12/25: vs. LA Clippers 111-106 [L] (24-7)
WE ALMOST HAD THEM! DAMMIT!
I'll be honest, I was super salty at the end result of this game. As Snoop Dogg says in his rants: "this ruined my Christmas." If there's anything to sum up the first two meetings with the Clippers as 2019 comes to a close, it's this: the Lakers are only good against their hallway brother for 24 minutes. Oh and they had the odds in their favor too! Despite a hobbled LeBron and AD and LeBron having an off game, the Lake Show stood their ground. Kyle Kuzma went off in the first half. Lou Williams was held in check to 5 points. Paul George didn't go off either. The Lakers were up big at the half and had fun with Kevin Hart courtside.
Then the 2nd half happened. Allow me to summarize this to the tune of Jingle Bells to exemplify the spirit of Christmas:
Silly fouls
Turnovers
Missed threes from LeBron
Kawhi went off
For 35 Points
And Pat Beverly talked some sh*t. F*CK!
Just like Patrick Beverly, we will never hear the end of it from Clipper fans. "We're the better LA team" echoed across the Internet as the Clippers go up 2-0 in the Battle for LA. And like that, they creep closer to the top of the Western Conference. That 2nd half was pathetic and once again, Doc Rivers outcoaches Frank Vogel in the 2nd half. How do you sit Kuzma out that long when he's got the hot hand? Danny Green, you've been selected on an all-defensive team. How the hell are you this undisciplined? He committed some silly fouls to let the Clippers back in. And LeBron, you stunk it up this game. I don't know if it was the groin injury that affected your psyche. 1-6 from three point land, unacceptable. Honestly, I don't care if the Clippers sweep the Lakers in the regular season. If they meet in the playoffs, I WANT THE LAKERS TO HANDLE THAT BUSINESS WHEN IT MATTERS THE MOST!
12/28: @ Portland 128-120 [W] (25-7)
This game was the perfect "get right" game for the Lakers. Let's face it, Portland is in the midst of turmoil after an improbable run to the Conference Finals last year. Despite strong acquisitions of Hassan Whiteside and Carmelo Anthony, they are struggling so far this season. However, they didn't make this any easy for the Lakers. When the Lakers dominated the Blazers earlier this month at the Moda Center, I figured the next meeting won't be so easy this time around. But, they hung tight on Saturday behind another stellar scoring performance from Kyle Kuzma and some key clutch shots from KCP to add on to LeBron and AD's typical 20+ point stat lines.
12/29: vs. Dallas 95-108 [W] (26-7)
Ending the year on a high note. It's quite a coincidence that the Mavs are the Lakers' first opponent and their last opponent for the month of December. The last meeting between these two teams was an ugly loss for the Lakers as Luka Doncic put up early MVP numbers. But last night, the Lakers made sure they game planned for Luka this time around. To their success, they held him to 19 points and 5-14 shooting. Last night's win was an all-around team game. Honestly, this team has a lot of savvy veterans they can't rely on LeBron and AD to carry them. Six Lakers were in double figures this game. KCP lead the bench with 19 points. Dwight Howard added 15 points. JaVale McGee and Danny Green chipped in with 11 points and 10 points respectively. And of course, AD and LeBron with 23 points and 13 points respectively. The only blemish this game was that Kyle Kuzma had no points after a pair of 20+ point games off the bench. But at the end of the day, a W is what matters. The Lakers end 2019 with an outstanding 26-7 record. 2020 will present an even greater challenge.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Raiders End Season with Tough Road Loss, Eliminated by Titans Win
Final: OAK 15 DEN 16 (7-9)
Now the 2019 NFL Regular Season has ended. The Raiders drop their final regular season matchup representing the city of Oakland with a 15-16 loss. I already tuned out of this game as soon as the Titans sealed the win against the Texans. As I mentioned last week, they were fortunate some chips fell into their favor. This week, not so much. The scenario was clear: a win, TEN loss, PIT loss, IND win and either a CHI or NE or LAC or DET win and they're in. The latter I found out earlier and the Bears did pull out a close one against the #6 seeded Vikings to keep the Raiders hopes alive but faintly.
The way this game went on in the midst of all this playoff chaos, it was without question, the most Raider thing to ever unfold to sum up two decades of futility. Raiders string together good drives. As usual, they can't punch it in the end zone. Daniel Carlson misses a 30+ yard chip shot field goal. Two TDs were called off by the refs. I don't know how they miss Alec Ingold's second effort when he slightly extended the nose of the football on the goal line. Penalties. And the end result in a loss to a bitter rival. You can't write off a better ending as they transition to Vegas.
I would not blame this game too much on the defense. They did just enough to keep the Raiders in the game. Derek Carr and the offense just couldn't deliver with a lot of stalled drives. Then again, they had way too many injuries to overcome with Incognito and Trent Brown out and of course, Josh Jacobs' absence in the running game. The decision to go for two, I'm not too mad about it. The Titans took care of business against the Texans to close the door on the Raiders' playoff hopes. They had nothing to lose and it's pretty pointless to take the game into overtime with nothing to play for at that point.
With that being said, glad this season is done with. Even if the Raiders did their job and the scenarios that needed to happen happened, to have this team limp into Foxborough and avenge a call we dare not mention 18 years later is asking a bit too much. It would be good experience for the young rookies, but this team would be severely overmatched, especially on the road. Overall, this record is what was expected of the Raiders. We expected them to improve their win total from 4-12 last year. The fact that they were in the playoff hunt until the end was an added bonus. They have something to build upon as the team transitions from Oakland to Las Vegas. Stay tuned for my annual Season in Review post as I summarize and break down what has transpired this season. I'll see you guys later.
Now the 2019 NFL Regular Season has ended. The Raiders drop their final regular season matchup representing the city of Oakland with a 15-16 loss. I already tuned out of this game as soon as the Titans sealed the win against the Texans. As I mentioned last week, they were fortunate some chips fell into their favor. This week, not so much. The scenario was clear: a win, TEN loss, PIT loss, IND win and either a CHI or NE or LAC or DET win and they're in. The latter I found out earlier and the Bears did pull out a close one against the #6 seeded Vikings to keep the Raiders hopes alive but faintly.
