just one of the few actors about to hit superstar status who appeared this film, with a cast that was filled out with other veteran names and teen stars of the time.
There was Sarah Polley, who had been in the business for some time but in 1999 was likely most memorably remembered for playing Ramona (in Ramona) as a child actor. In Go, Polley played Ronna, a central figure to the story. Polley would later become an acclaimed director on the indie scene.
Katie Holmes and Scott Wolf were big in the television world at this time, both having hits among the teen and college-aged crowd. Holmes was starring in Dawson's Creek while Wolf was about to enter final season as Bailey Salinger in Party of Five.
In balancing out the cast, there was also Broadway star Taye Diggs, plus known supporting actor William Fichtner (who has one of the best performances in the film). Throw in the Bob Suga himself aka the man who owned the summer of 1998, Jay Mohr, and what you have is the beginnings of an outstanding film.
Director Liman, in his final film before jumping full swing into the action movie genre, had previously helmed the indie darling Swingers. This would be his chance to show he was more than just "the guy who directed Swingers" and possibly build a career for himself.
Even with all the indie film qualities of Go -- and it certainly plays like an indie film -- the movie had an estimated budget of 20 million, an amount it failed to make back in the domestic box office. Though it did make over 28 million worldwide and had a pretty high rating among critics, the film didn't really gather notoriety until its DVD (and VHS, probably) release.
The soundtrack to this film is also top notch, with appearances by No Doubt, Fatboy Slim, Steppenwolf, Lenny Kravitz, and Len, to name a few.


Twenty years later, Go is still a fairly fun film, with outstanding acting performances and, overall, quite the ensemble. Plus, it served us with the reminder to never eat shrimp from a buffet in Las Vegas.May regionVoting led to at least one upset in each region, May included. Upset is a term that can be used loosely, as this tournament is based off what film is your favorite but is ranked according to where it finished at the box office.
That being said, the only lower seed in the region to advance was Alexander Payne's Election.
Round of 32 matchups in the May region: 
1- The Phantom Menace8- Go5- Life4- Entrapment6- Never Been Kissed3 - Notting Hill10- Election2- The MummyJune regionThe upset in June saw the 12th-seed Run Lola Run advance to the round of 32. Everything else played out with the higher seed advance, including, representing the month of September, the film American Beauty.
Round of 32 matchups, June region: 
1- Austin Powers: The Spy who Shagged me8- American Beauty12- Run Lola Run4- Wild, Wild West6- South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut3 - Big Daddy7- Instinct2 - TarzanJuly regionThis was the region that had the largest number of lower seeds advance, with ninth-seed The Wood, 11th-seed Muppets from Space, and 12th-seed Drop Dead Gorgeous all advancing.

All three have a chance to do it again, with the Round of 32 matchups for July seen below:

1- Runaway Bride9- The Wood12- Drop Dead Gorgeous4- Inspector Gadget11- Muppets from Space3- American Pie7- Eyes Wide Shut2 - The Blair Witch ProjectAugust regionOnly one lower seed pulled off the upset here in August, with The Muse and its ninth-seed advancing to the round of 32. (Matchups below):

1- The Sixth Sense9- The Muse5- The 13th Warrior4- Mickey Blue Eyes6- Mystery Men3- Bowfinger7- The Iron Giant2- The Thomas Crown Affair
Voting is taking place over on Twitter on the Sports 'n' Stuff account or @jasonrh_78. Facebook has still not given me polling power again, for some unknown reason, so feel free to leave comments for your favorites, if you don't have a Twitter account.

Thanks for following along and happy voting!

photo credit: pxhere.com

Part 1:

