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#i feel like i could come up with half a dozen matchups for this one exchange
rightsleeverolled · 3 years
Conversation
Billy: Do you know what the question I'm asked most often is?
Mac: "Will you please leave the premises?"
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kaemaki-enthusiast · 2 years
Text
🫶. *. ⋆ kaemaki-enthusiast’s rules and masterlist ⋆ .* .🫶
Rules:
🦷 for Fics:
will do:
fluff
angst-to-fluff
romantic x reader
danganronpa 1, 2, and v3 characters
danganronpa ships (i can and will decline the request if i don’t want to write it)
total drama seasons 1-5 characters
male!reader, fem!reader, gn!reader, etc
specific pronouns (they/she, he/she, etc)
wont do:
angst
smut
encanto characters
🦷 For Matchups:
what to put:
age
sexuality (if you want romantic)
looks (if youre comfortable)
personality
interests
if you want platonic or romantic (if you don’t say i’ll just assume romantic)
fandom (danganronpa or total drama)
i reserve the right to not write anything i don’t want to, you don’t need an explanation.
Masterlist:
[old] Encanto:
🌜 Camilo Madrigal
-“yo tambíen te amo, mi vida”
You were in the market place collecting ingredients for you’re parents when you heard some girls mention your name. Careful to make sure they didn’t notice you were listening, you keened in on their conversation.
-Eres demasiado perfecta
You’re camilo was too perfect, his personality, his attitude, his looks, his hair, his freckles, everything. So it makes sense that your creativity flowed whenever you interacted with him, drawing him whenever you could, along with venting (positively) under your doodles of your beloved. However, your perfect lover didn’t know about your hidden talent, especially not all the drawings of him. You stashed your drawings and sketches away for no one to see.
-mi amor
camilo with a tall s/o
-it was you
there he was, you’re best friend chatting with señorita Juliana, Isabela’s pupil. Graceful, kind, talkative all could describe her. Not to mention preciosa. She was seen as perfect for him, by only one madrigal, Abuela Alma. The others could see how you longed for him while he talked to Juliana, who showed her flirty personality to the boy.
-we are us
you had been invited to la casa madrigal on account of your boyfriend wanting you to meet his parents. you were welcomed by casita’s door as it opened for you to see camilo pause in the middle of his run to look at the door and walk over to you
-mi luz
camilo sat in front of the dozens of mirrors in his room, each reflecting someone other than him, they couldn’t find a single mirror in his room that reflected them.
-mi muñeca
camilo when his s/o is on their period
-mis soles
you were headed up the hill to tu novio’s place, la casa madrigal, when you saw a boy, riding a jaguar, toward you. now if you were anyone else this would seem weird, but no, it’s just antonio and his best friend.
-till you’re ready
you had been invited to dinner by the Madrigals on behalf of your boyfriend, everything had gone over fine, his parents loved you as well as the rest of his familia. You two had finished cleaning up the table and went to Camilo’s room, that’s when it went downhill,
-Heart Beats
camilo with a gf who’s like mitsuri kanroji
-stuck.
it had been a stormy day, meaning Pepa wasn’t in a good mood, the last few days had been thunder and rain besides of course Antonio’s gift ceremony. You had been cleaning up your family’s kitchen while they were out buying groceries when you heard a crack outside,
-the orange blossom tree
you were 6 when a boy who looked around your age appeared at the bottom of the tree you were hanging upside down from,
-which sounds better? te quiero or i love you?
you and your boyfriend, Camilo, had planned on hanging out today, you walked to your usual spot, a clearing in the woods where a pond was planted, Camilo had already been there, his feet in the water. as he turned to look who had come his mouth broke into a grin as he got up and walked over to you,
🌞 Mirabel Madrigal
-two mariposas
mirabel with a s/o with adhd
-i don’t care what you are!
you had paced in your room for almost an hour, you didn’t know how to tell her. you didn’t feel like [agab], but you didn’t not feel like it??? you had been stress crying just half an hour ago, you anxiously rubbed the sides of your arms that encircled you when you heard your madre call your name from downstairs.
🌜 Isabela Madrigal
-the berry grove
crouching down by the berry bush you collected all the blueberries you could reach, when you heard a crunch behind you, turning your head you saw a girl with long black hair and a lilac dress,
-focus on me
platonic!isabela with overstimulated reader
🌞 Dolores Madrigal
-hermano estúpido
you had been at the top of one of the hills of encanto, overviewing the town with tu novia, Dolores. you had a picnic laid out, with arepas from Dolores’ tía. you were chatting with her, when she perked up, eyes slightly wide, aka she heard something,
-mi dulce querida
dolores with a protective s/o
🌜 Luisa Madrigal
-mi angelita!
luisa with a protective gf
🌜 Antonio Madrigal
-mis soles
you were headed up the hill to tu novio’s place, la casa madrigal, when you saw a boy, riding a jaguar, toward you. now if you were anyone else this would seem weird, but no, it’s just antonio and his best friend.
Danganronpa:
Trigger Happy Havoc:
🪷 makoto naegi
-
🪷 kyoko kirigiri
-
🪷 sayaka maizono
-
🪷 leon kuwata
-
🪷 chihiro fujisaki
-
🪷 mondo owada
-
🪷 kiyotaka ishimaru
-
🪷 hifumi yamada
-
🪷 celestia (celeste) ludenberg
-
🪷 sakura ogami
-
🪷 aoi asahina
-
🪷 yasuhiro hagakure
-
🪷 byakuya togami
-
🪷 toko fukawa
-
🪷 junko enoshima
-
🪷 mukuro ikusaba
-
Goodbye Despair:
🐚 hajime hinata
-
🐚 byakuya twogami (ultimate imposter)
-
🐚 teruteru hanamura
-
🐚 mahiru koizumi
-
🐚 peko pekoyama
-
🐚 hiyoko saionji
-
🐚 ibuki mioda
-
🐚 mikan tsumiki
-
🐚 nekomaru nidai
-
🐚 gundham tanaka
-
🐚 nagito komaeda
-
🐚 chiaki nanami
-
🐚 akane owari
-
🐚 sonia nevermind
-
🐚 kazuichi souda
-
🐚 fuyuhiko kuzuryuu
-
🐚 izuru kamakura
-
Killing Harmony
🌌 shuichi saihara
-
🌌 rantaro amami
-
🌌 kaede akamatsu
-
🌌 ryoma hoshi
-
🌌 kirumi tojo
-
🌌 angie yonaga
-
🌌 tenko chabashira
-
🌌 korekiyo shinguji
-
🌌 miu iruma
-
🌌 gonta gokuhara
-
🌌 kokichi oma
-
🌌 kaito momota
-
🌌 k1-b0 (kiibo/keebo)
-
🌌 tsumugi shirogane
-
🌌 maki harukawa
-
🌌 himiko yumeno
-
Total Drama:
S1-3:
🌊 heather
-
🌊 courtney
-
🌊 gwen
-
🌊 katie
-
🌊 sadie
-
🌊 bridget
-
🌊 eva
-
🌊 izzy
-
🌊 leshawna
-
🌊 lindsey
-
🌊 beth
-
🌊 duncan
-
🌊 cody
-
🌊 alejandro
-
🌊 trent
-
🌊 tyler
-
🌊 owen
-
🌊 noah
-
🌊 DJ
-
🌊 geoff
-
🌊 harold
-
S4:
☢️ zoey
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☢️ dawn
-
☢️ jo
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☢️ anne maria
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☢️ dakota
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☢️ mike (+ alters)
-
☢️ lightning
-
☢️ cameron
-
☢️ B (beverly)
-
☢️ scott
-
☢️ brick
-
☢️ sam
-
192 notes · View notes
totiredtowrite · 3 years
Note
This is for your follower matchup thingy ma bob. I love your writing a lot and I wanted to request. <3
3 things about me:
1. I don’t usually show a lot of emotions out of my own free will so I seem pretty emotionless to other people, but you don’t wanna know what’s going through my head. But I also will tell you and traumatise some kids.
2. I’ve been told I have a good sense of humour so I’m gonna say I’m funny. Except I usually use sarcasm and dark jokes to make people laugh.
3. I am that one friend that likes to insult people and playfully hit them. Its all just for fun, I swear officer.
Fandom: Haikyuu
Trope: friends to lovers
Pronouns: He/They
My type (platonic and romantic):
I get along with more extroverted people, since I am an ambivert myself. I need someone that can handle my lovely jokes. And preferably have a good sense of humor.
And they don’t mind going out with me at 3am to get some McDonald fries.
Sorry if I’m doing it wrong, I hope you have a great day! ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ (I swear this emoji actually looked cuter before)
Your Match Is
Kuroo Tetsuro
Why?
Reading through this request, the only person I could think of was Kuroo.
Kuroo tends to gravitate towards people with darker humor, as his is rather dry and witty
It goes without saying that Kuroo would be up to do the most random shit at ungodly hours of morning.
Call him up at 1:24 and he'll answer.
Kuroo is rather strong himself, so if you hit playfully he can take it and won't be afraid to bite right on back
🂠🃑🃁🂱🂡
Realization
Kuroo realized his feelings on one of your regular nightly excursions.
You were sitting in the park at 2 in the morning, the both of you determined to see the sunrise, so now you were just sitting on a bench under the dark sky.
Kuroo blew air out of his nose and looked at you. "This is hella boring," he poked your side.
"Shut up Tetsuro," you stretched and leaned back. "We only have like 3 more hours."
Kuroo grumbled, turning to look away before his eyes caught on your smile. Sure, it wasn't some romantic manga moment where he fell in love as the sun rose, (you both fell asleep in about an hour), but it was about the closest you could get with Kuroo Tetsuro. His head was swirling with thoughts of "Wow he's pretty," and "Wait is pretty the right word for them?" How unsure he was about everything so suddenly caused him to widen his eyes and whip his head away.
He was thankful that the darkness hid the red on his face.
🂠🃑🃁🂱🂡
Confession
Kuroo's confession is about as chaotic as your friendship is regularly.
This idiot will not hesitate to go over the top for you, even if you somehow reject his advances.
He went out and got a couple dozen of your favourite flowers, (and if you don't have a favourite he just got roses).
He found a cherry blossom tree to stage it, never mind that it was a mile away from the school.
He stayed up all night making some over the top love letter, and he left those along with half of the flowers on your desk.
Obviously you were more than a little confused.
Kuroo was almost certainly the type to leave a love letter as a joke on his friends desk, but you something was telling you that maybe he was serious.
Kuroo doesn't really know how to handle his nerves, in all honesty.
Making this as over the top as possible and faking his own confidence (while something Oikawa might do) was one of the only ways he could deal with how scared he was.
He was tapping his foot against the ground fast and unevenly.
Maybe you wouldn't come.
Was this a bad idea on his part?
No, you'd definitely come
But what was he supposed to do if you didn't?
How could he ever face you again?
(The fool arrived a half an hour early, and was worrying himself sick for no reason).
"Kuroo?"
He almost fainted when he heard your voice from behind him.
"What do you want?" You had one of your eyebrows raised, the letter in hand.
He just jumped and started stuttering.
"W-well, I thought it explained everything in the... in the letter!"
This was no going as smooth as he thought.