The way this game went on in the midst of all this playoff chaos, it was without question, the most Raider thing to ever unfold to sum up two decades of futility. Raiders string together good drives. As usual, they can't punch it in the end zone. Daniel Carlson misses a 30+ yard chip shot field goal. Two TDs were called off by the refs. I don't know how they miss Alec Ingold's second effort when he slightly extended the nose of the football on the goal line. Penalties. And the end result in a loss to a bitter rival. You can't write off a better ending as they transition to Vegas.
I would not blame this game too much on the defense. They did just enough to keep the Raiders in the game. Derek Carr and the offense just couldn't deliver with a lot of stalled drives. Then again, they had way too many injuries to overcome with Incognito and Trent Brown out and of course, Josh Jacobs' absence in the running game. The decision to go for two, I'm not too mad about it. The Titans took care of business against the Texans to close the door on the Raiders' playoff hopes. They had nothing to lose and it's pretty pointless to take the game into overtime with nothing to play for at that point.
With that being said, glad this season is done with. Even if the Raiders did their job and the scenarios that needed to happen happened, to have this team limp into Foxborough and avenge a call we dare not mention 18 years later is asking a bit too much. It would be good experience for the young rookies, but this team would be severely overmatched, especially on the road. Overall, this record is what was expected of the Raiders. We expected them to improve their win total from 4-12 last year. The fact that they were in the playoff hunt until the end was an added bonus. They have something to build upon as the team transitions from Oakland to Las Vegas. Stay tuned for my annual Season in Review post as I summarize and break down what has transpired this season. I'll see you guys later.
Monday, December 23, 2019
Lakers Weekly Roundup #8: Funked Up
Success at the top doesn't come without any adversity the rest of the way. As the season ramps up with more games heading into the New Year, it'll get harder from here. Further success must be proceeded with caution. The Lakers are on a tremendous start 24-3 heading into this week. As Anthony Davis mentioned, this team vows to never lose a game back-to-back. Saying it is easy. Doing it presents a bigger challenge. And quite frankly, the Lakers were due to overcome a little adversity at some point.
12/17: @ Indiana 102-105 [L] (24-4)
It was a homecoming for coach Vogel after a few years of coaching the Pacers to a pair of Eastern Conference Finals appearances. The road streak was fun while it lasted. With the way the Lakers are keeping games close, this was bound to happen eventually. Although, there's no denying that the presence of Anthony Davis was sorely missed. The Lakers ruled out AD after he tweaked an ankle on Sunday's win against the Hawks. The Pacers may be missing their best player in Victor Oladipo, but they aren't no pushover because of how head coach Nate McMillan gets the best out of the talent he has. As expected, the game was tightly contested all the way. In the 4th quarter, the Lakers looked like they about to pull away with a minute and thirty left in the game. But the Pacers kept roaring back behind the efforts of Malcolm Brogdon and a beastly performance from Domantas Sabonis. LA had all kinds of chances to regain momentum and pull out the victory...if they made their free throws down the stretch.
Free throws down the stretch cost the Lakers this game. Despite the greatness of LeBron James, he has been shooting poorly from the free throw line as of late and it showed this game with no AD to bail out the team. As for Dwight Howard, great throwback performance from him with a 20 point game and a perfect 10-10 field goals. But, when you have to rely on Dwight to make free throws in the clutch, you are bound to lose. Indiana kept the window open for the Lakers, but the Lakers could not capitalize because of their own mishaps. LeBron went 0-6 from 3-point. Rajon Rondo was atrocious this game, but you let him take the potential game-tying shot. As mentioned Dwight stepped up as well as Avery Bradley, chipping 13 points this game. You'll probably not see them perform like this on a night-to-night basis. Next game against the Bucks raises the stakes in this heavyweight fight on Thursday night as two of the best teams look to bounce back from tough, streak-breaking losses.
12/19: @ Milwaukee 104-111 [L] (24-5)
NBA fans are in for a treat for a possible Finals matchup. Lakers and the Bucks. The King and the 'Brow battle the Greek Freak, the reigning, defending league MVP. This had all the makings of a heavyweight fight. 12 rounds of boxing converted into 4 quarters of basketball.
And the Bucks win by unanimous decision! Let's be honest, the Lakers could not stop Milwaukee's three-point shooting. When you have Giannis hitting threes, you know you're in big trouble. He hit five threes this game. Five threes! And he also picked his spots against the Laker defense. Poor KCP was thrown into the fodder having to guard the "Greek god of the deer." AD and LeBron guarded him in some spurts and did well. It boggles my mind why we couldn't cancel out Giannis' length with either of those guys full time. Well, AD in particular. We all know LeBron needs his rest. It also doesn't help that the Lakers' 2nd unit scored a whopping 4 points compared to the Bucks' 34 points lead by George Hill's 21 points. They were literally playing five on ten this game and I'm surprised they almost rallied. Key word "almost." They just couldn't stop the precipitation of threes.
12/22: vs. Denver 128-104 [L] (24-6)
The four words that we all don't want to hear prior to this game: LeBron James is OUT. The reports say that he has a strain on his back. Well, literally LeBron and AD are carrying this team throughout the duration of the season. When their backs give out, the purple and gold are in a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, it was LeBron's back that gave out. When he goes, so does the flow of this offense. And it showed this game. I'm not going to say much, but Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma's return carried this Lakers team this game. Outside of Rondo, the Lakers could not find ways to move the ball and create shots for the team. 19 assists has got to be a season low for this team. The offense was literally give AD the ball and make him do work. Oh, and he aggravated his ankle injury. Meanwhile, Denver controlled the pace of the game and dominated flat out in the 2nd half with ball movement and spacing. It's a small sample size, but without LeBron as the primary floor general, this offense staggers.
With the Lakers' recent skid, other top teams in the West are slowly creeping up for the top seed. Denver and Houston are back in the race. You know who else is? The dreaded Clippers. The only thing that's stopping the Clippers from overtaking the entire conference is their affinity for load management. The last thing the Lakers need in this anticipated rematch on Christmas Day is their top stars hobbled with injuries as LeBron and AD are questionable for that game. Just like last Christmas game, I can guarantee you that this game will also be a fortune-changing game for the Lakers.
