FT-Pens: Seattle Sounders FC 2-2 Louisville City FC

Venue: Starfire Sports Stadium
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LINE-UPS
Seattle Sounders FC
Andy Thomas, Jonathan Bell (Antino Lopez), Stuart Hawkins, Cody Baker, Alex Roldan (Léo Chú ), Daniel Leyva, Dylan Teves (Snyder Brunell), Joshua Atencio (Sota Kitahara), Daniel Musovski, Paul Rothrock (Kalani Kossa-Rienzi), Georgi Minoungou (Osaze De Rosario).
Subs: Jacob Castro.
^{____________________________}
Louisville City FC
Daniel Faundez, Wesley Charpie (Arturo Ordoñez), Kyle Adams, Sean Totsch, Elijah Wynder, Taylor Davila, Jake Morris (Amadou Dia), Aiden Mcfadden (Jansen Wilson), Wilson Harris (Sam Gleadle), Ray Serrano Lopez (Jorge Gonzalez Asensi), Adrien Perez (Niall McCabe).
Subs: Damian Las.
MATCH EVENTS via ESPN
41' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 1, Louisville City 0. Paul Rothrock (Seattle Sounders FC) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Georgi Minoungou with a cross.
45' Substitution, Louisville City. Jorge González replaces Ray Serrano.
61' Wes Charpie (Louisville City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
63' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 2, Louisville City 0. Danny Musovski (Seattle Sounders FC) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Danny Leyva with a cross following a set piece situation.
67' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 2, Louisville City 1. Sean Totsch (Louisville City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
77' Substitution, Louisville City. Jansen Wilson replaces Aiden McFadden.
77' Substitution, Louisville City. Amadou Dia replaces Jake Morris.
78' Amadou Dia (Louisville City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
81' Substitution, Seattle Sounders FC. Kalani Kossa-Rienzi replaces Paul Rothrock.
86' Substitution, Seattle Sounders FC. Snyder Brunell replaces Dylan Teves.
87' Substitution, Seattle Sounders FC. Sota Kitahara replaces Josh Atencio.
89' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 2, Louisville City 2. Jorge González (Louisville City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner.
90' Kyle Adams (Louisville City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
90' Substitution, Louisville City. Sam Gleadle replaces Wilson Harris.
90' Substitution, Seattle Sounders FC. Antino Lopez replaces Jon Bell.
90' Substitution, Seattle Sounders FC. Léo Chú replaces Alex Roldan.
104' Substitution, Louisville City. Niall McCabe replaces Adrien Perez.
112' Substitution, Louisville City. Arturo Ordóñez replaces Wes Charpie.
116' Substitution, Seattle Sounders FC. Osaze De Rosario replaces Georgi Minoungou.
120' Penalty missed! Still Seattle Sounders FC 2, Louisville City 2. Sean Totsch (Louisville City) hits the bar with a right footed shot.
120' Penalty saved. Danny Musovski (Seattle Sounders FC) right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
120' Penalty saved. Elijah Wynder (Louisville City) right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
120' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 2(1), Louisville City 2. Danny Leyva (Seattle Sounders FC) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
120' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 2(1), Louisville City 2(1). Arturo Ordóñez (Louisville City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
120' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 2(2), Louisville City 2(1). Antino Lopez (Seattle Sounders FC) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
120' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 2(2), Louisville City 2(2). Taylor Davila (Louisville City) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
120' Penalty saved. Léo Chú (Seattle Sounders FC) left footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
120' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 2(2), Louisville City 2(3). Niall McCabe (Louisville City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
120' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 2(3), Louisville City 2(3). Snyder Brunell (Seattle Sounders FC) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
120' Penalty saved. Sam Gleadle (Louisville City) right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
120' Penalty saved. Osaze De Rosario (Seattle Sounders FC) right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
120' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 2(3), Louisville City 2(4). Jansen Wilson (Louisville City) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
120' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 2(4), Louisville City 2(4). Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (Seattle Sounders FC) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
120' Penalty saved. Kyle Adams (Louisville City) left footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
120' Goal! Seattle Sounders FC 2(5), Louisville City 2(4). Andrew Thomas (Seattle Sounders FC) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
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FT: Loudoun United FC 0-1 Louisville City FC

Venue: Segra Field
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LINE-UPS
Loudoun United FC
Hugo Fauroux, Jacob Erlandson, Keegan Tingey, Kwame Awuah (Kalil ElMedkhar), Yanis Leerman (Riley Bidois) (Nelson Martinez), Drew Skundrich, Thomas McCabe, Florian Valot, Abdellatif Aboukoura (Gavin Turner), Zachary Ryan, Wesley Leggett (Christiano François).
Subs: Justin Melly, Thomas Williamson, Dane Jacomen, Isaac Espinal.
^{____________________________}
Louisville City FC
Daniel Faundez, Arturo Ordoñez (Wesley Charpie), Kyle Adams, Sean Totsch, Elijah Wynder, Taylor Davila (Niall McCabe), Jake Morris (Aiden Mcfadden), Jansen Wilson (Amadou Dia), Wilson Harris, Ray Serrano Lopez (Jorge Gonzalez Asensi), Adrien Perez.
Subs: Sam Gleadle, Damian Las.
MATCH EVENTS via ESPN
18' Substitution, Loudoun United. Riley Bidois replaces Yanis Leerman because of an injury.
20' Arturo Ordóñez (Louisville City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
45' Florian Valot (Loudoun United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
45' Substitution, Louisville City. Aiden McFadden replaces Jake Morris.
45' Substitution, Louisville City. Amadou Dia replaces Jansen Wilson.
61' Substitution, Loudoun United. Christiano François replaces Wesley Leggett.
67' Own Goal by Florian Valot, Loudoun United. Loudoun United 0, Louisville City 1.
69' Substitution, Louisville City. Jorge González replaces Ray Serrano.
68' Substitution, Louisville City. Niall McCabe replaces Taylor Davila.
75' Substitution, Loudoun United. Kalil ElMedkhar replaces Kwame Awuah.
75' Substitution, Loudoun United. Nelson Martinez replaces Riley Bidois.
76' Substitution, Loudoun United. Gavin Turner replaces Abdellatif Aboukoura.
76' Substitution, Louisville City. Wes Charpie replaces Arturo Ordóñez because of an injury.
88' Jorge González (Louisville City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
89' Wilson Harris (Louisville City) is shown the yellow card.
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Narrated by: Perry Bishop, Aiden Snow
Series: Park Avenue Princes, Book 1
Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
Release date: 11-21-23
Boyfriend Material Audiobook By Alexis Hall cover art

1. Boyfriend Material

Narrated by: Joe Jameson
Series: London Calling, Book 1
Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
Release date: 07-07-20
4.5 out of 5 stars4,252 ratings
Ben Audiobook By Cora Rose cover art

1. Ben

Unexpected, Book 8
Narrated by: Liam DiCosimo, Alexander Cendese
Series: Unexpected, Book 8
Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
4.5 out of 5 stars8 ratings
Say Cheese Audiobook By T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod cover art

1. Say Cheese

By: T.B. Markinson, Miranda MacLeod
4.5 out of 5 stars42 ratings
Boss of Her Audiobook By Anna Stone cover art

1. Boss of Her

By: Anna Stone
Narrated by: Allie Shae
Release date: 03-06-24
5 out of 5 stars52 ratings
Regular price: $13.49
Mr. Important Audiobook By Lucy Lennox, May Archer cover art

1. Mr. Important

Honeybridge
By: Lucy Lennox, May Archer
Narrated by: Michael Dean
Series: Honeybridge, Book 2
Release date: 03-13-24
5 out of 5 stars62 ratings
On the Mountain Audiobook By Riley Hart cover art

1. On the Mountain

By: Riley Hart
Narrated by: Zane Daniels
Release date: 02-24-24
4.5 out of 5 stars87 ratings
The Tragedy of Felix and Jake Audiobook By J. Daniels cover art

1. The Tragedy of Felix and Jake

By: J. Daniels
Narrated by: Iggy Toma, Tristan Josiah
Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
5 out of 5 stars36 ratings
Husband Material Audiobook By Alexis Hall cover art

1. Husband Material

London Calling, Book 2
Series: London Calling, Book 2
Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
Release date: 08-02-22
4.5 out of 5 stars1,332 ratings
Written in the Stars Audiobook By Alexandria Bellefleur cover art

1. Written in the Stars

By: Alexandria Bellefleur
Narrated by: Lauren Sweet
Series: Written in the Stars
Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
Release date: 11-10-20
4.5 out of 5 stars1,713 ratings
No Shame: The Complete Series Audiobook By Nora Phoenix cover art

1. No Shame: The Complete Series

No Shame Series, Books 1-5
By: Nora Phoenix
Narrated by: Kenneth Obi
Series: No Shame, Book 1-5
Length: 47 hrs and 7 mins
Release date: 10-30-19
4.5 out of 5 stars433 ratings
Regular price: $29.95
Ravensong Audiobook By TJ Klune cover art

1. Ravensong

A Green Creek Novel
Series: Green Creek, Book 2
Length: 20 hrs and 18 mins
Release date: 01-24-23
5 out of 5 stars173 ratings
The Pro vs. the Fan Audiobook By Nicole Dykes cover art

1. The Pro vs. the Fan

On the Track, Book 3
By: Nicole Dykes
Narrated by: Liam DiCosimo, Tim Paige
Series: On the Track, Book 3
Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
Regular price: $29.90
Insatiable Park Avenue Prince Audiobook By Brooke Blaine, Ella Frank cover art

1. Insatiable Park Avenue Prince

Park Avenue Princes, Book 2
By: Brooke Blaine, Ella Frank
Series: Park Avenue Princes, Book 2
Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
4.5 out of 5 stars47 ratings
Clueless Puckboy Audiobook By Eden Finley, Saxon James cover art

1. Clueless Puckboy

Puckboys, Book 5
Narrated by: Iggy Toma, Alexander Cendese
Series: Puckboys, Book 5
Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
Release date: 10-06-23
4.5 out of 5 stars105 ratings
A Game of Romance and Ruin Audiobook By Ruby Roe cover art

1. A Game of Romance and Ruin

Girl Games, Book 2
Series: Girl Games, Book 2
Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
Release date: 02-20-24
5 out of 5 stars59 ratings
A (Non) Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents Audiobook By AJ Sherwood cover art

1. A (Non) Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents

Sorcerer's Grimoire, Book 1
By: AJ Sherwood
Narrated by: David Lee Huynh
Series: Sorcerer's Grimoire, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
5 out of 5 stars94 ratings
Reborn Audiobook By Seth Haddon cover art

1. Reborn

By: Seth Haddon
Narrated by: Gary Furlong
Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
About That Kiss Audiobook By Harper Bliss cover art

1. About That Kiss

Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
Release date: 09-07-21
5 out of 5 stars456 ratings
Better than Expected Audiobook By Haley Cass cover art

1. Better than Expected

Length: 4 hrs and 11 mins
Release date: 05-02-23
Regular price: $10.99
The Fixer Audiobook By Lee Winter cover art

1. The Fixer

The Villains Series, Book 1
By: Lee Winter
Narrated by: Angela Dawe
Series: The Villains Series, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
Release date: 12-05-23
5 out of 5 stars216 ratings
Middlesex Audiobook By Jeffrey Eugenides cover art

1. Middlesex

By: Jeffrey Eugenides
Narrated by: Kristoffer Tabori
Length: 21 hrs and 21 mins
Release date: 04-25-03
4.5 out of 5 stars11,155 ratings
Regular price: $33.74
The Emperor and the Endless Palace Audiobook By Justinian Huang cover art

1. The Emperor and the Endless Palace

By: Justinian Huang
Narrated by: Dylan J. Locke, Will Dao, Telly Leung
Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
4.5 out of 5 stars15 ratings
The Step Bro Situation Audiobook By Jesse H Reign cover art

1. The Step Bro Situation

The Situationship Series, Book 1
By: Jesse H Reign
Narrated by: Ellis Evans, Liam DiCosimo
Series: The Situationship Series, Book 1
Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
4.5 out of 5 stars84 ratings
Gentlemen Prefer Villains Audiobook By C. Rochelle cover art

1. Gentlemen Prefer Villains

Villainous Things, Book 2
Series: Villainous Things, Book 2
5 out of 5 stars101 ratings
You Had Me at Merlot Audiobook By Melissa Brayden cover art

1. You Had Me at Merlot

By: Melissa Brayden
Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
Release date: 01-29-24
4.5 out of 5 stars55 ratings
Yours Cruelly, Elvira Audiobook By Cassandra Peterson cover art

1. Yours Cruelly, Elvira

Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark
By: Cassandra Peterson
Narrated by: Cassandra Peterson
5 out of 5 stars2,675 ratings
Regular price: $21.83
The Monster's Pet: Collection of Books 1-3 Audiobook By Adara Wolf, R. Phoenix cover art

1. The Monster's Pet: Collection of Books 1-3

By: Adara Wolf, R. Phoenix
Narrated by: TJ Clark
Series: The Monster's Pet, Book 1-3
Length: 23 hrs and 26 mins
Release date: 01-12-24
4.5 out of 5 stars16 ratings
XOXO, Cody Audiobook By Cody Rigsby cover art

1. XOXO, Cody

An Opinionated Homosexual's Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness
By: Cody Rigsby
Narrated by: Cody Rigsby
Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins
Release date: 09-12-23
5 out of 5 stars365 ratings

FT: Toronto FC 2-0 Atlanta United FC

Venue: BMO Field
Auto-refreshing reddit comments link
LINE-UPS
Toronto FC
Luka Gavran, Kevin Long, Sigurd Rosted, Shane O'Neill (Aimé Mabika), Matthew Longstaff (Jonathan Osorio), Alonso Coello, Tyrese Spicer (Kobe Franklin), Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, Deandre Kerr (Prince Osei Owusu), Lorenzo Insigne (Kosi Thompson), Federico Bernardeschi.
Subs: Cassius Mailula, Greg Ranjitsingh, Jordan Perruzza, Ayo Akinola.
^{____________________________}
Atlanta United FC
Brad Guzan, Derrick Williams, Ronald Hernández, Noah Cobb, Tristan Muyumba Nkita, Dax McCarty, Tyler Wolff (Xande Silva), Brooks Lennon, Jamal Thiare (Daniel Ríos), Nicolas Firmino (Edwin Mosquera), Saba Lobjanidze (Derrick Etienne Jr.).
Subs: Matthew Edwards, Efrain Morales, Luke Brennan, Josh Cohen, Aiden Mcfadden.
MATCH EVENTS via ESPN
29' Substitution, Toronto FC. Aimé Mabika replaces Shane O'Neill because of an injury.
30' Kevin Long (Toronto FC) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
35' Goal! Toronto FC 1, Atlanta United 0. Tyrese Spicer (Toronto FC) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Deandre Kerr.
45' Substitution, Toronto FC. Kosi Thompson replaces Lorenzo Insigne because of an injury.
55' Substitution, Toronto FC. Prince Osei Owusu replaces Deandre Kerr.
58' Substitution, Atlanta United. Xande Silva replaces Tyler Wolff.
62' Substitution, Toronto FC. Jonathan Osorio replaces Matty Longstaff.
71' Goal! Toronto FC 2, Atlanta United 0. Prince Osei Owusu (Toronto FC) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner.
75' Substitution, Atlanta United. Daniel Ríos replaces Jamal Thiare.
75' Substitution, Atlanta United. Edwin Mosquera replaces Nick Firmino.
81' Substitution, Toronto FC. Kobe Franklin replaces Tyrese Spicer.
88' Substitution, Atlanta United. Derrick Etienne Jr. replaces Saba Lobjanidze.
^{Don't see a thread for a match you're watching? Click here to learn how to request a match thread from this bot.}