"The letter just asks me to meet you here," you point out matter-of-factly.
He goes blank.
"Right."
Well now what was he supposed to say?
"Tetsuro I swear if you don't tell me right now-"
"I'm in love with you," he blurts out suddenly.
You stood in suffocating silence for a second.
"Yeah so am I, you really needed to make me walk all the way out here for that?"
Kuroo blew out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god."
Then it finally registered.
"WAIT WHAT?"
🂠🃑🃁🂱🂡
Honorable Mention
Sugawara Koushi
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andrewuttaro · 5 years
Text
New Look Sabres: GM 52 - MIN - Savior Sam
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The Buffalo Sabres have given us all the bait and switch… or at least that’s how it felt for a while now, certainly since the Blackhawks game. That game broke me. I couldn’t pretend anymore that the Sabres are a third place club just waiting to get back on a good stretch and make the playoffs. My confidence in the coaching, management and playoff prospects were all shaken. This team hasn’t looked good for a while but that was just embarrassing. For six years this team has been uncompetitive trash and that loss reaffirmed that in spite of early season hope it probably still is. Over the weekend as the Superbowl bored us all to tears I refreshed twitter hoping for anything to make being a Sabres fan right now not feel like garbage. Jason Botterill is a regular Dumbledore at this point: selectively being a master wizard between large stretches of being grossly negligent. Phil Housley has gotten to the point with most of us where his presence behind the bench makes us shutter in fear at that thought we’re becoming the Oilers organization just full of team alums and worse off for it. Hell, looking at the roster right now there’s few people I don’t hate a little bit. Then Monday came and the organization finally signaled some changes. With Remi Elie clearing waivers the spot opened up for the call-up of C.J. Smith that, with all due respect to the Amerks, I want to be a full-time Sabre now. That move was followed by a practice yesterday where the blender that was taken to the lineup had to be industrial strength. No forward line or defensive pairing was left untouched: even Eichel and Skinner were split up! Eichel now centers a top line of Conor Sheary and Kyle Okposo while Skinner rides Mittelstadt’s wing across from Jason Pominville. The third line was Evan Rodrigues centering C.J. Smith and Sam Reinhart which has potential to be fun. At this point I’m ready to try just about anything to spark a team half as fun as this one was in November. It may be Housley’s last chance to save this season with only 31 games left. Our last matchup against this Minnesota team was in the midst of the win streak and the Sabres came back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in regulation. Capturing any of that would be great for a current Buffalo team needing wins now to stay in the playoff race.
One of the changes in practice yesterday was booting Ristolainen off the 1st Powerplay unit to create the absolute unit of Eichel, Dahlin, Skinner, Mittelstadt, and Reinhart. As nice as that looked the 2nd powerplay unit that Ristolainen got bumped down to with Rodrigues, Sheary, Okposo and Thompson broke the ice tonight. Evan Rodrigues got the puck along the blueline in the O-Zone from Ristolainen before launching a laser pass Devan Dubnyk. The Sabres looked strong in this first period which means of course I was not able to watch. It wasn’t until later in the first frame when Minnesota began getting their shots and pushing back. It was an unfortunate deflection off of Linus Ullmark’s own stick that gave Jared Spurgeon the Wild’s first goal of the game 6:29 into the second. Then the Sabres responded. Yes, like they had been reading our frustration that sneaky good third line raced the visitors into their own zone and Sam Reinhart shot the puck to CJ Smith who tapped it in the open net. The play wouldn’t have happened if Evan Rodrigues isn’t straddling the blueline preserving the play. A couple minutes later Jonas Brodin slashed Reinhart on a wicked breakaway and sent the Sabres on another powerplay opportunity. The powerplay resurrection continued and Rasmus Dahlin pounded one past Dubnyk all by himself in the slot. The Sabres were now up 3-1 having scored as many powerplay goals in one game that they had in the prior eleven games combined. With a humming powerplay the Sabres needed to identify themselves to us and Jared Spurgeon got his second of the game before future Sabres Charlie Coyle got Minnesota even at 3. The Minnesota counterattack was rooted in simply being tough on the boards and protecting the puck: a method Buffalo has not been great at any point this season. The third period would have to be the moment of truth.
At this point Phil Housley couldn’t help himself. It was really a must-win situation and old habits sometimes come back to roost. Remember all those super-blender line combinations I started off tonight talking about? The forward lines at least were jumbled up again as we go into the third. Jason Pominville was on a top line with Skinner and Eichel, the Wild were checking and the boys got mouthy. It started with Jeff Skinner and old pal Marry Me Marcus Foligno sharing words and almost knuckles at the faceoff line. There was a botched non-call on the Wild for interference and the Sabres bench exploded in protest. The ring leader: Shit Talking Skinner making Rob Ray learn all the new mean words the kids say these days. The play on the ice got chippy too but through the chaos Sam Reinhart decided it was time to save the Sabres. Jake McCabe streaked in and fed Sam the puck in his Sam spot almost in the crease. Reino sent the slapper home. Jack Eichel got the puck into the zone and kept it there long enough to produce the play that made it 4-3 Sabres. Buffalo took over for a while as the final frame went on. Rasmus Dahlin was unreal at several moments in this third nearly making 5-3. I’ve never seen dekes like his and if all else fails: holy hell the savory swede is a Sabre. Linus Ullmark stood on his head but it was Zach Parise’s skate that redirected the puck to a place Ullmark was not prepared for. The puck hardly crossed the line but it did. That made it 4-4 for with a shade over a minute in regulation and the last four minutes of that period was so intense you thought maybe the Sabres could end it in still. It was overtime and a very pressurized one at that. Minnesota out shot and out possessed Buffalo in the 3-on-3 period and for every near miss tap ins there were for the home team the visitors got two. It helped that the refs missed every possible call that could’ve gone the home team’s way but I’ve never been one to rail against the refs. This one needed a shootout to see if it could completely stop my heart.
Honestly, I’ve relished Ullmark’s opportunities to show off in the shootout. If it wasn’t in such a rough stretch I would enjoy it even more. Victor Rask, having benefited from half a dozen non-calls over the course of the game lost the puck before he got the shot off on his shootout attempt so that felt good. It was Sam Reinhart who got Buffalo ahead and snuck it past Dubnyk on the third Sabres attempt. Sam the Savior’s tally held up on the ensuing Ullmark save on Parise and Buffalo wins 5-4. The win was dampened by an apparent Ullmark injury on the save and the team not exactly inspiring optimism of late but Ullmark looked ok in postgame interviews and this is two points in the standings. He really needs to be the starter now but I’ll wait for the deployment choice on Thursday to rant and rave about that. Carolina won tonight so that’s no ground gained on them. As of posting this the Blue Jackets are tied with the Avalanche in the second period of that tilt so the real impact in the standings is yet to be seen. If I’m being entirely honest: I need a win on Thursday to emerge from this fatalistic funk I’m in with this team. I built this blog on looking at them with a new set of eyes but they’ve made it really hard to do that. If Thursday is a W it’s the first two straight wins since the middle of December. Yikes.
Just like Sam saved the Sabres this blog provides plenty of fun anecdotes and alliterations on the regular so you should share it like it and leave a comment of your favorite Sabres pun. If you don’t laugh you’ll cry right? Prayers for Linus Ullmark, he was God to Reinhart’s Jesus tonight and I’m not apologizing for that comparison. I need some real hope. Give me hope. Give me something Sabres Calvary. I’m going to try to not utter Phil Housley’s name from here to Thursday. Wish me luck. Let’s go Sabres!
Thanks for reading.
P.S. Let me repeat: if he’s ok, Linus Ullmark needs to be the starter now. I’m talking to you, Phil. That’s the last time I say your name until you make the correct choice on Thursday.
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skygirl5 · 6 years
Note
Idk if you do prompts or anything but I love your soulmates au and I was wondering if you be willing to write a little one shot on soulmates in which you can only have a child with your soulmate and either Kate or castle really wants one - don’t worry if you feel you don’t want to write anything, I just thought you write the soulmates au so wonderfully 😊
Well, Anon, I don’t normally take prompts, but i am a total sucker for soulmate AU’s. Enjoy!
“Ah, Rick!” Kate Beckett let out a groan as shockwaves ofpleasure coursed through her body. She dropped her head back further onto thepillow and shut her eyes as a perfectly sated smile crossed her face. God they were good at that.
Above her, her companion panted. She could feel his bodytrembling as he surrendered as well and lowered his weight gently—but notcrushingly—on top of her. Still partly balanced on his knees and forearms, hedropped his forehead so it rested on her chin. He remained there, breathingheavily for several more moments, before he kissed her throat and lifted hishead. “Shit…how does that keep getting better?”
Kate let out a deep chuckle and opened her eyes. Her smiledwidened in the reflection of her partner’s dopey grin. “No idea, but I’m notcomplaining.” After being platonic (well, platonic with deep-seated sexualtension) partners for two years, they began dating six months earlier. She hadexpected their intense passion to die down after a few weeks, maybe two months at most, as it had withother relationships, but theirs hadn’t dwindled an ounce—not that she wascomplaining. It was rather…phenomenal.
He hummed happily and arched forward to place two quickkisses on her lips.
Kate huffed out with slight disappointment when he shiftedhis hips backwards and broke their connection. “We need to not go so longwithout doing that again,” she said, referring to the prior eleven-and-a-halfdays during which he was on a mini press tour for his books. He hadn’t releaseda new one, but with the rising popularity of the Nikki Heat series, some of hisolder works were being republished with new cover art and he’d visited a dozenbookstores across the country in celebration.
He grinned, pushed himself up, and sat back on his heels.“Then, perhaps next time you should come with…”
“What’s wrong?” she asked when his voice drifted off and hisbrow crinkled. She pushed herself up on her elbows to see that in his hand hecradled the protective sheath he’d removed from himself, but this did notexplain why he suddenly appeared very concerned.
“The condom tore,” he explained and then looked heavenwardand cursed under his breath. “I didn’t realize, Kate—I’m sorry.”
Not really bothered by the event, Kate pushed herself upinto a full sitting position. She reached out, snagged two tissues from the boxon the nightstand and then pressed him into his palm so he could clean up.“It’s okay. We’re both clean, right?” she said rhetorically, as they had bothbeen tested at the onset of their physical relationship.
“Yeah.”
“So…I mean, we probably don’t even have to use them anymore,right?” She and Castle were in a committed relationship and she trusted himcompletely. There was no need for them to use protection against sexually transmittedinfections when neither of them would be intimate with anyone else.
“But…then you could get pregnant.”
Kate’s gut-reaction was to laugh at Castle’s practicallyabsurd comment. Then, she spotted the hurt flash across his eyes and her heartsank down into her chest. “Wha…you’re serious?!”
Clearly miffed, he wadded up the used condom in the tissuesand pushed himself off the mattress with the most post-sex energy she’d seenfrom him to date. He tossed the wad into the bathroom trashcan and then crossedback through the bedroom to get his boxers.
“Castle?” she prompted when he said nothing and continued toavoid his gaze.
He shot her a look as he pulled up his shorts. “Yeah, I wasserious, but clearly you’re not.”