The summer box office of 1999: A film tournament

We've had a tournament for the best summer films of 1998 as well as a great showdown of favorite holiday films. Now, it's time to journey back and decide the best film from the summer of 1999.In the summer of 1999 -- technically late spring -- back before movies from the Star Wars  universe were being released once a year, fans were prepping themselves for the first new film in the Skywalker saga since The Return of the Jedi was released in 1983. We'd all been teased in the few years prior with the re-release in theaters of the original trilogy, giving fans a chance to relive, or see for the first time, Luke, Leia, Han Solo, Chewy, and Lando save the galaxy.
These movies were fun to experience in surround sound, on the big screen, but ultimately these new editions altered the Star Wars universe with changed scenes, alternate endings, and bigger explosions.
On May 19, 1999, Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace opened. Fans lined up to see this long-awaited event, setting up tents and lawn chairs, camping out for days to get tickets and get good seats. Nearly five months prior, fans even bought tickets to the film Wing Commander in order to see the first trailer for The Phantom Menace. (In this pre-historic era, people would actually see the first trailer for upcoming film in the movie theater if they didn't want to wait a week.)
All sorts of hype surrounded this film, with StarWars.com  sharing photos, on-set diaries and more while the folks over at Ain't It Cool News shared any tidbit of information they could get their hands on regarding The Phantom Menace. We were even treated to a music video of the film before it came out.

Fans who had waited years to see the continuation of this universe, even if it were in prequel film, reached palpable levels of excitement. And this video only helped to amp up the adrenaline.
I watched this film at the Crystal Theater (the old one, not the new one) in Elko, Nevada. Twenty-years old and a lifelong devotion to Star Wars under my belt, this film thrilled me like no other. Having seen four Star Wars films in theaters since, the experience of seeing The Phantom Menace is rivaled only by seeing Revenge of the Sith at the ArcLight in Hollywood at three a.m. opening night.
Star Wars continues to be a cultural phenomenon, with the Skywalker saga to completed this December with The Rise of Skywalker. While The Phantom Menace had it's downsides i.e Jar Jar Binks, the Trade Federation, the film also had its moments, introducing us us to Darth Maul and to pod racing.
The Phantom Menace opened to the tune of nearly 65 million dollars and reached $431,088,295 during its initial run. Overall, thanks to a re-release in 2012, the film is the 15th-highest grossing film at the domestic box office with $474,544,677.
The real question: How will it fare in this tournament for favorite film from the summer of 1999?The films of 1999While productive, the summer box office of 1999 didn't have quite the blockbuster that 1998 did. Still, The Phantom Menace had some help. Films like Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The Mummy, Big Daddy, Runaway Bride, and Wild, Wild West helped give the box office some juice.
It can also be said that this year was the summer of surprise hits. The Blair Witch Project, American Pie, and The Sixth Sense all surpassed box office expectations to become some of the biggest hits ever (at the time).
Outside of the purview of the summer, 1999 was a pretty good year for films. Toy Story 2 and The Matrix were released as Kevin Smith's newest foray into cinema, Dogma. The teen movie was in boon, with films like Varsity Blues, She's All That, and Ten Things I Hate About You. And let's not forget about The Talented Mr. Ripley, Magnolia, and Princess Mononoke.
But we're not here for them. We're here for the summer.May regionThe Phantom Menace is the top-ranked film released in this month. Studios, likely due to this film's release, had a quiet slate for May, so part of these rankings include a couple of films released in April of that year. Here are the matchups: 

1) The Phantom Menace16) The Love Letter8) Go9) A Midsummer Night's Dream5) Life12) Black Mask4) Entrapment13) Extreme (IMAX)6) Never Been Kissed11) Tea with Mussolini3) Notting Hill14) The Thirteenth Floor7) Out of Towners10) Election2) The Mummy15) Trippin'June regionAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me was the top-grossing film released in the month of June. Some big names of this era had films come out this summer, including Will Smith, Adam Sandler, and John Travolta.
June was still a quiet month for movies so a few films released in September have been thrown into this region. The matchups: 

1) Austin Powers: Spy Who Shagged Me16) Limbo8) American Beauty9) Double Jeopardy5) The General's Daughter12) Run Lola Run4) Wild, Wild West13) Stigmata6) South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut11) Blue Streak3) Big Daddy14) For Love of the Game7) Instinct10) An Ideal Husband2) Tarzan 15) Wolves (IMAX)July regionThe number one seed in this region belongs to Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in their film Runaway Bride. This film will have to contend with upstarts The Blair Witch Project and American Pie, plus Stanley Kubrick's last film, Eyes Wide Shut. 
The matchups:

