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My Way Too Early 2016 Grammy Award Picks

This morning, we were all graced with the 2016 Grammy nominations. In proper MichaelPiff.com fashion, just like with other award shows, I’m making my WAY TOO EARLY picks with the awards not being presented until 2 months from now (Feb. 15th, 2016).

Kendrick Lamar leads all with 11 nominations while Taylor Swift and The Weeknd each have 7. Despite a heavy push in PR in November, Justin Bieber was held out (except for being featured on Jack Ü’s best dance recording nominee, Where Are Ü Now) as were many of his Top 40 pop peers like Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Carly Rae Jepson.

I am surprised Modest Mouse, Sufjan Stevens and Mumford & Sons didn’t get much love, but a little relieved that Fall Out Boy was shutout for becoming what may be the saddest evolution of a band I used to greatly enjoy.

Keep in mind, these picks (like music in general) are totally subjective and my Favorites of 2015 (Music, Movies, TV, Sports, etc) lists will be hitting next week in case you need better context. As always, your thoughts and personal picks are welcome on Twitter and Facebook. 

Record of the Year

  • “Really Love” – D’Angelo (from Black Messiah)

  • “Uptown Funk” – Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars (from Uptown Special)

  • “Thinking Out Loud” – Ed Sheeran (from X)

  • “Blank Space” – Taylor Swift (from 1989)

  • “Can’t Feel My Face” – The Weeknd (from Beauty Behind the Madness)

My Pick: “Really Love”

 

Album of the Year

  • Sound & Color – The Alabama Shakes

  • To Pimp A Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar

  • Traveler – Chris Stapleton

  • 1989 – Taylor Swift

  • Beauty Behind the Madness – The Weeknd

My Pick: To Pimp A Butterfly

 

Song of the Year

  • “Alright” – Kendrick Lamar (from To Pimp a Butterfly)

  • “Blank Space” – Taylor Swift (from 1989)

  • “Girl Crush” – Little Big Town (from Pain Killer)

  • “See You Again” – Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth (from Furious 7 Soundtrack)

  • “Thinking Out Loud” – Ed Sheeran (X)

My Pick: “Thinking Out Loud”

 

Best New Artist

  • Courtney Barnett

  • James Bay

  • Sam Hunt

  • Tori Kelly

  • Meghan Trainor

My Pick: James Bay

 

Best Pop Solo Performance

  • “Heartbeat Song” – Kelly Clarkson (from Piece by Piece)

  • “Love Me Like You Do” – Ellie Goulding (from 50 Shades of Grey Soundtrack)

  • “Thinking Out Loud” – Ed Sheeran (from X)

  • “Can’t Feel My Face” – The Weeknd (Beauty Behind The Madness)

My Pick: “Can’t Feel My Face”

 

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

  • “Ship To Wreck” – Florence + The Machine (from How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful)

  • “Sugar” – Maroon 5 (from V)

  • “Uptown Funk” – Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars (Uptown Special)

  • “Bad Blood” – Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar (from 1989)

  • “See You Again” – Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth (from Furious 7 Soundtrack)

My Pick: “Uptown Funk”

 

Best Pop Vocal Album

  • Piece by Piece – Kelly Clarkson

  • How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful – Florence + The Machine

  • Uptown Special – Mark Ronson

  • 1989 – Taylor Swift

  • Before The World – James Taylor

My Pick: 1989

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Best Rock Performance

  • “Don’t Wanna Fight” – Alabama Shakes (from Sound & Color)

  • “What Kind of Man” – Florence + The Machine (from How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful)

  • “Something From Nothing” – Foo Fighters (from Sonic Highways)

  • “Ex’s & Oh’s” – Elle King (from Love Stuff)

  • “Moaning Lisa Smile” – Wolf Alice (from My Love Is Cool)

My Pick: “Something From Nothing”

 

Best Metal Performance

  • “Identity” – August Burns Red (from Found in Far Away Places)

  • “Cirice” – Ghost (from Meliora) 

  • “512” – Lamb of God (from VII: Sturm Und Drang)

  • “Thank You” – Sevendust (from Kill The Flaw)

  • “Custer” – Slipknot (from .5: The Gray Chapter)

 

My Pick: “Cirice”

 

Best Rock Song

  • “Don’t Wanna Fight” – Alabama Shakes (from Color & Sound)

  • “Ex’s & Oh’s” – Elle King (Love and Stuff)