“Wha—why? I mean, how—I don’t…” She stammered out, not surehow to process his statement. For over a hundred years—far longer than eitherof them had been alive—the only couples that could naturally conceive childrenwere those with perfect DNA matchups. Soulmates, as they were referred tocolloquially. Both male and female condoms were readily available due to thecontinued exitance of STIs. And, true, they did prevent pregnancy on thefractional chance that two people who matched became intimate, but the hormonalbirth control women two centuries earlier used had become as antiquated astransport by horse and cart; it simply wasn’t needed.
If Castle believed they needed to use condoms to preventpregnancy, that meant he believed them to be soulmates, and, in that moment,Kate was too shocked to process such a concept.
“Just forget about it,” he muttered as he pulled his blackt-shirt over his head once more.
“No.” She stood off the bed, found her own undergarments,and began to dress. “No, we’re not going to forget about it because you’reclearly upset.”
“I’m fine.”
“Rick.”
He froze with his jeans pulled on, but not fastened, andshot a look at her. “I’d just like to know why you find the thought of us beingsoulmates so damned funny.”
“Wha—no. No, I wasn’t laughing at the fact that we could besoulmates; I didn’t even think about that. I…I thought you were making a joke.”
His expression dropped and he looked a little nauseated.“Why would I joke about that?”
“Well—I don’t know. You joke about a lot of things and…Whoeven finds their soulmate anyway?” she threw out as a way to deflect, to tryand process why he was so riled up about this situation. She certainly couldnot name anyone off the top of her head who had found their soulmate. Sure,there were articles on the news every now and then; puff pieces at the end of abroadcast about a soulmate wedding, but other than that? The notion seemedalmost as unfathomable as fairytales.
“My mother did.”
A small gasp escaped Kate’s lips as that moment was thefirst she heard of such a fact. Castle’s parents were soulmates? But…they weren’t together…his father—he never talkedabout him… that—that made even less sense!
“Castle-”
“No, forget it; just forget it.” He shook his head and thenwalked out the door of the bedroom towards the kitchen.
Kate remained a half-dressed statute for several moremoments as she tried to process all the information she had just gained. Onething was absolutely for certain: she could not and would not forget it. It wasrare that her partner shied away from emotion, but that was certainly not amoment she would allow him to do so. They couldn’t let this thing hang betweenthem unsettled; that wouldn’t be healthy, and as she had promised herself to bein a health, open, relationship with the man she cared more about than anyoneelse in the world, they had to figure it out—together.
Castle pulled a water bottle out of the refrigerator, tooktwo gulps, placed the bottle on the kitchen counter, and his hands on eitherside of it. Staring down into the bottle neck he shook his head and let out ahuff of breath, annoyed more at himself than at her. Stupid—he was stupid.
How did he think Kate Beckett, queen of protecting herheart, would react to being called out as his soulmate? He didn’t think, whichwas slightly excusable given their post-coital state, but it didn’t make himless stupid. They had been in a good place—a really, really good place—and nowhe risked messing it up, for what? A whim?
Deep down, he knew it was more. He believed he was right.And if he was right then technicallythe broken condom could result in a pregnancy. Even if she was at the rightpoint in her cycle, it would still be unlikely, but he felt it was only fair tobring it up lest she be blind sighted and then later irritated with him for notvoicing his concerns. Still, that was decidedly not the moment he would havewanted to broach the subject of them potentially being soulmates if he’d hadthe choice.
“Castle.”
He looked up to see her exiting the bedroom wearing not thebusiness suit she’d arrived in, but the cotton pants and shirt she must havehad in her overnight bag. If she was dressed like that she didn’t intent tosprint out of his apartment, so he took that as a positive sign. Reachingbehind him, he grabbed another bottle of water from the fridge, and slid itacross the counter in her direction. She thanked him softly, took a sip, andthen walked over so she stood about two feet from him.
“You never said anything about your parents being soulmatesbefore. I mean…your father—you never talk about him.”
“Because I don’t know him; I’ve never met him.”
“I…don’t understand.”
A mirthless laugh escaped his lips when her brow wrinkled. Ofcourse she wouldn’t; he barely did and it was his own life. “I…I don’t talkabout it much—mostly because of Mother. It’s a touchy subject for her, forobvious reasons.”
The crease on her brow deepened. “But…what happened? I mean,you said he wasn’t a part of your life, but you’ve never met him? Did he die?”
“I don’t know; I don’t even know his name.”
Kate’s jaw dropped open, but no sound escape.
Leaning his hip against the counter, Castle folded his armsover his chest to explain. “My parents had a one-night affair. That’s it—justone night. The way Mother tells it: they met, danced, fell in love, and in themorning he was gone. She never knew his name, his job, if he was a New Yorkeror just visiting…”
“God.” Kate breathed out. “But they…they were soulmates?!That’s…unbelievable.”
He grumbled. “Trust me: I know. I would find it nearlyimpossible to believe as well, except—I’m here; I exist.”
She stepped up and placed her hand on his bicep. “Oh,Castle…”
He could almost hear the apology forming in her throat, butthankfully she never uttered it aloud. He didn’t want anyone to be sorry forhim. Yes, it was sad to never know the identity of his father, a true rarity ina world where most children were born via lab procedures, but he always knewhis mother received the far worse end of their deal.
They stood in silence for several moments before Castlelocked eyes with his companion and saw concern reflecting back from the swirlsof chocolate brown flecked with gold. His heart swelled and he was forced toswallow to keep the emotions inside his chest from bubbling over. God, she wasincredible and he knew—he knew—but healso knew her, and what it would take to convince her as well—if he even could,but, god, he had to try.
“Twelve percent—did you know that’s the national average?Only twelve percent of soulmates find each other. It’s so low…I understand whyso many don’t bother looking; don’t even think about it. But I always believedI’d find her.”
He stepped away from Kate and began pacing the kitchen,thinking back to those days when he was a young boy and he finally began tofully conceptualize how he came to be, and how rare that truly as.  “The way my parents found each other…it meantsomething; it was fate and I believed that same fate would shine down on me. Ididn’t know when; I didn’t know how, but I deep down I had to believe it wouldhappen because it felt right. I dated. I fell in and out of lust, in and out oflove. Thirty-some years and it never happened, until I met you.”
He stopped pacing and looked directly at her. She waswatching him closely, but he could see a slight glassiness forming at the edgesof her eyes, so he stepped in front of her and spoke softly. “I know we startedthis thing as causal, let’s just see how it goes. We’re exclusive but notreally defining anything; we’re easing in. I respect that, because I respectyou, but Kate…I’m in love with you. I have been for a while. Maybe even sincewe met.
“I always wondered what it would feel like, how I wouldknow. I thought when I met her—you—that I’d realize it right away, but Ididn’t. I was too distracted with my infatuation I suppose, but then one day I walkedinto the twelfth carrying our coffees, you smiled at me from across the room,and it just hit me. We hadn’t even kissed yet but…the attraction I had foryou—it was like gravity. I couldn’t think about anyone else; I didn’t want to.Being with you made me find pieces of myself I didn’t know I had. I wanted tobe the best possible man—the kind of man that deserved a woman as incredible asyou.”
She remained silent. In fact, he wasn’t sure she was evenbreathing, but he couldn’t stop himself until he got it all out.
“After we kissed and made love for the first time—it onlymade me believe that all the more, but I kept it in. I was so nervous that I’dpush you too hard, knowing how you liked to keep yourself at arm’s length. Ireigned myself in, kept on a casual façade for you, but every morning I woke upbeside you was like renewed hope. The way I feel for you…it can be described inonly one way. And, you know, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I want it so much that I’mseeing things that aren’t there, but Kate…I don’t think I’m wrong.”
“Oh Castle,” she sighed as a few tears dripped out of hereyes. She tried to hide them, and quickly reached for a napkin to dab at hercheeks. Once she turned to face him again, she didn’t hesitate; she simply roseup on her toes, slid her arms around his neck, and gave him a strong hug.
He lowered his chin, kissed her shoulder, and held on aslong as she let him. When she pulled back with one of her Detective KateBeckett expressions, he sadly concluded, “You think I’m insane, don’t you?”
“I always did so this isn’t really a change.”
He grunted. “Thanks.”
She smiled and reached out for his hand. “Castle, I… I’m notentirely sure what to say.”
He shook his head and moved to walk away, returning to thecausal evening he’d expected to have with her. “You don’t have to say anything Beckett;I know this isn’t how you expected the evening to go. We can just-”
“No, please.” She followed him around the kitchen islandbefore he could walk away and end their conversation. “I don’t want to leave itlike this. I… you’re so important to me, Castle. So much more than just apartner. You’re my very best friend and I couldn’t imagine my life without youin it. I never thought about soulmates, not really, because, as you said, theodds are so long I just never allowed myself to think about it—especially sinceI’m not the most emotionally open person, but you know… what you said aboutgravity—I feel it too.”
He felt his heart begin to take flight at the soft smilegrowing on her face.
“When we first met, I was determined not to like you.Stubborn and headstrong, I refused to want it, but my heart…I just kept gettingdrawn back in. I’d try to pull away, but I couldn’t—I couldn’t. Then, I finally gave in and this is the happiest I’veever been. It’s hard for me to give in without facts, and evidence, but Ipromise you I’m open to the idea.”
He shut his eyes briefly, saying a silent thank you to theworld that had allowed him to find such an incredible woman, then he opened hiseyes, stepped up to her, and kissed her soundly. “I’ll take that,” he said,knowing for certain that whatever next came their way, they would face ittogether.
“Oh my god, seriously, Ryan? What are you eating over there?Garbage?!” Kate groaned as she used one hand to cover her mouth and the otherto smooth across her belly. Beneath it, her stomach flipped and she felt a dryheave creeping dangerously up the back of her throat. The smell wafting fromher coworker’s desk a few feet away was horrific and overpowering.
He turned towards her appearing slightly offended. “It’sjust some leftover-”
“No, stop; don’t tell me.” She shut her eyes and breathed inthrough her mouth to lessen the odds of vomiting from the pungent odor.
“Sorry Beckett,” he said in his wounded-puppy-dog tone.
She huffed and dug around in her desk until she found apeppermint candy leftover from a takeout bag. She popped it in her mouth,sucked, and shut her eyes. At least now all she could smell was the candy.Looking back towards Ryan she called out, “Sorry; I’m just not feeling welltoday.”
He nodded in acknowledgment and then turned back to hislunch. Before Kate could get back to her paperwork, she heard, “Not feelingwell still?”
Turning around she saw her partner approaching with a bagthat contained two sandwiches. She’d put in her request for turkey before he’dleft, but she was unsure what his choice would be. Silently, she prayed itwasn’t tuna or egg salad. “’m fine, Castle,” she mumbled, but of course herpartner and boyfriend didn’t accept such an answer.
He sat in the chair beside her desk and leaned in so hecould speak in a low voice. “Kate, if you’re still not felling well-”
“I’m fine,” she snipped. “I was just overpowered by thestench of Ryan’s garbage food.”
Castle glanced briefly towards the other detective’s deskand then back to her. “But this has been off and on for a week—your sensitivestomach. I think you might need to consider going to a doctor.”