1) Runaway Bride16) Trick8) Lake Placid9) The Wood5) The Haunting12) Drop Dead Gorgeous4) Inspector Gadget13) The Dinner Game6) Deep Blue Sea11) Muppets from Space3) American Pie14) Elvis Gratton 27) Eyes Wide Shut10) Summer of Sam2) The Blair Witch Project15) Autumn TaleAugust regionThe number one seed in the August region belongs to The Sixth Sense. This film came out of nowhere, seemingly a late summer dump-off that became one of the most successful movies of all-time.
Will it reign supreme here? Or will the lure of Hugh Grant, Ben Stiller, or Steve Martin be enough to overtake it? The matchups:

1) The Sixth Sense16) Dick8) In Too Deep9) The Muse5) The 13th Warrior12) Brokedown Palace4) Mickey Blue Eyes13) Dudley Do Right6) Mystery Men11) Universal Soldier: The Return3) Bowfinger14) Alien Adventure (IMAX)7) The Iron Giant 10) The Astronaut's Wife2) The Thomas Crown Affair15) Teaching Mrs. Tingle
Voting will take place on Twitter, @jasonrh_78 or Sports 'N' Stuff, and, if I can get the poll option to work again for me, on Facebook.
Happy voting.
Favorite summer film of 1998 photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org 

A trip down memory lane: part 68 (or so we'll say)

Normally this blog is reserved for sports and pop culture relevant topics. On occasion, I've been known to take trips down memory lane. Today is one of those days.


The following is story of theatre and friendship, with themes touching upon mental illness, self worth, and suicide. Fair warning.



*Names have been shortened to first-name initials only.


Staring at a notepad, of the canary yellow variety, my mind was blank. It had been a good week since my last blog post and, with a goal of posting weekly, I needed something.

I thought of a variety of sports and entertainment topics to write about, ranging from the NBA playoffs to Game of Thrones , but nothing was really popping. No solid structure, nothing I had too strong of feelings about. Just a solid 45 minutes of emptiness and a sole black ink spot from where my pen remained frozen in place.
Knowing was I was soon going to embark on a "favorite summer films of 1999" blog series, my mind wandered back to that summer. I began to plot out a prologue to the upcoming series, even had a few sentences written in my mind. Then, as I am wont to do, my mind drifted towards others things that happened in the summer of 1999. Namely, acting in my first play since elementary school and making a couple of lifelong friends along the way. Only to lose one of these friends years in the future.
But that's not the beginning. That comes later.Summer of 1999Back in the summer of '99, I was living at home with my parents. I was 20 years old and had just completed my first year of college away from home. Working the same summer job I'd had since I was 16, my summer was going to consist of working and figuring out if I wanted to keep pursuing my field of choice: theater and dramatic writing.
Leaning towards bagging it up, even though I had no backup plan, changed with a phone call out of the blue.  K, a friend from high school who by chance was also going to the same college as me, was also back home for the summer. And he was looking to put on a play and had called to gauge my interest in acting. Though I did no acting the previous year aside from Acting I class and a no-dialogue scene as a pizza delivery boy in a short film, there was no hesitation to saying 'yes' (at least that I recall). Mostly, I think, I didn't want to sit around all summer doing nothing.
Joining us on stage was C, also in the theater department and also back home for the summer. The play was Pvt. Wars, a one-act play by James McLure and we'd be performing it at a local coffee shop.
K basically took over directing duties, with C lending his voice as well. Admittedly, they were both more experienced and they helped me more than I did them. K took me under his wing during this venture. The experiences through rehearsal and eventually in a couple of performances was great enough to convince me to continue to pursue writing and acting. (Not to mention learning the lesson, via K, that drinking real alcohol on stage had its side effects. By time the show was over, K had drank enough vodka towards the end of the play in which I had to drive him around town after the show for a good hour so he could sober up. And we ate some food from Wendy's™)

