fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
‘Primal’ S1E4 review- Things to fear under a blood moon
By: Dhinoj Dings
Tags: Movies, Film, Pop Culture, Entertainment, TV Shows

representative image/ Photo by Luke Tinker from Pexels

When the blood moon rises, things go seriously wrong. Any self-respecting horror movie fan would know this. And ‘Terror under the blood room’ is the episode with the strongest horror vibe so far.

The episode starts with Spear and Fang, or rather Spear sitting atop Fang, being chased by a flock of velociraptors. And by flock, I mean FLOCK since there are too many raptors to count.

One of the most visually intriguing sequences happens when our heroes flee into what appears to be a dried corn field and then use the field as a hideout to take the raptors by surprise.(My knowledge of the world’s fauna is less than optimal. So, there’s fair chance it’s not a corn field after all.)

But once they come out in to the open, they are once again surrounded by the raptors- who are painted in an appropriately fiery red.

It looks like this is the end of the road for our heroes. But then, dusk falls, and the blood moon rises. The raptors get scared and they scram.

Spear and Fang move ahead in their destination-free journey only to encounter their next foes- fantastical flying beings that look like a cross between a demon from hell and a garden variety bat.

At one point, some of these creatures carry Spear to the lair of a giant spider, perched atop a mountain.

Fang daringly goes in search of Spear.

This is something of a reversal of roles- in one of the previous episodes, we see Spear going out of his way to help Fang escape the ..err…fangs of viciously poisonous snakes.

We humans have the tremendous potential to shape our environments for the better(which is essentially the reversal of what’s happening right now).

The idea that a good turn from Spear now gets reciprocated by Fang seems to remind us of this fact. If we are benevolent to our fellow creatures, we can also expect the same. A karmic rule which mystic traditions extoll.

Also, the idea of good begetting good is here played out by an animal- that too, one we humans understand as the most reptilian.

By virtue of this, Tartakovsky once again asks us the question about what differentiates humans from other animals.

You could argue that the velociraptor pose something of an answer to this question- after all, they relentlessly purse Fang and Spear without anything resembling compassion, something that humans won’t do, right?

But then, when he is hungry, we often see Spear also remorselessly killing innocent animals. Not necessarily because he is a bad human but because that’s how creatures on God’s earth behave- when they are hungry, they do whatever they can to eat.

As ever, the question only seems to get the same answer, over and over again: When it comes right down to it, the difference between humans and animals- in terms of behavior- is negligible.

One might think that arriving at the same answer repeatedly might be redundant.

But the ways in which the filmmakers undertake the exploration that seemingly leads to this answer are never less than thrilling.

More, please.
[5x6] Outlander Season 5 Episode 6 — Tv Series
Tags: 5x6, Outlander, TV Series, TV Shows, Television

[5x6] Outlander Season 5 Episode 6 — Tv Series

Outlander Season 5 Episode 6 / Better to Marry Than Burn

WATCH FULL EPISODE : https://t.co/9XfbSg1J9w?amp=Outlander-Season-5-Episode-6

“Outlander” spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history, and adventure. It follows Claire, a married WWII combat nurse, who mistakenly steps back in time to year 1743 where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world of adventure that sends her on the run and threatens her life. When Claire is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, it ignites a passionate affair that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Overview

The story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
Travel Show Pivots to Livestream Spa & Beauty Treats: Stay Happy and Healthy During the “Corona-cation”.
By: Candy Holladay
Tags: Fashion, Livestream, Beauty, Health, TV Shows

Y’all may have heard that we were spa-ing and shopping our way across the USA, to produce Style Holladay a shopping channel meets Travel Channel show and supplement to Life’s A Holladay podcast. But something happened along the way: the coronavirus.

Two weeks ago I wasn’t worried. I’ve been upping my immune system since way back and it just seemed like it couldn’t touch me. But now, worries that I could inadvertently catch the dang thing whilst traveling and become a carrier — means I grounded myself.

Doesn’t it seem surreal? It’s as if we’re all in a science fiction movie. Normally bustling towns, attractions, offices even my beloved spas and shops practically abandoned. I saw last night (as I was Netflixing “The Great British Bake Off”) that the movie “Outbreak” was a top download — jeez!

Roadtrip To Be Continued. . .

What could I do? I felt bad for the sick, the homebound & the businesses that have helped me in my endeavors. Kapow! It hit me, I had learned to livestream for the shopping show and had to switch platforms due to the um, failure to launch well, with the first choice.

The new platform allows me to co-livestream with spa & style experts no matter where in the world they are. So why not livestream WITH the spas remotely? Social distance, check, not spreading germs, check, bringing the spa virtually to y’all, check, check!

We’re broadcasting Spa Treats, Healthy Cooking, DIY Beauty Treats, Fashion Episodes and Travel Tours, it’s a Corona-Spa-Cation! Some shows will even be shoppable. Because we’ll be live, be sure to subscribe to our Spa Suitcase eletter for heads up on upcoming episodes.