She huffed, lowered her chin to her chest, and bit down onher bottom lip—hard. She would not cry in the precinct; she would not cry in the precinct. Unfortunatelyas of late the word “doctor” entering her mind was a catalyst for waterworks,particularly since she had a strong suspicion of what a medical professionalwould diagnose her with.
“I know, but I would like to live in denial a little whilelonger.”
“Denial? Over what?”
She turned towards him, took in a deep breath, and pushed itout slow. There was no sense in hiding her suspicions from him any longer; itwas inevitable. “I think I’m pregnant.”
“WHAT!”
The word exploded out of his mouth with such force it drewthe attention of everyone in the bullpen. She reached out, swatted his arms,and scolded, “Castle!”
Ducking his head, he stammered out, “Oh, Kate—oh, god—areyou sure? What? I mean how? Why? What?”
She couldn’t help but crack a smile at his amused reaction.“My period is over two weeks late and then with this nausea. I just…” Theyhad only had unprotected sex that one time almost a month earlier, but from theinternet research she had done, it seemed once was all it took.
“Oh…oh, Kate.”
She groaned as his eyes grew glassy and his hand closedaround her forearm. “Castle please…please don’t cry in the precinct; you’regoing to make me cry.”
Quickly, he sat back, cleared his throat, and pulled anapkin out of their sandwich bag to dab beneath one eye. “I—I’m sorry I’m just—I’mjust so happy!”
She smiled at him. Though shock was her overwhelming emotionat that moment, happy was definitely there along with terrified. Still, knowingthe man she was about to form a family with, and how incredible he was, shesomehow knew it would all be alright. “Yes…it would appear you were rightabout us being soulmates.”
“That’s not why I’m happy. Obviously, that’s wonderful but…ababy. A family. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she returned easily. Thought it had takenher a few days to process his heartfelt speech, Kate did eventually admit tobeing in love with her partner and knowing that he would be the man she spenther life with. Ideally, she would have wanted them to date a little longerbefore getting engaged and married a little while after that before they begantheir family, but she supposed she couldn’t be too upset, particularly when hewas getting the near-miracle scenario he’d always hoped for.
“Oh—Beckett…oh my god I can’t…I can’t just sit here!” Hestood up and then leaned over her to talk. “I—I’m going to go buy us parentingbooks, and baby name books and oh! What about—you know what? I’ll just geteverything.” He brushed a kiss over the top of her head, grabbed his sandwichfrom the bag, and then began to back his way down the hall. “Don’t worryBeckett; this is going to be amazing!”
She sat at her desk for a moment, both chuckling and shakingher head over his enthusiasm, when a wave coursed through her. That time, itwasn’t nausea, but love—love and appreciation for the wonderful man she calledher partner
Pushing herself away from her desk, she jogged towards theelevator and caught him just before he stepped into the car. “Castle—hang on!”
He whipped around and rose his brow as she approached. “Didyou need me to get you something else? Crackers? You know–I’ll just go buy afew boxes of crackers just in ca-”
“No, no I’m fine I just…” She lowered her voice and leanedinto him as she spoke. “I’m glad that we’re soulmates.”
An ear-to-ear grin crossed his face. He dipped his head,kissed her, and then looped one arm around her waist. “Me too Beckett; you haveno idea. We’re going to be extraordinary.”
Thanks for reading!
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samwpmarleau · 7 years
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pas de deux
in which arthur wins the tourney at harrenhal and crowns elia like a responsible adult and no one is offended except rhaegar
He’s not going to crown her. He’ll win the joust, because of course he will, but he won’t crown her. Of little else is she so certain.
His eye has wandered, to put it delicately, and he has not been subtle about it either. It was innocent, at first, when the girl had wept at his song, and then turned into something much different. He’s enraptured by her for a reason that Elia has tried and failed to comprehend.
Lyanna Stark is pretty enough, she supposes, in a wild, coltish kind of way, but she’s still half a child, a wolf pup barely out of its den. Only Robert Baratheon seems to be as taken with her as Rhaegar, which, as her betrothed, is at least understandable. But Rhaegar…him Elia has no explanation for.
The final set of jousters comes as a surprise to no one: Rhaegar, Ser Arthur, Ser Barristan, Leo Tyrell. Ser Barristan beats Tyrell handily, leaving Rhaegar against Ser Arthur. It’s far from an unfamiliar set, they having battled many times over the years. The last time she’d seen one such bout was Lord Robert’s tourney three years ago held in the memory of Lord Steffon and Lady Cassana. Arthur had nearly won then, battling Rhaegar through a dozen rounds before conceding defeat.
Even now, she wonders whether he had truly been bested, or whether he’d done it on purpose. It’s a common rumor, that the Kingsguard don’t often try their hardest lest they injure their future sovereign. She knows Rhaegar is a consummate jouster, but she’d also seen Arthur in countless tourneys in Dorne, and he’d gone undefeated in them all despite going up against plenty of consummate jousters there, too.
It’s irrelevant, really. Whether legitimately or on purpose, he would be on the losing end today, she has no doubt, and she gets the honor of being jilted in front of half the world. Rhaegar’s looking at the girl now, too, atop his black mount, and Elia clasps her hands in her lap so tightly her fingers turn purple. Not even Ashara’s soothing touch does anything to mitigate her simmering anger.
At the sound of the herald’s trumpet, destrier and sand steed come together round after round. While the matchup had not surprised her, this longevity does. At Lord Robert’s tourney, the joust had had more of a frolicking atmosphere, two friends competing in good humor.
This, though…the hits are harder, Arthur’s posture is rigid, tension drenches the combatants like a pall. She can see their faces through the slits in their helms, a kind of confusion in Rhaegar’s and conviction in Arthur’s. What the reason might be for it, however, she can’t fathom. To her knowledge, there’s been nothing to put them at odds, so why would there be discord now?
The sixth round is what sends the crowd to frenzied whispers. Rhaegar’s lance is a hair off-kilter, a weakness Arthur pounces on: a resounding crack, a grunt of pain, then Rhaegar is flung from his saddle. With that, the herald announces that the final contest will consist of the realm’s two most revered warriors, Kingsguard against Kingsguard.
Arthur removes his helm and dismounts to help Rhaegar up, sunlight glinting off the silver sword-and-star on his surcoat. They don’t exchange any words, but there’s no time to dwell on it for Rhaegar briskly leaves his horse with the stablehand and his squire hops to in divesting him of his armor.
Half an hour passes as Arthur and Ser Barristan prepare, and Rhaegar takes his seat beside her, blatantly discontented. A good wife would placate him, say there’s no disgrace in losing to an opponent such as Arthur, but all she has to do is remember how he’d looked at Lady Lyanna, and her mouth stays firmly shut.
The champion’s tilt requires one more lance than Rhaegar’s had, but ultimately Ser Barristan is unhorsed just as decisively. Ashara abandons all dignity, jumping to her feet and wildly cheering for her brother. Though Elia’s applause is less ostentatious, happiness swells within her—a victory for Arthur is a victory for their homeland, after all.
She remembers the day he had arrived in Sunspear to squire for her uncle, brimming with excitement and fastidious in his training. To see him emerge triumphant in front of so many she feels is a well-deserved accomplishment. Ashara would receive a crown as pretty as she is, and Elia can think of no one more worthy of wearing it.
Lord Whent slides the blue winter roses onto Arthur’s lance, and he directs his horse toward the royal stands as she’d anticipated. Except he doesn’t stop in front of his sister—he stops in front of her. He places the crown into her lap, and she gapes at him, nothing short of stunned.
“For the future queen,” he declares, voice ringing out across the lists. It could be a trick of the light, but for a moment she thinks she sees his eyes flash over to Rhaegar, almost in challenge, before darting back to her. “Your beauty and grace put the very sun to shame.”
She knows surely this must simply be out of respect, not in earnest, but nevertheless a smile grows. Though she may not honestly believe his words, he has publicly recognized her above all the more winsome women in attendance. The Starks clap respectfully at the display, Lady Lyanna animated as she talks with the littlest wolf, and what ill will she’d been feeling towards the girl fades.
“Thank you,” she says to Arthur. She hands her circlet of yellow sapphires to Ashara and replaces it with the wreath of roses.
He flashes her a rare smile, then gallops off toward the stables. She can’t help but stare after him, his ivory armor and Ny Sar’s gleaming white coat just this side of blinding.
When purples and oranges begin to flood the sky, the guests file into the great hall for supper, and Elia takes her place on the dais next to a lukewarm Rhaegar. As ever, Arthur is diligently standing off to the side, scrutinizing the gentry for any potential threats.
Once everyone has settled, Lord Whent addresses the room. “Thank you to all who have voyaged to attend this tourney, most especially to our esteemed and gracious king. We are each of us humbled by your presence,” he announces, glancing nervously at Aerys with every other word. “Without further delay, the traditional dance will start our supper. Your Graces, if you will?”
The heady scent of roses from the crown she still wears reminds her that she has a card to play. “Begging your pardon, my lord,” she says, “but is it not customary for the Queen of Love and Beauty to select her own partner?”
A hush falls, her statement plainly startling Lord Whent. “Oh, well, yes, naturally,” he stutters, “but I’d assumed—”
Elia cuts him off with a serene smile and gets to her feet. Resolute, she strides past Rhaegar and approaches Arthur instead. “Ser, do you care to join me?”
Something akin to panic crosses his face—perhaps he’s recalling how atrocious of a dancer he was in their youth—but nevertheless he allows her to take his hand.
For once, the murmurs that run through the crowd give her vindictive satisfaction.
If she’d been hoping the matter could be forgotten, she doesn’t get her wish. Later, while finessing out countless hairpins, Ashara comments, “People have been talking.”
“People are always talking. What is it for this time?”
“You know full well what for. Your dance, it—”
“It was nothing.” And it was. It was.
“It wasn’t nothing. It was Arthur beating Rhaegar, it was him crowning you in front of everyone, it was you choosing to dance with him over your husband. I’m not accusing you of anything,” she hurries on at Elia’s scowl, “that’s just what people are saying. You know how they live for their gossip.”
“They’re vermin.” She shakes out her hair, grateful to finally rid it of its complicated ensnarement. “Though I confess I didn’t expect they’d drag Arthur into it. Ridiculing me is one thing, but I’d have thought they’d have more respect for your brother.”
“Arthur looked…” Ashara hesitates. “Elia, my brother is a wonderful man,” she says carefully, “but a man all the same.”
“Don’t be absurd. He gave me the crown because he wanted to prevent me from suffering insult, that’s it. He said so himself.”
But that hadn’t been the only thing he told her, had it? I did not crown you false, princess, he’d said, his hand warm on her back, his voice too low to be heard by anyone but her. You are indeed a beautiful woman.
She hadn’t known what to say to that. She’d wanted to call his bluff, but he was so sincere that it was hard not to believe him. And once she’d done so, she’d begun to…well, notice him. The years had done him well, giving him handsomeness where once he’d been ordinary, breadth and height where once he’d been gangly and short, an evenly shadowed jaw where once it’d been patchy, a few scars where once there’d been none. She’d realized then that he’s not just a Kingsguard, but a hotblooded Dornishman of four-and-twenty, same as her.
And then afterwards, he’d seemed almost…
“Ash, there have been enough ill-done entanglements at this tourney without you inventing another.”