I am glad I stuck with it. 
Over the years, the friendship with K and C grew. Through drunken nights out, parties, weddings, and even a remount of Pvt. Wars at college, we grew closer over the years.
K and I even spent a few years in Los Angeles as we pursued -- along with a group of friends all from Boise -- a career as actors, writers, directors, and producers. The sprawling city of L.A. kept us apart more often than not, but when we did meet up, memories were made. (K was there, along with another friend, the first time I ever tried to surf.)
Drifting apart among a large group of friends is a natural progression of adulthood, with circles getting smaller and smaller. It was no different for K and I as moved back to Boise and he eventually ended up in Montana. Fifteen years of friendship, however, meant that no matter how long between visits, calls, or texts, falling back into a familiar routine was bound to take place. On the spectrum of time, 15 years is a blip. But to me, 15 years of friendship filled up memories to last a lifetime.
Except sometimes, when the friendship has faded ever-so-slightly, you lose touch of exactly what is going on other's lives, only to be discovered when it's too late.
K has been gone 11 years come this summer. He had his own demons, stuff I only know the peripheral of (at least from those final years of his life). His story is not mine to tell, except as a version of him that lives on in a variety of ways in my life and my writing. To me, even with the troubles in his own mind and life that he saw no way to overcome, he was a great talent and, importantly, a great friend.
I carry with me memories of our shenanigans, dating back to basketball and cross country in high school and carrying over to parties at the Moon Tower and his endless pursuit to help make the people around him better. For that, I am forever thankful.
GATELY: What is a seven-letter word for hemorrhoidal tissue?
SILVIO: Nat-wick. N-A-T-W-I-C-K

From James McLure's Pvt. Wars

Game of Thrones: Not so quietly into the long night

Warning: To loosely paraphrase Melisandre, the following post is in-depth and full of spoilers. If you aren't caught up in season 8 of Game of Thrones, beware. The week has passed, allowing me to fully ruminate on the events of "The Long Night", episode three in the 8th season of Game of Thrones.  For 82 minutes, there was (mostly) gripping action, battles between dragons, a Dothraki light brigade (visually stunning), an outstanding and beautiful score and plenty of heroes to go around.

We witnessed soulful exchanges between characters in the crypt and a giant slayer in Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey), showing right until the end she was one of the most powerful women in Westeros.
There were deaths, there was fire AND ice, and there were many fans vocalizing their thoughts on the lighting quality of the episode.
Let's start with that.
Watching from my laptop -- by no means top of the line -- there were very few moments in which I thought, "I can't see a thing?" Were there moments of confusion and uncertainty? Yes. But I imagine that was an intentional decision, made to aid in the full-on intensity of battle. (I don't doubt the veracity of these claims by fans. I have the same issue with certain scenes on The Walking Dead while watching on my television.)
By setting the battle at night, it led the story to a dawning of a new day; the aftereffects of the battle giving new hope with the ultimate prevailing of the Lord of Light. If set in the daylight, the entire episode might have not had the same effect. We see everything and tension may have been taken down a notch. The one issue with lighting I did have was being able to see the wights as they attacked. Of course, it can be argued this was done for the very reason of the viewer also needing to keep their head on a swivel.
And it wasn't like the episode was going to simply gloss over any main or secondary character who happened to meet their demise. Director of the episode, Miguel Sapochnik, did a good job of giving a close-up or extended scene as needed, whether it be the death of Dolorous Edd (Ben Crompton) or the valiant efforts of Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer), Theon (Alfie Allen) or Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen). There was a balance of suspense and scenes for the majority of the fighters in Winterfell. As dark as the night was, there was a good sense of who had died and who had survived, verified with the quick shots at the end of the episode of our heroes standing over the dead.
Heading into the episode, my fear was a total annihilation of characters not named Stark, Lannister, or Targaryen. Valiant Lannisters, brave Starks, and erroneous Targaryens all survived, plus pretty much every other key player outside of a handful.
Including that pesky Night King (Vladimir Furdik).Not todayNight King vs Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) for all the marbles was the expected outcome at some point this season, something the show had been building to for years.
That answer was the same as Arya's (Maisie Williams) answer to Melisandre (Carice van Houten asking her about what they say to the God of Death: not today.

game-winning play from arya in game 7 of the finals: pic.twitter.com/DTIcic3TvD— Max Wildstein (@MaxWildstein) April 29, 2019