  • “Hold Back The River” – James Bay (Chaos and the Calm)

  • “Lydia” – Highly Suspect (Mister Asylum)

  • “What Kind of Man” – Florence + The Machine (How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful)

My Pick: “Hold Back The River”

 

Best Rock Album

  • Chaos and the Calm – James Bay

  • Kintsugi – Death Cab for Cutie

  • Mister Asylum – Highly Suspect

  • Drones – Muse

  • .5: The Gray Chapter – Slipknot

My Pick: Drones

 

Best Alternative Music Album

  • Sound and Color – Alabama Shakes

  • Vulnicura – Björk

  • The Waterfall – My Morning Jacket

  • Currents – Tame Impala

  • Star Wars – Wilco

My Pick: The Waterfall

(Toughest of all categories)

 

Best R&B Song

  • “Coffee” – Miguel (from Wildheart)

  • “Earned It” – The Weeknd (from Fifty Shades of Grey Soundtrack)

  • “Let It Burn” – Jazmine Sullivan (from Reality Show)

  • “Really Love” – D’Angelo (from Black Messiah)

  • “Shame” – Tyrese (from Black Rose)

My Pick: “Really Love”

 

Best R&B Album

  • Coming Home – Leon Bridges

  • Black Messiah – D’Angelo and the Vanguard

  • Cheers To The Fall – Andra Day

  • Reality Show – Jazmine Sullivan

  • Forever Charlie – Charlie Wilson

My Pick: Black Messiah

(Leon Bridges is also fantastic)

 

Best Rap Performance

  • “Apparently” – J. Cole (from 2014 Forest Hill Drive)

  • “Back To Back” – Drake 

  • “Trap Queen” – Fetty Wap (from Fetty Wap)

  • “Alright” – Kendrick Lamar (from To Pimp A Butterfly)

  • “Truffle Butter” – Nicki Minaj feat Drake & Lil Wayne (from The Pinkprint)

  • “All Day” – Kanye West (from Swish)

My Pick: “Alright”

 

Best Rap Song

  • “All Day” – Kanye (from Swish)

  • “Energy” – Drake (from If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late)

  • “Glory” – Common & John Legend (from Selma Soundtrack)

  • “Trap Queen” – Fetty Wap (from Fetty Wap)

My Pick: “Glory”

 

 

To see all the categories and nominees, click here. I can’t in good conscience judge Country or EDM since I don’t listen to either often. Send your picks and thoughts to me on Facebook and Twitter. 

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NFL Week 13 Fantasy Mailbag

Each Week 13 I like to remind Fantasy Football participants to thank their league commissioners for organizing everything…as long as they scheduled the playoffs to start next week and the championship to take place Week 16.

JJ Watt yell

By the end of the season, you’ve come too far to worry about players on teams who have their division clinched and will potentially be rested Week 17 to make a run in the playoffs. Right now, I would worry about the Patriots, Cardinals and even the Panthers (who could be undefeated still) doing exactly that.

Now for immediate concerns, you are…

A) all good and have clinched a playoff spot. Just playing for the best seeding possible.

B) fighting for a playoff spot. It’s already win or go home.

C) hoping to spoil things for anyone that (B) applies to. It’s about pride at this point.

There is a “D” but you don’t want to be that person. You know, the person who drafted a team and didn’t give enough of a shit to do any maintenance on their roster at all, even after paying dues for a cash league. I played against Jordy Nelson last week. That’s all you need to know.

Quick Hits

  • Perhaps the most exciting individual matchup this weekend will be Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Darrelle Revis. In the past, Revis Island had scared away fantasy owners from even considering starting a #1 WR against him, even quarterbacks at times. In recent weeks though, Revis has allowed big games to DeAndre Hopkins (5 catches, 118 yards, 2 TDs) and Allen Robinson (6-121). Meanwhile, Beckham has cracked 100+ yards in 4 straight weeks, and has done so 13 times in his last 20 games.

[Update] Jets Head Coach Todd Bowles was asked about Revis’s status this week and responded with “I don’t think so.”

ODB dive

 

  • Another team that could potentially clinch their division by Week 17 are the Minnesota Vikings. Big reason why, and the player they’d likely be resting, is Adrian Peterson. AP has 634 yards and 5 touchdowns in his last 5 games, is 72 yards off his 2012 pace when he recorded 2,097 yards, and faces a Seattle defense this week that allowed 117 total yards to DeAngelo Williams. He’ll be the Viking’s best chance against the Seahawks in a black and blue matchup.