TREKMOVIE: "STSF has lined up 32 guests for this weekend from across the Star Trek franchise, including classic headliners like Brent Spiner, John de Lancie, and Gates McFadden from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Jeri Ryan and Robert Picardo from Voyager, Dominic Keating and Connor Trinneer from Enterprise, and Jeffrey Combs and Casey Biggs from Deep Space Nine.
They are also bringing in luminaries from the new shows, including Michelle Hurd and Todd Stashwick from Picard and Tawny Newsome, Eugene Cordero, and Dawnn Lewis from Lower Decks. There are also big names from behind the scenes, including Picard showrunner Terry Matalas and production designer Dave Blass. Melissa Navia from Strange New Worlds will be there, but Ethan Peck just had to cancel as he was needed on the set in Toronto. Berman said they expect to have more Strange New Worlds stars at upcoming events when the show isn’t in production.
[...]
The regional events are designed to be more intimate than the bigger show in Las Vegas. The goal is for STSF and other regional Trek Tour cons to have the celebrity guests be “interactive with the audience and make it more fun for the fans,” according to Berman. This will include special events like wine tasting with Casey Biggs, karaoke with Dominic Keating and Connor Trinneer, and an after-party on Saturday night at the Holo Lounge bar with Prodigy’s Bonnie Gordon singing jazz. Gordon is co-hosting the weekend along with Ryan Husk of The 7th Rule podcast. Gordon and Husk are also hosting a welcome party on Thursday. Husk tells TrekMovie: “I think the intimacy and special events of this new regional convention tour is going to be incredibly fun, and I’m extremely excited for it.”
[...]
The next stop for the Trek Tour in 2024 will be the big event in Las Vegas, now officially dubbed “STLV,” with Creation dropping the “58-Year Mission” branding. The event will be held August 1-4 at the Rio in Las Vegas. They have already lined up 39 guests. with headliners including William Shatner, Kate Mulgrew, Nana Visitor, Tawny Newsome, Connor Trinneer, Paul Wesley, and Ethan Peck. Many more are expected to be added to match last year’s count of over 100 guests. They are already setting up some special events including a “Broadway to the Stars” show with Discovery stars Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz.
[...]
Berman revealed the next stop on that tour will be in Chicago. They have already lined up October 25-27, 2024 for an event at the Westin O’Hare Hotel. The 2024 Chicago Trek Tour should be launched on their website after the STSF with the initial list of guests and events. According to Berman, they will be looking for lessons learned in San Francisco to help shape this next regional event."
Link:
https://trekmovie.com/2024/03/05/creation-brings-back-regional-star-trek-conventions-starting-in-san-francisco-this-weekend-chicago-in-fall/

For anyone looking for something to do this weekend, here's 22 local events you can enjoy:
Weekend Rundown of Fun: 1. Community Pint Night for Christiansburg Institute with Live Music from McFadden & Friends Eastern Divide Brewing, Blacksburg Friday, February 23, 2024, 3:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Enjoy an unforgettable night celebrating Black history with music from McFadden and Friends, a silent photo auction, raffle and fundraiser at this special event hosted by Christiansburg Institute, New River Blues Society and Eastern Divide Brewing Company. The dynamic sounds of the great and powerful McFadden and Friends will fill the air from 6:00-8:00 PM. Bid on framed, museum-quality digitized prints from the Christiansburg Institute Museum & Archives, showcasing the rich history of Christiansburg Institute and the New River Valley. And, every pint you enjoy contributes $1.00 to the important cause of supporting Christiansburg Institute. During the years of segregation in Southwest Virginia, Christiansburg Institute served the educational needs of African American students from up to fifteen counties at a time. Christiansburg Institute closed in 1966 when local public schools integrated. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773969
2. College Baseball: Rhode Island vs. Virginia Tech (Home Opener) English Field, Virginia Tech Friday, February 23, 2024, 4:00, Saturday, February 24, 2024, 4:00 PM, Sunday, February 25, 2024, 1:00 PM Admission: Free Watch the Virginia Tech Baseball Team compete against non-conference opponent Rhode Island University in their 2024 opening three-game home series of the 2024 season. Admission for non-conference games is free. Fans accessing English Field on gameday are encouraged to use free parking in Lot 16 ("The Cage"), located northwest of the stadium along Duck Pond Drive. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773959
3. Virginia Hollow in Concert Rising Silo Farm Brewery, Blacksburg Friday, February 23, 2024, 5:30 - 8:30 PM Admission: Free Virginia Hollow is a mixture of Americana, bluegrass, country, indie, and rock. A singer-songwriter band that performs songs written by lead singer Carrie Hinkley, along with an occasional handpicked cover or two. Virginia Hollow is a band and a sound born from the hills, valleys and mountains of Appalachia. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=772537
4. Friday Nights at the Farm with Music from Chloe & Stewart Scales Beliveau Farm Winery, Blacksburg Friday, February 23, 2024, 6:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Hailing from opposite ends of the state of Virginia, Chloé and Stewart met in 2012 at the Floyd Country Store, brought together by a shared interest in the music of southwest Virginia. Chloé is a classically trained cellist who is exploring traditional music; Stewart is a self-taught bluegrass banjo, guitar, and bass player. Together they play a variety of styles, but folk and bluegrass are favorite genres. Chloé and Stewart married in 2016, and they now make their home in Catawba, Virginia. Enjoy delicious food from their full service kitchen until 8:30 PM and chat over a glass of wine during our extended bar hours until 9:00 PM. Get a $5 Beliveau Buck to use during your next visit for every $50.00 you spend on Friday nights from 6:00-9:00 PM. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773622
5. February Poetry Open Mic Night Blacksburg Books, Blacksburg Friday, February 23, 2024, 7:00 - 9:00 PM Admission: Free Read your own original poetry, something by your favorite poet, or just to listen. Musicians are also welcome to come jam with the poets. No advance registration is required and everyone is welcome. Free parking is available around back. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773966
6. Wave Nite 31 featuring 17 Performances The Milk Parlor, Blacksburg Friday, February 23, 2024, 7:00 PM - 02:00 AM Ages 21 & Up: $10.00, Ages 18-20: $12.00 Sine Wave Surfers presents Wave Nite 31. Join them for the cool flows, hot fire bass and activate that next level of consciousness. Several vendors will also be on-site at the show. Must be ages 18 or older to attend. Those under 21 must enter by 10:00 PM. In addition, there will be a canned food drive for this Wave Nite. Bring a non-perishable food item for a $1.00 off on your cover charge. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773978
7. Play: "Or," Squires Studio Theatre, Virginia Tech Friday, February 23, 2024 and Saturday, February 24, 2024, 7:30 - 9:00 PM, Saturday, February 24, 2024, 2:00 - 3:30 PM General Public: $15.00, Seniors & Students: $12.00 The Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts presents the play "Or," with six performances. Liz Duffy Adams' "Or," is perhaps best described as Restoration comedy meets farce. A reflection on identity and role-playing, the work tells a fictional story about the British playwright and spy Aphra Behn. The quick pace of the play demands its three performers to deliver both verbal wit and physical gags. While set in the Restoration period, the play weaves elements and themes from the 1660s, the 1960s, and today. It is at once Restoration bawdy and 1960s groovy. The School of Performing Arts honors Aphra Behn, the first professional, female British playwright, in its Season of Empowerment. Tickets will also be available at the door, cash only, in the Squires Student Center beginning one hour prior to the performance. Note: This production contains adult language/content and a simulated (non-firing) theatrical firearm. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773917
8. Whiskey Tavern Takeover Blacksburg Wine Lab, Blacksburg Friday, February 23, 2024, 9:00 PM - 01:00 AM Admission: $7.77 In the spirit of all things spirited, Blacksburg Wine Lab is launching a new tradition on the final Friday of February, a Whiskey Tavern Takeover. From Ireland to Japan, Scotland to Tennessee, and Canada to Kentucky, celebrate the finest flavors that fermented grain mash offers. The whiskey takeover will have a slant towards celebrating all things Appalachian, including live entertainment from the New Standard bluegrass band. The Wine Lab will be closing at 8:59 PM and the Whiskey Tavern Takeover opens promptly one minute later at 9:00 PM. After a succinct sermon from the Professor extolling the virtues and history of the Uisge Baugh (water of life), the band will start at 10:00 PM, and the fun will flow until 1:00 AM. Bartenders will be featuring an array of awesome whiskey cocktails made just for the occasion, along with an expanded selection of whiskey sampler flights from around the world. Add to that, a hand-crafted menu of bourbon-inspired bar snacks, alongside heartier specialized sustenance of our region. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773647
9. Crafters and Collectors Market Southpaw Cafe & Community Space, Blacksburg Saturday, February 24, 2024, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Admission: Free The Crafters and Collectors Markets features books, clothing, accessories, and other wonderful art. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773069
10. Book-To-Film Series Kickoff with The Spiderwick Chronicles Lyric Theatre, Blacksburg Saturday, February 24, 2024, 10:00 - 11:40 AM Admission: Free Roots Realty Group and The Lyric Theatre presents the Book-To-Film Series Kickoff with "The Spiderwick Chronicles". All the Book-To-Film series of movies got their start as beloved books. Enjoy free film screenings of these fantastic film adaptations to enjoy with the whole family. "The Spiderwick Chronicles" is a 2008 action adventure, drama starring Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger and David Strathairn and is rated PG. Movie Synopsis: Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773992
11. Living Legacy of the Blues Blacksburg Library, Blacksburg Saturday, February 24, 2024, 1:00 - 5:00 PM Admission: Free The New River Blues Society, the Christiansburg Institute and the Blacksburg Library presents the program "Living Legacy of the Blues". Dive into the heart of blues music with a jam session featuring talents from the New River Blues Society and Christiansburg Institute. Receive a complimentary harmonica and immerse yourself in the rich history of blues in rural Appalachia. The dynamic presentation explores the origins and development of blues in the United States, fostering a vibrant dialogue through interactive music sessions. All ages are welcome. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773937
12. Free Acroyoga Class and Jam In Balance Yoga Studio @ VTCRC, Blacksburg Saturday, February 24, 2024, 1:00 - 3:00 PM Admission: Free Learn about the playful practice of Acroyoga in a safe environment. Acroyoga is a physical practice that combines yoga and acrobatics typically involving a base, a flyer, and spotter. No experience or partner is necessary. All ages are welcome. The first hour will be guided learning, followed by free form jam for an hour. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773891
13. Wine Tasting with Well Hung Vineyard Pete Dye River Course, Radford Saturday, February 24, 2024, 4:00 - 8:00 PM Admission: $15.00 The wine tasting includes 1oz pours from three different wines, a glass of wine of your choosing and a tasting plate. Show up anytime between 4:00-8:00 PM and tell the server you're here for the wine tasting. Reservations are not required. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773962
14. Breakfast at Noon in Concert Rising Silo Farm Brewery, Blacksburg Saturday, February 24, 2024, 5:30 - 8:30 PM Admission: Free Breakfast at Noon is a Southern Rock and Americana band that is local to Blacksburg, VA. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=772538
15. Nepal Night 2024 Haymarket Theater (Squires Student Cetner), Virginia Tech Saturday, February 24, 2024, 6:00 - 8:00 PM Admission: Free The Nepalese Student Association at Virginia Tech (NSA) presents Nepal Night 2024. Enjoy a night filled with dance, music, fashion and fun illuminating the rich Nepali culture. Nepal Night is an annual event in which members of Nepalese Student Association showcase the diversity and culture of Nepal. This year is extra special as it marks the 20th year of the Nepalese Student Association at Virginia Tech. Doors open at 5:30 PM and the show begins at 6:00 PM. A post show dinner is available for purchase at the Blacksburg Community Center starting at 8:30 PM. A limited number of tickets are available. Dinner tickets are $15.00 for non-members and $11.00 for NSA members if purchased in advance. Prices will increase the day of the event. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=774011
16. Kyle Walker in Concert The Beast of Blacksburg Pizzeria & Bar, Blacksburg Saturday, February 24, 2024, 7:00 - 10:00 PM Admission: $5.00 Kyle Walker will perform a solo acoustic show. Hear some familiar favorites, some deeper cuts, some new artists and some original music from a great local musician. Kyle Walker is an aspiring writer, musician, and D&D nerd located in Southwest Virginia. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773982
17. 70s Themed Fest with Harrison Ford Bronco, Yung Lzrd, Cherry Moon, Graybles and Mansion Mommy The Milk Parlor, Blacksburg Saturday, February 24, 2024, 7:30 PM - 01:00 AM Ages 21 & Up: $5.00 Donation, Ages 18-20: $7.00 Donation
The Milk Parlor hosts a 70s Themed Fest with five bands performing including Harrison Ford Bronco, Yung Lzrd, Cherry Moon, Graybles and Mansion Mommy. Yung LZRD is a jazz band from Blacksburg, VA. Cherry Moon is a Blacksburg-based, psych-rock band inspired by 70s psychedelia, 80s synths, and 90s grunge. Graybles is a music duo from Virginia performing stratospheric soundscapes. Mansion Mommy is a Blacksburg, VA based and Alaskan raised synth-hop duo. All proceeds go to the advocacy for survivors of violence. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the music starts at 7:30 PM. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773996
18. Mark Morris Dance Group "The Look of Love" Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg Saturday, February 24, 2024, 7:30 - 9:00 PM Adult Tickets (based on seat location): $25.00 - $65.00, Students with ID and Youth 18 & Under: $10.00 Internationally celebrated choreographer Mark Morris teams up with collaborator Ethan Iverson for this evening-length homage to the legendary late Burt Bacharach. A towering figure of popular music, Bacharach is known for soaring melodies influenced by jazz, rock, and Brazilian music — his longtime lyricist Hal David providing unsentimental, poignant lyrics. Favorites like Walk on By propel Morris’ deceptively simple, yet glorious movement. This evening-length work features original choreography by Morris and new musical arrangements by Iverson, performed by an ensemble of piano, trumpet, bass, and drums, with singer, actress, and Broadway star Marcy Harriell on lead vocals. Famed American fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi created the costumes for the production. Founded in New York City in 1980, the internationally renowned Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) has been called "the preeminent modern dance organization of our time" (Yo-Yo Ma), its members receiving "highest praise for their technical aplomb, their musicality, and their sheer human authenticity" (Bloomberg News). Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=708046
19. First Anniversary Show for Cosmic Comedy Club Lost In Taste, Christiansburg Saturday, February 24, 2024, 9:00 - 11:00 PM Admission: $7.00 Comedians Gone Rogue presents the First Anniversary Show for the Cosmic Comedy Club with beloved comics from Christiansburg, Roanoke, and Nashville. The show features comedians The Gemini Goddess, Malcom Franklin, Dustin Brown, Marques Da Mads Der Comic, See Lowe and Derek Nowlin many who performed at the very first show. Hosted by Katherine Rogue. Prepare for an out-of-this-world night filled with stellar humor and celestial entertainment. Table reservations will also be available for $5.00. For ages 18 and up. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773975
20. ESPN's College GameDay Broadcast Live Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Tech Sunday, February 25, 2024, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Admission: Free ESPN's College GameDay Basketball Show will run an hour long starting at 11:00 AM and features basketball personalities and broadcasters Elle Duncan, Andraya Carter, Carolyn Peck, Holly Rowe and Chiney Ogwumike. This will be the third of five women's basketball shows this season. It marks the first time the iconic show will be broadcast before a Hokie women's basketball game, making Tech the first-ever ACC school to host College GameDay on the women's side. There will be a Gameday sign making station outside the North Lobby of Cassell Coliseum. All signs must be approved prior to entering Cassell. To help maximize the viewing experience, fans will be asked to sit on the west side, which is behind the teams' benches. Gates will open for students on the Washington Street side of Cassell at 9:30 AM. The first 100 students at ESPN College GameDay will receive a T-shirt upon entry. Gates for the general public will open from the Beamer Way side of Cassell at 9:45 AM. Stands will be cleared after the show before the Virginia Tech Women's Basketball game against UNC that tips off at 2:00 PM. Fans who do not have a parking pass for the game against UNC are encouraged to park in the Chicken Hill parking lot (Lot 5). Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773981
21. Intro to Woodturning on the Lathe Class for Ages 16 & Older Hacksburg, Blacksburg Sunday, February 25, 2024, 1:00 - 4:00 PM Non-Members: $20.00, Hacksburg Members: $15.00 Learn the basics of woodturning! This class will cover the tools and techniques of using a wood lathe. Wood will be provided to make a small project. Advance reservations are required. Attendees under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=773899
22. Women's Basketball: UNC vs. Virginia Tech (Senior Day) Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Tech Sunday, February 25, 2024, 2:00 PM General Public: $12.00, Youth: $7.00 The Virginia Tech Women's Basketball team wraps up their 2023/2024 regular season against home schedule with ACC opponent the University of North Carolina. It's Senior Day so arrive early to cheer on your seniors in the Senior Day Ceremony before the game. Halftime entertainment will be performed by famed halftime entertainer and unicycle-riding acrobat Red Panda. If the Hokies win the game, they will clinch the regular season ACC title and the top seed in the ACC Tournament. Note: The game is sold out so tickets will have to be purchased on the secondary market. Tickets are currently $180 on both StubHub and Seat Geek. My recommendation is to wait just before game time to see if the ticket price goes down if you don't want to pay these high prices. Link: http://www.nextthreedays.com/FeaturedEventDetails.cfm?E=772358
​
For more local events throughout the NRV, check out: http://www.nextthreedays.com/featuredevents.cfm Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Introducing Maury M. McFadden – a stalwart in the culinary industry, where his ingenuity propels restaurants from mere establishments to legendary locales. As the General Managing Partner of A Taste of Power Restaurant, Bar & Lounge, and the dynamic force behind the McFadden-Finch Restaurant Consulting Group, his mark on the industry is unmistakable.