Frankly, I'm more than okay with this. Arya has been preparing for this moment since she first fired an arrow in the very first episode of the show. From training with a dance master to learning battle tips from the Hound (Rory McCann) and honing her craft with Jaqen (Tom Wlaschiha), the writing should have been on the wall. 
She's one of the most badass warriors in all of Westeros. Silent and deadly, her stealth and combat skills were on full display the entire episode. I have no trouble believing she used her unique set skills to move past the White Walkers with precision. (Okay. Maybe a little suspension of disbelief was needed. But we are watching a fantasy show, after all.)
The episode had dug its long, icy fingers into me at this point. All hope had left and they'd thrown everything they'd had at the Night King -- outside of burning the wights with dragon fire when they were trapped behind the trench. I mostly don't understand that, outside of it would have hindered the plan of luring out the Night King.
With three episodes left, I knew they had to survive this battle somehow but was unsure how. Even when Arya performed her very own version of an RKO out of nowhere, I audibly gasped when the Night King snatched her by the throat.
Followed immediately by a loud yell that alerted neighbors three doors down.
Arya and company survived another day. Question remains: Will she complete her list? Or has Arya said not today one too many times?GoT best quote tournamentThanks to all who have been participating so far. We're down to our final four quotes/lines of dialogue. A few surprises to me but all very good nonetheless. This week's matchups:
2) I drink and I know things2) Chaos is a ladder
1) You know nothing, Jon Snow2) Arya's kill list
Thanks for playing along. The last week of voting will be the week leading up to the final episode.
Part 1: Game of Thrones Ultimate Quote TournamentPart 2: Saying good-bye to Game of Thrones 4 weeks early
Coming later in May: A new pop culture tournament focused on the summer movies of 1999.photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org

Saying good-bye to Game of Thrones, 4 weeks early

After a lot of consideration and long hours of lost sleep, I've decided to call it night in regards to Game of Thrones.

Four episodes remain in this epic series, but I'm out. No more Sunday night sword fights, barbs from Cersei (Lena Headey), or hearing Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) announcing Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and her list of -- rough estimate -- 82 titles.

Now, it's not because I've been discouraged by the first two episodes of the season. I have, in fact, quite enjoyed the first two episodes. With such a limited run in its final season, many have been clamoring for more action, but with this week's episode Battle of Winterfell we'll like get 82 minutes of battle.
Last week's episode "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" was well-constructed. We had touching moments between friends and strange bedfellows, a song, heart-warming gestures, and of course, the knighting of the now Ser Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie). The episode gave us a slice of happiness before it inevitably all falls apart this week.

So I'm going to call it good.
There's no need for me to see multiple characters perish. (Or 13, if you're to go off of the prediction of the recent Hollywood Reporter article). Some of our favorite characters were always going to parish -- it happens even in my own books -- but I have chosen to not see this happen with Game of Thrones. I will leave this fantasy television series world as I saw them last week, all in a place on the right side of the heart. Even though many of these characters have been endearing and infuriating, often in the same episode, I will walk away with them convened at the edge of Winterfell.
I will step away with the perfect image of greatness in my head. The White Walkers will simply bypass Winterfell and head straight to sack King's Landing. They will settle there while the ragtag group of heroes live out their days swapping stories, rolling in the hay, valiantly surviving and drinking milk from the teet of a Giant.
One can only dream.Game of QuotesSixteen favorite quotes and lines of dialogue have been whittled down to eight after the round of voting in the Game of Thrones: Favorite quotes tournament. Voting took place -- and will continue to do so -- on both Facebook and Twitter, with the winner being decided just before the series finale.
This week's matchups:
1) Winter is coming2) I drink and I know things
4) A girl lies2) Chaos is a ladder
1) You know nothing, Jon Snow2) I want her to know it was me
1) Hodor!2) Arya's kill list
Game of Thrones favorite quote tournament photo credit: goodfreephotos.comComing in May: The Best Summer Film of 1999 tournament

The Game of Thrones ultimate quote tournament

"Winter is coming."