You can watch the livestream live on CandyHolladay.com, Art of the Spa facebook, Candy Holladay youtube and partner facebook pages. Playbacks will be available for select episodes.

Until this madness finds a resolution, may we all build and find strength, comfort and joy — and spa time- with each other.

Spa cheers, Candy

PS If you’re interested in collaborating on a spa, healthy, beauty or fashion live experience, or have a spa, product or topic you’d like to see on the show, contact me at SpaWithCandy(at)SpaBrunch.com. Sample episode available.
Outlander 5x6 “2020” Premiere Temporada 5 capítulo 6 Full (HD)
Tags: 5x6, Outlander, TV Series, TV Shows, Television

Outlander 5x6 “2020” Premiere Temporada 5 capítulo 6 Full (HD)

Outlander Season 5 Episode 6 / Better to Marry Than Burn

WATCH FULL EPISODE : https://t.co/9XfbSg1J9w?amp=Outlander-Season-5-Episode-6

“Outlander” spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history, and adventure. It follows Claire, a married WWII combat nurse, who mistakenly steps back in time to year 1743 where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world of adventure that sends her on the run and threatens her life. When Claire is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, it ignites a passionate affair that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Overview

The story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
‘Outlander’ Season 5 Episode 6 ; Official ~ Starz
Tags: Outlander, Season 5 Episode 6, TV Series, TV Shows, Television

‘Outlander’ Season 5 Episode 6 ; Official ~ Starz

Outlander Season 5 Episode 6 / Better to Marry Than Burn

WATCH FULL EPISODE : https://t.co/9XfbSg1J9w?amp=Outlander-Season-5-Episode-6

“Outlander” spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history, and adventure. It follows Claire, a married WWII combat nurse, who mistakenly steps back in time to year 1743 where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world of adventure that sends her on the run and threatens her life. When Claire is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, it ignites a passionate affair that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Overview

The story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
« 4x5 » Cardinal Season 4 Episode 5 — CTV Television All Access
Tags: 4x5, Cardinal, TV Shows, Stay At Home, Covid 19

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Cardinal is a Canadian crime drama television series, which was first broadcast on January 25, 2017, on CTV (in English) and Super Écran (in French).[1][2][3] The series adapts the novels of crime writer Giles Blunt, focusing on police detective John Cardinal (Billy Campbell) and his partner Lise Delorme (Karine Vanasse), who investigate crimes in the fictional city of Algonquin Bay.[3]

Across six episodes, the first season adapts the novel Forty Words for Sorrow,[4] which focuses on the investigation of the murder of a young girl.[1] On February 28, 2017, CTV renewed Cardinal for a second and third season, each containing six episodes.[5] The second season adapts Blunt’s third Cardinal novel, Blackfly Season, while the third adapted the novels By the Time You Read This and Crime Machine, the fourth and fifth novels in the series.[5] Episodes from the second season premiered a day in advance of their television broadcast on on-demand service Crave TV.[6]

Filming on the third season completed in July 2018,[7] and the season began airing on January 24, 2019.[8] CTV announced that the programme had also been renewed for a fourth season, which will be its last. Internationally, the series is broadcast on BBC Four in the United Kingdom, C More in Scandinavia, Calle 13 in Spain, Hulu in the United States, SBS in Australia, Magenta TV in Germany, Canvas in Belgium and Channel 11 in Israel.

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April — Media Digest. Books
By: Francesco Puppo
Tags: Cinema, Books, Movies, Reading, TV Shows

Books

The New York Trilogy — Paul Auster

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Three post-modern detective stories about fortuity, coincidences, obsession, and much more.

Each novel starts as a classic detective case but it soon moves to focus on the themes from above and how the main character gets lost in them: the mystery is no longer the subject and it’s replaced by the human mind. And that’s what makes this book great.

Science — Ewan McEwan

A collection of speeches and articles from Ewan McEwan talking about literature and science. It’s the perfect book to keep on the drawer and read a few pages every day and I think I will buy more books from this series.

Guns Germs and Steel — Jared Diamond

Currently reading

From Wikipedia: “A transdisciplinary book [that] attempts to explain why Eurasian and North African civilizations have survived and conquered others, while arguing against the idea that Eurasian hegemony is due to any form of Eurasian intellectual, moral, or inherent genetic superiority.”

A mind-opening book, often compared to Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari but really, there is no comparison.
Sex And Intelligence Are Not Opposites
By: Edward Anderson
Tags: Books, Controversy, Pop Culture, TV Shows, Television

Sex And Intelligence Are Not Opposites

Image from Showtime

There’s a fine line between love and lust. Anyone who’s been in a relationship will say as much. Most will also argue that men are way more lustful than women are.