The name Brandon Stark lingers between them, and a bright red blush colors Ashara’s cheeks. “Yes, my lady. But I didn’t invent anything,” she says. “It’s the oldest tale, isn’t it? A princess and a white knight?”
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getseriouser · 5 years
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20 THOUGHTS: Bugger
FAR too many assumed we’d be having the biggest grand final in over 30 years this time last week 
Half-time Friday night we all thought we’d got it wrong but alas regular programming prevailed and they then expected Saturday to be the breezier of the two prelims .
Yeah nah.
Now we have third playing sixth in a Grand Final no-one saw pre-season, mid-season, to start the finals or even last week when it was a one in four chance.
Expect the unexpected they say. And they are usually right on that.
 1.       Tigers just win, by five goals plus. As soon as that siren went Saturday, and thousands of male Collingwood supporters suddenly sprouted innies, thousands of Richmond fans grew really firmly in the trouser knowing it was only the expansion kids ahead of them next week now. Giants have won two games by under a kick in the dying minutes, once lucky, twice you’re kidding yourself, three times though, yeah nah.
2.       Actually, lets knock out some Brownlow before getting back to the on field. Interesting year, probably the greatest field of live chances going in for some time. So much analysis available these days that someone out there will get it right but about a dozen others, whilst looking super schmick with their spreadsheets and formulas, will be way off. This column has no idea although liked Fyfe for a while. Gets 2 or 3 votes in each Dockers win. Nice platform.
3.       Otherwise, three randoms to watch – Boak, Yeo and Treloar, could easily podium. And a real smokey from the clouds? James Worpel. One for the exotics.
4.       Back to on field, let’s go back to Friday. Cats missed a Scott Selwood type in the midfield. Getting ahead was one thing, and they did that well to their credit. But when it got tough in the second half, when the Tigs were coming, they lacked grunt and determination like the Giants showed in the final term Saturday, to get the job done. And to be honest its plagued them since the bye too. Can look flashy, can score, but when it needs to get ugly for 15-20 mins, think back to the first half of the first final too, no dice. Kinda like when its past 2am on a Bucks night, usually phantom, usually pass out, usually Ryan Babel.
5.       Alrighty, Saturday. Yikes. Wet weather clearly didn’t favour the Pies. No excuse but it mattered. Why? Well would you like to know who trained in a down pour midweek? The Giants, in their main session. Probably the best training session in that football history given the conditions that eventuated.
6.       So – and thanks to Rohan Connolly for this, who I’m shamelessly stealing from – between 2008 and 2015 only one Qualifying Final winner of 18 lost a prelim final. The last four years where we’ve had a pre-Finals bye, it’s a 4-4 record. Look at the Pies, didn’t turn up until three quarter time, the Tigers at least turned up after half time. Plus last year, the Pies had no right in their matchup with the Tiges and jumped them something shocking in that first half. Might be something to it. Might not be wrong, but there’s something to it.
7.       If you look at the Pies, Tigers and Giants, on balance this all looks about right. Richmond since 2017 probably deserve at least one flag and a go this weekend at a second. The Giants these last four years probably deserve a Grand Final appearance for their body of work. And Collingwood these last 18 months, a toss of the coin Grand Final result probably sits about right for them too.
8.       Difference between Richmond and Collingwood? One covered their injuries a lot better and was better set up for the pointy end as a result. Injuries aren’t the reason the Pies lost Saturday or that they would have been underdogs to Richmond had they won, but it’s the reason Richmond has a better list and is likely to win a second flag in three. Case in point – Richmond’s reserves win the Grand Final a week before their Seniors probably win as well, the Collingwood reserves didn’t even make the VFL Finals.
9.       Bucks getting questioned a bit in the media, ‘oh, that’s 22 years now without a flag, ho hum indeed’. Relax. On that basis we should give Bob Skilton a call, interrupt his midday movie to let him know despite his three Brownlows and everything else he means to South, his Hall of Fame Legend status is getting revoked coz he never won a flag. And that his spot will be taken by Tom Barrass instead, because he has actually won one. That Buckley hasn’t got a flag isn’t news, it might be factual but its not a story. The idea that obviously would clearly yearn for one is also factual, but not a story. Please be serious.
10.   Matt De Boer was excellent on Saturday but then again the Collingwood mids weren’t requiring a tag to be kept quiet. Does he got to Dusty and try and ruffle him again like he successfully achieved last time in Sydney? Won’t matter, Martin goes forward and kicks four on him in that case. Whether Martin gets shut down in the midfield by De Boer or not won’t prevent a Tigers’ flag anyway, lets not bother about that discussion all week.
11.   Norm Smith tip – no Tiger is in better nick than Shane Edwards, otherwise Bachar Houli for a little value with you preferred corporate bookmaker. But Titch onball will be as dangerous for Leon Cameron as nailing your Tinder date in Bali. You better put a clamp on that otherwise you’re in big trouble.
12.   Marlion Pickett was BOG in the VFL GF yesterday. We know that the Tigs have held over Jack Ross and Kamdyn McIntosh in lieu of the incredibly-stiff Jack Graham being doubtful to get up for Saturday. But back on May 28th we said this lad, who was playing for South Fremantle four months ago “would be best 22 by year’s end”. We’ve left it late but whilst McIntosh might be the safer play, Dimma will go very close to debuting the Western-Australian in the hope his mercurial style might just be perfect for an occasion like Saturday. If he’s picked, remember where you heard it first. Or read it first, even.
13.   Presume Kevin Sheedy is on standby to present the cup to Phil Davis and Leon Cameron should the Giants salute, the link to Richmond notwithstanding. The GWS best and fairest is the Kevin Sheedy medal, and unless you’re looking to Chad Cornes or Izzy Folau it has to be Sheeds. On the Tigers side, I think about Dale Weightman, otherwise Matty Knights or even Chris Newman if you want to go more recent.
14.   So yes, Richmond has been the pick for a while and it remains the pick. They are beatable though. Last four games their opponents all had strong chances they didn’t take. Eagles down here, in the wet, stuffed it and lost by a kick. Brisbane the week after got spooked but did a lot right but too late. First final, Brissy again, they kick straight they’re in it up to their eyeballs and then Geelong was leading by 21 points at half time, kick straighter its over five goals and the Tigs are staring down a repeat of last year. They’re not invincible, but it was only ever going to be a hot Essendon or hot Collingwood who stood a chance this finals series. Yet the Bombers lasted as long in September as Saturday Night Rove and then the Pies made a mess of it like The Veronicas on a Qantas flight.
15.   This column gets it right far more often than most and has banged on about the Clarkson-assistants theory for some time. This week’s Grand Final coaches, both ex-Hawthorn assistants. It will mean that after this weekend the last seven premierships will have been coached by Al Clarkson or one of his ex-assistants. Incredible. By this column, that is.
16.   More people in Sydney watched the Giants on free to air Saturday afternoon than people in Melbourne watched the Storm on free to air that night. What do we make of that?
 I love Victorian footy as much as the next Ted Whitten. This column still lapses occasionally and refers to Fitzroy instead of Brisbane, and it’s only been 20+ years. And whilst this column’s position on the Gold Coast experiment is well documented, the idea of a team in Western Sydney has always made sense to me. The population out there alone is more than Perth, Adelaide and Geelong combined.
 So to see GWS successful, largely on their own merit now (Gold Coast with the same concessions stuffed it, and you didn’t see Toby Greene playing on Saturday did we), is a good thing for the comp. Leave Gold Coast and Tassie aside, mind you.
17.   Speaking of Victorian footy, can we just kick the AFL reserves team out of the VFL into a legit reserves comp, and let Williamstown and Port Melbourne and Werribee actualy duke it out for a proper VFL title? Williamstown are long-storied VFA club who were looking for their 15th flag in 155 years of history. They lost to a team who sat out two of their players because they might be needed this coming weekend in a different comp. Don’t like it. Split the AFL reserves from the VFL. And the SANFL…
18.   Great to see Glenelg, another historic club in this country, win its first flag in 33 years. And yes they were playing Port Adelaide, their biggest rival, but half the opposition Sunday were Port Adelaide’s reserves, not SANFL players, so it’s a similar story. Great for the Bays to get up, but let the SANFL Magpies be just that, and then Port and the Crows can have separate reserves teams playing reserves footy.
19.   Speaking of Williamstown, feel for Willie Wheeler. Just a knockabout VFL footballer who had the win on his boot twice in the last term, so to lose by under a kick is devastating.
20.   Still not bothered by trade chatter. It’s all glorified brainstorming and suggestion permeating from the Herald Sun lunch room. When something remotely close to an actual story emerges I’ll get interested. Until then I’ll pass on Ralphy and Sammy and Jay-Z getting far too eggplant about what boils down to guesswork or stuff they dreamt about the night before when their partner slept at her friend’s house once again.
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bargewall99-blog · 5 years
Text
After the end of another lousy October day, what's next for Clayton Kershaw?
LOS ANGELES – He couldn’t say what was in his heart, Clayton Kershaw said, if it was telling him to stay or go, if this was the end here or just another lousy October day here.
An hour had passed since he’d watched the Boston Red Sox win a World Series, with his chin resting on a dugout rail. He’d been had for three home runs in seven innings, three outfielders dangling on outfield walls, another one of those October days, and before that a whole season had passed again, quickly again, like they tend to do anymore.
There’d be no need to pack for a few cold days in Boston. No flight to catch. The creeping inevitability that came with the past week of baseball had caught him. Had caught them all. The Los Angeles Dodgers, winners of six division titles in a row, World Series participants for the last two of those, were again not good enough. They were beat, 5-1, on Sunday night in Game 5, and on another fall night hosted a party they were not invited to.
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He’d been here 11 years. Eight falls. Now he could choose to go. He has, he said, three days to decide. In the moment, Chase Utley across the room saying he was ready to go be a full-time dad, Kenley Jansen nearby saying he was scheduled for that heart procedure, Yasiel Puig in Spanish saying they’d all go home with regrets, Dave Roberts in the interview room deflecting questions of his own future, Kershaw smiled a sleepy smile and said he simply didn’t know. These were the questions he’d perhaps intended to address while drenched in a happier occasion.
Clayton Kershaw allowed three home runs in what could be his last start for the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Getty Images)
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Would he start over again here? Would he start over again somewhere else? And what sort of pitcher, at 30, would he be when he got there? Would it be as fun? Would it ever be as familiar? Is it the money? Is it something else? What would his wife, Ellen, want? Where would he raise his children? Could somewhere new live up to his expectations? Could he live up to its?
How does this all go from here?
What is in his heart?
“I don’t know,” he said. “I really don’t.”
About an hour after sunset, the sky having gone from purple-gray to black, Kershaw left the Dodger Stadium mound. He’d pitched seven innings on the final Sunday of October, the final day of the baseball season. He didn’t win. None of them did. A year ago, on the final day of that baseball season, he’d pitched four innings, and he – they – didn’t win that either.
Kershaw crossed the field, managed the stairs into the dugout, sat on the bench. He lay his glove on the bench, his cap on his glove. This was it, he was done pitching, and Roberts’ handshake was welcome but unnecessary. While it had become popular conversation to wonder where his velocity had gone, if it would return, and what sort of pitcher he’d be if it didn’t, he was also the guy who’d posted a 2.73 ERA across 26 regular-season starts, who every day established the professional standard for anyone who bothered to watch, who for a very long time was as good a pitcher many had ever seen.