It's unconventional and a bit off format for Star Trek but I think it could work. I call it "The Crusher Diaries." Every episode is 10-15 minutes and it's Gates McFadden in character as Beverly and she reads a chapter from her grandmother's diary, She would be narrating reenactments of the scenes between Ronin and Nana. We could have a shortened PG version on YouTube and a completely uncensored no-holes-barred fuckfest PornHub exclusive for $14.99

I'm trying to put together a list of Sports Bars and Teams in greater Phoenix
I only know a few for soccer and football. Leave them or teams in other sports in the comments and I’ll add them! Also let me know if some locations have changed or closed. TY
NCAA 🏈
Big 10

1. Michigan: Bevvy - Scottsdale, Hungry Monk Chandler, Bonfire Surprise
2. Ohio State: Bottled Blonde - Scottsdale, Good Time Charlies - Chandler, Sandbar Chandler
3. Penn State: Casa Amigos Scottsdale, Long Shots Scottsdale, Matty Gs Gilbert
4. Michigan State: Wasted Grain PHX, K Odonnells Scottsdale, Brick & Barley Tempe
5. Iowa: Chauncey Social Scottsdale, Sandbar Gilbert & Chandler, Copper Door Glendale
6. Wisconsin: Loco Patron Scottsdale
7. Nebraska: Moon Valley PHX, Clancy's Scottsdale, Arena Porrs Grill Scottsdale

SEC

1. Alabama: Half Moon, PHX
2. Arkansas: Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers PHX
3. LSU: Walk Ons Bistreaux -Mesa
4. Florida: Social Tap Scottsdale
5. Texas A&M: Boondocks Scottsdale
6. Ole Miss: Cold Beer and Cheesburgers: Acadia
7. Georgia: Half Moon Cafe PHX

ACC

1. Clemson: K O'Donnells Scottsdale
2. Florida St: Half Moon Phoenix
3. Notre Dame (sorta ACC): Boondocks Tempe, Tim Finnegans Glendale
4. NC State K’Odonnells Scottsdale

PAC 12

1. USC - Balcony Bar Scottsdale
2. Oregon - Well Bar Scottsdale, McFaddens PHX
3. Washington St - Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers - Fountain Hills

Big 12

1. Oklahoma - Backyards Scottsdale, JT’s PHX
2. Texas - Thirsty Lion Tempe
3. Iowa St - The Hub PHX
4. Kansas - Wicked Brews PHX
5. OK State - Gallaghers - PHX

MAC

1. Central Michigan: Detroit Coney Grill Scottsdale

NFL 🏈 (Many from this list are 5+ years old - might need some updating)

1. Ravens: K O'Donnells - Scottsdale, Fuzzy's Peoria
2. Bills: Pullano's Glendale, The HUB Mesa, Bottled Blonde - Scottsdale, Bonfire Tempe, Santisi Bros Phx, university Bar Tempe, The Pot Acadia
3. Bears: Half Moon Phoenix, Hob Nob Chandler, El Hefe - Tempe, Rosatis Avondale, Tukees PHX
4. Browns: Gallaghers Phoenix, Cactus Jacks - Phoenix,Rosatis - Glendale, Wanderin PHX, Big Daddy's Cave Creek, Pomeroys PHX, Casa Amigos PHX
5. Cowboys: Tailgaters PHX, Final Round - Tempe
6. Broncos: Dierks Bentley - Scottsdale, Ginger Monkey Chandler, Fletcher's Peoria, The Cabin Peoria
7. Lions: The Bar PHX, Wasted Grain Scottsdale, Brick & Barley Tempe, Detroit Coney Grill - Scottsdale
8. Packers: Sandbar PHX, Casey Jones PHX, Stadium Club Chandler, Peoria Pines GC, Buffalo Chip Cave Creek, Clancy's Scottsdale, Irish Wolfhound Surprise , O'Kelley's Mesa
9. Colts: Bambinos Glendale, Salty Senorita
10. Chiefs: Pub Rock Live Scottsdale, Wicked Brews - Ahwatukee, Phat Turtle Cave Creek, Rooster Tavern Soctstdale
11. Chargers: Connoly's Grill PHX
12. Rams: MAx's Glendale
13. Dolphins: RTO Sulivans Mesa
14. Vikings: Four Peaks Tempe, The Lodge Tempe, Jupes Mesa
15. Patriots: Bevvy Scottsdale, Tosos PHX, 3rd Base Chandler
16. Saints: Angry Crab Shack PHX
17. Giants: Social Tap Scottsdale
18. Jets: Tim Finnegans Glendale, Duelies PHX
19. Raiders: Zipps Indian School PHX, Catalinas PHX
20. Eagles: Rockbar Scottsdale, Phillys Awhatukee
21. Steelers: Harold's Cave Creek, Skylanes Scottsdale, Lookout PHX
22. 49ers: Arlie's Tempe, Nandos Chandler, McFaddens Glendlae, Brass Tap Gilbert, Padre Murphy's, Wasted Grain Scottsdale, Glendale, Varsity Tavern Tempe, Desert Rose Glendale
23. Seahawks: Dave & busters Desert Ridge, Wicked Rain Gilbert, N Dub Pizza Pub Goodyear
24. Commanders: Tipsy Coyote, Uncle Bears Scottsdale
25. Bengals: 50 Shades of Rose Scottsdale
26. Titans: The Rock PHX
27. Panthers: - BKD backyard - Chandler
28. Buccaneers:: El Hefe Scottsdale Soccer ⚽️
29. Arsenal: Yucca Tap Room Tempe
30. Liverpool: Crown Public House
31. Man City: Kettle Black
32. Chelsea: O'Kellys Mesa, Patent 139 Chandler
33. Man United: George & Dragon, Level 1 Gilbert
34. Tottenham:: Fibber Magees Chandler
35. West Ham: Yucca Tap Room Tempe
36. Newcastle: O'Kelly's Mesa
37. Phoenix Rising: Walter Station
38. Real Madrid - The Desmond - PHX
39. Bayern Munich - Edelweiss Biergarten PHX
40. Barcelona - Dukes Casa Grande
41. USMNT/USWNT: Walter Station

NHL

1. St Louis Blues: Fresher’s BBQ PHX

MLB

1. St Louis Cardinals: Fresher’s BBQ PHX

I'm trying to put together a list of Sports Bars and Teams in greater Phoenix
I only know a few for soccer and football. Leave them or teams in other sports in the comments and I’ll add them! Also let me know if some locations have changed or closed. TY
NCAA 🏈
Big 10

1. Michigan: Bevvy - Scottsdale, Hungry Monk Chandler, Bonfire Surprise
2. Ohio State: Bottled Blonde - Scottsdale, Good Time Charlies - Chandler, Sandbar Chandler
3. Penn State: Casa Amigos Scottsdale, Long Shots Scottsdale, Matty Gs Gilbert
4. Michigan State: Wasted Grain PHX, K Odonnells Scottsdale, Brick & Barley Tempe
5. Iowa: Chauncey Social Scottsdale, Sandbar Gilbert & Chandler, Copper Door Glendale
6. Wisconsin: Loco Patron Scottsdale
7. Nebraska: Moon Valley PHX, Clancy's Scottsdale, Arena Porrs Grill Scottsdale, Bonfire Tempe

SEC

1. Alabama: Half Moon, PHX
2. Arkansas: Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers PHX
3. LSU: Walk Ons Bistreaux -Mesa
4. Florida: Social Tap Scottsdale
5. Texas A&M: Boondocks Scottsdale
6. Ole Miss: Cold Beer and Cheesburgers: Acadia
7. Georgia: Half Moon Cafe PHX

ACC

1. Clemson: K O'Donnells Scottsdale
2. Florida St: Half Moon Phoenix
3. Notre Dame (sorta ACC): Boondocks Tempe, Tim Finnegans Glendale
4. NC State K’Odonnells Scottsdale

PAC 12

1. USC - Balcony Bar Scottsdale
2. Oregon - Well Bar Scottsdale, McFaddens PHX
3. Washington St - Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers - Fountain Hills

Big 12

1. Oklahoma - Backyards Scottsdale, JT’s PHX
2. Texas - Thirsty Lion Tempe
3. Iowa St - The Hub PHX
4. Kansas - Wicked Brews PHX
5. OK State - Gallaghers - PHX

MAC

1. Central Michigan: Detroit Coney Grill Scottsdale

NFL 🏈 (Many from this list are 5+ years old - might need some updating)

1. Ravens: K O'Donnells - Scottsdale, Fuzzy's Peoria
2. Bills: Pullano's Glendale, The HUB Mesa, Bottled Blonde - Scottsdale, Bonfire Tempe, Santisi Bros Phx, university Bar Tempe, The Pot Acadia
3. Bears: Half Moon Phoenix, Hob Nob Chandler, El Hefe - Tempe, Rosatis Avondale, Tukees PHX, Moon Saloon PHX, Roadhouse Cave Creek
4. Browns: Gallaghers Phoenix, Cactus Jacks - Phoenix,Rosatis - Glendale, Wanderin PHX, Big Daddy's Cave Creek, Pomeroys PHX, Casa Amigos PHX
5. Cowboys: Tailgaters PHX, Final Round - Tempe
6. Broncos: Dierks Bentley - Scottsdale, Ginger Monkey Chandler, Fletcher's Peoria, The Cabin Peoria
7. Lions: The Bar PHX, Wasted Grain Scottsdale, Brick & Barley Tempe, Detroit Coney Grill - Scottsdale, Bonfire Tempe
8. Packers: Sandbar PHX, Casey Jones PHX, Stadium Club Chandler, Peoria Pines GC, Buffalo Chip Cave Creek, Clancy's Scottsdale, Irish Wolfhound Surprise , O'Kelley's Mesa
9. Colts: Bambinos Glendale, Salty Senorita
10. Chiefs: Pub Rock Live Scottsdale, Wicked Brews - Ahwatukee, Phat Turtle Cave Creek, Rooster Tavern Soctstdale
11. Chargers: Connoly's Grill PHX
12. Rams: MAx's Glendale
13. Dolphins: RTO Sulivans Mesa
14. Vikings: Four Peaks Tempe, The Lodge Tempe, Jupes Mesa
15. Patriots: Bevvy Scottsdale, Tosos PHX, 3rd Base Chandler
16. Saints: Angry Crab Shack Surprise
17. Giants: Social Tap Scottsdale
18. Jets: Tim Finnegans Glendale, Duelies PHX
19. Raiders: Zipps Indian School PHX, Catalinas PHX, Hideaway Lounge PHX
20. Eagles: Rockbar Scottsdale, Phillys Awhatukee
21. Steelers: Harold's Cave Creek, Skylanes Scottsdale, Lookout PHX
22. 49ers: Arlie's Tempe, Nandos Chandler, McFaddens Glendlae, Brass Tap Gilbert, Padre Murphy's, Wasted Grain Scottsdale, Glendale, Varsity Tavern Tempe, Desert Rose Glendale, Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers Maricopa
23. Seahawks: Dave & busters Desert Ridge, Wicked Rain Gilbert, N Dub Pizza Pub Goodyear
24. Commanders: Tipsy Coyote, Uncle Bears Scottsdale
25. Bengals: 50 Shades of Rose Scottsdale
26. Titans: The Rock PHX
27. Panthers: - BKD backyard - Chandler
28. Buccaneers:: El Hefe Scottsdale
29. Jaguars:
30. Texans:
31. Falcons:

Soccer ⚽️

1. Arsenal: Yucca Tap Room Tempe
2. Liverpool: Crown Public House
3. Man City: Kettle Black
4. Chelsea: O'Kellys Mesa, Patent 139 Chandler
5. Man United: George & Dragon, Level 1 Gilbert
6. Tottenham:: Fibber Magees Chandler
7. West Ham: Yucca Tap Room Tempe
8. Newcastle: O'Kelly's Mesa
9. Phoenix Rising: Walter Station PHX, Wicked Brews PHX
10. Real Madrid - The Desmond - PHX
11. Bayern Munich - Edelweiss Biergarten PHX
12. Barcelona - Dukes Casa Grande
13. USMNT/USWNT: Walter Station

NHL 🏒

1. St Louis Blues: Fresher’s BBQ

MLB ⚾️

1. St Louis Cardinals: Fresher’s BBQ
2. San Diego Padres: Beer Barn Gilbert

This episode is a Bonanza comedy episode in which Little Joe (Michael Landon) and Hoss (Dan Blocker) are mistaken for "the gunmen", the Slade brothers. The Slades have been hired by the McFaddens in their feud against the Hatfields in the small Texas town of Kiowa Flats. The Slade brothers are in a Texan town bar having a drink and frightening the locals. Big Jack Slade shoots somebody who bumped into him accidentally. Little Jim shoots someone in the back who tries to go up the stairs. The Slades take the card game money from the table and use it to pay their bar tab. Then they head to Kiowa Flats to perform their hired duties. The Slades happen to look exactly like Hoss and Little Joe. Never Miss An Upload, Join the channel: cutt.ly/MrPsClassicTV

I made it a mission to find the best Fish n Chips solo over the period of about 3 months.
I went to about a dozen places that I found through google maps and were rated high for fish n chips.
My highly scientific rating metrics included:

• Did they give me malt vinegar or did I have to ask for it?
• Were any tartar sauces or condiments in packets instead of bottles / serving cups?
• Did the batter fall of some slimy meat, or was it crispy and fresh?
• Was there any beer available?