12/17: @ Indiana 102-105 [L] (24-4)
It was a homecoming for coach Vogel after a few years of coaching the Pacers to a pair of Eastern Conference Finals appearances. The road streak was fun while it lasted. With the way the Lakers are keeping games close, this was bound to happen eventually. Although, there's no denying that the presence of Anthony Davis was sorely missed. The Lakers ruled out AD after he tweaked an ankle on Sunday's win against the Hawks. The Pacers may be missing their best player in Victor Oladipo, but they aren't no pushover because of how head coach Nate McMillan gets the best out of the talent he has. As expected, the game was tightly contested all the way. In the 4th quarter, the Lakers looked like they about to pull away with a minute and thirty left in the game. But the Pacers kept roaring back behind the efforts of Malcolm Brogdon and a beastly performance from Domantas Sabonis. LA had all kinds of chances to regain momentum and pull out the victory...if they made their free throws down the stretch.
Free throws down the stretch cost the Lakers this game. Despite the greatness of LeBron James, he has been shooting poorly from the free throw line as of late and it showed this game with no AD to bail out the team. As for Dwight Howard, great throwback performance from him with a 20 point game and a perfect 10-10 field goals. But, when you have to rely on Dwight to make free throws in the clutch, you are bound to lose. Indiana kept the window open for the Lakers, but the Lakers could not capitalize because of their own mishaps. LeBron went 0-6 from 3-point. Rajon Rondo was atrocious this game, but you let him take the potential game-tying shot. As mentioned Dwight stepped up as well as Avery Bradley, chipping 13 points this game. You'll probably not see them perform like this on a night-to-night basis. Next game against the Bucks raises the stakes in this heavyweight fight on Thursday night as two of the best teams look to bounce back from tough, streak-breaking losses.
12/19: @ Milwaukee 104-111 [L] (24-5)
NBA fans are in for a treat for a possible Finals matchup. Lakers and the Bucks. The King and the 'Brow battle the Greek Freak, the reigning, defending league MVP. This had all the makings of a heavyweight fight. 12 rounds of boxing converted into 4 quarters of basketball.
And the Bucks win by unanimous decision! Let's be honest, the Lakers could not stop Milwaukee's three-point shooting. When you have Giannis hitting threes, you know you're in big trouble. He hit five threes this game. Five threes! And he also picked his spots against the Laker defense. Poor KCP was thrown into the fodder having to guard the "Greek god of the deer." AD and LeBron guarded him in some spurts and did well. It boggles my mind why we couldn't cancel out Giannis' length with either of those guys full time. Well, AD in particular. We all know LeBron needs his rest. It also doesn't help that the Lakers' 2nd unit scored a whopping 4 points compared to the Bucks' 34 points lead by George Hill's 21 points. They were literally playing five on ten this game and I'm surprised they almost rallied. Key word "almost." They just couldn't stop the precipitation of threes.
12/22: vs. Denver 128-104 [L] (24-6)
The four words that we all don't want to hear prior to this game: LeBron James is OUT. The reports say that he has a strain on his back. Well, literally LeBron and AD are carrying this team throughout the duration of the season. When their backs give out, the purple and gold are in a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, it was LeBron's back that gave out. When he goes, so does the flow of this offense. And it showed this game. I'm not going to say much, but Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma's return carried this Lakers team this game. Outside of Rondo, the Lakers could not find ways to move the ball and create shots for the team. 19 assists has got to be a season low for this team. The offense was literally give AD the ball and make him do work. Oh, and he aggravated his ankle injury. Meanwhile, Denver controlled the pace of the game and dominated flat out in the 2nd half with ball movement and spacing. It's a small sample size, but without LeBron as the primary floor general, this offense staggers.
With the Lakers' recent skid, other top teams in the West are slowly creeping up for the top seed. Denver and Houston are back in the race. You know who else is? The dreaded Clippers. The only thing that's stopping the Clippers from overtaking the entire conference is their affinity for load management. The last thing the Lakers need in this anticipated rematch on Christmas Day is their top stars hobbled with injuries as LeBron and AD are questionable for that game. Just like last Christmas game, I can guarantee you that this game will also be a fortune-changing game for the Lakers.
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Raiders Keep Playoff Hopes Alive with Win over Chargers
Final: OAK 24 LAC 17 (7-8)
Stayin' Alive. Stayin' Alive. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Stayin' Alive. Stayin' Alive. ~ The Bee Gees
I just got off watching the highlights of the full game. I managed to catch the last five minutes of the 4th quarter. Yeah. The Raiders have bounced back and are still miraculously alive in the playoff hunt with this win over the Chargers and a lot of help around the NFL. All the scenarios that need to happen happened this week. Jets beat the Steelers. Ravens beat the Browns. Colts beat the Panthers. And Saints beat the Titans.
It's quite unbelievable that the Raiders still in the playoff hunt. When you think about it, they got flat out embarrassed on the road against the Jets and the Chiefs. Titans came into Oakland and blew them out. Jaguars delivered a gut wrenching loss in the final home game at the Coliseum. But, they managed to take care of business here.
Looking at the highlights, it was not a pretty game. The O-line allowed 3 sack on Derek Carr. The biggest plus though was that Hunter Renfrow was back. Renfrow provided a spark in the passing game with 7 receptions, 107 yards and a TD. Renfrow was definitely missed the last two games and he made the receiving corps look good. He made Carr look good. Let's not kid ourselves, Carr had a good game with almost 300 passing yards, a pass TD, and a rushing TD. His up and down performances continues to raise some bipolarity among Raider Nation. This doesn't change the fact that he's not playing with the money he's worth. But no question, this guarantees that Carr will play at least a season in Vegas. DeAndre Washington filled in for Josh Jacobs well with 85 rushing yards and a TD. The running game didn't miss a beat.
There's not much else I can say about this game. But, luck was definitely on the Raiders' side this week. Let's be a little realistic here, none of the teams in the running for the sixth seed in the AFC are playoff worthy. This is a mess that the Raiders definitely need to capitalize on. As I mentioned, the scenarios that needed to happen happened this week. Next week, they need to win against Denver, Ravens and Texans have to win against Pittsburgh and Tennessee respectively, and the Colts need to win. The odds will be a lot tougher next week. Ravens and Texans are likely going to rest their starters as their playoff picture is set. Whether some of the games that the Raiders lost this season will come back to haunt them remains to be seen. I'll see you guys next week.