“Clayton is the Dodgers,” veteran Rich Hill said. “He’s the heart and soul of this organization. When you look at a guy like that, who has put it on the line for so many years and had so much success here, as a Dodger I just hope they do the right thing.”
Over the last six years, the Dodgers are 31-30 in the postseason. (Getty Images)
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Story Continues
Kershaw watched the Dodgers as they were set down in order by David Price in the bottom of the inning, then stood. Leaving his cap and glove behind, he walked the length of the dugout and turned left. He spoke to no one. No one spoke to him.
They’d once run into a blossoming Houston Astros team. Then a 108-win Red Sox team. They were eliminated on their own field, in front of their own fans, who gave way to Red Sox fans. In the course of those half-dozen NL West titles, the Dodgers also were 31-30 in the postseason, ultimately a win short last year, three short this year, and they threaded some satisfaction from that, though not very much.
“It sucks,” catcher Austin Barnes said.
They’d batted .180 against the Red Sox. Machado helped only a little, batting .182 himself. Cody Bellinger hit .063. Across two World Series, he hit .114. Kershaw’s ERA in two starts was 7.36. Jansen blew two saves. Roberts battled matchups and bullpen management, often paddling against the greater talent, that ending predictably.
The Dodgers will return a decent bet to be good at this again. Corey Seager, their shortstop, will be back. Walker Buehler and Julio Urias, 24 and 22, will be regular starters. A bullpen isn’t so hard to rebuild. Roberts is good at this and it would be a surprise – and a mistake – if he were not back. There’ll be plenty of money to spend. They’ve won without really winning, which remains a problem, and now they start over again.
With Kershaw. Without him. He couldn’t say. Or wouldn’t. He’s due about $70 million over the next two seasons. It is not, yet, the team’s decision whether that – he — is the best way to spend $70 million, but could be if today’s opt-out becomes tomorrow’s negotiation.
“Look, you know, I know the future questions are coming for myself,” Kershaw said. “I don’t want to take away from tonight, obviously, and what everybody is feeling. I never want to put the focus on just me or anything like that. This was a tough one for us tonight. It really was. Myself, personally, you know, it was tough. … I’ve got three days to think about all of that stuff before anything happens. And so it will be an eventful three days for me and I’ll try to figure it out.”
His hair wet from a shower, he walked from the clubhouse, beneath a clock that read 9:15. He hugged a security guard. He waved as he made his way down a quiet hallway, away from a party that raged without him. It would not be him, again. It would not be them.
Another lousy October day.
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Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/end-another-lousy-october-day-whats-next-clayton-kershaw-063251433.html?src=rss
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rickhorrow · 5 years
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10 TO WATCH : MAYOR’S EDITION 52719
RICK HORROW’S TOP 10 SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 27, 2019 : MAYOR’S EDITION 
with Jacob Aere
1. The Big Ten conference recorded nearly $759 million in revenue for the 2018 financial year. This figure represents a year-on-year revenue increase of 48% for the Big Ten and exceeds any comparable annual figure amongst its NCAA rivals. A major factor is this boosted revenue is Big Ten’s new television rights deals which resulted in payments of around $54 million to the 12 longest-standing schools of the conference’s 14 teams. Maryland and Rutgers received smaller revenue share amounts but this was topped up with loans from Big Ten against future revenue shares. Compared to other NCAA athletic conferences, the Big Ten is way ahead in terms of revenue. The SEC reported revenues of around $660 million for 2018, with an average of $43.7 million afforded to each of its 13 member schools. The Big 12’s revenues didn’t even reach half the value that the Big Ten generated, with the conference securing $374 million for 2018. TV rights remain king, as shown by the Big 10 data and the recent announcement that Conference USA has made a 4-year deal with the NFL Network for a 10-game package of C-USA football games.
2. Indy 500 has a new broadcast partner: NBC. Viewership for the crown jewel of American racing events has been on a steady decline since 2015, but all of that may change with a new partnership. All IndyCar broadcasts will now be shown on NBC networks and will cover the racing series with improved marketing and a bigger approach to race-day coverage. According to Indianapolis Business Journal, the network has run dozens of IndyCar ads since March — many for the Indy 500 – and TV ratings have been up. IndyCar ads have been running during other major sporting events such as the Kentucky derby and the NHL Playoffs with a new approach to grab some more casual viewers. Thank to the new partnership, viewership is up 21% for the first four races. Under NBC’s contract, eight IndyCar races will be on broadcast TV this season, up from five last year on ABC. Indy has started to also market to a younger demographic as the sport owns one of the oldest audiences across all major us-sports; to date, its has been paying dividends.
3. The 2019 NBA playoffs have been lacking in action and ratings. According to The Atlantic, this year’s playoffs started on April 13 and won’t end until sometime in June making it roughly as long as Major League Baseball and the National Football League's playoffs, COMBINED. Through the first two weeks of the 2019 postseason, the rating numbers were down by 18 percent. One reason for the decline is the absence of now Laker, Lebron James, who missed the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade. However, the boost of second round ratings, which were the highest TV numbers since 2012, indicate that fans are still compelled to tune in to more competitive matchups. Another issue with extended playoffs is the stress and fatigue it puts on the players: the Golden State Warriors won their last series against the Portland Trail Blazers without Kevin Durant due to injury. Although adding extra games may draw in more money for the league, the long term effects of losing fans to “boring” playoffs may seriously hurt. The NBA may need to start looking into reverting to the previous 5 game format for first round basketball playoffs to help quell the extensive playoffs or potentially give a bye-round to the top ranked teams in each division.
4. The Blues win the West to create a rematch 49 years in the making for the NHL. The St. Louis Blues are marching into the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in decades and have revived expectations for the team in the midwest. The Blues were one of the bottom teams in the NHL as of January 3 and now they are in the Stanley Cup Finals. According to The Star, the turnaround came after Craig Berube replaced Mike Yeo as coach in November and Binnington took over as the starting goaltender in January. St. Louis has went 0-12 in its three previous Stanley Cup appearances. The last time these two teams met in the Stanley Cup, the Blues dropped the series 0-4 with an enshired goal from a flying Bobby Orr that is still one of the greatest hockey pictures of all time. The Bruins are the likely favorite to win the cup after having come in second overall in the regular season. The St. Louis Blues are the oldest active team to never have a Stanley Cup win and in a year where the improbable has happened for a last place team entering 2019, a win against the Bruins could seal one of the greatest turnarounds of all time.
5. NBA Playoffs help to display big tech and provide a glimpse into the future of sports in Seattle. Seattle is getting an NHL franchise and a high-tech arena in 2021. According to GeekWire, tech executives from companies based in the Pacific Northwest have been attending private VIP events for potential season ticket holders. Meanwhile, during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals at Oracle Arena, Google displayed its voice assistant to help “turn down the lights,” play music, and provide stats for the Golden State Warriors. After the game, all 19,596 fans walked away with a free Google Home Mini device. At $1 million, it was hailed as “the largest and most valuable giveaway of a Google product at a live sporting event in history.” Silicon Valley plays a big role in the Warriors’ success as players like Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Jonas Jerebko all noted the region’s forward thinking as a partial reason they chose to play with the team; they all have investments in a range of tech ventures. Looking at the success of the Warriors, the new NHL team in Seattle would provide an opportunity for the region’s tech companies, like Amazon and Microsoft, to further plunge into sports.
6. The NFL draft is headed to Cleveland in 2021 and Kansas City in 2023. In conjunction with the relocation of the Oakland Raiders and opening of their new stadium, the 2020 draft was awarded to Las Vega. Now, the Browns will be celebrating their 75th anniversary with the draft events taking place around FirstEnergy Stadium in 2021. According to ESPN, the Kansas City Chiefs plan to host the draft near Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial for their draft in 2023. Since last holding the draft in the traditional New York location in 2014, the NFL has taken the event on the road to five different cities. The league still has not moved on bids for the 2022 draft, saying about 20 cities are interested in hosting that year. This year’s draft in Nashville, Tennessee had more than 600,000 people attend over the three days which marks a dramatic increase from 250,000 in Arlington the year prior.
7. NASCAR acquires ISC for $2B with a dozen more tracks. NASCAR announced the $2 billion purchase of International Speedway Corp. which will give it control of key racetracks and set itself up for sweeping changes that could save America’s popular racing series which has been in decline for several years. This deal should close by year’s end. ISC is one of two major facilities companies that host NASCAR races, along with Speedway Motorsports Inc. According to AP News, NASCAR gaining control of a dozen tracks would seemingly make it easier for the racing league to alter its schedule, including the possibility of hosting fewer events in order to maximize its profit. The parent company of Speedway Motorsports made an offer last month to acquire all its outstanding common stock, which would privatize SMI and make it better positioned for an anticipated NASCAR overhaul. Many big sponsors have left NASCAR in recent years — Cup Series title sponsor Monster Energy is in the final year of its deal — and television ratings hit all-time lows at 26 events last season. Because NASCAR is a private company it won't have to publicly report attendance revenue and other financials allowing the company more leeway in their attempt to rebuild the iconic racing series.
8. OTT platform FuboTV and FanDuel form a sports wagering partnership in New Jersey. According to Deadline, the deal makes FanDuel the exclusive sportsbook, online casino, exclusive advertiser, and horse racing and daily fantasy sports partner of the live TV streaming service. It will also expand FuboTV’s sports offering for consumers when FanDuel’s betting data is integrated on the Fubo platform. Initially, odds and other gambling information will only be added to the mix in New Jersey, though general sports data will be integrated more broadly afterward. Additionally the TVG and TVG2 horse racing networks affiliated with FanDuel will be available to Fubo subscribers nationwide, joining the 90-plus channels in the $55-a-month base package. TVG2 will be on the Sports Plus tier, which brings more than 20 additional channels for an extra $9 a month. This is huge as it is the first real push for a OTT sports platform to incorporate sports wagering into its properties and could open the floodgates for others to follow suit.
9. CC Sabathia’s charity softball game brings together stars in New York. Aaron Judge, Michael Strahan and other notables like Didi Gregorius, Tino Martinez, Action Bronson, Tiki Barber, Johnny Damon, and Aroldis Chapman joined in for CC Sabathia’s second annual charity softball game hosted in the Bronx. According to Feeling the Vibe, team Michael Strahan took on Team CC Sabathia and came out victors by a score of 8-2 with all proceeds being sent to the PitCChIn Foundation led by CC and his wife Amber and the New York Yankees Foundation. The Sabathia’s charity runs multiple initiatives that span baseball clinics, delivering backpacks to kids in need and renovating baseball fields. On the other hand, the Yankees Foundation has done everything from helping a teacher in need of supplies, to refurbishing a neighborhood sports facility, giving $500,000 for Hurricane Sandy relief, or providing assistance in Haiti and Japan. CC Sabathia is a veteran presence on a now young and injured Yankees roster and his leadership is felt both during and outside of game time.