To my disturbance, most places I visited did not give you malt vinegar. You had to ask for it. It became so common it made its way to the top of the rating list. I consider it a main ingredient for fish n chips.
Things like price, and amount of food, and kind of fish were lower on priority. Some fish are tastier than others, but lets be real if we're dousing it with batter, salt, and vinegar... as long as its fresh and prepped well it's gonna be good fish n chips.
And so, without further ado:
#3: King's Fish House in Orange
Pricier side, but an offer of 2 or 3 strips. Fresh fish, great crispy batter, good beer and cocktails. Large bar area. Tasty house tartar sauce. Instant seating at the bar.
#2: Durty Nelly's in Costa Mesa
One of the friendliest Irish bar's I've ever been to. Post-covid, it is one of the most active as far as Karaoke, live music, and singles meetups go. Attracts corporate types from the local area, if that's your thing.
Great beer, ambiance in the evening, reasonable prices. One big filet of icelandic cod, crispy batter, and comes with coleslaw.
#1: London Chippy's in Irvine
Located in an outside foodcourt that attracts many young professionals in the area. Includes a full bar, and plenty of tea, boba, and coffee choices if booz isn't your jam. No reservations needed here, just come in and order!
Large menu of 1, 2, 3 piece, and including shrimp. Highly recommend trying their samosas and chutney as well. The most flavorful batter, perfectly crispy and fresh.

Honorable mentions 

H.Salt Fish n Chips in Westminster
If you're in the mood for large portions, and your home-style greasy deep fried battered fish, this is the place to go. No beer, and limited seating inside with those old 1-piece style table+chair things reminiscent of old McDonalds. Order to go.
Kings Harbor Fish Market in Redondo Beach
Ok not in Orange County.... but if you're in the mood for REALLY BIG PORTIONS, this is the place to go in Southern California. The plates were not big enough for the cuts of fish n chips here.
The Abbey in Seal Beach
An eclectic main st crowd gathers here regularly. Their Trappist style beers and quality kitchen make it a serious consideration if you're in the area.

Do Not Go list 

Calico Fish House in Huntington
Food poisoning. Drunken fighting ambiance. Good times.
My fish n chips adventure will continue on. But for now I may try some home recipes. If you have any recs please share them too.

Recommendations in Comments Union Jack fountain valley simply fish costa mesa olde ship fullerton Jon's Fish Market Dana Point Turk's Dana point SeaSurf San Clemente Little Fisherman's Cypress Harp Inn Costa Mesa Side Door Corona Del Mar Michael’s fish and chips McFadden and Goldenwest Hook & Anchor Newport Beach Black Marlin Tustin 

I got bored and wrote a Razorback sci fi short story for my fantasy football league, figured I would share! It's based on my favorite football game of all time (At LSU in 2007) though I'll admit I had watch some youtube recaps to refresh the game. It's kind long but it's the offseason, what else is going on.
​
​
​
Admiral Nutt awoke with a start to a blaring voice coming from the speakers in his room. “Admiral, there is a public statement being made from the Louisiana System, originating from the starship Baton Rouge.”
“Ugh, yes, play the audio.” Nutt sauntered through his morning routine, half-listening to the press conference of his upcoming opponent, when a specific comment caught his ear.
“….let it rest. I will remain the leader of LSU. I am preparing for Ar-Kansas. I-“ Nutt cut off the broadcast with a wave of his hand.
“So he’s going with petty shots now, huh?” Every commander knew that there was more to winning a battle than electromagnetic cannons and kinetic armaments. Taunting could sometimes be very useful in enraging your enemy and breaking his concentration. But this was not one of those times. Today, there would be no distractions.
Admiral Nutt made sure that not a single thing was out of place on his uniform before entering the bridge of the WPS Fayetteville. “Sir, did you hear that Les Miles purposely mispronounced the name of our s-”
The admiral cut him off. “It’s of no matter. Let him say whatever he wants. Real taunting comes after victory is seized. That is where the true glory lies.” Nutt silently prayed to himself that his words would ring true. He approached his captain’s chair at the center of the room and looked down at the hundred or so people around him. Hard at work to the last one of them, it took a large crew to manage a star fleet that was entire light years away from Earth. Unfortunately, hard work didn’t always equal results, and the fleet representing Arkansas was not exactly the strongest it had ever been. On the contrary, this campaign season had seen his fleet lose almost as many battles as it had won. As if that wasn’t enough, they were about to face the strongest fleet in the galaxy. But none of that mattered. Not today,
Admiral Nutt looked forward onto his display and found solace in the two enormous titans at the center. The WPS Jones and the WPS McFadden were as strong as any ships in the galaxy, and the pillars of Nutt’s fleet. Any fear in the admiral’s heart was settled by looking at these machines of war. “We will not be trampled on. We will take our prize. We. will. win.”
Darren shifted around his seat in excitement. The thrill before the battle, the adrenaline ripping through his brain…this was what he lived for. Anticipation, not fear, flowed through his veins as he looked at his fellow crew members aboard the McFadden. Arguably the most powerful ship in the galaxy and undoubtedly the best among the Bruiser Class, it wasn’t difficult for Darren to feel confident. As the head navigator, he was responsible for inputting final coordinates into the computer, a job that would be significantly easier without the new guy sitting next to him.

“Do you think the captain will give an inspirational speech?” Asked Fresh Man. “What? Of course he will. Look, he’s literally standing up right now. Geez.” 

The captain was rising out of his chair, looking through a few final notes. A big, inspiring speech wasn’t completely necessary, of course, considering the position that the Arkansas fleet was in. Barring disaster, Arkansas would be able to begin on the offensive. The captain activated a microphone and began speaking to his crew.
“Brave men and women of the McFadden, our time has come. Today, we face an adversary unlike any we’ve gone against before. But it will not matter. We will be shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters at arms, and we will do them proud. We will be as strong as the great oaks that spread across the Ozarks. Soldiers of the McFadden, are you prepared to give everything that you have?” But the cheers that would’ve erupted from the crew were duly cut off by an enormous explosion that nearly knocked the commander off of his feet. Something had gone terribly wrong.
“Fall back, fall back!” Came the shouting cry from the commander’s chair. In a frantic hurry, Darren tried to decipher what he was reading on his screen. In a single distracted moment, the McFadden had failed to defend its weapons magazine. A forced shutdown of all weapons systems was initiated as the McFadden fired its engines and retreated back. The ship would survive, but the same couldn’t be said for the support convoy that the McFadden defended. All Darren could do was sit there and hope the damage would be minimal.
​
“Report!” yelled the furious admiral from his seat, face bright red in anger,
“Three auxiliaries destroyed, sir.” Came the reply from a member of the crew whose name Nutt had forgotten.

“Actually not too bad…” Nutt murmured to himself. “Crew! Tusks up! There is still a long battle ahead. Don’t forget what awaits us upon victory.” 

​
The following few days went by without major strides from either side. Some impressive maneuvering by the enemy Razorbacks had resulted in three more auxiliary ships being destroyed, but considering the overwhelming might of the enemy, most Arkansans were content with the battle’s current state. Darren sat back in his chair and looked over at the commander, as solid and as stoic as ever. A Little Rock native, the commander received control of an entire Bruiser in his first year of service, and had already brought her into the argument for strongest ship in the galaxy. Darren was just beginning to daydream about what was going to happen after this campaign season when the head of comms raised her voice to tell the captain that orders had been received from the admiral. This got the attention of the entire crew. Orders? Directly from the admiral? Orders went from the admiral to the control ship, WPS Casey, and then to the McFadden. Why were they getting them directly?

“Sir, we’ve been instructed to act as the control ship on this offensive. WPS *Casey* has been told to clear out and stay out of the way.” The head of comms informed the captain. “Admiral Nutt is instigating Wildhog protocol.” At this, the entire crew began making adjustments at their various stations. The McFadden was in no way designed to be a control ship, but there were definitely advantages to being the center of on-the-ground communication. Due to powerful jammers employed by both sides, only one ship at a time could communicate with their respective admiral. Communication would normally go to the *Casey*, who would in turn pass on the message to the rest of the ships. This added an extra level of delay to any orders. Under Wildhog protocol, however, speed would become an advantage. The *McFadden* commander initiated the attack by broadcasting an open signal into space, and the *Jones* burned its engines out to the far side of the battlefield. As expected, the Tigers reacted to the move, defending the right flank against the maneuver. But once the *McFadden* recognized the shift, it sprang into action. Engines at full throttle, it accelerated to the weakened center-left side. There were still enemy ships waiting as a contingency, but they were no match for the McFadden. Darren grinned as the juggernaut burst through the enemy line. The move working to perfection, the *McFadden* turned its nose to the prize of this strike. In unprotected space, a cargo cruiser sat with no defenses. Darren was almost jumping out of his seat when a red light started blinking on his screen. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” He said, realizing what was shooting for them. An enemy ship had reached max velocity in an almost unbelievably short amount of time, and it looked like it would reach them before missiles could be fired at the cargo cruiser. “Captain!” yelled Darren. “Interception by enemy ship!”
The captain cursed under his breath as some of the air left the room. “Tusks up soldiers, this attack was a victory yet! Maybe not the home run we wanted, but call all other ships and begin forming a line at our new position. We still gained a ton of ground.”
Darren tried not to look too dejected as he looked back onto his screen. But something was different. The warning light had gone off. The enemy ship had disappeared? “How in the world…” thought Darren, but any questions he had were quickly answered by the incoming message broadcast to the ship.
“McFadden, this is the WPS Casey, your path is open and you are clear to proceed.”
A mixture of surprise and celebration roared through the ship. Eengines at full blast, the McFadden proceeded unobstructed towards the cargo ship, now a sitting duck. The weapons team smiled as the captain waved his hand with the order.
​
“Was that the Casey bruising through our ship???” Screamed Admiral Nutt, dumbfounded as he looked at his hologram of the battlefield.

“Yes sir, it looks like the Casey folded in its comm arrays and accelerated through the enemy. I’ve never seen anything like it…a comm ship…” 