Stayin' Alive. Stayin' Alive. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Stayin' Alive. Stayin' Alive. ~ The Bee Gees
I just got off watching the highlights of the full game. I managed to catch the last five minutes of the 4th quarter. Yeah. The Raiders have bounced back and are still miraculously alive in the playoff hunt with this win over the Chargers and a lot of help around the NFL. All the scenarios that need to happen happened this week. Jets beat the Steelers. Ravens beat the Browns. Colts beat the Panthers. And Saints beat the Titans.
It's quite unbelievable that the Raiders still in the playoff hunt. When you think about it, they got flat out embarrassed on the road against the Jets and the Chiefs. Titans came into Oakland and blew them out. Jaguars delivered a gut wrenching loss in the final home game at the Coliseum. But, they managed to take care of business here.
Looking at the highlights, it was not a pretty game. The O-line allowed 3 sack on Derek Carr. The biggest plus though was that Hunter Renfrow was back. Renfrow provided a spark in the passing game with 7 receptions, 107 yards and a TD. Renfrow was definitely missed the last two games and he made the receiving corps look good. He made Carr look good. Let's not kid ourselves, Carr had a good game with almost 300 passing yards, a pass TD, and a rushing TD. His up and down performances continues to raise some bipolarity among Raider Nation. This doesn't change the fact that he's not playing with the money he's worth. But no question, this guarantees that Carr will play at least a season in Vegas. DeAndre Washington filled in for Josh Jacobs well with 85 rushing yards and a TD. The running game didn't miss a beat.
There's not much else I can say about this game. But, luck was definitely on the Raiders' side this week. Let's be a little realistic here, none of the teams in the running for the sixth seed in the AFC are playoff worthy. This is a mess that the Raiders definitely need to capitalize on. As I mentioned, the scenarios that needed to happen happened this week. Next week, they need to win against Denver, Ravens and Texans have to win against Pittsburgh and Tennessee respectively, and the Colts need to win. The odds will be a lot tougher next week. Ravens and Texans are likely going to rest their starters as their playoff picture is set. Whether some of the games that the Raiders lost this season will come back to haunt them remains to be seen. I'll see you guys next week.
Monday, December 16, 2019
Lakers Weekly Roundup #7: Southeast Road Trip
Roundup is back after a brief hiatus. The Lakers shook off the ugly loss against Dallas to open up the month of December. Last week, the Lakers made it known that the tough schedule wouldn't do them in. They notched road wins at Denver, at Utah, and at Portland. Arguably three of the most hostile environments and the Lakers shut out the decibels from those arenas. They had a brief home stint against Minnesota, but they were surprisingly in a shootout. But they pulled it off with AD's career night, dropping 50 points. Now, the Lakers are on the road again, putting the streak of wins outside Staples Center on the line once more. Their destination the past week? The South East: Florida and Georgia.
12/11: @ Orlando 96-87 [W] (22-3)
Orlando had the Lakers' number last year, there's no denying that. Now, that the Lakers have upgraded their talent, let's see what the Magic, a fringe playoff team last year can do now. Fair enough, they were missing a few bodies, Nikola Vucevic particularly. Even if Rondo and Kuz aren't playing this game, the Lakers still outmatch the Magic in talent. And it showed with a 26-9 shellacking in the first quarter and the Lakers didn't look back. Well, only for the first half. It's fair to say, the Lakers intentionally wanted to make things interesting by letting the Magic creep back in. Poor 3-point shooting and turnovers prevented the Lakers from attaining complete domination. Luckily enough, KCP and Jared Dudley (before he got ejected by backing up Dwight against Mo Bamba and Wes Iwundu) with their 3-point shooting down the stretch.
12/13: @ Miami 113-110 [W] (23-3)
This and Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks to end the road trip are arguably the Lakers' biggest test on the this road stretch. Streaks were on the line this game as the Lakers leveraged their 12-game road winning streak vs. the Heat's 11-game home winning streak. Miami has been an unkind place for the Lakers in the last decade, but the purple and gold have turned things around as of late. This game was a slugfest as expected. LeBron and AD had their off night in Disney World, but there was no off day in South Beach as they combined for 61 points. Though, the only blemish on LeBron was his 8 turnovers. He struggled handling the ball as Miami's D made it rough with their quick hands and zone defense. But, rebounding proved to be their undoing, especially in the final seconds. Despite KCP's 50% conversion from the free throw line after Kendrick Nunn's 3-pointer to cut the lead to one and end the Heat's 11-0 start at home. The final play though, there was a lot of contact between LeBron and Jimmy Butler. The NBA's report acknowledged there should've been a foul call on there. We'll take the victory though.
12/15: @ Atlanta 101-96 [W] (24-3)
It's always gotta be testy in Atlanta. If the Falcons can come back against the mighty 49ers, I'm sure the Hawks can upset the Lakers. NOPE! Despite the Hawks being competitive, they still find ways to choke down the stretch. You got Trae Young pulling up from deep and clanking. Despite the not so dominant win, the Lakers still managed to put up some highlight reels to wow the crowd even against themselves. I'm looking at the play where Rondo faked an alley oop to LeBron and LeBron faked the chase down block afterwards. It would've made it on Shaqtin' if the block was made. Superman was in the building for only two points with a Dwight dunk off the between the legs bounce pass from LeBron. Despite the close games, the Lakers had all the confidence in the world that they're unstoppable. The wins and all are good, but honestly, it's not a good look if they continue to play down to their level of competition. Confidence is good and all, but too much confidence? Anyway, wins are wins.
12/11: @ Orlando 96-87 [W] (22-3)
Orlando had the Lakers' number last year, there's no denying that. Now, that the Lakers have upgraded their talent, let's see what the Magic, a fringe playoff team last year can do now. Fair enough, they were missing a few bodies, Nikola Vucevic particularly. Even if Rondo and Kuz aren't playing this game, the Lakers still outmatch the Magic in talent. And it showed with a 26-9 shellacking in the first quarter and the Lakers didn't look back. Well, only for the first half. It's fair to say, the Lakers intentionally wanted to make things interesting by letting the Magic creep back in. Poor 3-point shooting and turnovers prevented the Lakers from attaining complete domination. Luckily enough, KCP and Jared Dudley (before he got ejected by backing up Dwight against Mo Bamba and Wes Iwundu) with their 3-point shooting down the stretch.