AP TD

  • The funniest thing in football may in fact be the biggest difference for tonight’s matchup between the Lions and Packers…Jim Bob Cooter. The Lions have won 3 straight and now have a chance to sweep Green Bay. During that win streak, Matthew Stafford has thrown for 861 yards, no interceptions and 7 touchdowns (5 last week against Philly). Amazing how good Cooter, the OC (try not laughing), looks when his quarterback actually throws the ball to Calvin Johnson.

Stafford to Megatron

 

Mail Time!

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I don’t like Antonio Andrews, or any Titans RBs, at all but seeing Charcandrick West practicing with the Chiefs again leads me to believe Spencer Ware is going to lose a lot of touches. If West plays this week, go with the starters in Andrews and Shaun Draughn. I wouldn’t expect touchdowns out of either, unfortunately. If West doesn’t go, plug Ware in for Andrews.

 

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I understand the concern with Tom Brady, but haven’t we seen this story before? Without Gronk, Julian Edelman, and Danny Amendola, Brady threw 3 touchdowns against the best defense in the league. This week he plays the Eagles and could likely have Amendola back. Philly has given up 10 touchdowns in the last 2 week, and Brady has built a reputation for making something out of nothing (no-name receivers).

If you’re having strong enough doubts, this could be a great week for Ryan Fitzpatrick if he’s miraculously available on your waivers. Bryan Hoyer and Ryan Tannehill could be okay plays if you’re desperate.

 

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The James Starks thing has come and gone, as Eddie Lacy has woken up finally. Now it becomes a question of whether or not you believe in CJ Anderson or not…

If Anderson is going to keep coming back into our good graces, it would be against the Chargers. They have allowed double-digit rushing TDs and 1,800+ rush yards. My gut tells me the Broncos will ride the hot back, just like they should ride the hot quarterback. So start CJ.

For matchup reasons, I have to lean toward LaGarrette Blount over Latavius Murray. The Chiefs have only allowed one back to run for more than 71 yards and have given up 1 rushing touchdown since Week 5. Meanwhile, the Eagles look like they’ve quit on their coach.

 

Screen Shot 2015-12-03 at 11.09.48 AM

Similar to my reasoning to start Tom Brady and LeGarrette Blount, that’s why I like Scott Chandler this week. I picked him up in both my leagues (starting him in the one without Gary Barnidge), because Brady loves targeting his tight end. Last time Gronk missed significant time, Brady made Mike Hoomanawanui relevant.

If that doesn’t convince you, Eric Ebron would be a sneaky pickup tonight as the Packers have allowed a touchdown to TEs in 4 straight matchups. The even sneakier move would be Cameron Brate against the Falcons with Austin Seferian-Jenkins still down.

 

Screen Shot 2015-12-03 at 11.10.12 AM

RB: If the Rams offense wasn’t a complete dumpster fire right now, I would say Todd Gurley is a no-brainer. But they are and that means he isn’t. Tony Romo going down means Darren McFadden is going to get all the checkdown passes he could dream of from Matt Cassel. I feel better about McFadden’s floor than Gurley’s ceiling this week.

QB: If Jay Cutler is available, go get him. The 49ers defense is a very different squad on the road than they are at home, allowing 35 points per game away from Levi’s Stadium.

 

Screen Shot 2015-12-03 at 11.10.38 AM

WR: TY Hilton and Eric Decker are easy picks for me. The Steelers are giving up the most catches and  2nd most yards to receivers, and Decker is a touchdown machine scoring in 8 of 10 games. I like what D-Jax has done since returning, but the Cowboys pass defense is brutal.

 

QB: I am going to go with my common theme for this post, trust the Cooter. I am going to use the Lions OC’s name for as long as I can, so deal with it. Stafford’s got a hot hand and Rivers has a bad matchup.

 

Screen Shot 2015-12-03 at 11.11.00 AM

I feel weird saying this, but I like Ryan Fitzpatrick a lot more this week. The Giants secondary is allowing 250+ yards and at least one touchdown to every QB they’ve faced. Meanwhile, I think the Packers are going to get Rodgers killed tonight…but he could always be “RODJAS!” again.

 

Screen Shot 2015-12-03 at 11.11.33 AM

We do have a “Thor” in our league. Otherwise, I recommend GREG, SON OF OLSEN!