Three iconic words known to Game of Thrones fans -- and likely non-fans -- that have no doubt been uttered hundreds of times since the television show premiered in 2011. The words were said in the very first episode of season 1, helping set us up for using the phrase for years to come.
Eight seasons of Game of Thrones have given fans plenty of quotable phrases, from characters like to Tyron Lannister (Peter Dinklage) to Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) to Melisandre (Carice van Houten). These lines of dialogue might have only been said once, only to leave a lasting impact. Others, such as "winter is coming" have leaped out of the show into our daily lexicon. It's become standard to state this when the first snowflakes appear every year or even simply to announce something bad is about to happen.
Five episodes remain in this powerhouse of a series. Top-ten lists, debates, and votes have exploded on the internet, on topics involving favorite episodes, favorite characters, choosing the winner of the Iron Throne, and in some cases, deciding what the favorite Game of Thrones meme of all-time is.
I figured I'd join the fray as we head down the homestretch of this series. In the spirit of the Best Summer Movie of 1998 tournament and the Let the games begin (possible spoilers ahead, if there is anyone concerned with that sort of thing.)The number one seedsSixteen quotes means I have divided things into four brackets. The first seed will play the fourth seed in each bracket, alongside number two facing off against number three.
Said by numerous characters over the last eight season, Winter is Coming was an easy choice for a top-seed.  Not much more is needed to say about this phrase, given the implications it's had over the years.
Also sliding into a top-seed is A Lannister always pays his debts (or variations thereof). True to their word -- just ask Bronn (Jerome Flynn) -- gold and land has been handed over as part of repaying their debts. Or, in some cases, murder.
The third number-one seed belongs to the character Hodor (Kristian Nairn). And the line is Hodor! We later find out, in a very emotional episode in season 6, the origin of why Hodor plays this line on repeat.
Rounding out the set of top spots is You know nothing, Jon Snow. Though it's use on the show has long since disappeared -- RIP Ygritte (Rose Leslie) -- it's still often a popular thing to tweet, or yell at the screen, when Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) fails to realize something or make a move in error.The matchups1) Winter is Coming 4) The things I do for love 2) I drink and I know things3) When you play Game of Thrones, you win or you die
1) A Lannister always pays his debts4) A girl lies2) Chaos is a ladder3) Lannisters send their regards
1) You know nothing, Jon Snow4) King of the North!2) I want her to know it was me 3) The North Remembers
1) Hodor!4) Night is dark and full of terrors2) Arya's death wish list3) What is dead may never die
I'm sure there are a few I'm forgetting. There's been so many great exchanges over the years, so many well-written characters, that there is very likely something else out there. Feel free to comment if a favorite of yours isn't on the list and we'll see about including them as a wildcard along the way.
Enjoy!
photo credit: en.wikipedia.orgComing in May: The greatest summer movie of 1999 tournament.

James Harden joins NBA legends with 2018-19 scoring title

Scoring is up in today's NBA so it's only fitting that James Harden of the Houston Rockets cracked the top-ten for all-time single season scoring average.James Harden, aka "The Beard", hop, skipped, and jumped his way to a record-setting season in his seventh season with the Houston Rockets.
Harden, who has a knack for getting to the free throw line and being master of the step-back step-back, shot his way to a league-leading 36.1 points per game in 2018-19. His average now stands as the seventh-best single season average of all-time.