12/13: @ Miami 113-110 [W] (23-3)
This and Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks to end the road trip are arguably the Lakers' biggest test on the this road stretch. Streaks were on the line this game as the Lakers leveraged their 12-game road winning streak vs. the Heat's 11-game home winning streak. Miami has been an unkind place for the Lakers in the last decade, but the purple and gold have turned things around as of late. This game was a slugfest as expected. LeBron and AD had their off night in Disney World, but there was no off day in South Beach as they combined for 61 points. Though, the only blemish on LeBron was his 8 turnovers. He struggled handling the ball as Miami's D made it rough with their quick hands and zone defense. But, rebounding proved to be their undoing, especially in the final seconds. Despite KCP's 50% conversion from the free throw line after Kendrick Nunn's 3-pointer to cut the lead to one and end the Heat's 11-0 start at home. The final play though, there was a lot of contact between LeBron and Jimmy Butler. The NBA's report acknowledged there should've been a foul call on there. We'll take the victory though.
12/15: @ Atlanta 101-96 [W] (24-3)
It's always gotta be testy in Atlanta. If the Falcons can come back against the mighty 49ers, I'm sure the Hawks can upset the Lakers. NOPE! Despite the Hawks being competitive, they still find ways to choke down the stretch. You got Trae Young pulling up from deep and clanking. Despite the not so dominant win, the Lakers still managed to put up some highlight reels to wow the crowd even against themselves. I'm looking at the play where Rondo faked an alley oop to LeBron and LeBron faked the chase down block afterwards. It would've made it on Shaqtin' if the block was made. Superman was in the building for only two points with a Dwight dunk off the between the legs bounce pass from LeBron. Despite the close games, the Lakers had all the confidence in the world that they're unstoppable. The wins and all are good, but honestly, it's not a good look if they continue to play down to their level of competition. Confidence is good and all, but too much confidence? Anyway, wins are wins.
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Raiders Leave Oakland With Final Home Loss vs. Jags
Final: JAX 20 OAK 16 (6-8)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6HaXBjJpE8/
Happy to be back after a week off to take care of a project to wrap up this current semester. I was in attendance for this game. Last game in Oakland and all, my bro and I wanted to take a trip to the Coliseum one last time before they depart to Las Vegas (for real). For me, that was only my 2nd time. My first was back in 2011 vs. the Chicago Bears when Carson Palmer still quarterbacked for the team. This game was a bitter loss. It began with a lot of fireworks and it ended with a dud. We didn't see the last five minutes to catch the BART early. But we kept track of the remainder of the game and the Jaguars came back to spoil the celebration.
Without question, this game was a tale of two halves and a microcosm of Jon Gruden's teams in his second stint. This team preaches 60 minutes of football. Yet, they only play 30 minutes of it. The first half was all Raiders. They did a good job that first quarter balancing the run and pass plays to keep Jacksonville's defense off balance. It was nice to have Josh Jacobs back this game as he carved up the Jags' run D. Darren Waller went off this game with 122 receiving yards. Jags' pass D was very susceptible to Tight Ends, which was perfect for Waller. The only lone touchdown on the Raiders was Derek Carr's pass to Tyrell Williams who proceeds to break away from his defender and take it in for a 40-yard TD. The Jaguars were able to get one big play off of Gardner Minshew for the first quarter. But, they were mostly held in check. Raiders added a triplet of field goals from Carlson to extend the lead to 3-16 at the half.
Then, the Jaguars proceeded to score 17 unanswered points. Derek Carr started feeling more pressure and felt the wrath of Sacksonville during the 2nd half. Penalties racked up. Carlson misses a field goal twice with the potential to put the Raiders up six and set up a potential game-winning field goal since the Jags scored with 31 seconds left in the game. As I said, a microcosm of Gruden's teams.
The playoff talk was already over with back-to-back blowout losses on the road. If there was any game they had to get, it was this one. This loss is pretty much a symbolism of the Raiders' ugly 2nd tenure in Oakland: four winning seasons in 24 years since their return. I was too young for three of those even though I vividly remember. This 2nd tenure has sucked. I feel sorry for all of Oakland fans because they had to put up with this for a while. Now the team is departing for Vegas and this is the
last memory we'll see of the Raiders in the Bay Area and all of Cali: letting us down one last time.
Despite the loss, it doesn't take away the fun I had earlier today talking with a lot of Raider fans, taking a look at the tailgate in the Coliseum parking lot one last time. Sure, Vegas has a shiny new stadium for Raider Nation waiting. But, the atmosphere in Oakland is something that Sin City will never replicate. I see a lot of posts on the notion that the Raiders will get better once they move to Vegas. It's not that simple. Relocation doesn't automatically reverse the fortunes of a franchise, especially of a team that has so many holes on the roster. That's where the Raiders are right now. I'm tired of Derek Carr. The organization has invested too much around him for him just to be a "deer in the headlights." Paul Guenther needs to go. Jon needs to bring his brother in to call plays. This organization has lost touch in reality. Despite the draft capital in the next two years, they'll be back in square one where they need to start paying these rookies big dollars in 4-5 years. We keep saying that the future is bright. The greatness of the Raiders is in its future right? So far it hasn't happened and one relocation won't automatically bring an immediate bright future. That's my rant for tonight. They still got two games left on the road. The road to Vegas starts here and the Raiders have their work cut out. I'll see you guys later.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6HaXBjJpE8/
Happy to be back after a week off to take care of a project to wrap up this current semester. I was in attendance for this game. Last game in Oakland and all, my bro and I wanted to take a trip to the Coliseum one last time before they depart to Las Vegas (for real). For me, that was only my 2nd time. My first was back in 2011 vs. the Chicago Bears when Carson Palmer still quarterbacked for the team. This game was a bitter loss. It began with a lot of fireworks and it ended with a dud. We didn't see the last five minutes to catch the BART early. But we kept track of the remainder of the game and the Jaguars came back to spoil the celebration.
Without question, this game was a tale of two halves and a microcosm of Jon Gruden's teams in his second stint. This team preaches 60 minutes of football. Yet, they only play 30 minutes of it. The first half was all Raiders. They did a good job that first quarter balancing the run and pass plays to keep Jacksonville's defense off balance. It was nice to have Josh Jacobs back this game as he carved up the Jags' run D. Darren Waller went off this game with 122 receiving yards. Jags' pass D was very susceptible to Tight Ends, which was perfect for Waller. The only lone touchdown on the Raiders was Derek Carr's pass to Tyrell Williams who proceeds to break away from his defender and take it in for a 40-yard TD. The Jaguars were able to get one big play off of Gardner Minshew for the first quarter. But, they were mostly held in check. Raiders added a triplet of field goals from Carlson to extend the lead to 3-16 at the half.