​
Darren and the crew were erupting in cheers as they flew through the wreckage of the obliterated LSU cargo ship. The battle was far from done, but this was a huge victory and moral boost for the fleet. A very specific order from the captain usually followed successes this large, so Darren turned around to look towards the middle of the room. The eyes of the captain were already on him, a grin on his face as he made a nod towards Darren. Darren grinned back as he turned towards his nav screen and input the command.
“What are you doing?” asked Fresh Man.
“Oh, just a little reminder to everyone in the galaxy watching us. Look, see how the local star illuminates part of our hull? Well, I just have to make a little roll clockwise, and adjust the yaw 33 degrees and…there. The entire starboard side is now lit up for all of the battle’s observers to see.”
“Ya, but why do you want the galaxy to see our hull?”
Darren grinned as enormous block letters spelling out “501 BOY” came into view for their intergalactic audience.
​
Admiral Miles slammed his fist through his mug, creating a mess of pieces that joined an ever growing graveyard of porcelain. “It’s nonsensical! We’re in the final stages of the battle, how do we not hold the asteroid?” Miles’ subordinates looked down at their feet. “This was supposed to be a cakewalk, we’re fighting in our own star system, for goodness sake. Do you know how long it’s been since we were defeated in our system? That wasn’t rhetorical. Pelini, answer!”
The fortifications coordinator failed to make eye contact as he meekly said, “Nineteen, sir.”
“NINETEEN! And here we are, on the cusp of complete mastery of the universe, and we have to deal with this rabble!” Miles took a breath and did his best to calm down. LSU had much bigger civilizations to face, he should not have had to pay any attention to these wild hog peoples. But regardless, this is where they were. They just had to quickly quell this offensive and the prize would be ripe for the taking. “Pelini!” barked Admiral Miles. “Prove to me you’re worth something. Give me an analysis of the attack that they’re sending at us.”
“Well, sir, it looks like they are once again engaging Wildhog protocol.”
Miles looked at Pelini with barely withheld fury and growled. “Obviously, coordinator.”
“Uh, yes, of course, sir. Six on the line, heavy right, with what looks like…erm, Mcfadden, set up as the control.” Pelini gulped at the warship’s name. Say what you will about Arkansas, that bruiser was first class. “The Jones is set up closest to McFadden, we think it likely that it will shoot out wide again. It’s far too powerful to not follow, but I will leave our center strongest, in case of a diversion.”
“Yes, we don’t want a repeat of last time…” said Miles, looking at the heavily damaged LSU Chad on his screen.
“Yes, agreed sir. Look, the attack is beginning. The Jones is indeed shooting out right!”
Miles watched intently as the attack unfolded. After the Jones accelerated right, it quickly pulled up as the feint was sniffed out. The Mcfadden began an assault very similar to earlier, but this time, an entire array of LSU ships was waiting for him. Miles smiled as the McFadden immediately pulled back and became surrounded by hardened Razorback defenders. “Much better! Not even the McFadden could escape this net. What’s our next play- wait, what was that?” Miles looked quizingly at his screen as a light shot across it, originating from the McFadden. “Is that an anti-shield shell? Where did a bruiser get lobbing capabilities? Pelini, where is that shell going? I swear, if your swiss cheese defense has exposed us...”
Pelini gulped. “Well, the shell was slightly undershot, but it still hit its mark.” He hurriedly continued as he saw the admiral’s anger swell. “Our central relay ship is directly exposed to enemy attack, but the good news is that there are no Razorbacks around to take advantage. We will have the shields back up in no time.” But a single moment later, Pelini’s face turned ghost white. “Wait, how the HECK did the Hillis get back there?!”
Admiral Nutt leaned back and smiled. An absolutely critical hit, and all possible because a bruiser was able to not just act as command center, but also lob shells. Why do we even have Casey then… Nutt thought. But that was a conversation for another time. For now, the admiral needed to focus on the battle map interface. The Hogs were holding their own. They were winning. The asteroid holding their prize was before their fleet, and a landing skiff was already on the way. With no similar Razorback skiffs in sight, LSU’s only hope was to destroy the small ship before it landed. Admiral Nutt couldn’t help but be nervous as the LSU Flynn oriented towards the skiff and released a barrage of kinematic rounds towards it. Incredibly massive and traveling at equally incredible velocities, Admiral Nutt had personally seen what these rounds would do to any hull in their way. But as he looked on his display at the trajectory of the barrage, he noticed that none of them had an intercept course with the skiff. The room went from excited murmuring to outrageous applause as the rest of the crew realized the same thing. Nutt allowed himself a single fist pump before he sat back down and prepared for LSU’s next attack. He had just started to consider a defense when his interface flashed red, and a ship blinked out. The clapping stopped immediately.
It took a minute of complete silence until a tech finally asked, “How is that possible?”
Nutt had to take a moment to muster a response. “I have no idea. Our trajectory analysis had the nearest projectile missing by thousands of kilometers. It’s impossible to get the calculation wrong, the only remotely unknown variables are the mass of the projectile and any local…bodies.” Nutt stared at the asteroid as it sat apathetically at the central focus of two entire civilizations. “I need another mass survey on this asteroid, this time using the local star as the secondary body for the orbital analysis method.”
“One step ahead of you.” said one of his lieutenants, transferring a document to Nutt’s interface. “You won’t believe this. This asteroid is over 400 times more massive than even the upper bounds of what one of this volume should be. It defies belief, there are only a few this dense in the entire known universe.”
“So the Tigers just used this asteroid’s mass to curve a shot at our skiff?”
“There is absolutely no way, sir.” Replied the lieutenant. “No one would’ve thought to check for an anomaly like this, and no one would’ve tried a shot even if they had. This had to be absolute, one hundred percent luck”.
​
Admiral Miles leaned back in his chair, chuckling a disbelieving laugh. “Well, that was lucky.” Similar reactions from his coordinators showed that they agreed.
“Both sides have sent landing skiffs, and they’ll arrive at the asteroid at similar times.” Coordinator Pelini reported. “Looks like our battle is at a deadlock.” Miles looked uneasily at his interface. A battle that should have ended with his sole control of the asteroid was now going to come to glorified hand to hand combat. But you play the cards that you are dealt.
​
Darren looked at his commander with jealousy as the captain moved through the landing skiff. The normally serious man was grinning from ear to ear, and why shouldn’t he? He was the one who was actually going to be in the action. Darren and the other hundred or so people in the skiff were just part of the support crew, handling basic operations and maintenance. As the captain began his personal preparations for landing, Darren couldn’t help but wish he was in his place.
“I don’t get it.” Said the familiar voice of Fresh Man next to him. “I understand that with the huge gravity, people in standard spacesuits would be crushed and therefore need some type of structural support system. But why this? This just reminds me of men back in the first industrial era, when they would have controlled fights in a ring. What is everyone's obsession with these metal skeletons?”
Darren cringed at the last phrase spoken. Through gritted teeth, he responded. “They’re not metal skeletons.”
“Well, whatever it is you call them.”
“THEY’RE MECHA SUITS!!!”
​
The ground of the asteroid shuttered underneath Peyton Hillis’ feet. Standing in the command module located inside the chest of a 500 yard tall metal humanoid, it took quite a disturbance for Hillis to feel it. As he turned around, he caught sight of something certainly large enough to qualify.
“Been too long since we’ve seen each other in person, aye Peyton?” Hillis looked at the familiar sight of Felix Jones.
“Technically, we’re still not face to face.” replied Hillis.
“Oh maybe not technically, but you know what I mean. Fighting in our ships near each other is one thing, but this is different. Really does feel like extensions of ourselves, doesn’t it?” Jones slapped Peyton on the back. “Don’t act like you didn’t crack an enormous smile when you found out we were going mecha.”
Hillis grinned at that. Felix was right, he had smiled for hours when the setting for the final battle was announced. “Ok fine, I’ll admit it, but only because that is literally every operator’s reaction. And besides…” Hillis made a giant leap, coming down with a hammer fist on a boulder that caused the ground to reverberate. “These things are awesome.”
“You got that right.” replied Felix. “Looks like our friends have shown up.” Hillis followed Felix’s gaze to the horizon, where a group of purple and gold mechanauts were approaching.
“Gaudy.” said Hillis.
“You have to save that word specifically for Tennessee orange, I’m afraid.”
“Impossible to argue with that.” Agreed Hillis. “Looks like our main problems are going to be Flynn and Hester, but any one of the other guys could be dangerous. Speaking of dangerous, where’s McFadden?”
“Dude, you know he’s not going to show up until we do the thing.” replied Jones.
“No, no, no, not this time. He makes us do this every time, even back at the academy. We have to tell him no, I’m not doing it.”
“Peyton,” sighed Jones.“Just do the thing.”
“I’m not doing the thing.”
“Do the thing.”
“You have to do the thing.” Came McFadden’s voice over the radio.
“See?” said Jones.
“Fine! Geez.” relented Hills. “This is absurd.” Reluctantly, Hillis joined Jones as they looked out into the wide expanse, raised their arms, and vibrated their hands at a specific frequency so that an ear screeching WOOOOOOO was broadcast across the asteroid. Well, would have been broadcasted, if there was an atmosphere for the sound waves. The lack of atmosphere meant that Hillis and Jones also had to also make the sound across their radio, a fact that made Hillis even more embarrassed.
“Sooieeeeee!” Came a noise from far off in the pitch black portion of the asteroid. Felix and Jones made the call again, which was similarly answered with another sooooooie. Continuing once more, a final hog call was heard from the darkness, followed by an extended silence.
“Do you see him?” asked Hillis. But Jones didn’t get a chance to answer as an enormous boar, taller than Jones and Hillis combined, came soaring through the sky and created a silhouette against the sun. Unmistakable with a “5” written on one side and “Arkansas Bred” across the other, the mechanical Razorback crashed in front of the mechanauts and charged at LSU.
​
“Geez, those people seriously like pigs.” Flynn said to himself.
“We have nothing to worry about.” said Hester, standing next to Flynn. But Flynn could hear the tremor in his voice, as if the words were meant to self-assure. Not that he blamed him. Looking at the two warriors of McFadden and Jones, you would be a fool not to be concerned. Not to mention that in shadows as big as theirs, powerful and overlooked enemies can lurk. Flynn wondered what role Hillis would play by the end of all this. Future events are for future selves, however, so Flynn began concentrating on the task at hand. Two armies of mechanauts lined up across from each other. Flynn eyed the Razorback life support depot located behind their lines. Destroy theirs, protect yours. Sounds simple enough. But nothing about this clash had been simple, so best not to count on that. Flynn sprinted ahead of the other Razorbacks and became the first to engage opposing Razorbacks. Multiple hogs took shots at him, but Flynn ducked and weaved until he got within reach of the battery attached to the depot. Moving quickly, he disconnected the cables connecting the two.
“If we don’t get that thing back online, we’re gonna have to retreat to the ship!” screamed Jones while fighting off two Tigers at once. But as Hillis looked around, all he saw was carnage. Not a single Razorback had made any headway through the LSU line. In a situation like this, many a lesser man would have given up and surrendered the asteroid. But not Hillis. Instead, he ran full speed forward, cut right towards the battery, and prepared for the LSU backer-of-the-line to engage him. But the engagement never came. Confused, Hillis slowed to a walk as he approached the battery and reattached it. It was as bad of a blown coverage as Hillis had ever seen. Yet, as it goes, there was no time to enjoy the small victory. On the other side of the battlefield was LSU’s own depot, and Hillis knew what he had to do. With a giant leap, he hurled over the various smaller fights and began to rush the station. This time, however, LSU was ready. As Hillis made his run, a Tiger followed him step for step the entire way, preventing any shot on the battery from Hillis’ arm cannons. Hillis took the shot regardless. He was rewarded with a flurry of sparks as his projectile hit his mark. Dumbfounded, the Tigers retreated back to make a defensive perimeter, and the Hogs were content to let them. The battle had again settled into a stalemate.
After a quick huddle, Arkansas advanced as a unified squad, fully convinced that they were every bit their enemies equal. Jones took lead, the plan being for him to grab a little ground for future strikes. Instead, he attacked like a Razorback. Striking with ease, Jones took down every Tiger that was thrown at him. When he finally was subdued, the way was paved for McFadden, who galloped through untouched and had a solid shot at the depot. Reeling, the Tigers fell back into a small circle around the station and desperately fended off McFadden. They were doing their best, but time was clearly running out. Risking a move while things were only momentarily stable, Hester broke off and made a break for the Razorback depot. He was harried the entire way, but was able to take hit after hit and keep moving. The mechanaut proved LSU’s reputation as top in the universe as he ran into position and delivered a critical strike on the Hogs. McFadden roared in anger, but had no choice but to fall back and defend the base. Hester had already run away by the time McFadden arrived, so the giant boar wheeled around and turned back towards LSU. No point wasting time. Due to the tremendous size of the pig, LSU expected a brute force attack. But McFadden opted for speed, running at a full sprint and turning the left flank.
“What! It’s against the laws of physics for acceleration like that to come from such a massive body!” Roared Miles from his space ship at no one in particular. But there was no disputing what was in front of everyone's eyes. McFadden’s speed allowed him to go on a rampage behind the lines. This time, it was his turn to destroy everything in his path. Tusks flailing in every which way, McFadden opened up giant holes in the defense that made room for Hillis and Jones. Hillis shot through the gap, lowered his shoulder, and rammed the depot head on. Jones, however, was the one who stole the show. Looking like a hero of old, Jones shoved his hands into the breach in the depot made by Hillis and, with a mighty heave, tore the station into an unusable heap.
LSU sat stunned, but only momentarily. Hungrily, they spied the Arkansas station. Their only hope was to destroy the Hogs’ station and force a mutual retreat back to space. As the inevitable attack came, the Hogs put all of their focus on stopping Hester. But LSU had other plans. Flynn cleared a space for another Tiger, LaFell, and allowed him to breach the station just like Hillis had.
“Tusks up, men!” Yelled McFadden. “We will win the day still! Just prevent the entire station from being destroyed!” But as McFadden looked up, his stomach dropped as he realized it was too late. A Tiger was already far in the air, soaring in a grand arc over the Razorbacks towards the depot. Yet as the Razorback cocked his hand back in preparation for a powerful strike, a figure rose straight in the air to meet him. “Is that…Richardson?” asked McFadden. The lesser known Razorback caught the Tiger in mid air, grabbed him by the chest, and threw him straight down with all of his strength. The crater riddled landscape received yet another cavity.
​
“They’re in full retreat!” yelled Fresh Man, cheersing a drink to anyone around him who would make eye contact. Deep below the surface of the asteroid in a pressurized cavern, the mechanaut pilots and their crew laughed and sang celebrations to the defeat of LSU. “So when do we get to see this legendary prize?”
“I’d guess right about now.” Replied Darren. “Look, the captains are all walking together towards the inner vault. Hurry!”
By the time Darren and Fresh Man had gotten there, a large crowd had already formed around the vault. Fresh Man was up on his tippy toes trying to get a better look, and Darren actually found himself doing the same. After a brief speech, the captains opened up the inner vault and disappeared inside. The quiet anticipation during their absence was replaced by an eruption of cheers as the captains walked out, supporting a giant golden trophy.
“What is it?” asked a confused Fresh Man.
“The Boot!” Screamed Darren in excitement.
“But, what is it?” returned Fresh Man.
“It’s a trophy?.. in the shape of our two star systems…”
“But that’s it? A metal trophy? Not an anti-matter weapon? Not a neutrino grenade? Not some other metaphor for an ultra powerful sci-fi related thing that follows the theme of this story?”
All Darren could do was smile to himself. “Of course you wouldn’t get it.”
​
It had been hours since the trophy had been raised on the asteroid, but the admiral’s ship was still celebrating as hard as before. Nutt hugged and patted backs as yet another chorus of “If you don’t want a tie! Richardson is the guy!” broke out amongst the crowd. Right when Nutt thought things couldn’t be any better, the door to the bridge slid open, and the entire crew of the McFadden rushed in. They were all holding miniature bats.
“We got that wood, coach! We got that wood!”