10. Nike is launching an official guide to sustainability for brands. Nike recently partnered with Central Saint Martins to create a manual for designers that lays out the principles for materials that can be indefinitely recycled called circular design. The company has also has researched case studies from companies that have done groundbreaking work on these fronts including Patagonia, Outerknown, For Days, and Eileen Fisher. According to Fast Company, Nike’s guide is deliberately formatted as a kind of textbook. It lays out 10 principles that take you through the life of a product, including elements like picking low-impact materials, designing with recyclability in mind, minimizing waste in manufacturing, prolonging the lifetime of a product through repair and durable construction, and using more thoughtful packaging. Nike is dropping this guide during the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, an annual gathering organized by the sustainability-minded Global Fashion Agenda. Although none of these steps are revolutionary to eco-friendly practices on their own, this outlines a plan for fit a comprehensive eco-friendly system which could potentially change the norm of the fashion and sports industries.
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andrewuttaro · 5 years
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New Look Sabres: Amerks Angle - March Edition
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If you’re not following Let’s Go Amerks on twitter you’re missing out. Those back to back games against the Charlotte Checkers earlier this month got me going. LGA talked me down, I was ready to go into panic mode about a potential Eastern Conference Final. You’d think I’m new to this sports thing. A couple disclaimers on this story: Yes, I know there is a different level professional hockey players turn up to when the playoffs start. In spite of my blog normally being about a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in eight years, I know those kinds of things. Another thing: I put a little bit too much stock in regular season matchups. The first two games of the season against the Checkers is certainly a different thing but am I crazy for thinking it affected these guys since then? Bear in mind they had a decent sized layover to rest and practice between those Checkers games and the Cleveland Monsters game this time last week. However, there have been two losses since and the two wins against Toronto were just ok. Moreover, the Americans have not been able to recapture their lead of the North Division since those two games against the Checkers. The Syracuse Crunch, ever the killjoy team for this Amerks squad, has caught fire. They’re trying to get their second Division title in three years as if its no big deal. If I hadn’t jinxed it and started to obsess over the Amerks getting a division title this year I would’ve relished their taking the top spot going into the big dance and taking on the hot Belleville Senators in the first round. Though here I am, watching the Amerks narrowly win games two wins back of the Crunch. The Amerks have eight games left including tonight’s matchup against the Laval Rocket. Laval would be dead last if it weren’t for the Binghamton Devils stinking up the division. Facing those two teams would have inspired some confidence in my if we hadn’t seen the Amerks lose to inferior competition a half dozen times in the early going of this season. The last eight games also include three games against the Crunch. Yikes, this playoff race thing is something I am not used to and a little intimidated by. As a fan of this Sabres-Amerks organization I got to say thank God though; if the Amerks weren’t good this season what would we do?
There is more than a playoff race going on, however. Casey Fitzgerald of Boston College signed his entry-level deal the other day and the Captain of the BC Eagles was one of their better defenseman as he finished his senior season out there in Hockey East of the NCAA. He was assigned to Rochester immediately and with the Matt Tennyson call up to Buffalo Fitzgerald may get his first opportunity tonight against Laval. He fills a defensive need on the organizational depth chart and in spite of being just under six foot he is an assist machine. Kind of like what we saw out of Eichel this season you know you have a good playmaker when the guy is making a ton of other people’s goals happen. I’m not saying he’s the defensive Jack Eichel, he’s unproven beyond the college level but man, it is good that he gets to roll right on from his college hockey season right on into an Amerks playoff run to find out how good he is. On the player personnel side things have gotten pretty interesting lately in general. I want to preface all the call ups we’re about to go into by saying I expect all these guys will be back, hopefully healthy, for the Amerks playoff run. I don’t see the Linus Ullmark affair repeating itself this season anywhere but perhaps we can put a bow on all the call up/deployment hard feelings we seem to be feeling right now. Lawrence Pilut got the call up before the Sabres game on Monday against the New Jersey Devils. Unlike Tage Thompson who is also qualified to come down to the Amerks for their run, Pilut was supposed to stay up in Buffalo earlier this season. He is easily worthy of being in that defensive core and I suspect he will be soon if the wisdom of the GM prevails over the poor deployment of the NHL coach. Pilut is a good soldier on the back end and has made this… apparently tanking Sabres team, a little easier to watch. Again, he’ll be back. I almost forgot, last week saw the Alex Nylander call up which has gone swimmingly and barring a real disaster he may be at peak confidence when he returns to the Amerks. How fortunate change, eh? This leaves us with the Victor Olofsson call up. We can worry about injury until the second coming, but I prefer, in this desolate, depressing time for the Sabres, to be optimistic. Up for one game and Olofsson already has his first NHL point. There is no reason not to be excited for him. He’s going to do good up in Buffalo and he’s gone for two games the bodies remaining in Rochester should be able to handle in the Rocket and the Devils.
Frustrations are high in Buffalo right now. I see a lot of us Amerks fans have poked the bear more than we should. Another lost Sabres season is tough and I understand fully why we want our Amerks postseason to not get… dare I say it… sabotaged by a couple of call ups. Full-time Sabres fans have no patience right now for us asking for a little bit of understanding and if you haven’t noticed the angry responses are robotically reciting the relationship between the NHL and AHL again. Let it go. If injuries happen they happen. If they don’t, fantastic! No Sabres fan is wishing injury on our players. It bears repeating in times like this that the organization as a whole has never had a more build-from-the-bottom-up regime than it does right now, not in the last twenty years at least. Treasure that and when Sabres fans are too thick-headed to understand why poor NHL deployment and injury risk are scary enough factors for Amerks fans: let it go. When they’re in a better mood they’ll understand, trust me, I’m one of them. You know what will put them in a better mood? A Calder Cup Championship and that’s not exactly out of the question this season. I had to get those feelings off our collective chest, that stuff is absurd right now. Once again let me recommend Let’s Go Amerks: Keith and Eric run a fantastic blog for the Rochester Americans and speaking of call up drama, no Amerks fans handle it better than those guys.
Unfortunately, I have some bad news to report. Due to some personal, scheduling factors in my life it seems as though the “Calder Quest” updates during the playoff run are going to be awfully difficult to accomplish. I won’t be doing anymore Amerks Angle Updates on the team this season. For all three of you who are a little bummed at that, I apologize. It doesn’t mean I won’t be locked into everything the Amerks do from here on out. Moreover, I will be posting a fun little tracker of the Calder Cup run regularly. I have all kinds of ideas for what Amerks Angle could be next season, but I want to hear what you think. Like, share and comment on this post what you think would be a fun way to cover the Rochester Americans. I am going to recommend Let’s Go Amerks one more time now just to get the hat trick. Those guys are the gold standard but don’t expect me to go full beat reporter on the Amerks. I live in Buffalo right now and frankly I don’t have the time or writing skills to do what they do. Either way, hopefully next time we’re together here recapping the Amerks we have a banner or two to talk about. Let’s Go Rochester!
Thanks for reading.
P.S. I think I’m going to go full Captain America with shield for Amerks playoff games. If you happen to come to one I’ll be one of those freaks.
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dailynewswebsite · 4 years
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Week 2 Fantasy Pickups: Priority waiver wire adds to boost your rosters
It is by no means too early to enhance a crew, folks. Profitable your fantasy league goes to require a good quantity of roster turnover. Every week all through the common season, we provide a gaggle of precedence pickups prematurely of waiver deadlines. Each participant listed right here is accessible in a majority of Yahoo leagues. Let’s add…
Operating backs to focus on on waiver wire
Coming into the yr, Hines had already established himself as one of many league’s most dependable backfield receiving choices. He delivered 107 receptions on 139 targets over his first two professional seasons. On Sunday, he added one other eight catches to that profession whole. Hines completed with 45 receiving yards and one rating in opposition to the Jaguars, including seven carries for 28 yards and one other spike. He was clearly a giant a part of the red-zone plan for the Colts…
Marlon Mack went down with a torn Achilles harm within the loss at Jacksonville, a brutal break for a top quality participant. In his absence, Hines cut up snaps evenly with completely hyped rookie Jonathan Taylor, who managed to achieve 89 scrimmage yards himself. These two complement one another extraordinarily nicely, so do not anticipate Hines to be utterly overtaken by Taylor. Philip Rivers has by no means didn’t feed targets to his operating backs. Do not be stunned if Hines manages to catch 70-plus passes within the yr forward. If he is getting 5-Eight carries every week behind the mastodons on the Colts’ O-line, that is a pleasant bonus. 
Beneficial waiver provide, assuming $100 funds: $15
You possibly can’t say we did not inform you Brown had a shot at an enormous opening week workload. He was a featured title in final week’s pickups piece and he exceeded expectations. Brown carried 18 occasions for 79 yards and two spikes on Sunday evening, plus he caught three passes for an additional 31 yards. The Rams have all the time favored him as a goal-line runner — he dealt with eight carries contained in the 5-yard line final season — and he made essentially the most of his alternatives in opposition to the Cowboys. Cam Akers noticed 15 touches within the win in opposition to Dallas, which is promising, although he gained solely 43 whole yards.
For now, Brown is the clear head of the Rams’ backfield committee. If you happen to have been a ZeroRB drafter, you gotta bounce on Brown whereas he is nonetheless broadly out there. This can function final name. 
Supply: $16
Austin Ekeler is the unmatched featured again for the Chargers, simply to be clear. Ekeler dealt with 20 touches on Sunday in opposition to Cincinnati, in a recreation that neither crew deserved to win (however one by chance did). 
Kelley, nonetheless, appeared to settle the query of which again occupies the second spot on the depth chart. The rookie dealt with 12 carries, gaining 60 yards and scoring on a nifty goal-to-go plunge. Justin Jackson solely ran the ball twice, exiting with a quad harm. After Sunday’s spectacular debut, Kelley might very nicely be taking a look at double-digit weekly touches. He is a robust runner coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at UCLA, constructed to win in short-yardage. Positively flex-worthy. 
Supply: $8
Nicely, rattling. AP can nonetheless hit a speeding lane and embarrass would-be tacklers, even at 35 years previous. He simply arrived in Detroit just a few days in the past, however he is already claimed the highest spot within the Lions’ speeding hierarchy. Peterson produced 114 whole yards on 17 touches on Sunday, averaging a wholesome 6.6 yards per carry. Rookie D’Andre Swift managed to ship a 1-yard first-half landing, however he additionally had a crushing drop on a possible late game-winning rating. Peterson was lots efficient for Washington final season, gaining 1,040 scrimmage yards on 228 touches in a largely depressing offense. He is actually value a flier in Detroit. 
Supply: $11
Extra RBs so as to add: Jerick McKinnon (nice to see him again within the recreation, with a rotational position in an awesome speeding offense), Alexander Mattison (gained 80 whole yards on 10 touches in opposition to the Pack), Peyton Barber (brutally inefficient in opposition to Philly, carrying 17 occasions for simply 29 yards, however he stumbled into the end-zone twice), Chase Edmonds (he noticed 5 targets and 6 carries, plus he made a home name in Arizona’s shock win at Levi’s Stadium).