Harden's scoring ability has drawn comparisons -- in some circles -- to that of Michael Jordan, especially in Jordan's early years. While it's true Harden drops points in boatloads (19 games of 40-49, 7 of 50-59, and two 61-points performances), how each player got their points took some different routes.
That is going to be expected, given the evolution of basketball and the rise -- and eventual love -- of the three-point shot. Harden attempted 1028 threes, connecting on 378. This is 79 more made threes than the entire Chicago Bulls roster attempted in Jordan's highest scoring average season in 1986-87.
And for as much as people talk about how often Harden gets to the line, he shot 114 less free throws than Jordan did during the '86-87 season. Jordan did play in four more games than Harden, however.
Harden hoisted 24.5 field goal attempts per game for a total of 1909 in the the 2018-19 season. The Rockets totaled 7,163 field goal attempts, 3,721 of which were from behind the arc.
That sure seems like a lot of attempts, especially with Harden accounting for 26.7% of his team's shot attempts. How does that compare to other players are on the top-ten list? Let's take a look at three different players, all from different eras, and see how they compare with Harden and the Rockets.Michael JordanMichael 'Air' Jordan appears on the top-ten single scoring list twice, topping off in the fifth spot when he averaged 37.09 points per game in '86-87.
The three-point line was first introduced to the NBA in the 1979-80 season so it was still in its infancy when Jordan hit this scoring mark. The Bulls averaged under four three-point attempts per game. Jordan attempted only 66, connecting on 12.
The Bulls of that season were basically on par with the Rockets in regards to field goal attempts, totaling 7,155. Jordan's was actually higher than Harden's, dropping 27.8 field goal attempts per game (2279 overall), giving him 31.9 percent of his team's shot attempts.
When you have such high-scoring teammates as Charles Oakley, who went on to have a nice career but was known for defense and rebounding and John Paxson, you're bound to toss up a bunch of shots. Jordan, Oakley, and Paxson were the only players to average double figures in points on this team.
Chicago was swept out of the playoffs in the first round by the Boston Celtics that season.Kobe BryantGiven that Kobe Bryant's 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors occurred in January of 2006, it's only natural Bryan's '05-06 season was a top-ten performance.
In that season, the Black Mamba averaged 35.4 ppg, a mark that recently got bumped back to ninth-best thanks to Harden's performance this season.
Bryant played in 80 games that season and his field goal attempts (27.2 per game, 2173 total) were similar to Jordan's numbers. The Lakers as a team had a low number of attempts compared to other teams spoken about here, hoisting up only 6607 field goals. This means Bryant attempted 32.8 percent of his team's shot attempts.
Three-point attempts were more common by this point and Bryant went 180-518.
These post-Shaq years were lean for the Lakers as far as talent around Bryant was concerned. Considering that the next two highest scorers on this team were Lamar Odom (14.8 ppg) and Smush Parker (11.5 ppg), Bryant had a lot on his plate.
The Lakers were eliminated in the playoffs in the first round by the Phoenix Suns.Wilt ChamberlainWilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain -- proving you need a good nickname to get on this list -- appears five times in the top-ten, with the top spot at 50.4 points per game.
He did this in the 1961-62 season, where the Philadelphia Warriors ran up-and-down the court and averaged 125.4 points per game. With no three-point line to rely on, these Warriors put up 8929 field goal attempts, 3159 of which belonged to Chamberlain. Chamberlain's attempts accounted for 35.4% of his team's total.
When you're scoring 50 points per game, it's going to take a lot of shots from the field. Chamberlain averaged 39.5 attempts per game.
This was also the season where Chamberlain dropped his 100-point game on March 2, 1962 against the New York Knicks. 
Philadelphia had four other players average double digits in scoring and they eventually made it to the Division Finals in 1962, losing to the Boston Celtics.
What does it all mean for Harden and the Rockets? He has more talent around him than Jordan and Bryant did in the above mentioned seasons. And his share of shots was lower than the others, meaning that despite as much as the Rockets rely on Harden, they do have help to share the load.
Now, it's just time to see how all of that translates to the postseason.
photo credit: en.wikipedia.orgstats found at basketball-reference.com