Blown Cover
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It had been a busy day, if you counted writing reports as being busy.
Alex did not, at least not in this case. It was an insufferable chore. He knew that the military had thousands of hours of sensor data that told them exactly what they wanted in the reports. He even had the security clearance to view them in secured areas - but he was on the hook for condensing it down into neat, easily digestible documents.
The worst part? Email. There weren’t even that many, just a few outlining exactly what they wanted in his initial reports about the attack by the Eohm and the events leading up to the discovery of the artifact. The ones that hit hard were from the CPP, asking for their stuff back. It just made the whole experience all the more miserable knowing that not only had he finally been cut loose from them, he’d also be without clothes shortly.
Under different circumstances he would have found that funny.
He opted to stay longer than the average eight hour shift, knowing that Carbon would be meeting with the Admiral, and timed it for roughly when he expected her to be done with that. He’d found a bench next to a decorative palm just down the hall from the nondescript entry to the ONI offices, the perforated sheet of metal somehow more comfortable than the office chair he’d been sitting in all day. Didn’t make sense, but at least he didn’t have to worry about further report writing until tomorrow.
It was about 4:30 when she walked out of the offices and, once she located the tired looking human next to a palm tree - he had not even considered if she knew what a palm tree was when he’d told her where to find him - took a seat next to him. “So, how’d it go?”
“She has gone to significant lengths to convince me that Commander Gladwell was acting out of his own volition and outside of the appropriate channels, and to ensure that such behavior will not be allowed in the future. The Admiral even had an agent from Diplomatic Security Services there to discuss the new methods they have put in place to make it more difficult for high ranking military personnel to gain access to the suites without multiple layers of authentication.”
“Commander? Ouch.” While it was only one step down in rank, that was a lot to lose for whatever he thought he was going to be doing that morning. “What's your verdict on all of that?”
“I feel it is an appropriate first step, but it has not yet changed my views. I will not impede their attempts to learn more about us through you, but I will not actively assist them. Certainly not when they retain Gladwell, even with his reduced rank.” She smoothed her jumpsuit, done discussing that for now. “How was your day?”
Alex closed his eyes and groaned. “Can we keep talking about the meeting? Or anything else?”
“It could not have been that bad.” Carbon reached over and patted his leg. “You left so early to, ah... ‘get to it.’ Did you not?”
He gave her side eye, the amount of taunting in her tone not matched at all by her words. “It was about ninety percent writing reports. When we stop talking I can still hear myself typing.”
“And the remainder?” She had dialed it back a bit, at least.
“Email and... well, it was all email, just from different sources. Which is a perfectly good excuse to not continue talking about work, because I need to go shopping.”
“Oh?” Carbon sounded surprisingly interested in that statement. “Why is that?”
“Pilot Program wants its clothes back, and they’re the ones who furnished pretty much everything I have right now.”
“That would become an issue quickly. Is there anywhere to get clothing here? Aside from the gift shop.” She stood, stretching her back.
“You went to the museum? Without me?” He played up sounding hurt about that as he followed her lead, the huge smile on his face betraying his actual feelings. “You gotta tell me what you thought of it!”
“Yes, without you. I was decompressing.” The short alien seemed entirely smug about that, turning towards the elevator bank down the hall. “It seemed to be thorough. There were no chronological gaps in what was presented that did not make sense. Much of Human methods for achieving spaceflight, and the technologies you were putting into space until recently, are fully deranged. As is your propensity for war.”
“Ah yeah, we did a lot of war.” There was no arguing with that.
“Far too much. Your first Waverider drive was worrying.”
“Oh, yeah! They really got lucky with that one.”
“It seems so.” Carbon’s tone indicated that she agreed with the assertion that luck played heavily into it functioning at all. She paused and tapped the button to call an elevator. “The display of the Hōkūleʻa was... endearing and worrisome.”
As far as Alex understood it, everybody knew about the Hōkūleʻa from school. Maybe they didn’t remember it like he did - it was a Corvin K2, after all! The original backbone of human space exploration! - but first contact was mentioned in several history classes he had taken. He tamped down that spike of excitement, not quite the place for it. “How do you mean?”
“It is-” She stopped talking as the elevator arrived, doors opening to reveal an empty lift. “As I said, it is endearing to see that first meeting between our races portrayed with joy. And it is something I wish we had approached with even half as much enthusiasm.”
They stepped in and Alex tapped the glyph to take them down to the main deck where all of the day to day commerce was. “I’m not surprised, based on... Well, everything. It’s been an uphill climb for us a few times and you’re more used to humans than most Tsla’o, right?”
“Correct.” She’d shown him some early memories of actually meeting Humans before. Most Tsla’o had probably never even seen a picture of a Human, then the disaster on Schon brought thousands of them to Empire space. “Our treaties were mostly outlining borders and formalizing how aid could be rendered in certain situations. The Confederation and our Empire never truly had a need for each other, and this was made clear in how we portrayed our only allies among the stars. And we suffer for it in the face of humanity’s kindness.”
“That’s changing though, right? Between having the Archimedes on site and all the other aid we’ve sent, and what we found with the Kshlav’o there has to be a shift going on.” The elevator stopped and dinged, the doors opening onto the main promenade. The crowds would arrive when the normal day shifts started to end, and the more tourism-focused places began shutting down for the day. For now, it was only sparsely populated.
“It is... slowly.” She shook her head, not satisfied with how fast that was happening. “Where are we going, anyway? There is actually a place to buy clothing here?”
“There’s an Uncommon down at the far end. It’s... Fine. They’re everywhere, but on stations they sell clothing intended for workers as well as the usual fashion stuff.” The name of the store could not be more ironic. He’d been to an Uncommon back in the Berkley arcology, The Valles Marineris arcology on Mars, and an actual ground floor one in London. All the same once you look away from the entrance. Now he was about to be in one on McFadden station. “It’s nice that they leave you alone unless you ask for help, but If I’m being honest I kind of don’t like shopping there.”
“What’s wrong with it?” She looked over at him, eyebrows and antenna raised in curiosity.
“Nothing, really. It’s just... Not my style.” He shrugged as they passed by the gaudy neon and steel front of The Mothership, an absurd little-green-man themed restaurant complete with ‘crashed’ UFO and saguaro cacti for that desert feel. “Lots of fancy clothes, I prefer to keep it simple.”
Carbon peeked in through the glass front doors and waved at the hostess standing behind the podium, who waved back with a wide smile. “Will they have ‘fancy’ human clothes here? I admit my curiosity to what that is, and what you’d look like wearing it.”
“Do- do you know her?” he asked, catching the end of that wave. “And no, I’m not getting anything fancy. Probably. At least no ties.”
“Not well, but I did have lunch there with my friend Emily. If you are an alien you get free dessert - it was disclosed on the menu and they honored that.” Carbon said this like it was the most normal thing in the world. “I would like to see the fancy clothes.”
He got the distinct impression that he would be getting something at least a little bit nice, despite being disinclined to do so. “Guess you were decompressing today.”
“Aside from a brief crisis of faith in my own people, I would say that I have.” She straightened up a little bit, a hint of pride creeping into her voice. “I sought out new experiences with an open heart, and I believe I have come out better for it.”
“I don’t- That’s not necessarily what I mean when I say decompress. But as long as it leaves you feeling better, good.” He had meant doing nothing, lazing around, maybe watching TV or listening to music. Reading. There was a pool on the station, but he suspected hanging out there was somewhat out of the question for Tsla’o given the ankle thing. He’d happily accept Carbon getting it done however worked for her, though.
“It has. While I still feel the weight of future endeavors, of the horrors my people are experiencing, it does not feel oppressive now.” She petered off as she was speaking, noting the tall black and white Uncommon sign at the end of the promenade, across from a bar, hemmed in on the other side by a gift shop that was starting to close up. “I know these things will come to my full attention again, likely soon. My mind feels clearer, I do not question if I will be able to make a sound choice.”
“Gotta say, that’s a lot more than I was expecting for a day off.” Maybe he should try tagging along next time. That sort of clarity sure sounded nice.
The doors slid open for them, the brightly lit interior just like all the other stores. White tile floors, everything displayed on pale wood tables or gleaming steel racks. The ceiling was lit wall to wall, save for the regular dotting of fire suppression systems and other safety features required on modern stations. It made his eyes ache. He still grabbed a steel mesh basket from the stack of them by the door.
“It was a good day.” She followed him in, squinting for a moment as her eyes adjusted to it. Carbon looked over the displays, scrutinizing the mannequins and the various branding and images of happy people doing happy stuff in the store’s current lineup of clothes, all the while perusing the multitude of options laid out aside the store’s main aisle. “All of this is intended for female Humans - ah, Women?”
“Up here, yeah. Men’s is in the back corner.”
“Curious. There is far more variety than I had expected.” She stopped in front of a display of dresses, head tilted as she took in the details, studiously ignoring all that exposed leg.
Alex hadn’t stopped when she did, and had to retrace a bit to reunite with her. It wasn’t a big store, but losing your alien in a store was probably not the best. “Want one?”
“Perhaps.” She looked up at him with a little smirk that he hadn’t seen in a few weeks. “Another time. We are here for your clothing, so we should focus on that.”
“Alright. It’s back this way.” He continued down the wide aisle, a single black line of tiles marking the primary route through the store. True to his word, and every one of their stores he’d been in so far, the comically small mens section was tucked away in a back corner. He stopped at a table full of pants, a small display noting they met all the requirements for engineering crews - rated with arc, cut, and blast protection as well as being fire resistant. Not to mention pockets for days. More than he needed, but exactly what he was used to. He crammed two of each color into the basket, then a few pairs of shorts with none of those ratings from the next table.
Carbon was studying the mannequins again. Inspecting one in its generic model pose, then looking to Alex with her ears perked slightly, mentally dressing him in the clothes on display. “Why is there so much less clothing for men? Your species has a very even gender distribution, does it not?”
“We do, and-” He paused and piled some plain t-shirts into the basket. Why is that? Uncommon was particularly bad about it, but he’d noticed that anywhere he’d bought clothes. “I don’t actually know why. Fashion, I guess?”
“The array of colors and materials are reduced as well. Is there a social taboo I am unaware of when it comes to Human fashion?” She joined him again, picking up a dark red shirt and slipping it into his basket, once more looking like she was getting away with something as she wandered deeper into the section.
Was there? That seemed like a good question. “Not that I’m aware of. It’s just kinda always been like that?”
“The difference is just... it is shocking. Our clothing does not feature such variety, so to see this divide based on gender is very unexpected.” She stopped and picked up one of the few vibrantly colored objects in this corner of the store, unrolling it to look at the pattern. “Are there subgenders that would mix elements of both?”
Fuck, she was looking at ties.
“Hey I need help picking out a belt.” Alex filed the question about subgenders away for another time as he gently set the tie back on the stack it came from and ushered her towards the back wall. It was back there, next to wallets and laces and shoe shine kits. They’d always been back there. “The CCP issue pants have tabs to adjust the waist, but these don’t have that feature.”
Carbon rolled her eyes at his behavior but went along with it, soon facing an array of leather goods. “Oh, they come in black and two shades of brown.”
The sheer amount of sass coming off her was as relieving to Alex as it was annoying. She must have been feeling better, and he would be willing to put up with quite a lot of it because of that. “Probably... black? There’s some color combinations that are supposed to go together but I don’t remember what. I’ve got a couple of belts back on earth so it’s only until I get to the rest of my stuff.”
“Alex?” The question came from behind them, and Alex recognized the deep baritone immediately. How could he not?
He turned and there was his trainer from the last phase of the Pilot program, Ed Brzezinski. Tall fellow, impossible to miss if they hadn’t been staring at the wall. Alex hadn’t been avoiding him, per se, and yes he was feeling a bit guilty about that. Had getting poached by the ONI made it worse? Vastly.
“Oh! Ed, it is good to see you again.” Carbon said cheerfully before Alex could say anything in response.
Alex pressed his eyebrows together as he processed that. He distinctly recalled Ed leaving the station before the Kshlav’o arrived to take care of a death in his family, and they had departed before he returned. Carbon had never met Ed... Not outside of Alex’s memories, anyway.
 
First Prev Next
*****
Fun fact, the saguaro cactus does not grow in the vicinity of Roswell, but Humans will recognize it as shorthand for the American Southwest because of centuries of exposure to movies, cartoons, and video games using it as such.
Tsla'o do occasionally express familiarity they do not have because of shared memories. Though with them it is very easy to say, I know so-and-so who showed me their experiences with you. Generally this is considered good - you made such an impression that it was worth sharing. You can tell pretty much immediately when it is not for a good reason.
The Corvin K2 was the first popular Waverider-equipped exploration-focused ship to achieve significant popularity. While it was not the first to market - several ships, including the Corvin Everest, were there first - it was the one with the right cost to capability ratio to take off.

FT-Pens: Cruz Azul 1-1 Atlanta United FC

Cruz Azul scorers: Moisés 20'
Atlanta United FC scorers: Thiago Almada 75'
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Auto-refreshing reddit comments link
LINE-UPS
Cruz Azul
Sebastián Jurado, Carlos Salcedo, Willer Ditta, Ignacio Rivero, Juan Escobar, Moisés (Erik Lira), Jesús Dueñas (Christian Tabó), Carlos Rodríguez, Augusto Lotti, Rodolfo Rotondi, Uriel Antuna.
Subs: Alfredo Cabañas, Josué Díaz, Luis Iturbide, Diber Cambindo, Andrés Gudiño, Cristian Jiménez, Amaury Morales, Alonso Escoboza, Kevin Castaño, Rafael Guerrero.
^{____________________________}
Atlanta United FC
Brad Guzan, Miles Robinson, Luis Abram, Ronald Hernández (Edwin Mosquera), Matheus Rossetto (Miguel Berry), Amar Sejdic (Osvaldo Alonso), Caleb Wiley (Juan José Purata), Brooks Lennon, Georgios Giakoumakis, Thiago Almada, Tristan Muyumba Nkita.
Subs: Quentin Westberg, Derrick Etienne Jr., Tyler Wolff, Aiden Mcfadden, Santiago Sosa, Ajani Fortune, Clément Diop, Noah Cobb.
MATCH EVENTS via ESPN
6' Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
7' Jesús Dueñas (Cruz Azul) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
20' Goal! Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 0. Moisés (Cruz Azul) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Carlos Rotondi with a headed pass.
27' Amar Sejdic (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
42' Ronald Hernández (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
53' Tristan Muyumba (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
63' Substitution, Atlanta United. Osvaldo Alonso replaces Amar Sejdic.
64' Substitution, Atlanta United. Edwin Mosquera replaces Ronald Hernández.
64' Substitution, Cruz Azul. Érik Lira replaces Moisés.
75' Goal! Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 1. Thiago Almada (Atlanta United) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner.
80' Substitution, Atlanta United. Juan José Purata replaces Caleb Wiley.
84' Substitution, Cruz Azul. Christian Tabó replaces Jesús Dueñas.
89' Substitution, Atlanta United. Miguel Berry replaces Matheus Rossetto.
90' Carlos Salcedo (Cruz Azul) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
90'+1' Juan Escobar (Cruz Azul) is shown the yellow card.
90'+2' Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card.
91' Goal! Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 1(1). Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
92' Penalty missed! Still Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 1(1). Carlos Salcedo (Cruz Azul) hits the bar with a right footed shot.
93' Goal! Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 1(2). Tristan Muyumba (Atlanta United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
95' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(1), Atlanta United 1(2). Ignacio Rivero (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
96' Penalty saved! Miguel Berry (Atlanta United) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
96' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(2), Atlanta United 1(2). Christian Tabó (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
97' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(2), Atlanta United 1(3). Thiago Almada (Atlanta United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
98' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(3), Atlanta United 1(3). Carlos Rotondi (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
99' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(3), Atlanta United 1(4). Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
100' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(4), Atlanta United 1(4). Uriel Antuna (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
100' Penalty missed! Bad penalty by Juan José Purata (Atlanta United) right footed shot is close, but misses to the left. Juan José Purata should be disappointed.
101' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(5), Atlanta United 1(4). Augusto Lotti (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
^{Don't see a thread for a match you're watching? Click here to learn how to request a match thread from this bot.}

FT-Pens: Cruz Azul 1-1 Atlanta United FC

Cruz Azul scorers: Moisés 20'
Atlanta United FC scorers: Thiago Almada 75'
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Auto-refreshing reddit comments link
LINE-UPS
Cruz Azul
Sebastián Jurado, Carlos Salcedo, Willer Ditta, Ignacio Rivero, Juan Escobar, Moisés (Erik Lira), Jesús Dueñas (Christian Tabó), Carlos Rodríguez, Augusto Lotti, Rodolfo Rotondi, Uriel Antuna.
Subs: Alfredo Cabañas, Josué Díaz, Luis Iturbide, Diber Cambindo, Andrés Gudiño, Cristian Jiménez, Amaury Morales, Alonso Escoboza, Kevin Castaño, Rafael Guerrero.
^{____________________________}
Atlanta United FC
Brad Guzan, Miles Robinson, Luis Abram, Ronald Hernández (Edwin Mosquera), Matheus Rossetto (Miguel Berry), Amar Sejdic (Osvaldo Alonso), Caleb Wiley (Juan José Purata), Brooks Lennon, Georgios Giakoumakis, Thiago Almada, Tristan Muyumba Nkita.
Subs: Quentin Westberg, Derrick Etienne Jr., Tyler Wolff, Aiden Mcfadden, Santiago Sosa, Ajani Fortune, Clément Diop, Noah Cobb.
MATCH EVENTS via ESPN
6' Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
7' Jesús Dueñas (Cruz Azul) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
20' Goal! Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 0. Moisés (Cruz Azul) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Carlos Rotondi with a headed pass.
27' Amar Sejdic (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
42' Ronald Hernández (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
53' Tristan Muyumba (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
63' Substitution, Atlanta United. Osvaldo Alonso replaces Amar Sejdic.
64' Substitution, Atlanta United. Edwin Mosquera replaces Ronald Hernández.
64' Substitution, Cruz Azul. Érik Lira replaces Moisés.
75' Goal! Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 1. Thiago Almada (Atlanta United) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner.
80' Substitution, Atlanta United. Juan José Purata replaces Caleb Wiley.
84' Substitution, Cruz Azul. Christian Tabó replaces Jesús Dueñas.
89' Substitution, Atlanta United. Miguel Berry replaces Matheus Rossetto.
90' Carlos Salcedo (Cruz Azul) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
90'+1' Juan Escobar (Cruz Azul) is shown the yellow card.
90'+2' Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card.
91' Goal! Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 1(1). Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
92' Penalty missed! Still Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 1(1). Carlos Salcedo (Cruz Azul) hits the bar with a right footed shot.
93' Goal! Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 1(2). Tristan Muyumba (Atlanta United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
95' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(1), Atlanta United 1(2). Ignacio Rivero (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
96' Penalty saved! Miguel Berry (Atlanta United) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
96' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(2), Atlanta United 1(2). Christian Tabó (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
97' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(2), Atlanta United 1(3). Thiago Almada (Atlanta United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
98' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(3), Atlanta United 1(3). Carlos Rotondi (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
99' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(3), Atlanta United 1(4). Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
100' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(4), Atlanta United 1(4). Uriel Antuna (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
100' Penalty missed! Bad penalty by Juan José Purata (Atlanta United) right footed shot is close, but misses to the left. Juan José Purata should be disappointed.
101' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(5), Atlanta United 1(4). Augusto Lotti (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
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FT-Pens: Cruz Azul 1-1 Atlanta United FC