However, there are women who like to see a man with his shirt off, and perhaps with far fewer clothes on than is typically accepted by society. Some shows take advantage of that and have their lead actor naked as much as possible.

Outlander is one of the series that features a lot of male nudity. And one executive says that is the reason for the popularity of the show. That statement angered the author of the books and she fired off a retort on Twitter that let everyone know what she thought.

Showtime Controversy

In the TV business, capturing a young audience is the main goal. Some channels cater to males like CBS and others serve the female audience like ABC. Premium channels like HBO and Showtime need to find shows with broad appeal. HBO’s Game of Thrones had mass appeal and became a global phenomenon. Showtime has a similarly popular show, Outlander.

Both series are based on outlandishly popular series. Outlander follows the story of Claire a nurse-doctor who is also a time traveler. During one of her adventures, she falls in love with Jamie Frasier. An epic romance if ever there was one.

The show is a huge hit for Showtime and at the Television Critics Association, CEO Jeffrey Hirsch made a faux pas. He said the audience only watched the show for the nude scenes with leading man Sam Heughan.

Outlander — you can say that it’s great because women like it because she’s a surgeon who goes back in time, but there’s also another side of that, which is there’s some eye candy for that audience and people like when [Heughan] has his shirt off. You have to be really thoughtful about when you’re looking at a piece of content and whether it’s really going to be female or not. And it’s not easy.

It sounds like Mr. Hirsch is insulting the audience. Or calling them hornballs.

Author Backlash

Diana Gabaldon, the one who wrote the books on which the TV show is based, sounded off about the insults. She said that while women watch the show, they are usually watching with their partner. In her fan mail, she claims that people talk more about the intelligence and the acting more than the lustful aspect. “What they mostly say they like is the intelligence of the story and the complexity and strength of the relationship between Jamie and Claire. They also love the visual beauty of the show and the emotional depth of the acting.” It would make sense the audience was responding more to the romance than anything else. Gabaldon made a suggestion to Hirsch: “If you’re looking for a place to lean in, though, I think maybe ‘intelligence” might be a good place to start.”

She also said, “I can’t say I see a lot of people talking about Jamie with his shirt off unless it’s mentioning the shock and poignancy of his scars.” It’s a fair point for her to make.
How I Came To Love The Atlanta Hawks
By: Kiarra Blount
Tags: Atlanta, Basketball, NBA, Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks Logo

Growing up I didn’t watch any sports until I began to watch them with my brother. As a child, my mom and my grandmother were huge Atlanta Hawks fans, but he was a Celtics fan because of Kevin Garnet. Given that most of my family were Hawks fans my brother and I was not. The very first basketball team that I was a fan of was the Detroit Pistons. At the time I was a fan, I was amazed by Rip Hamilton’s mask and just thought it was so cool that he played with a huge mask on his face.

After Rip retired, I stopped being a Pistons fan and became a Hawks fan. The first time I saw the Hawks play I didn’t know any of the players or who Dominique Wilkins was. It wasn't until my older brother taught me everything I needed to know about my new team that I knew who anybody was on the team. After my brother taught me who everyone was and their position, I picked my new favorite player which was Joe Johnson.

I absolutely loved Joe Johnson. The way he made his shots look so effortless and the way he could make a three from almost anywhere made him my favorite player. I also fell in love with the funny way Al Horford shot the ball making him my second favorite one the team.

Being a Hawks fan is almost like being a Falcons fan. It has its ups and downs, but it's hard to turn your back on them. I will never forget where I was when my team made the Eastern Conference Finals. I cried and shouted like we won the NBA Finals. I cannot wait to feel that same feeling with my new Atlanta Hawks. This new Hawks team is completely different from the old Hawks team that I grew to love.

The current team is faster, younger, and flashier. Having two superstars like Trae Young and John Collins has really given us a team that we can be in the running for the playoffs and maybe finals for years to come. Travis Schlenk has done a great job in drafting and in free agency by putting such a young team together, making sure that we will have a lot to look forward to in the future.

My love for my Atlanta sports teams runs deep, but for my Hawks, it runs deeper. I have grown to love this team throughout the years and I cannot see myself loving any other team. Whether if we are having a losing season or a winning season, I have always remained true to my Atlanta Hawks.
Back at it again — Writing and Hoops!
Tags: Basketball, Pickup, Sports, Wim Hof Method, Achilles

It has been a long time since I’ve written. I have definitely missed it. However, I believe I have been filling my old writing time with something else healthy — the Wim Hof Method.

I have been using the Wim Hof Method breathing for methoditative practice everyday. It is typically one of the first things I do when I wake up. Coincidentally, that is one of my best writing times.

In addition to the breathing, I have been doing ice baths in a friend’s modified chest freezer whenever possible. That process has been exhilarating. For those of you who have not heard of this, you can make an incredibly cold ice bath by caulking the seams of a chest freezer, filling it with water, and putting the power on a timer.