NCAA men's tournament: 2019 Final 4 preview

The 2019 Final Four in the NCAA men's tournament consists of four programs from all types of basketball pedigrees.
A blue blood of the group is the Michigan State Spartans. Head coach Tom Izzo has been a legend around these parts -- college basketball -- for ages. Izzo has been the head coach of the Spartans since 1995 and this will be the 8th time Michigan State has reached the Final Four under his helm.
They last appeared in 2015, last reaching the title game in 2009, where they lost to North Carolina. The Spartans have only won the entire thing once under Izzo, back in the year 2000 (cue Conan O'Brien music) when they defeated the Florida Gators.
The three other teams in this year's Final Four? Well, they are in uncharted waters, with two of three never making it this far before.
Michigan State's opponent is the third-seed from the West, the Texas Tech Raiders. This will be Texas Tech's first appearance in the Final Four. In fact, until last season when they reached the Elite Eight, the Red Raiders had never advanced past the Sweet Sixteen.
Joining Texas Tech in the first timer's club is the Tigers out of Auburn. The fifth-seed out of the Midwest region, the Tigers had only even made it as far as the Elite Eight once, back in 1986. Between 2003 and 2018, Auburn hadn't actually even made the tournament so making it to the Final Four in only their second year back in the tourney in 15 years is exceptional.
Rounding out the field, and Auburn's opponent, is the only no. 1 seed remaining in the tournament, the Virginia Cavaliers. Virginia for years has been known as a top program that has faded away come tournament time. Rock bottom may have been hit last season when the Cavaliers became the first no. 1 seed in the men's NCAA tournament to lose to the 16th-seed.
The Cavs, too, will be seeking their first NCAA tournament title and are back in the Final Four for the first time since 1984.Michigan State vs Texas TechBoth of these teams knocked off a no. 1 seed to get here, with the Spartans (32-6) defeating the Duke Blue Devils and Texas Tech (30-6) defeating Gonzaga.
Michigan State is averaging 73.5 points per game in the tourney while allowing 61.3. Before the Duke game, the Spartans had a + 42 rebounding advantage, but saw that slip to - 11 against the Blue Devils. 
The Spartans are methodical on offense and use the three-point attempt as an option rather than a necessity. In the tournament's first two games, they were a combined 11-34 before going off for a 13-32 performance against LSU. Things got back to normal against Duke as the Spartans were 6-19.
Cassius Winston has been the catalyst on offense, averaging 19 points and 7.8 assists per game in the tournament. Xavier Tillman has also been delivering on offense with 15.3 ppg. And while Kenny Goins likely won't score a lot (7 ppg) he provides a steady veteran presence and is averaging 9.3 rebounds in the tourney.
Texas Tech will slow a team down and is holding opponents to 57 points per game. They average 72 themselves and also, in similar fashion to Michigan State, use the three as needed. They've made only 26 in four tournament games, with nine of those coming against Gonzaga.
Jarrett Culver is delivering 21.5 points over the last four games. Scoring is balanced behind Culver, with Davide Moretti averaging 12 and Matt Mooney averaging 11.8. Mooney also has 12 steals in the tournament.
This game will likely be a defense-oriented affair. Both teams are patient and play excellent defense. The Spartans defeated Texas earlier this season and lost to Kansas way back in November. Texas Tech defeated Texas twice, but split with Kansas and lost to Duke by 11.Virginia vs AuburnThis game might see a little bit more offense, depending on much Auburn is allowed to push the pace. Virginia is still a defense-first team, but has been given more freedom this year on offense (or so it seems). Both teams will shoot the three and it may just come down to how well Auburn's big guys can do and if their guards are able to get into the paint.
Virginia (33-3) has only lost to ACC foes this season, with two of those losses coming to Duke. The Cavaliers are averaging 66.8 points per game in the tournament and holding opponents to 57.8. They have struggled to shoot the three in the tournament (32-107) but hold a + 32 advantage on the boards.
A key for Virginia will be the play of their top three guards. Ty Jerome has been the most consistent of the tournament, averaging 15.5 points per game, including 24 in the Elite Eight victory over Purdue. Jerome is also averaging 5.5 assists.
The other two guards have struggled at times. Kyle Guy finally emerged in the Purdue game, scoring 25. He's averaging 11.8 in the tournament and had only 12 points in the first two games. He's also shooting 21 percent from three-point range.
De'Andre Hunter started off strong but has slumped off. He is still averaging 13.5 points per game but will need to play like the projected lotto pick he his if the Cavs hope to win. 
Mamadi Diakite locks down the middle, averaging 13 points and 9 rebounds per game.
Diakite might give Auburn trouble in the paint, especially after the unfortunate injury to Auburn (30-9) star Chuma Okeke. Okeke had 20 points and 11 rebounds in a Sweet 16 game before his knee injury. In his place, Anfernee McLemore and Horace Spencer will handle the interior.
Guard play, however, has been the true strength of the Tigers and it showed in the Elite Eight victory over Kentucky. Jared Harper and Bryce Brown combined for 50 points in the game and are pulling the majority of the weight in the tournament.
Brown is averaging 18.3 points per game and Harper 17.5
The Tigers average 30 three-point attempts in the tournament, making just over 12 per game (49-121). It is their greatest strength, but was largely absent (7-23) even as they defeated Kentucky.
Auburn is scoring 85.3 points in the tournament while allowing 75.8. PredictionsTake these as you will, considering I have exactly zero teams remaining in the tournament.Texas Tech over Michigan StateVirginia over AuburnFinal: Virginia over Texas Tech
Thanks for following along with this year's men's tournament. 
photo credit: Pexels.com