Then, the Jaguars proceeded to score 17 unanswered points. Derek Carr started feeling more pressure and felt the wrath of Sacksonville during the 2nd half. Penalties racked up. Carlson misses a field goal twice with the potential to put the Raiders up six and set up a potential game-winning field goal since the Jags scored with 31 seconds left in the game. As I said, a microcosm of Gruden's teams.
The playoff talk was already over with back-to-back blowout losses on the road. If there was any game they had to get, it was this one. This loss is pretty much a symbolism of the Raiders' ugly 2nd tenure in Oakland: four winning seasons in 24 years since their return. I was too young for three of those even though I vividly remember. This 2nd tenure has sucked. I feel sorry for all of Oakland fans because they had to put up with this for a while. Now the team is departing for Vegas and this is the
last memory we'll see of the Raiders in the Bay Area and all of Cali: letting us down one last time.
Despite the loss, it doesn't take away the fun I had earlier today talking with a lot of Raider fans, taking a look at the tailgate in the Coliseum parking lot one last time. Sure, Vegas has a shiny new stadium for Raider Nation waiting. But, the atmosphere in Oakland is something that Sin City will never replicate. I see a lot of posts on the notion that the Raiders will get better once they move to Vegas. It's not that simple. Relocation doesn't automatically reverse the fortunes of a franchise, especially of a team that has so many holes on the roster. That's where the Raiders are right now. I'm tired of Derek Carr. The organization has invested too much around him for him just to be a "deer in the headlights." Paul Guenther needs to go. Jon needs to bring his brother in to call plays. This organization has lost touch in reality. Despite the draft capital in the next two years, they'll be back in square one where they need to start paying these rookies big dollars in 4-5 years. We keep saying that the future is bright. The greatness of the Raiders is in its future right? So far it hasn't happened and one relocation won't automatically bring an immediate bright future. That's my rant for tonight. They still got two games left on the road. The road to Vegas starts here and the Raiders have their work cut out. I'll see you guys later.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Lakers Weekly Roundup #6: 10 Wins...and One December 1 Loss
November has been very kind to the Lakers. Outside of the early loss to the Toronto Raptors, the Lakers have owned the month of November. One could say they've had a far easy schedule against struggling teams. But one thing's for sure, they are taking care of business against teams they're expected to beat. Heading into December, the Lakers will truly be tested against teams with better records. How they fare remains to be seen, but let's take a look at how they performed this week.
11/25: @ San Antonio 114-104 [W] (15-2)
All of LA had their attention on this as soon as Lamar Jackson and the Ravens wiped the floor clean over the Rams on Monday night. You always have to be weary when San Antonio will start flipping the switch. But when your recent win is against the Knicks and you're 6-12, it's not a great start. As for the Lakers, they're surviving this road trip with some heart stopping wins at OKC and at Memphis. Can we at least have a comfortable win here? This is just what the doctor ordered. Looking at the highlights, the Spurs and the Lakers were trading buckets with no team having a decisive lead. That's until the 4th quarter. The Spurs had no answer for LeBron's scoring and facilitating prowess. What's even more lethal? His three point shooting was on point in crunch time. This is especially considering that Anthony Davis had a pedestrian game, yet he still showed up when it mattered the most. The final stat line: LeBron James lead all Lakers with 33 points and 14 assists. As mentioned AD had an off night, but still finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Rondo, KCP, and Troy Daniels provided that extra scoring power. We already know KCP has played lights out since starting, but Rondo had the shooter's touch going 3-3 from beyond the arc. He was especially big at helping the Lakers balloon their lead. The Spurs still fought valiantly as DeMar DeRozan continued to battle. During that fourth quarter, the Spurs were not going away as long as he's getting buckets. But my goodness, work on a 3-point shot man. Maybe your team will have a greater chance making this game close if you can just hit a crucial three.
11/27: @ New Orleans 114-110 [W] (16-2)
11/25: @ San Antonio 114-104 [W] (15-2)
All of LA had their attention on this as soon as Lamar Jackson and the Ravens wiped the floor clean over the Rams on Monday night. You always have to be weary when San Antonio will start flipping the switch. But when your recent win is against the Knicks and you're 6-12, it's not a great start. As for the Lakers, they're surviving this road trip with some heart stopping wins at OKC and at Memphis. Can we at least have a comfortable win here? This is just what the doctor ordered. Looking at the highlights, the Spurs and the Lakers were trading buckets with no team having a decisive lead. That's until the 4th quarter. The Spurs had no answer for LeBron's scoring and facilitating prowess. What's even more lethal? His three point shooting was on point in crunch time. This is especially considering that Anthony Davis had a pedestrian game, yet he still showed up when it mattered the most. The final stat line: LeBron James lead all Lakers with 33 points and 14 assists. As mentioned AD had an off night, but still finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Rondo, KCP, and Troy Daniels provided that extra scoring power. We already know KCP has played lights out since starting, but Rondo had the shooter's touch going 3-3 from beyond the arc. He was especially big at helping the Lakers balloon their lead. The Spurs still fought valiantly as DeMar DeRozan continued to battle. During that fourth quarter, the Spurs were not going away as long as he's getting buckets. But my goodness, work on a 3-point shot man. Maybe your team will have a greater chance making this game close if you can just hit a crucial three.
11/27: @ New Orleans 114-110 [W] (16-2)
This is the most anticipated game on the schedule. Anthony Davis returns back to New Orleans to face off against his former team. With this, we are expecting a heavy rain of boos drenching on AD whenever he touches the ball. That's what transpired predictably. This wasn't just a return game for AD, but a revenge game for Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and Lonzo Ball. B.I. was 100% full go for this. Hart didn't miss one. And Lonzo? Nowhere in sight. Maybe he chickened out again, but his official prognosis was that he didn't play due to illness. Things got off to a rocky start this game for the Lakers. After a 10-8 lead, New Orleans fired on all cylinders from three. I gotta give credit to the Pels. They showed up this game ready to play. They were physical. They stretched the floor. Josh Hart nearly head hunted LeBron and AD. In that 2nd quarter, 'Bron bumped knees with Hart. And by the end of the third, gave AD a sore elbow. I'm not implying that Josh Hart is a dirty player. He wasn't notorious for that in his tenure with the purple and gold. But no question he was the common denominator when both the Lakers' star players had to briefly exit the game.