From a basketball perspective, I have not been very active to a nagging Achilles injury. In December and November I did physical therapy which was very helpful. I took November completely off from basketball. To keep up my cardio (and to not go insane), I started riding the Peloton at my office as often as possible.

In December I started playing again cautiously, and all seemed fine until one morning I re aggravated my Achilles chasing a cross country runner around. Since then, I have changed my prerogative on healing, opting for movement and heat over ice thanks to this Kelley Starrett video. Don’t get me wrong — I will still ice baths whenever possible for the positive impacts on the rest of my positive and mind, but I’ll be sure to get blood flow to my right Achilles as quickly as possible afterwards.

Tonight, my team starts a new league game. We moved down a level to competition more appropriate for the team we assembled, although the competition at this level is still supposedly pretty stout compared to normal pickup basketball. There are teams that consist of entirely former college players. Our team will have one former D3 player — me — and I’m injured.

On a different note, I have a recommendation when starting a league team (which a lot of people will find to be a no-brainer). Last season, I trusted my potential teammates on their word at the beginning of the season and I fronted the money for the team. A few people paid, but a lot of the guys who weren’t from my work decided not to show up for most of the games after the first one, and opted not to pay. This caused financial havoc as well as havoc trying to field a team each week. This season, I said I would not be signing up until the funds were Venmo’ed to me beforehand. It solved at least the financial problems, and I suspect we will have less issues fielding a team each week.

Our team has a very different make up from the previous season, consisting mostly of players from our pickup games. I am reticent about playing with so many people who have never played organized ball, so I’m viewing as an opportunity to practice leadership.

I’ll update on how the league goes!
How the Jacob Evans III point guard experiment has fared midway through the season
Tags: Sports, NBA, Golden State Warriors, Basketball

In the first frame, he misses Alec Burks who is wide open in front of him at the baseline and would’ve had an easy bucket had Evans made the pass rather than attempting a shot which gets blocked by Clarke. In the second frame, Evans drives against 6'9, Naz Reid, and completely overlooks Eric Paschall cutting beside him to the rim, instead, tripping himself up and turning the ball over. In the final frame, after running PNR with Marquese Chriss, who finds a bit of separation from Hasan Whiteside in the middle of the lane, Evans is unable to get him the ball and throws up a wild floater.

Passing

Evans’ passing and playmaking this season has been very up and down. After showcasing his ability on that end in a Summer League environment where he had full reign to play freely, he’s had some difficulty adjusting to playing in a limited NBA bench role. It was expected that he would accrue a good amount of turnovers as he gains familiarity in this new position, but the concern with him right now has been the inconsistency. At times he is too conservative with the ball, turning down more difficult and creative passing options, opting instead for making a short and safe pass to a nearby player. At other times he plays way too aggressively, forcing passes that have a very low chance of converting for anything. So far he has notched 21 assists with 23 turnovers, which is good for the worst TO ratio on the team, 14.6.

However, there have been moments where we’ve some of his passing capabilities. He just needs to become a lot more consistent and learn to pick his spots better, playing within the flow of the game.

Shot Selection

Related to drives, this has been the most concerning aspect of his game so far. Evans will constantly take a shot he doesn’t need to be taking, and even worse he’s turning down one’s he should for them.

This is how his field goals are broken down by area this season:

Restricted Area: 28.6% (4/14) — Team-worst

In The Paint (Non-RA): 32% (8/25)

Mid-Range: 27% (10/37)

Corner 3: 60% (3/5)

Above The Break 3: 31.8% (7/22)

What’s even more staggering is it seems for Evans, the more dribbles he takes, the worse his shot gets:

0 dribbles: 43.3% (13/30)

1 dribble: 35.7% (5/14)

2 dribbles: 30.0% (6/20)

3–6 dribbles: 22.6% (7/31)

7+ dribbles: 12.5% (1/8)

He’s become very attached to his midrange shot. This is obviously something he’s extensively worked on during the off-season and to be fair to him, when it debuted in the Summer League it actually looked quite good. Unfortunately, in the regular season, he’s been unable to recreate its success noted by the fact he’s shooting 27% on them.

This is a shot he’s comfortable with and has shown the ability to make, so him taking them, in general, is not a huge area of concern. But it is when he’s passing up open 3s, which he’s shooting 38% on, for them.
Designer Spotlight: Michael Jordan Tribute
By: Sanja Komljenovic
Tags: Design, Basketball, Netflix, Marketing, Art

Harskamp’s tribute to Michael Jordan is incredibly moving, as the NBA faces closures in the wake of COVID-19. The cancellation would make 2020 the first year without a basketball champ since 1946. Additionally, ESPN + Netflix released The Last Dance, a series evoking nostalgia for basketball fans across the globe. Robb speaks further about both Michael Jordan’s legacy and his work as a designer:

Can you speak to the timing of this piece?