Story continues
Extensive receivers and tight ends to focus on on the wire
Robby Anderson, Carolina Panthers (31%)
A lot for that speaking level about Teddy Bridgewater refusing to take deep pictures…
Carolina put up 30 factors in a loss to the Raiders on Sunday, and Bridgewater wasn’t precisely hyper-conservative. It is just one recreation (in opposition to a sketchy protection), however we will nonetheless really feel a complete lot higher in regards to the Teddy-Robby connection. Anderson completed with 115 receiving yards and a landing on six catches, plus he hauled in a 2-point conversion. He stays one of many league’s most harmful deep threats and game-flow will favor him as a rule. His roster-percentage is curiously low, contemplating his historical past of fantasy usefulness. 
Supply: $14
Laviska Shenault Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars (12%)
Shenault entered the NFL as a flexible, high-ceiling prospect coming off an up-and-down collegiate profession at Colorado. He was terrific as a sophomore, scoring six touchdowns as a receiver and 5 as a runner, hauling in 86 balls for 1,011 yards. He took a backward step final season, however there is no denying his upside. We heard the Jaguars have been getting artistic with Shenault in camp, then he made loads of noise within the crew’s opener…
Gardner Minshew’s 19 completions went to 10 totally different receivers on Sunday, so no member of the receiving corps had an enormous day. Shenault actually backed up his preseason hype, nonetheless, and he hardly ever got here off the sphere. The rookie calls for consideration. 
Supply: $7
Logan Thomas, Washington F.T. (2%)
Thomas entered the common season with sleeper enchantment following a buzzy camp and he actually did not disappoint within the opener. He caught 4 passes on eight targets in Sunday’s win over the Eagles, with a 6-yard landing included. Not too shabby for a former faculty QB who’s made the swap to tight finish. Loads of targets are up for grabs this season in Washington, because the crew does not actually have a longtime No. 2 receiver behind Terry McLaurin. It is hardly outrageous to think about Thomas ending a wholesome season among the many top-10 at his place in whole possibilities. He is a precedence for fantasy managers who simply misplaced Blake Jarwin to harm. 
Supply: $5
Different notable WR/TE choices: Eric Ebron (buzz retains rising about his potential red-zone position), Russell Gage (he noticed a dozen targets within the opener, one of many highest totals within the league), Parris Campbell (one other participant we’ve completely hyped who noticed a wholesome opening week workload), Jalen Reagor (returned from harm and made his presence felt early), Allen Lazard (hauled in all 4 of his targets within the win at Minnesota, with a TD included), Preston Williams (he had a quiet opener, however he noticed seven targets. Additionally, the crew will desperately want him if DeVante Parker’s hamstring harm is important).
Quarterbacks so as to add
Gardner Minshew II, Jacksonville Jaguars (25%)
We knew the setup was going to be pleasant for Minshew in 2020, however I am unsure anybody might have forecast his opening week stat line: 19-for-20, 173 yards, three TDs. He by some means related with 10 totally different receivers on solely 20 makes an attempt. If you happen to’d rostered the Indianapolis protection, trying to stream in opposition to the Jaguars, um … whoops. Gotta take the L on that one. When a quarterback has extra landing passes than incompletions, fantasy managers ought to most likely take an curiosity. Minshew could have a gunslinger aesthetic, however he hasn’t been notably reckless since taking up in Jacksonville; he solely threw six interceptions final season in 470 makes an attempt. His schedule is a present within the weeks forward: at Ten, Mia, at Cin, at Hou, Det. There’s an excellent likelihood Minshew will ship a collection of high quality fantasy performances.  
Supply: $4
Additionally addable at QB: Teddy Bridgewater (as a result of it feels as if each week is gonna be a high-scoring affair for Carolina), Mitchell Trubisky (by some means, in a recreation during which he was typically hilariously dangerous, he completed with 242 yards and three TDs. His upcoming schedule is a dream for fantasy functions, for no matter it’s value: NYG, at Atl, Ind).
Protection to think about through the wire
Washington (5%)
Soccer Crew is heading to Arizona in Week 2 for a matchup of undefeated soccer groups. <— That was a enjoyable sentence to write down. Each defenses must be in your radar for streaming functions. Washington’s D/ST occurs to be coming off an enormous fantasy week, having sacked Carson Wentz eight occasions and forcing three takeaways. Chase Younger, predictably, was an issue, a destroyer of game-plans. Washington positive looks as if a crew that is going to specialize within the very issues that feed fantasy scoring.
Supply: $1
Observe the Yahoo fantasy crew on Twitter: Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, Matt Harmon, Liz Loza, Scott Pianowski and Tank Williams. 
Take heed to the Yahoo Fantasy Soccer Forecast
from Growth News https://growthnews.in/week-2-fantasy-pickups-priority-waiver-wire-adds-to-boost-your-rosters/ via https://growthnews.in
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thisdaynews · 5 years
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Trump launches ambitious play to turn New Mexico red
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Trump launches ambitious play to turn New Mexico red
The Trump campaign has an unprecedented war chest to spend on watch-list states like New Mexico. | Patrick Semansky/AP File Photo
2020 elections
The strategy centers on wooing Hispanics in the state, which has voted for a Republican presidential candidate only once since 1992.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — John McCain lost New Mexico by nearly 15 percentage points in 2008. Four years later, Mitt Romney pulled two top staffers from the ground here with weeks to go before Election Day — admitting defeat even before Barack Obama trounced him by 51 points in the Santa Fe area.
The Land of Enchantment has voted for a Republican presidential candidate only once since 1992. With a considerable nonwhite voter population and all-Democratic congressional delegation, it’s not exactly fertile ground for a surprise GOP victory.
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But then, President Donald Trump has seldom shied away from a long-shot challenge.
Despite the Democratic Party’s statewide success here last November — winning two congressional seats up for grabs, defending a third and defeating Republican nominee Steve Pearce for the governor’s mansion — Trump and his aides are betting they can flip New Mexico next fall and expand his electoral playing field.
Their efforts begin Monday night with a campaign rally in Rio Rancho, which sits in a county Trump lost by 1,800 votes in 2016. The Hispanic-heavy city is four hours north of El Paso, Texas, where the president held a reelection rally in August that prompted campaign manager Brad Parscale to add New Mexico to his “watch list” — a list of nontraditional battleground states, including Maine, Colorado, Minnesota and Virginia, that the Trump campaign has its sights set on.
“I’ve continued to say the president’s policies are a win for Latino voters across America … and one of the first symbols of this was the El Paso rally,” Parscale told reporters on a call last week. “We saw in the data thousands of voters who did not vote for the president in 2016 show up to a rally, come listen to the president and register [to vote].”
“As we started doing polling there, we saw a dramatic increase from 2016 and I went over this with the president and he said, ‘Let’s go straight into Albuquerque,’” Parscale recalled.
Political forecasters and local officials remain puzzled by claims that Trump — with his restrictionist immigration policies, white-identity politics and below-average approval ratings — can woo enough voters to turn New Mexico in his favor.
“What we’ve seen of the president’s immigration policy has been cruel and inhumane. I think Democrats and New Mexicans, in general, are much more interested in making sure our communities feel welcome and safe,” said Miranda van Dijk, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Party of New Mexico, which is counterprogramming Trump’s rally with an event focused on “unity and diversity.”
“He’s a batshit racist,” adds Chris Luchini, a New Mexico native who sits atop the state’s Libertarian Party. “I’m very skeptical that New Mexico is up for grabs with him.”
The Libertarians of New Mexico earned major-party status in 2016 after Gary Johnson — the state’s former Republican governor, who became the Libertarian presidential nominee in the past two elections — carried nearly 10 percent of the statewide vote. Luchini contends that the party has become somewhat of a refuge for disaffected Democrats who are too conservative for the progressive politics of their state Legislature, but too appalled by Trump to reregister as Republicans.
“Traditionally, the normal thing that most political operatives have believed is that people who vote Libertarian are disaffected Republicans. That is no longer true in New Mexico,” he explained.
Luchini said he often calls voters when they reregister as Libertarian to ask what prompted the change, “and what I get on the phone calls a lot are traditional conservative Democrats who can no longer stomach being called a Democrat, but are self-selected not to be Trump voters.”
The trend he describes is consistent with the Trump campaign’s attraction to New Mexico, though questions remain about whether the current political climate here is truly advantageous for the president. His net approval rating in the state has decreased by 34 percentage points since he took office, and recent matchup polls in bordering red Texas have shown him losing to the top three candidates in the Democratic presidential field.
But Trump campaign officials say the numbers they’re looking at paint a different picture of a state in which Hispanic Catholics and rural voters feel abandoned by progressive lawmakers who have pushed to codify reproductive rights, increase taxes and mandate the creation of gender-neutral restrooms in commercial buildings. Furthermore, they maintain that the president’s actions on immigration are attractive to a particular subset of Hispanic voters who support border security or have family members who entered the U.S. legally.
That is, only if Trump can ditch the harsh rhetoric he typically employs when discussing his immigration policies and preferences, says Pearce, the failed gubernatorial candidate, who has spoken to the campaign about the president’s language in his current capacity as chairman of New Mexico’s Republican Party.
“This is a lot about tone, and you’ve got to watch that,” Pearce said. “You don’t have to be cautious about saying you want to secure the border. You just have to say it with firmness and without anger.”
Republicans in New Mexico are also eyeing retiring Democrat Tom Udall’s Senate seat as a means to boost voter turnout and help the president in 2020. Two Republican candidates have already declared — in addition to “10 different people who are interested in running,” whom Pearce says he has spoken to — though neither is viewed as particularly competitive in what is seen as a relatively safe seat for Democrats.
Still, van Dijk says Democratic activists and state party officials are “not taking anything for granted” for this cycle and will focus heavily on defending Udall’s seat and appealing to voters from every corner of the state.
“We’re really excited about supporting our eventual nominee for Senate and lucky to have an incredible county party structure,” she said. “We are in every part of our state and we’re making sure our initiatives are focused in every part of our state.”
By Parscale’s telling, Trump — who hasn’t visited New Mexico since October 2016 — has long been eager to return. Campaign officials believe that Johnson attracted tens of thousands of would-be Trump voters during the president’s first White House bid. And if they can just win over those voters this cycle, it will bring Trump closer to having five more electoral votes in his pocket.
It wasn’t until mid-August, though, that Trump himself was convinced of the idea. The president has spent months polling his inner circle about the political landscape in New Mexico, according to two people familiar with those conversations, one of whom recalled his asking an aide whether coming here would be a waste of time.
“I started talking to them — saying they shouldn’t write off New Mexico — in January. They didn’t believe that in the least,” Pearce said.
He continued: “Eventually Brad began to watch it, and three to four months ago he said he wanted to come into New Mexico and do a little something with the party, and that morphed into Don Jr. coming with him, and then the president started wanting to come about the time of his New Hampshire rally” in August.
With an unprecedented war chest, the Trump campaign has ample cash to spend on watch-list states like New Mexico, where at least a half-dozen staffers are expected to be stationed before the end of the year. If Monday’s rally meets expectations, the president could turn the state into a regular stop on the campaign trail as 2020 draws near — particularly if his prospects begin to dim in key battleground states.
“He starts off with 164 electoral votes” automatically, a Republican official familiar with Trump’s strategy recently told POLITICO. “What I would tell you is, I feel like he’s going to win Texas, but I don’t know that we have opportunities in Colorado, Virginia [or] New Mexico.”
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