The lead looked insurmountable for the Lakers to overcome. Davis overcame a slow start, but he wasn't getting too much help elsewhere. LeBron looked pedestrian in the first three quarters, missing free throws to make matters worse. Kuz was reluctant to take any shots. KCP, Rondo, Green, and JaVale looked awful. Out of the supporting cast, Dwight Howard looked sharp out of the gate. He was solid after laying a goose egg in San Antonio. Caruso was consistent as usual with his defense despite the lack of stats. Let's roll back to LeBron and Kuzma because when AD had to get off, they came alive down the stretch. Kuzma got in rhythm from. LeBron took over when it mattered the most. AD still finished the game and stuck it to New Orleans with free throws and a clutch steal over B.I. This game turned incredible at the end with the Lakers' resiliency and will to finish strong and that has been their MO all season long. A fitting end to what was a four-game road roller coaster!
11/29: vs. Washington 103-125 [W] (17-2)
The Washington Wizards may have a losing record to start, but they're one of the highest scoring offenses in the league thus far. The Lakers were down 9-0 to start this game to the Wizards. After that, it felt like a millennia that they shut out the Lakers early on. I could throw out a joke that the Lakers were spotting them points before they put the pedal to the medal. They did look sluggish and discombobulated on offense. But, that's exactly what they did. After that start, the Lakers outscored them 29-4, eventually ballooning the lead to 39 points at one point. LeBron James and Anthony Davis did their usual things as the purple and gold's dynamic duo, combining for 49 points. But, it was the rest of the supporting cast that stepped up. Rondo shooting the three ball well contributed to the Lakers storming back and keeping the lead for the rest of the game. Danny Green found the stroke from deep. JaVale McGee joined LeBron and AD in the double-double category with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Quinn Cook did some mop up duty and got hot in the 4th quarter. The defense held Bradley Beal to 18 points. This was a much-needed team-dominant win for the Lakers after pulling out close ones in the last few games. With this start, I feel like a teenager again with these Lakers stacking up wins and dominating teams they should beat. At 17-2, this is their best start 2008-09 if I'm reading the stats correctly. They were near perfect for the month of November with their only loss to Toronto back on the 10th. Now things get testy as the LakeShow puts their best record on the line against a daunting December stretch.
12/01: vs. Dallas 114-100 [L] (17-3)
I did say this December will be a daunting month for the LakeShow. Last meeting, the Lakers grinded it out with an OT win over the Mavs. Don't think the Mavs have forgotten that leading into these game. My head and neck area did some exercises rotating between this game and the Raiders' sh*tshow vs. the Chiefs. The Lakers had momentum at the first half. But, it all fizzled away from the Mavs' hot shooting in the third quarter. The Mavs outscored them 35-17. Not only were they draining 3's, but they were getting 2nd chance opportunities off the boards. AD, JaVale, and Dwight ought to be embarrassed by not boxing out with their size. They got outhustled every step of the way. The Lakers missed some shots with some pretty questionable shot selection. It was very uncharacteristic. LeBron turned the ball over 6 times and missed all 5 of his 3-point attempts. Despite the 25, 9, and, 8 effort, that certainly leaves a blemish. Outside of LeBron and AD, the team didn't have much help besides Caruso. Caruso did give the Lakers a spark when he hit back-to-back threes to cut the lead 87-75 in the third. Other than that, the 2nd half was all Mavs. You gotta give some MVP mention to Luka Doncic. It's a little early, but the dude has been nothing short of special in his sophomore year for Dallas.
*Next week, I will not be posting a Weekly Roundup. I mentioned this in my reaction to the Raiders' loss to the Chiefs. This semester is closing up fast and I have a daunting final paper (currently in progress) staring me in the face. I'll see you guys the week after.*
11/29: vs. Washington 103-125 [W] (17-2)
The Washington Wizards may have a losing record to start, but they're one of the highest scoring offenses in the league thus far. The Lakers were down 9-0 to start this game to the Wizards. After that, it felt like a millennia that they shut out the Lakers early on. I could throw out a joke that the Lakers were spotting them points before they put the pedal to the medal. They did look sluggish and discombobulated on offense. But, that's exactly what they did. After that start, the Lakers outscored them 29-4, eventually ballooning the lead to 39 points at one point. LeBron James and Anthony Davis did their usual things as the purple and gold's dynamic duo, combining for 49 points. But, it was the rest of the supporting cast that stepped up. Rondo shooting the three ball well contributed to the Lakers storming back and keeping the lead for the rest of the game. Danny Green found the stroke from deep. JaVale McGee joined LeBron and AD in the double-double category with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Quinn Cook did some mop up duty and got hot in the 4th quarter. The defense held Bradley Beal to 18 points. This was a much-needed team-dominant win for the Lakers after pulling out close ones in the last few games. With this start, I feel like a teenager again with these Lakers stacking up wins and dominating teams they should beat. At 17-2, this is their best start 2008-09 if I'm reading the stats correctly. They were near perfect for the month of November with their only loss to Toronto back on the 10th. Now things get testy as the LakeShow puts their best record on the line against a daunting December stretch.
12/01: vs. Dallas 114-100 [L] (17-3)
I did say this December will be a daunting month for the LakeShow. Last meeting, the Lakers grinded it out with an OT win over the Mavs. Don't think the Mavs have forgotten that leading into these game. My head and neck area did some exercises rotating between this game and the Raiders' sh*tshow vs. the Chiefs. The Lakers had momentum at the first half. But, it all fizzled away from the Mavs' hot shooting in the third quarter. The Mavs outscored them 35-17. Not only were they draining 3's, but they were getting 2nd chance opportunities off the boards. AD, JaVale, and Dwight ought to be embarrassed by not boxing out with their size. They got outhustled every step of the way. The Lakers missed some shots with some pretty questionable shot selection. It was very uncharacteristic. LeBron turned the ball over 6 times and missed all 5 of his 3-point attempts. Despite the 25, 9, and, 8 effort, that certainly leaves a blemish. Outside of LeBron and AD, the team didn't have much help besides Caruso. Caruso did give the Lakers a spark when he hit back-to-back threes to cut the lead 87-75 in the third. Other than that, the 2nd half was all Mavs. You gotta give some MVP mention to Luka Doncic. It's a little early, but the dude has been nothing short of special in his sophomore year for Dallas.