Since the NBA season has been postponed and most sports are on hold, The Last Dance, was a wonderful thing to look forward to. In case you don’t follow sports, The Last Dance is a 10 part series about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 1997 season, as the Bulls tried for their 6th NBA Championship in 8 years. This is significant to me because I grew up watching the Chicago Bulls religiously. This was a great peek behind the curtain with what really happened and a great flashback to why I fell in love with watching Michael Jordan.

What inspired this graphic?

I’ve always been interested in the aesthetic of sports jerseys. I’ve been drawing them since I was a kid, really. So for this graphic, I wanted to be classic and really pay respect to Jordan’s career.

Advice for designers who are passionate about sports?

If you’re a designer interested in the sports industry, now is a challenging time since most sports are at a standstill, but I would say do your research on who is doing what. There are a lot of options, from working in-house with teams or with agencies that do brand campaigns and marketing for teams. Take advantage of this slow time and do some self-initiated projects about things that you’re passionate about — and share them on social. Be true to who you are and have fun with it.

You can see more of Robb’s work at:

Harsky.com

@harsky
Why Stephen Curry is the Second Greatest Point Guard of All-Time
By: Nibodh Vallapureddy
Tags: Opinion, Basketball, Controversial, NBA, Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry has been one of the most influential athletes of all time. His on and off the court actions have captivated the hearts of millions of NBA fans around the world. His size frame is relatable to what an average person has as he is not a super tall and muscular athlete. Yet, his play on the court has been dominate and he has been unquestionably a top-five NBA player from the past decade. However, when it comes to his place on the all-time NBA rankings, I along with many feel as if he is consistently over-looked by top-tier NBA analysts and organizations.

Stephen Curry, however, at this current time, is the second-best point guard in NBA HISTORY. Many NBA legends and older analysts, however, can not get over this fact, which is mind-numbing. Players like Shaq and Charles Barkley constantly cite the fact that he is “soft” and would never have survived in their eras. The fact of the matter is that Stephen Curry is a two-time MVP, a three-time NBA champion, and the greatest shooter of all time. Analysts and players don’t look at how he has revolutionized the game of basketball on the court and instead make fun of his size.

Three players who are his “competition” for the second-best point guard are Oscar Robertson, John Stockton, and Isiah Thomas. In terms of accolades, Steph clearly has the advantage. The three of these players have a combined three championships and one MVP. In terms of MVPs, Steph has them beat with his two (and maybe more in the future) and also in championships with three (also maybe more). Looking past these accolades, we can look at these Steph’s leadership. Stephen Curry has been the second-best floor general this past decade behind LeBron James. That is why he and LeBron have met in the finals for nearly half of this decade because they are able to lead their teams to success as the clear alpha-dog. As tough-minded as the other three have been it is even close.

Stephen Curry led his team to 73 wins while at the same time being the unanimous MVP yet people don’t give him credit for that because he didn’t win a championship. Going 73–9 in NBA 2k is hard enough but doing it in real life is something else. But again, people are so hung upon that he didn’t win the championship.

It has become a common theme that people love to hate on greatness at the moment. Fans of former players try to protect their favorite player’s legacy at all costs by citing unrealistic matchups. The game has drastically changed from what it was twenty-years and is not different. The best thing that we as fans can do is either stop comparing former players to current players or look at the cold hard facts about what each player did. Simply saying a player could never survive in a certain era is not justification on why that player is bad. Basketball is constantly evolving and more than likely the game that we see today is not what will be their ten years from now.
The Evolution of Kiki
By: Alex James
Tags: Basketball, Vintage, NBA, NBA Playoffs

via Getty Images: Dick Raphael

As you look back over the history of the NBA, there are some names that are so unique it’s hard to forget them. Names like Penny Hardaway, Spud Webb, Fat Lever, Magic Johnson, and Kiki VanDeWeghe have a certain jingle to them that allow them to stick out in your memory. Only one of these players, however, were born with their acclaimed name and that was German-born Kiki VanDeWeghe. VanDeWeghe is one of 25 players from the Deutschland to play in the NBA including other very German-sounding names like Dirk Nowitzki, Detlef Shcrempf, Moritz Wagner, and (my favorite) Uwe Blab.

Kiki was drafted 11th overall by the Denver Nuggets in 1980 to join three future Hall of Famers David “Skywalker” Thompson, Alex English, and Dan Issel. VanDeWeghe was a 6’8” slasher out of UCLA and his cutting ability and mid-range jumper led him to be the third-highest scorer in the NBA at 29.4 per game. Kiki’s knack for attacking the rack led to him dumping a career-high on The Detroit Bad Boys in his last year as a Nugget.