Cruz Azul scorers: Moisés 20'
Atlanta United FC scorers: Thiago Almada 75'
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Auto-refreshing reddit comments link
LINE-UPS
Cruz Azul
Sebastián Jurado, Carlos Salcedo, Willer Ditta, Ignacio Rivero, Juan Escobar, Moisés (Erik Lira), Jesús Dueñas (Christian Tabó), Carlos Rodríguez, Augusto Lotti, Rodolfo Rotondi, Uriel Antuna.
Subs: Alfredo Cabañas, Josué Díaz, Luis Iturbide, Diber Cambindo, Andrés Gudiño, Cristian Jiménez, Amaury Morales, Alonso Escoboza, Kevin Castaño, Rafael Guerrero.
^{____________________________}
Atlanta United FC
Brad Guzan, Miles Robinson, Luis Abram, Ronald Hernández (Edwin Mosquera), Matheus Rossetto (Miguel Berry), Amar Sejdic (Osvaldo Alonso), Caleb Wiley (Juan José Purata), Brooks Lennon, Georgios Giakoumakis, Thiago Almada, Tristan Muyumba Nkita.
Subs: Quentin Westberg, Derrick Etienne Jr., Tyler Wolff, Aiden Mcfadden, Santiago Sosa, Ajani Fortune, Clément Diop, Noah Cobb.
MATCH EVENTS via ESPN
6' Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
7' Jesús Dueñas (Cruz Azul) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
20' Goal! Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 0. Moisés (Cruz Azul) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Carlos Rotondi with a headed pass.
27' Amar Sejdic (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
42' Ronald Hernández (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
53' Tristan Muyumba (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
63' Substitution, Atlanta United. Osvaldo Alonso replaces Amar Sejdic.
64' Substitution, Atlanta United. Edwin Mosquera replaces Ronald Hernández.
64' Substitution, Cruz Azul. Érik Lira replaces Moisés.
75' Goal! Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 1. Thiago Almada (Atlanta United) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner.
80' Substitution, Atlanta United. Juan José Purata replaces Caleb Wiley.
84' Substitution, Cruz Azul. Christian Tabó replaces Jesús Dueñas.
89' Substitution, Atlanta United. Miguel Berry replaces Matheus Rossetto.
90' Carlos Salcedo (Cruz Azul) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
90'+1' Juan Escobar (Cruz Azul) is shown the yellow card.
90'+2' Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United) is shown the yellow card.
91' Goal! Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 1(1). Brooks Lennon (Atlanta United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
92' Penalty missed! Still Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 1(1). Carlos Salcedo (Cruz Azul) hits the bar with a right footed shot.
93' Goal! Cruz Azul 1, Atlanta United 1(2). Tristan Muyumba (Atlanta United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
95' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(1), Atlanta United 1(2). Ignacio Rivero (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
96' Penalty saved! Miguel Berry (Atlanta United) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
96' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(2), Atlanta United 1(2). Christian Tabó (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
97' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(2), Atlanta United 1(3). Thiago Almada (Atlanta United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
98' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(3), Atlanta United 1(3). Carlos Rotondi (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
99' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(3), Atlanta United 1(4). Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
100' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(4), Atlanta United 1(4). Uriel Antuna (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
100' Penalty missed! Bad penalty by Juan José Purata (Atlanta United) right footed shot is close, but misses to the left. Juan José Purata should be disappointed.
101' Goal! Cruz Azul 1(5), Atlanta United 1(4). Augusto Lotti (Cruz Azul) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
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New York Giants

Hello everybody, it is my honor and privilege to present to you the New York Giants Offseason Review for another year!
For those of you who are new to my writing, consider this a formal warning that this post will be EXTREMELY long.
I will be providing a tl;dr version in a comment, which you can find <>.
And with my usual disclaimer out of the way, let's get into it!

2022 Summary

NFC East: 9-7-1 (3rd)
Before we dive into what happened during the 2022 season, I think it's important to recontextualize where the Giants were for this series last year.
Coming off a 4-13 year that saw both Dave Gettleman and Joe Judge's reigns of disasters mercifully come to an end, the Giants went into the 2022 offseason seeking new leadership throughout the building, just 4 years after a similar process brought us Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur.
That process led the Giants to Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll, hires that were pretty unanimously applauded. And both the front office and coaching staff were built out with some really strong names in support. Brandon Brown as assistant GM, Mike Kafka and Wink Martindale as Daboll's coordinators.
But this was still the team that went 4-13 in 2021, the team that was one of the worst in the league for the entirety of Gettleman's tenure, and the roster reflected that. I think my exact quote was:

Look, this is a team that is very clearly in the first stages of rebuilding. It’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be fun losing for another year. But honestly, I don’t care how many wins the team gets this year. I mean, I do, but their win total this year isn’t necessarily indicative of where this team is going.

We thought we'd be picking comfortably in the top 10 again, searching for a new QB, and really starting to see Schoen and Daboll's vision take shape.
...And then the 2022 season happened.
It started with the Giants going into halftime week 1 against the Titans down 13-0. The offense was lifeless, Daniel Jones had been strip sacked once, the defense was doing its best, but it wasn't looking good. It really felt like the start of another just brutal year for the Giants.
Then the defense came out of the 2nd half forcing two 3 and outs for the Titans, and the Giants quickly tied the game, 13-13 halfway through the 3rd quarter.
But Giants fans had seen this before. Even over the 5 years prior where the Giants stunk on ice, we'd seen them effortlessly shift between not belonging on the field, and giving us false hope only to take it away. And they did give it away, as the Titans retook the lead on the next drive. The Giants would get into the red zone with about 9 minutes left in the 4th quarter, and Jones threw an absolutely boneheaded interception that cost the Giants points.
With 5:27 left to play in the 4th quarter, down 7 points, the Giants got the ball back. And I think I speak for most Giants fans when I say, I expected them to roll over and die. But Saquon Barkley rips off a 33 yard run that put the Giants at the Titans 26. There was life. And then with 1:09 left to play, the Giants scored a touchdown.
This moment was really going to set the tone for the rest of the season, and maybe the rest of Brian Daboll's Giants tenure. He could send out the kicking team, tie the game up, and probably take us to overtime.
But he didn't. And as the offense stays on the field, I'm thinking "ah shit, here we go. Losing the game like this. I respect the balls on Daboll to go for it, that's what I would do with no consequences but if this doesn't work, people are going to have a field day with it."
He called a shovel pass to Saquon Barkley, and Barkley caught the ball and turned upfield...to stare directly at multiple Titans defenders. Somehow, by sheer power of will, he was able to power through and push into the end zone, giving the Giants the lead!
The game wasn't over though. Once again, the doubt started to creep in. There's still over a minute left to play, and I've seen the Giants blow these. And to their credit, they almost did. Tannehill started moving the ball downfield, and then attacked Darnay Holmes on 2 straight plays, one drawing a penalty on third down, and one converting for 21 yards, to put the Titans in field goal range.
And good ol' Fat Randy (Giants legend) missed the kick. The Giants won week 1 for the first time since 2016.
That was the start of what turned into a magical first half of the season, the Giants entering their week 10 bye with a 7-2 record. All 7 of those wins were by 1 score margins (though the Bears and Texans games were cleaner than the final scoreline suggests), and 5 of them came down to major plays in the last 5 minutes of the game.
In previous years, all of those late game moments were going against us. Fat Randy makes the kick, the Giants fail the 2pt conversion, or they don't get there at all against Tennessee. Julian Love sacking Baker Mayfield to force 4th and 15 against Carolina. Kayvon Thibodeaux and Xavier McKinney batting down Aaron Rodgers' passe in London. Love intercepting Lamar Jackson to set up the game winning score against Baltimore. McKinney and Love stopping Christian Kirk at the 1 yard line to secure a win against Jacksonville.
But this year was different. The vibes were better, the team was actually pulling these wins off.
And Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley, two players whose futures with the team were almost foregone conclusions coming into the year, were really leading the way on offense. Saquon was dominant through the first half of the year, and Jones was efficient and methodical in a heavy, limited, play action focused passing attack.
At this point, the idea of either player playing for a different team in 2023 seemed to go out the window.
The next 4 weeks coming out of the bye were...rough. With a tie against Washington and awful losses to Detroit, Dallas, and Philadelphia, where the Giants looked overmatched, the team finished a 6 game stretch in which they were 1-4-1. The playoff spot that looked like a guarantee starting 7-2 was no longer a guarantee at 7-5-1. But a flexed SNF game against Washington would pretty much decide the season.
And the Giants won that prime time game, largely thanks to a huge strip, scoop, and score by Kayvon Thibodeaux. They took that momentum and rolled with it, taking the Vikings down to the wire (and doing so with a revitalized passing attack that we had yet to see), a dominating win against the absolutely cooked Colts locked in the Giants' playoff spot, and a surprisingly tight and scrappy game between the Eagles starters and Giants backups gave a lot of us Giants fans some hopes as we headed into the playoffs.
We didn't expect to make a run, but a first round rematch against the Vikings seemed very winnable. And win, the Giants did, for the first time in the playoffs since their last Super Bowl victory in 2012. In classic 2022 Giants fashion, they took a lead halfway through the 4th quarter, and clutch plays on defense by Cor'Dale Flott and Xavier McKinney ended the game.
...Then we went to Philly and got absolutely dusted, ending the season.
But it was still an impressive season overall! A 9-7-1 regular season record and a playoff win is WAY more than any of us expected.
And Brian Daboll was the clear choice for coach of the year to top it all off. Daboll might be the most beloved coach in New York sports, and it's well deserved. We feel like this coaching staff is the right one. And we've felt that way before, but this time it came with a playoff win.
Now entering the offseason, the Giants came armed with very little cap space, and their lowest 1st round draft pick since (again), 2012, and a roster that still needed significant improvements.

Roster Changes

Players Lost/Cut

Player	Position	New Team (Contract Details; Click to go to OverTheCap)
Julian Love	DB	Seattle Seahawks (2 yr, 12m)
Nick Gates	IOL	Washington Commanders (3 yr, 16.2m)
John Feliciano	IOL	San Francisco 49ers (1 yr, 3.25m)
Richie James	WR	Kansas City Chiefs (1 yr, 1.1m)
Fabian Moreau	CB	Free Agent
Jaylon Smith	LB	Free Agent
Kenny Golladay	WR	Free Agent

Moment of silence for Kenny Golladay here, please. Thank you.
Now, you may have noticed, there's not a lot of important names here. You're probably wondering why I listed vaunted names like John Feliciano, Richie James, Fabian Moreau, and Jaylon Smith.
Well, John Feliciano started most of the Giants' season at center. Richie James was 3rd on the team in targets, T-1st in catches, 2nd in receiving yards, and T-1st in receiving TDs for the 2022 Giants. Fabian Moreau and Jaylon Smith were signed off the street and were important pieces on defense. Moreau started 11 games for the Giants and played 82% of snaps, Smith also started 11 games and played 72% of snaps.
I love Nick Gates (#NastyNickGates #NickGatesVsTheWorld), but he didn't play much coming off of his gruesome leg injury suffered in 2021. I would have loved to have kept him, but he got the bag and I love that for him. And honestly, it doesn't change the Giants team too much.
Julian Love is really the only significant loss here. He'd been a do it all player on our defense and was consistently healthy and available. The Giants explored retaining him, but he found a new home in Seattle.
Players Acquired/Retained

Player	Position	2022 Team (Contract Details; Click to go to OverTheCap)
Daniel Jones	QB	New York Giants (4 yr, 160m)
Andrew Thomas	OT	New York Giants (5 yr, 117.5m)
Dexter Lawrence	DL	New York Giants (4 yr, 90m extension)
Darren Waller	TE	Las Vegas Raiders (4 yr, 52m)
Bobby Okereke	LB	Indianapolis Colts (4 yr, 40m)
Saquon Barkley	RB	New York Giants (1 yr, 11m)
Rakeem Nunez-Roches	DL	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3 yr, 12m)
Darius Slayton	WR	New York Giants (2 yr, 12m)
A'Shawn Robinson	DL	Los Angeles Rams (1 yr, 4.6m)
Parris Campbell	WR	Indianapolis Colts (1 yr, 5m)

The Giants had limited money, and returned more production than they did the previous year.
The Giants went into free agency with three main goals:

1. Retain the players that made their 2022 season so successful.
2. Add speed and explosiveness, especially on offense.
3. Fix up one of the league's worst run defenses.

Schoen tackled #1 aggressively immediately.
In fact, from 2010 to 2022, the Giants gave 2nd contracts to just 3 players they drafted: JPP, Odell Beckham Jr., and Sterling Shepard. In 2023, Schoen gave 2nd contracts to 5 players that were drafted by the Giants: Daniel Jones, Dexter Lawrence, and Andrew Thomas got their mega deals, Darius Slayton got a cheap deal to come back, and Saquon Barkley was tagged.
Then there was the Saquon Barkley situation. The Giants reportedly offered Saquon a deal worth 12-12.5m per year during the bye week. Saquon declined. The Giants reportedly upped their offer after the season to 13m with incentives to reach 14m. Saquon declined again. While the Giants wanted to sign Saquon to an extension so they could use the franchise tag on Daniel Jones, Saquon held firm, which forced the Giants' hand in signing Jones and tagging Saquon. Joe Schoen made it clear to Saquon Barkley and his camp that the offer would expire should they have to use the tag on him.
Talks continued through the summer, but Joe Schoen followed through on his threat to pull the previous offers. As the July 17th deadline for an extension loomed, reports were that both sides wanted to reach an agreement, but they were not close enough on what the compensation should be. In the end, the July 17th deadline came and went, with reports indicating that the two sides were multiple million dollars off in AAV and guarantees. The Giants' final offer was reportedly 11-11.5m AAV (notably, less than their previous offers) with 22m guaranteed, and Saquon decided to turn that deal down as well.
So we all expected him to sit out camp and show up for week 1. He went on a podcast and talked about how he felt frustrated, he didn't feel like the team properly understood his value, gave him playecontract comparables that didn't properly represent him as a playehis value to the team. And understandably so. Saquon has basically been the Giants for the last 5 years. Through all of the crap Giants fans went through from 2018-2021, he was kind of the shining star. Even when he was out for the year with a torn ACL in 2020 and when he was struggling to come back from it in 2021, fans still had a lot of faith in him and he still was viewed as the best player on the team bar none.
Saquon also talked about the nuclear option: Sitting out all year. We never really thought this was a realistic possibility, it's not in Saquon's ethos as a person. He's always been a team first guy and puts that foot forward in public. He wouldn't play for the fans or for the organization, but for his teammates mostly. And after the deadline came and went, people started to get worked up about that possibility.
But true to the original expectation, Saquon did report to camp on July 25th. With a slightly reworked 1 year contract in tow. Yes, while the deadline for a long term extension came and went, the rules still allow the two sides to come to an adjusted 1 year contract.
In this case, Saquon got basically an additional $1m in incentives added to his contract for 1350 rushing yards, 11 TDs, and 65 receptions. For reference, he had 1312 rushing yards, 10 total TDs, and 57 receptions in 2022, meaning none of those incentives are Likely To Be Earned and affect the Giants' salary cap in 2023. Reportedly these incentives also include a clause that the Giants have to make the playoffs for them to vest. According to Mike Tannenbaum, the last time a tagged player got MORE money on a 1 year deal post tag deadline was Edgerrin James in 2005.
I'll also give a quick highlight to Dexter Lawrence here. For my money, he was THE best interior DL in the NFL top 3 at MINIMUM, and did it from the A gap twice as much as any other player in the NFL. He was straight up dominant. And Schoen was smart to lock him up before his 5th year option kicked in.
Of course, the day before this post was scheduled to go up, Schoen made news again, with Andrew Thomas signing a 5 year 117.5m contract extension. This is another EXCELLENT piece of business by Joe Schoen. After a bumpy first half of his rookie year, Thomas has been ascending, culminating in being a top 3 LT in the NFL last year (order him, Tunsil, and Trent however you want). He has become a rock for a really bad Giants OL, and locking him down now, well in advance of when they have to, helps the Giants mitigate his cap hits over the course of his now 7 year contract term.
And of course I'll give the requisite flowers to Daniel Jones, who played smart and safe football all year and helped the Giants offense run when other pieces of it were falling apart; injuries to WRs, poor OL play, etc all reared their ugly heads in 2022, and Jones handled it well. My personal opinion incoming: his play in 2022 didn't deserve a 40m AAV extension, but if this is the start of something new for him, I'd feel a lot better about it. And it being an upwards trend instead of the downwards trend of the first 3 years of his career is for sure helping.
It didn't take Schoen long to attack #2 either. The Giants were dead last in explosive passing play rate last year, and were honestly one of the worst teams in that regard over the last DECADE. Only a handful of teams since 2010 had as few explosive (20+ yard) passing plays as the 2022 New York Giants had. Even the abysmal Jason Garrett offense teams had more! So Schoen went to work.
He quickly retained Slayton, tagged Saquon Barkley once Jones signed, and added Parris Campbell to add another explosive option on offense. And he traded a 3rd round pick (the one he got back for trading Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs, which also helped the Eagles lose the Super Bowl) for Darren Waller, who has been one of the premiere explosive play options in the game (when healthy) for the last few years. Check that one off.
As for #3, the Giants were one of the worst run defenses on a yards per carry basis in 2022. So Schoen went out and added A'Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, two strong run defending DL, to the rotation to help add depth and keep Dex and Leonard Williams fresh. And more importantly in my opinion, he added a bona fide linebacker in Bobby Okereke, so the Giants no longer had to start Jaylon Smith and Jarrad Davis.