Greg son of Olsen

Have more lineup questions? Feel free to ask on both Facebook and Twitter! Also, don’t hesitate to post any questions for next week’s Mailbag. Good luck this weekend! 

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December in Chicago: Things To Do To Make Winter Suck Less

Consider this a cognitive therapy session to help you feel better about the season that several of your friends and family have moved away from. If you still live here after the past two winters, congratulations…you’re a midwesterner. You grew up with 4 seasons, strapped on your snow pants, found creative ways to de-ice your windshield because you forgot your scraper, and you haven’t been stomped by AT-ATs on State Street…yet.

Screen Shot 2015-12-01 at 10.17.30 AM

I personally like snow and I know I’m not alone. I also don’t mind a trip somewhere warm in order to endure it with a tan, but I take pride in where I’m from and love that I can appreciate the other 3 seasons because of Winters here. You also get an awesome and natural excuse to stay in and binge watch Netflix shows with a glass of some-something.

So before posting your super cliche “ugh, Chicago Winter. Get me out of here” Facebook status, turn up 93.9 on your radio for 24/7 holiday tunes and consider some proactive options that you can’t get most places.

Lincoln Park Zoo Lights

Screen Shot 2015-12-01 at 11.13.03 AM

Lions, Tigers, and beers…oh my!

You read that right. Along with a whole calendar of events, you can peruse the zoo with beers (and maybe Bears) or other adult beverages as the whole place gets lit up like you’ve never seen before. It’s free to enter, as always, and there’s a number of activities to partake in including rides, crafts, and seeing Santa. There are a few dates to mark on the calendar as well.

12/2 BrewLights

12/10 Adults Night Out

12/14, 12/21, 12/28 Family Nights

1/3 Last Day

 

Comedy Shows

Screen Shot 2015-12-02 at 10.13.32 AM

Want to know a great way to stay warm in Chicago? Laughing. Where better to do that than in a tiny cramped venue, brushing shoulders with the table next to you, sipping on a rum and something, and then forgetting it all with belly laugh after belly laugh.

Dave Chappelle is in the middle of a 6 day residency at Thalia Hall, Dec. 1 – 6, but good luck getting tickets for that. All 12 shows were sold out, but MAYBE a ticket or 2 will show up on StubHub. Meanwhile, you and your rowdy friends can check out any of the following clubs for standup shows:

Chicago Improv (in Schaumburg)

Laugh Factory (on Broadway)

Zanies (Chicago, St. Charles and Rosemont)

Beat Kitchen (on Belmont)

Or you can get literally spontaneous comedy at any of the improv institutions that helped put Chicago on the map in show business like Second City, iO or Comedy Sportz.

Last, but not least, John Oliver is performing at the Chicago Theater December 30th and 31st. Maybe don’t miss that.

Christkindlmarket

Screen Shot 2015-12-02 at 10.29.40 AM

I’m sure you’ve heard of it but in case you’ve never been, head over to Daley Plaza at Clark and Washington to see for yourself. The tradition began in Nuremberg, Germany in 1545 and was brought to Chicago in 1996. It’s considered the largest open-air Christmas festival in the city, but my favorite part is the mug of hot wine that I can mosey about with.

It’s open till Dec. 24th, so get over as soon as you can.

 

Marshall Fields

(Nobody wants to call it Macy’s this time of year)

Screen Shot 2015-12-02 at 10.48.19 AM

This is Christmas nostalgia at it’s finest for most of us who grew up around Chicago. Winter break from school, Mom and Dad have some last minute shopping and your family from New York is in town…where do you head to? State Street, that great street, to see the windows at Marshall Fields.

Every year there’s a different story being told around the building, and people of all ages can’t wait to see what’s next. Inside, on the 7th floor is another sight to behold. The Walnut Room has been a Chicago tradition since 1907.

Walnut Room

 

Star Wars (Chicago Style)

If the pre-sale numbers and the marketing haven’t already told you, people are excited for Star Wars. So how can you best celebrate the release of Episode 7?

The Whistler in Logan Square will be transforming their bar into the Mos Eisley Cantina on December 16th. There will be local musicians on hand as the house band from A New Hope and the cocktail menu will be overhauled with galactic themed beverages.

Mos Eisley

Then there’s Adler After Dark the next evening, December 17th, as the Adler Planetarium will be hosting a Force Awakens party unlike any.