The Portland Trail Blazers paid a hefty fine for Kiki’s services, giving up 3 players and 2 picks, including our pal Fat Lever from paragraph 1. Once in Portland, KV started to shift his offensive approach which helped Kiki lead the NBA in 3-point percentage in ‘86-’87. Kiki was eventually traded to the Knicks for a late first-rounder. Kiki spent a quadrant of seasons playing in New York with legends like Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, and John Starks.
Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Expecting Baby №4: It’s a Girl!
Tags: 2, Basketball, Family, I, Entertainment

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

There’s another little girl on the way for Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant.

On New Year’s Day, the retired basketball living legend and his longtime wife announced they are expecting their fourth child together. “New year, new baby! Baby Mamba on the way 2019,” posts on both the parents’ Instagram accounts read.

The expectant mama added, “Kobe and I are so happy to add another baby blessing to our family! Bianka will have a new baby sibling to play with and Natalia and Gianna are super excited to welcome another little baby sister to love.”

Kobe also commented on his expanding family of daughters. “Vanessa and I are beyond excited to announce that we are expecting another #mambacita to go along with Natalia, Gianna and Bianka #blessed #bryantbunch#daddyspricesses #love #2019.”

The couple, who wed in 2001 and reconciled in 2013 after Vanessa’s 2011 divorce filing, are parents to daughters Natalia, 15, Gianna, 12, and Bianka, 2.

Congratulations to the soon-to-be family of six!
Brownlee To Team Up with Odom and Mighty Sports for Dubai
By: Caesar Wongchuking
Tags: Training, Basketball, NBA, Athletics, Sports

When it rains, it pours. The Caesar Wongchuking backed-Mighty Sports is pouring with college stars, ex-pro and other imports including ex-NBA superstar Lamar Odom and Ginebra resident Justin Brownlee for the upcoming Dubai International Tournament in February 2019.

Mighty Sports will mark their second time in the premier Middle East event, having played there two years ago with Brownlee as one of its imports. Coach Charles Tiu has also expressed his excitement for having Brownlee again with the team:

Sports director Caesar Wongchuking with team coach Charles Tiu are still on the hunt for other NBA veterans to boost their title campaign. Tiu also shared that he is also eyeing for the 6-foot-11 center Randolph Morris, Beijing Ducks. UP standout Juan Gomez de Liano, La Salle’s Santi Santillan, Gab Banal and former PBA star Joseph Yeo are some of the names seen to gear up with Odom for Dubai.

“It’s a great honor to have such a great player to be part of our team representing the Philippines. My thanks to coach Charles Tiu and payer agent Sheryl Reyes,” said Wongchuking. “We hope to add star power to the team because we have lots of fans in Dubai,” added Wongchuking.
Nike Shoe Literally Detonates During Basketball Game — We’ve Got…
By: Makena Larsen
Tags: Fashion, Nike, Basketball, Blog, Shoes

Nike is no stranger when it comes to Zion Williamson’s Duke University basketball team. They’ve long been outfitting the players since 1993! Considering that Duke was taking on current front-runner North Carolina this week, Nike was probably ecstatic to have their name associated with this team.

However, things didn’t go as planned on Wednesday night, when the Nike shoes that Williamson was wearing resulted in a knee injury. How did this happen? The shoes very literally exploded when he planted his left foot to pivot.

Zion’s Shoe: Destroyed

If you’re feeling bummed that you may have missed seeing what a blast this must have been for Williamson, SportsCenter thankfully has a clip from the moment it happened.

A view from another angle:

This is crazy. Truly hope Zion’s not injured seriously #UNCvsDuke pic.twitter.com/IkxlYcQRPo - Sean Ash (@SeanWTHR) February 21, 2019

Fans were very quick to respond to this event online, in shared amazement that a single shoe could take out 285-pound Williamson.

Zion Williamson is officially a Marvel character. Who explodes a shoe with a simple foot plant? - Brad Evans (@YahooNoise) February 21, 2019 Nike rep is cringing after that hi-top blowout that nearly injured Zion. - David O’Brien (@DOBrienATL) February 21, 2019 Duke’s Nike contract after Zion blows out his shoe #UNCvsDuke pic.twitter.com/Jre3NKUyPo - Sean Ash (@SeanWTHR) February 21, 2019

Official Statement From Nike About the Incident

The Washington Post reached out to Nike, and this statement was provided via email about the incident:

“We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery,” a Nike spokesman told The Post in a statement via email. “The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance.

“While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue.”

In case it isn’t obvious, it might take a while for Nike to regain trust from some professional teams. With everything that is taken into account during a game, having your shoe explode shouldn’t be one of them.
Basketball Records are Nothing, but Numbers
By: Jordan Clark
Tags: Sports, College Sports, Basketball, Chestnut Hill College

Image: Jordie Clark

By: Staff Writer Kyle Johnson-Hackett ‘19

Basketball has long been a source of pride for the College. Over the years many successful student athletes have worn the jersey with pride. Even though continuous success has slipped through the Griffins grasp as of late, the team still plays with passion.