2023 NFL Draft

If you want explanations on the players drafted, I wrote the Defending the Draft post over at NFL_Draft again this year. I'm going to leave the link to that here to keep this post a liiittle shorter.
Primary Needs Entering the Draft:

1. CB, WR, IOL, LB
2. S, RB, EDGE

Pick	Player	Position	College
1.24	Deonte Banks	CB	Maryland
2.57	John Michael Schmitz	OC	Minnesota
3.73	Jalin Hyatt	WR	Tennessee
5.172	Eric Gray	RB	Oklahoma
6.209	Tre Hawkins	CB	Old Dominion
7.243	Jordon Riley	DL	Oregon
7.254	Gervarrius Owens	S	Houston

Cliff Notes: Schoen got aggressive this year, trading up twice to secure Deonte Banks and Jalin Hyatt. He came away with possibly 3 first round players in the top 100, at positions the Giants desperately needed help at.

Projected 53 Man Roster

Starters are BOLD
QB (2): Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor
RB (3): Saquon Barkley, Matt Breida, Eric Gray
WR (6): Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell, Jalin Hyatt, Cole Beasley, Jeff Smith*
TE (4): Darren Waller, Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager*, Chris Myarick
OL (9): Andrew Thomas, Ben Bredeson, John Michael Schmitz, Mark Glowinski, Evan Neal, Tyre Phillips, Josh Ezeudu, JC Hassenauer, Jack Anderson*
DL (5): Leonard Williams, Dexter Lawrence, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Ryder Anderson, Jordon Riley*
EDGE (5): Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari, Jihad Ward, Oshane Ximines, Tomon Fox
LB (5): Bobby Okereke, Darrian Beavers, Micah McFadden, Cam Brown, Dyontae Johnson
CB (6): Adoree' Jackson, Deonte Banks, Darnay Holmes, Cor'Dale Fott, Tre Hawkins, Amani Oruwariye
S (5): Xavier McKinney, Dane Belton, Jason Pinnock, Bobby McCain, Nick McCloud
ST (3): Graham Gano, Jamie Gillan, Casey Kreiter
PUP: Wan'Dale Robinson, Sterling Shepard, Marcus McKethan, A'Shawn Robinson
Starred players are my best guess first men out when their PUP counterparts get back. Smith for Wan'Dale/Shep, McKethan for Jack Anderson, Riley for A'Shawn Robinson.
Beasley in particular is an interesting one because he was taking a healthy number of first team reps at the first training camp practice on Wednesday. So I wonder if the Giants will want to carry 7 WRs if all 7 of them are healthy at one point. Then maybe Lawrence Cager is on the outs as a "big WR" type TE that we wouldn't need anymore.

Training Camp Battles

Now that the Giants actually have depth, training camp battles are hopefully going to be fun again!

• LG

I think this one will go to Ben Bredeson, but I'd like to see Josh Ezeudu get in the mix and at least earn some rotational reps. He was the 67th pick in Schoen's first draft with the team, and I'd like to see some return on that investment. That said, Bredeson was pretty good in 2022, so it's not the end of the world if he wins the job (as opposed to Ezeudu losing it).

• WR

The Giants WR room is a mess. All 6 of the players I listed could realistically be major contributors, and I'd expect to see the usage change week to week. I'm hoping to see Hyatt work his way into the lineup sooner rather than later, but the Giants have the depth to let him sit and develop.
The other interesting thing to look out for here is whether Wan'Dale Robinson and/or Sterling Shepard have to start the year on PUP. If so, that opens up roster spots for guys like Collin Johnson, Jeff Smith, Jamison Crowder, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, or recently signed Cole Beasley to really make a late push in camp.

• LB2

Bobby Okereke is obviously a lock to be LB1, but the group behind him is basically just as bad as it was for the Giants last year.
Darrian Beavers was actually in line to start at LB for the Giants last year before tearing his ACL in camp. He has also been the primary LB2 in camp through a couple of days.
Micah McFadden (who was a higher draft pick) also has a chance to earn that spot. Or could someone like UDFA Dyontae Johnson step up like Mr. Irrelevant Tae Crowder did?

• Slot CB

I have Darnay Holmes pencilled in for this one, he's been the primary slot corner in camp so far, but he stinks. He got picked on frequently last year, and the holding/DPI penalties on 3rd downs that allowed offenses to stay on the field got real old, real fast.
I'm hoping that Cor'Dale Flott will be able to get in there, as he was drafted to be a nickel defender. But some rumors have been floated that suggest the Giants now see him as a better fit on the boundary.
The "forgotten man" in this battle is Aaron Robinson. Robinson was a 3rd round pick (71st overall) in 2021 and profiled as a prototypical slot defender. Injuries cost him most of his first two seasons, including a partially torn ACL and a torn MCL in 2022.
The Giants also have some other options if they're really pressed. Zyon Gilbert was a UDFA last year who filled in in the slot at times last year. I don't think he'll make the 53 but if he balls out at camp, or as a PS callup in a pinch, he's an option. Adoree' Jackson has experience in the slot and the Giants could kick him inside in nickel and let a more boundary profile guy step in like Amani Oruwariye or if they think Flott is a boundary corner.
The Giants need a stable presence in the slot, and they might not have one right now.

• S2

With the loss of Julian Love, the safety spot opposite Xavier McKinney is completely open. Pinnock and Belton both played a bit last year and had their ups and downs. Most often they played as deep cover safeties.
McCain is a vet who you kind of know what you'll get from. He's not very good in the box but has a history of ball production as a free safety.
And Nick McCloud, formerly a CB who Schoen claimed from Buffalo last year and was actually serviceable in 2022, has now been converted to safety this offseason. He probably profiles better as a more in the box safety.
The Giants frequently ran 3 safety sets last year to help take LBs off the field, but how they handle it this season will be interesting to watch. A lot of it depends on how Wink decides to use McKinney this year. Last year he used McKinney in the box most often, so the deep safety guys probably would have a leg up. But with Okereke in the fold, maybe Wink feels comfortable with moving McKinney out of the box more often.

• RB2

With Saquon officially reporting to camp, this battle gets a little less interesting. But it's still important, because Saquon's effectiveness historically is at its highest in Games 1-4 and Games 13+, while the middle 8 games tends to bring a slump of sorts. Having a quality backup for him to take some reps will be a big help to keep him fresh and smooth out his season.
Matt Breida was RB2 last year, he's been in this offense already, and he brings some of the explosive play potential that you usually would lose with Saquon being off the field.
Eric Gray is 5th round rookie who is a natural and violent runner. He would make sense as someone to help spell Saquon in short yardage type situations and keep Saquon fresh for the things only Saquon can do.
Gary Brightwell was also with the team last year, and will be fighting for a roster spot overall. Historically he makes the roster on special teams, but if he can show more chops on offense, he has a shot.
The Giants also signed James Robinson this week, and if he looks healthy (according to the Patriots beat, he did not), he has a real shot as well.

Storylines to Watch

• Can Daniel Jones prove he's a $40m QB?

A lot of Giants fans will probably collectively sigh or try to call me out for making this storyline #1, but it's important! And I don't think that I should just get up here and tell everyone "see Daniel Jones is good, he barely topped 200 passing yards per game, only threw 15 TDs, but he didn't turn the ball over at all really! And he added all the production he's missing in the pass game in the run game!"
I'd say that my evaluation of best case scenario for him from last year's post was correct; a trailer, not a truck, someone who wasn't hurting the team, but wasn't necessarily lighting it up carrying the team.
The Giants gave Jones a big contract that locks him in as their QB for the next 2 years. It's on Jones to prove them right and prove that he's worth that investment. Or else things go off the rails real quick for the Giants.

• Development of Young Players

Joe Schoen has now had two draft classes under his belt, and it's important that we see those picks start to pay off. The 2022 class was a bumpy one; Kayvon Thibodeaux was pretty solid, but not the difference maker we're hoping he'll be. Evan Neal struggled to start the year, got hurt, and then struggled to rebound from that injury and just overall had a bad year. Wan'Dale Robinson was starting to catch on before tearing his ACL. Ezeudu and Flott didn't really get in the game much.
For the future of the team's success, it's important to start seeing additional returns. It's been the Giants' MO recently for guys to have their best year their rookie year and never really recapture that. The Giants need to see some of these draft picks develop into quality players and help fill in the foundation that guys like Daniel Jones/Andrew Thomas/Dexter Lawrence are building.

• Close Games

The Giants were in a lot of close games last year and came out on top a seemingly disproportionate amount. Including the playoff games, the Giants played 19 games.
14 of them were 1 score margins. And in those games the Giants were 9-4-1. And one of those losses was that Week 18 game where the Giants rested their starters and the Eagles played their starters. In the 5 other games, the Giants were 1-4.
Like I said before, not all of those games were really 1 score close type games, but generally it seems a little lucky. I'm interested to see if that can be sustainable, or if the Giants can win more games that don't come down to the wire.

• Explosive Plays on Offense

The Giants rushing attack was actually towards the top of the league in explosive plays. But their passing attack was one of the worst we've seen at creating explosive plays in a long time.
A big part of the reason why the Giants scoring offense ended up being around league average in scoring this year is because they simply didn't turn the ball over. The Giants had the lowest percentage of drives ending in turnovers in the NFL last year; that's another thing that I wonder about its sustainability.
For this offense to take off and propel the Giants to success, it needs to become more explosive and rely less on long, clock eating drives to score.

• Was 2022 A Mirage?

Brian Daboll was deservingly named Coach of the Year last year and Wink Martindale's Defense came up big in big moments. Their coaching was a huge impact on the Giants' success in 2022. But how sustainable will that prove in 2023?
The Giants offense over the first 9 weeks was "feed Saquon Barkley and play against common knowledge tendencies". The Giants ran the ball early and often, including when down late in games and needing a score. And after the bye week, it seemed that defenses started to catch onto that strategy. This necessitated a change, which Daboll and Kafka did make, but the Giants offense still struggled at times. It will be interesting to see how much of the Giants' success in 2022 was predicated on that first half offense that was figured out, and how much the development and improvement of the roster will be able to overcome if the coaching is not "Coach of the Year" level.
Wink Martindale's defense came up huge in huge moments all throughout the year, but they really weren't a special unit. Middle of the pack in scoring defense, but did give up a lot of yards, and especially in the run game. Where the Giants defense really stood out was on 3rd down and in the red zone, where the Giants ranked 5th and 10th respectively. Is that something that will be consistent for them? Can Wink's scheme continue to bolster a defense that still needs reinforcements? Or will he really need some of the young talent on this defense to step up?
Add all of that to a few of the breakout/success stories the Giants had in 2022. We talked about Daniel Jones a little already. Will Dexter Lawrence continue to be one of the best defensive players in the NFL, or was 2022 just a huge contract year? Can Saquon Barkley recreate his success from 2022, or will the injury bug/post-ACL tear slumps get him, or will his contract status hang over his head all year?
Proving that 2022 was the start of the future and not just a 2016-esque flash in the pan will be a critical goal for the 2023 Giants.

Schedule Prediction

I'm going to do a shorter segment on this than years' past, just give a rundown of the Giants opponents with an "I literally did not think about this at all I just said win or loss" guess about whether the Giants should win or not.
Week 1: SNF vs DAL: Loss
Week 2: @ ARZ: Win
Week 3: TNF @ SF: Loss
Week 4: MNF vs SEA: Win
Week 5: @ MIA: Win
Week 6: SNF @ BUF: Loss
Week 7: vs WAS: Win
Week 8: vs NYJ: Win
Week 9: @ LV: Win
Week 10: @ DAL: Loss
Week 11: @ WAS: Win
Week 12: vs NE: Win
Week 13: BYE
Week 14: MNF vs GB: Win
Week 15: @ NO: Win
Week 16: @ PHI: Loss
Week 17: vs LAR: Win
Week 18: vs PHI: Loss
That would be 11-6, and that would be a bit of a surprise to me also, not gonna lie. I was not expecting to say that going into this exercise. I feel very strange advocating for that after so many years of me being the doomer "maybe we'll win 6 games if we're lucky." I don't feel like the Giants roster is good enough to be favored in 11 games, and I don't think that the Giants look like an 11 win team on paper.
There's definitely some tossups in there, I think that GB, NE, NYJ, MIA in particular are tough games that the Giants could for sure lose; I bet that a lot of fans of those teams read that and immediately rushed to the comments to say that they'd kick the Giants' asses. The "expected value" win numbers I have done in the past probably would be closer to .500, as I probably have more wins here than I'm really confident in.
But I think that the Giants should operate like they can and should expect themselves to win those games against fairly "equal" opponents.
I think that's important considering the things the Giants have done this offseason; they should view this as a season where they assert themselves as a good team. They may not do that, but they should approach this season that way. Last season was a step up into being a team you have to take seriously again after being a laughingstock for so long. This year should be another step up into being a team that we look at over the summer and go "yep that's a playoff team."
I think anything less than 8-9 wins would be kind of a wake up call, like maybe we rushed this and we're not really as good as we wanted to think we were after 2022. Not that it would be a failure that would cost people their jobs really, but just a signal to pump the brakes and continue to build this thing from the ground up instead of trying to take shortcuts based on one successful year.
But realistically, the Giants should think that this coaching staff will get the most out of the players on the roster and assert themselves as a year in year out playoff team. Not necessarily a Super Bowl contender yet, the roster still has its question marks, but by this time next year, we should be talking about the Giants as a team we just expect to make the playoffs.
If you've made it all the way to this point, thank you so much for reading this and powering through my overly wordy and meandering writing. As always, this is a really fun post for me to write every year and I'm thankful for the opportunity to come back and write it again.
And as always, if you have comments, questions, corrections, proclamations, etc, definitely drop them here!