*Next week, I will not be posting a Weekly Roundup. I mentioned this in my reaction to the Raiders' loss to the Chiefs. This semester is closing up fast and I have a daunting final paper (currently in progress) staring me in the face. I'll see you guys the week after.*
Chiefs Make It Look Easy
Final: OAK 9 KC 40
Here we go with another post before the game ends. This team is nowhere near close to being a playoff team. A blowout loss last week. A blowout this week. I am not surprised that this team continues to fold in big moments.
The only positive was the running game. This was exactly the game plan to keep Mahomes and the red hot offense off the field. Josh Jacobs had over 100+ rushing yards. And that's that. You can't really fault the defense on this one. This team had three turnovers. That's the last thing you wanted to do. And the Chiefs made them pay. Carr threw a pick to Tyrann Mathieu after a solid opening drive. Trevor Davis fumbled on the kickoff return. Carr threw a pick 6. All those turnovers allowed the Chiefs to jump to a 21-0 lead. And they never looked back as Mahomes and the offense absolutely gashed this team. As I said, you can't completely blame the defense on this when the offense outside of the running game couldn't anything going. The Raiders went the length of the game to throw one completed pass to a wideout. That's just sad.
Let's talk about Derek Carr for a bit. He makes us Raider fans bipolar. When he plays great, he's great. When he plays poor, he's garbage. It's a controversial topic. Of course, it's a team game. He's not completely to blame. But, let's face facts here. The Raiders are paying him over $100 million just to play game manager and play scared in the pocket. Both Reggie McKenzie previously and Mike Mayock thus far have invested so many resources to build a talented offensive unit around him. And he can't deliver. You can pin some blame on the turnover for offensive coordinators that Carr had the over the years. You can blame the Antonio Brown fiasco. You can blame the turnover from the 2016 and 2017 rosters. But you know what separates the Aaron Rodgers' of the world? The Russell Wilsons of the world? Heck, even the Tom Brady's of the world? They find ways to make the team better with the weapons they have, with the O-line they have. You don't hear many fans clamoring that they need to give them more talent on that unit or give them more time to learn a new system.
For six years, we've made those kinds of excuses for Carr. He needs a better O-line. Reggie McKenzie gave him that with Gabe Jackson and Rodney Hudson and later, Mike Mayock gave him that with Trent Brown. He needs weapons. They give him Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree and later Jared Cook and Darren Waller. He needs a running game. They gave him Marshawn Lynch who still had some left in the tank and drafted a stud in Josh Jacobs. All those years, they've invested on the offensive end to build around Carr. Hence why they couldn't build up the defense as well. Because all of the investments is going to Carr and the offense. I love DC the person. He had some good years in 2015 and 2016. But, it's time to take the blinders off for good. He may be the record holder of stats in franchise history. But, the overall W-L record as a starter, the record in cold weather games, and the record against the Chiefs speak for themselves. He stares down receivers. He's too timid to extend plays with his legs nowadays. There's no time to give him more time. He's either the guy or he's not. It's time to look this in the mirror.
**Next week, I will not be posting all week. The semester is ending and I gotta put all my writing efforts for a Master's paper in progress. Lakers' Weekly Roundup for this week will be posted soon. Then, I'm going dark from this blog all of next week.**
The only positive was the running game. This was exactly the game plan to keep Mahomes and the red hot offense off the field. Josh Jacobs had over 100+ rushing yards. And that's that. You can't really fault the defense on this one. This team had three turnovers. That's the last thing you wanted to do. And the Chiefs made them pay. Carr threw a pick to Tyrann Mathieu after a solid opening drive. Trevor Davis fumbled on the kickoff return. Carr threw a pick 6. All those turnovers allowed the Chiefs to jump to a 21-0 lead. And they never looked back as Mahomes and the offense absolutely gashed this team. As I said, you can't completely blame the defense on this when the offense outside of the running game couldn't anything going. The Raiders went the length of the game to throw one completed pass to a wideout. That's just sad.
Let's talk about Derek Carr for a bit. He makes us Raider fans bipolar. When he plays great, he's great. When he plays poor, he's garbage. It's a controversial topic. Of course, it's a team game. He's not completely to blame. But, let's face facts here. The Raiders are paying him over $100 million just to play game manager and play scared in the pocket. Both Reggie McKenzie previously and Mike Mayock thus far have invested so many resources to build a talented offensive unit around him. And he can't deliver. You can pin some blame on the turnover for offensive coordinators that Carr had the over the years. You can blame the Antonio Brown fiasco. You can blame the turnover from the 2016 and 2017 rosters. But you know what separates the Aaron Rodgers' of the world? The Russell Wilsons of the world? Heck, even the Tom Brady's of the world? They find ways to make the team better with the weapons they have, with the O-line they have. You don't hear many fans clamoring that they need to give them more talent on that unit or give them more time to learn a new system.
For six years, we've made those kinds of excuses for Carr. He needs a better O-line. Reggie McKenzie gave him that with Gabe Jackson and Rodney Hudson and later, Mike Mayock gave him that with Trent Brown. He needs weapons. They give him Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree and later Jared Cook and Darren Waller. He needs a running game. They gave him Marshawn Lynch who still had some left in the tank and drafted a stud in Josh Jacobs. All those years, they've invested on the offensive end to build around Carr. Hence why they couldn't build up the defense as well. Because all of the investments is going to Carr and the offense. I love DC the person. He had some good years in 2015 and 2016. But, it's time to take the blinders off for good. He may be the record holder of stats in franchise history. But, the overall W-L record as a starter, the record in cold weather games, and the record against the Chiefs speak for themselves. He stares down receivers. He's too timid to extend plays with his legs nowadays. There's no time to give him more time. He's either the guy or he's not. It's time to look this in the mirror.
**Next week, I will not be posting all week. The semester is ending and I gotta put all my writing efforts for a Master's paper in progress. Lakers' Weekly Roundup for this week will be posted soon. Then, I'm going dark from this blog all of next week.**
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