The big issue this season has been consistency. The influx of young players for the Griffins is one of their biggest issues.

“I would definitely say our first game in the season we played at pace,” said Jesse Balcer, M.S., the team’s head couch and the College’s athletic director. “That game was really awesome. We were hoping that game was going to be a trendsetter for the rest of the season”.

“I feel like the best game this season as a team was definitely against Del State,” Roman Letterlough ’19 said. “It was my first time ever playing in a D-1 setting like that. Their court was crazy. The atmosphere was different, and all their fans came out and made the game really fun.”

While both of those games may have been highlights for the Griffins, the unforgiving season quickly rained down on the griffins high hopes for the season.

Currently the Griffins have a 3–19 record with two games left on their season. While that record may look bleak, it does not tell the whole story.

The Griffins have a habit of storming back in the fourth quarter. They have been notorious throughout the season for fighting their way back into games after lackluster first halves.

“That’s probably the biggest mystery to me this year,” Balcer said. “I don’t think that there’s much to change. I think it’s something in their heads that changes. It’s been the same all year long.”

With two games left, the Griffins hope to end the season on a high note. The seniors are looking to end their careers with a bang, and the young players are trying to continue to get better and prepare for the future.

Ed McWade ’19 is closing in on his 1,000th point, and he hopes to achieve this feat by the end of the season.

“What I’ll remember most about my career here at the College is the family and friends I’ve made, my playing style, how aggressive I play in practice and the games,” Letterlough said. “It never changes — it’s part of my identity and who I am.”

“My goal is to make sure the seniors don’t leave here wishing they never came,” Balcer said. “If they leave here feeling good about their experience, then it was a win for us.”

The Griffins will take a short ride to Jefferson University on Feb. 27 to face the men’s basketball team at 8:00 p.m. in the second to last CACC game of the season.
How Will Sports Be in 50 Years?
By: Andrew Dibiase-Cole
Tags: Football, Basketball, Athletes, Sports, Baseball

For many people across the world sports are involved in our lives everyday whether it’s your favorite soccer team or NFL play offs, we see and watch sports year round. As a sports fan myself, I often wonder how the future will affect my sports experience.

Will virtual reality (VR) be the future of watching sports? Will sports such as baseball still be popular? Will chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) still be a problem in football?

How Do You Want the Future to Be?

It’s important you, a sports fan, has to be involved in this conversation. Do you really want to have to wear a headset to watch March Madness? These are questions we have to ask ourselves, and decide whether or not it’s the future that we want.

Over the next several weeks we will be discussing several subtopics, going into depth on how each specific sport could change from rules to safety. We already see small changes happening in several sports to speed up game play. For example, baseball recently put in a rule that limited the number of mound visits and the time duration of each visit. The new rule was all in an effort to keep games moving and trying to baseball, “more action-packed.”

Our first topic of discussion this week will kick off with baseball since spring training just began last weekend. I encourage anyone with a question to share it with all of us. Going over now only game play but how equipment will change and how the actual field should change to suit the needs of baseball 50 years from now.
Kansas State Wildcats vs Kansas Jayhawk Free NCAAB Pick, 2–25–2019
By: Precision Picks
Tags: Basketball, Sports Betting, Sports, Gambling, College Basketball

Free NCAAB Spread Pick by Kris Pennypacker of PrecisionPicks.com

Kansas State Wildcats vs Kansas Jayhawks

Line: Kansas -3.5

Game Time: Monday, February 25, 2019, 9:00 PM EST

Two of the top teams in the nation will take the court on Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse when the #21 Kansas State Wildcats travel East to take on their inter-state rival, #12 Kansas Jayhawks. The Wildcats lead the Big 12 Conference and own a 2.0 game lead over the Jayhawks as they enter Monday night’s matchup.

Kansas State won the first matchup vs the Jayhawks earlier this month, 74–67 and covering the -2.5 point spread. Head coach Bruce Weber has guided Kansas State to a 21–6 overall record to go along with an impressive 11–3 mark in conference play. The Wildcats have gotten it done with great defensive pressure, allowing only 59.3 PPG while averaging 66.5 PPG on offense. The Wildcats do most of their damage from the outside, where they have shot 37.2 percent from 3-point range while turning the ball over on just 17.2 percent of their offensive possessions in league play. On the road so far this season, Kansas State is 6–4 SU, 4–0 ATS in their last 4 road games and 27–11 ATS in their last 38 vs. Big 12.