  • Star Wars Trivia
  • A screening of Space Balls 
  • Star Wars-inspired beer from Empirical Brewing
  • Lightsaber Combat Workshop!
  • human-robot interactives from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

The Force is strong, yes?

 

Sauced Night Market

Sauced Night Emporium

It’s a roving night market, self-described as being “dedicated to emerging culinarians, artists and that guy from high school who’s a DJ now – an evening of food, art and debauchery set to the tune of “Hypnotize”. Intrigued? Sure you are.

December 15th, SAUCED will be at Emporium Arcade Bar in Logan Square for your not-yet-last-minute holiday shopping, great food from Chicago vendors, and craft beer. It sounds way too interesting to pass up.

 

One Of A Kind Show

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Love art or just any alternative to retail? This is for you. From December 3rd – 6th, 600 artists from across North America will be at the Merchandise Mart on Orleans with every kind of handmade creation you can think of.

Accessories, ceramics, sculptures, furniture, photography, paintings, glass, jewelry, fashion, etc. And here’s the show schedule:

Thursday, December 3    11am-8pm
Friday, December 4         11am-8pm
Saturday, December 5     10am-7pm
Sunday, December 6       10am-5pm

All the One Of A Kind Show info is here.

 

Topgolf

Nighttime Tee Line Golfer

(Naperville & Wood Dale)

 

I find it funny that there are still people around Chicago who haven’t caught on to Topgolf. It’s the grownup version of Chuck E. Cheese, Enchanted Castle, Leaps & Bounds, or whatever kids amusement place you used to frequent when you were younger.

It’s golf meets bowling, where each individual ball you hit has a chip inside and you aim for targets to score points against your friends. Full bar, great food, multiple monitors to watch sports, parties every night…and you it’s open year round with plenty of heat.

I actually went with my dad on the coldest of year and it was an absolute blast. Here’s proof.

FullSizeRender

If you have anymore recommendations to make December better, please pass them along on Facebook or Twitter. 

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First Day of December and MLB Is Already Winning Twitter

Professional sports have caught up with social media and any team not having fun is just doing it wrong.

Major League baseball just started an excellent Twitter thread that will brighten your day if you need it. It began with a happy greeting and an Anthony Rizzo grinning gif…

 

…then the Indians…

 

…and the Red Sox…

 

…and then…

 

…it took on a life of its own.

 

Braves

 

Phillies

 

Tigers

 

Diamondbacks

 

Padres

 

Rockies. They were late, apparently…

 

…but had a decent excuse.

 

The DBacks allowed it.

 

Hey Blue Jays…

 

…welcome to the party.

 

…and the Defending NL Champs

 

[UPDATED]

 

The Cubs had thoughts…

 

…to which MLB happily replied.

 

 

We’ll update this post as more teams jump in on the thread. For more, follow along on Facebook and Twitter. 

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NFL Week 12 Fantasy Mailbag

Due to Thanksgiving and 3 games tomorrow, we’ve moved the mailbag up a day to give you plenty of time to adjust. Speaking of adjusting, how many of you made the savvy move to pickup Thomas Rawls to plug-in after Marshawn Lynch was ruled out?

Marshawn and Rawls

Rawls may be 2 inches shorter than the man patting his head above, but he certainly plays a lot like him. He craves contact, never willingly runs out of bounds, and delivers punishment to defenders in all four quarters.

Rawls ran for 209 yards on Sunday against the 49ers, which were the 2nd most in franchise history, and added 46 more receiving with 2 touchdowns. In 3 of his 4 starts this season, Rawls has run for more than 100 yards and proved last Sunday he can be a factor in the pass game. Rawls is also leading the league with 6 yards per carry, and ranks 14th in total rush yards with 604 despite having fewer carries than anyone in the Top 25.

Quick Hits

  • While it may seem like Cam Newton gets a lot of love on here week-to-week, it’s because he’s always doing something deserving of it. After throwing 5 touchdown passes last weekend, Newton goes into his Thanksgiving matchup with the Dallas Cowboys tomorrow with the 2nd most total touchdowns in the league (26), just one behind Carson Palmer. Newton became the first player to record 100 TDs passing and 25 rushing in his first 5 seasons. The Cowboys have allowed the 3rd fewest pass yards and 4th fewest touchdowns through the air. If he can’t go through the air in “Jerry World” tomorrow, you can expect Newton to get his numbers on the ground…and some lucky fans will get memorable souvenirs.