Bill Self has led the Jayhawks to a (9–5) Big 12 record this season and a (14–0) SU record at home. Kansas has been hampered by injuries all season long, but they recently got back sophomore guard Marcus Garrett, who had missed the previous five games with a high ankle sprain. The Jayhawks have also been playing without senior swingman LaGerald Vick and big man Udoka Azubuike. Kansas plays at the fastest pace in the Big 12, but the Jayhawks have also turned the ball over at a very high pace of 20.5 percent of their possessions during Big 12 play (9th in the Big 12). Offensively, the Jayhawks average 76.4 PPG while allowing 70.6 PPG on defense. The Jayhawks defense has been poor at guarding the 3-point line, allowing 36.4% from beyond the arc. The Jayhawks are 2–6 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.

Kansas State had the opportunity to rest their starters in the 2nd half of their most recent win over Oklahoma State. Kansas enters tonight’s matchup after a 91–62 beatdown at Texas Tech. At this stage in the season, Kansas is fighting an uphill battle. The Wildcats defense will put a lot of pressure on the Jayhawks to turn the ball over and their style of play wore down Kansas in the first meeting. I’ll take the +3.5 points and back the better team on the road.

Kansas State vs Kansas NCAAB Pick: Kansas St. +3.5
Improving Your Motion Offense on the Court
By: Sean Lebeauf
Tags: Basketball Coaching, Sports, Basketball, Basketball Training

In order to run an effective offense at any stage of basketball, you will need to find a way to incorporate all of your players into the action and find a way to get them involved on every play. The current NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors, thrive not only due to the litany of weapons they have at their disposal, but their ability to work for each other through screens and motion. While implementing a motion offense isn’t easy, it can be done if you are willing to give control to the players. There are many things that must be implemented for your motion offense to be successful.

First, you will want to make sure that your players are making hard cuts. Hard cuts have a dual benefit. This forces help from off-ball defenders and prevents the cutter’s defenders from helping. If any player that is in a position to help on defense notices an offensive player that is cutting hard to the rim while calling for the basketball, the defensive player will then instinctively rotate to provide help which opens up catch and shoot situations.

Screening is especially important in a motion offense as well. The key to making a strong screen is to not shy away from making contact with other players, otherwise, your opponent will easily be able to slip through. Be sure to teach big men proper positioning so that perimeter players can be opened up for reception of the ball, open shots, or further shot creation.

In a motion office, you will also want to have smart spacing. You cannot run plays effectively if players are watching and waiting within the same vicinity. Make sure there is noticeable distance with your players so that driving lanes can open and force the defense to make quick decisions.

Next to purposeful dribbling and making quick, crisp passes, the most important thing you can do in a motion offense is to, well, keep moving. Combining all of the fundamentals of basketball, you will always want to remain in constant motion. The ball should not stagnate at any moment and should always be moving. Unless you have a visible mismatch and want to take advantage of an isolation play, running a motion offense entails that all players remain in constant motion.
The Dying Art of the Catch-And-Shoot Shot
By: Ahmed Cheema
Tags: Basketball, Sports, NBA

Sergio Estrada / USA TODAY Sports

The most common way to evaluate three-point shooting is to simply look at the percentage of shots made from beyond the arc. You might also note their volume to contextualize the player’s 3P%. Shooting analysis rarely delves any deeper than this.

Of course, this is an extremely oversimplified way of assessing jump shooting performances. I tried to add more context to overall shooting splits with XeFG%, but it isn’t a very useful tool for comparing different types of three-point shooters. While it accounts for how open a shooter is, it isn’t able to factor many other factors which impact the probability for a successful shot: type of shot (catch-and-shoot vs pull-up), touch time, number of dribbles, etc.

I wanted to look into some of these other variables, so this series will cover that. Today, we’ll start by analyzing catch-and-shoot and pull-up shots.

A catch-and-shoot shot is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a shot in which a player catches a pass and shoots the ball without dribbling or waiting. A pull-up shot is one in which a player shoots the ball directly off of a dribble. (Sidenote: A shot can fall into neither category if, for instance, a player catches a pass and then waits before shooting it while also not dribbling. For the sake of simplicity, though, we’ll stick to these two types of shots in this exercise.)

A catch-and-shoot shot is generally more efficient than a pull-up shot. Over the past six years (since the data began to be tracked in the 2013–14 season), players have hit 37.11% of C&S three-pointers while maintaining a meager 31.65% success rate on pull-up three-pointers. That’s a significant difference, but it’s not very surprising. Think about it: players are more likely to shoot the ball immediately when they’re open and have good positioning, while they would usually dribble the ball if they need to create space. (I also feel like it’s naturally easier to shoot the ball after catching a pass than it is off of a dribble, but that’s completely anecdotal.)

Fortunately, teams aren’t stupid. It’s common knowledge that catch-and-shoot shots are more efficient, so teams attempt them more than pull-ups. Simple enough. Over the same six-year span, 73.12% of all three-pointers were of the catch-and-shoot variety.

The interesting thing is that this frequency is on the decline.