 

  • DeAndre Hopkins is not only matchup-proof, after burning Darrelle Revis for a 61 yard touchdown last week, but apparently he’s also quarterback proof too. Even with his 3rd quarterback under center this season, TJ Yates, Hopkins was able to catch 5 passes for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hopkins is now the 3rd youngest receiver to record 3,000 yards and 200 catches. The 23-year-old better leave some room tomorrow to eat up the Saints horrid secondary on Sunday.

DeAndre vs Revis

 

  • CJ2K is now CJ2.0 and that’s very okay. The last time the Arizona Cardinals went to the Super Bowl, they rode the 2nd coming of Edgerrin James. The 2015 Cardinals look destined for the NFC Championship at least, with Carson Palmer almost eclipsing Kurt Warner’s numbers from that season and Chris Johnson as the league’s 3rd leading rusher. Johnson is nowhere near as fast as used to be, but he has evolved similarly to how James did and faces a Niners defense that just gave up 255 total yards to Thomas Rawls. Last time Johnson played against San Francisco, he racked up 150 yards and 2 touchdowns earlier this season.

CJ2K

 

Mail Time!

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Not that much of a dilemma for me at all. I take TJ Yeldon in a heart beat and that’s because I saw Spenser F’ing Ware pick up over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns in less than a half against the Chargers. Ameer Abdullah, James Starks, and Duke Johnson all picked up over 90 yards and a score against San Diego, and Yeldon is a better back than all of them. I don’t find the Seahawks to be as scary as they used to be, but I see the Steelers getting their points in the air more than on the ground.

 

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A nice segue here, but I’m leaning toward Philip Rivers this week against the Jaguars. 4 of the last 5 quarterbacks to face the Jags have thrown multiple TDs, and Rivers still has Stevie Johnson, Antonio Gates and Danny Woodhead to throw to. I mentioned that I’m not “as scared” of the Seahawks defense, but the Legion of Boom can still cause some problems for Big Ben. Go with Rivers simply for confidence in his matchup.

 

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I post these question in the order I get them, and the segue session continues…

TE: Rivers is going to chuck it this weekend against a much worse defense than the Chiefs and Gates is one of just 3 reliable options for him. Also consider how Delanie Walker broke 100 yards on 8 catches on the Jags defense last week.

Flex: Considering only Tyler Eifert and Rob Gronkowski have been successful against the Bills from the TE position, I would rather go with V-Jax. He came back last weekend and got a touchdown right away. If Mike Evans is drawing coverage from Vontae Davis, I anticipate Jameis Winston to keep things hot throwing to his #2 option in Jackson.

 

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3 Chargers questions in a row and I’m going to go 3/3 in Chargers answers. Andy Dalton is for the most part consistent, but the matchups favor Rivers this week. You’re also going to get a higher volume of throws from the King of the Bolo Ties.

 

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That’s a nice problem to have. 2 of the top 3 tight ends? While Greg (son of) Olsen is a much more consistent receiver, Tyler Eifert is leading all TEs in touchdowns and he’ll be Andy Dalton’s best chance to succeed against the Rams. Go with Eifert for the higher ceiling.

 

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QB: I may have taken Rivers over him earlier, but it wasn’t by a wide margin. I think there’s a lot to Ben Roethlisberger’s 379 yards and 3 touchdowns coming off the bench last we saw him. The fact that Blaine Gabbert had a decent game against the Seahawks last week makes me feel better about Big Ben than Derek Carr going against a Titans defense that hasn’t allowed more than 266 yards to anyone other than Drew Brees.

Flex: Just keep Rawls’n, baby.

Have more lineup questions? Feel free to ask on both Facebook and Twitter! Also, don’t hesitate to post any questions for next week’s Mailbag. Good luck this weekend! 

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Chicago Brewery Challenge: The Beer List

In an effort to promote the amazing brews of the Chicagoland area, I’ve begun devising a plan to visit and try more than 77 breweries in 18 hours.

Homer Beer

A gentleman accomplished the feat in Portland, and the ultra-competitive midwesterner in me wants to top it.

(Reminder: The plan is try each brew with a one-ounce steins and just a few pints at milestone stops in order to drink responsibly.)

Thankfully, some fellow enthusiasts are game and so are some of my favorite breweries.

 

 

Now we’re identifying all potential breweries we can possibly visit before planning a route. Going off the Hop Review database, there are 67 breweries in Chicago and 87 in the areas around the season. While there are Illinois breweries listed as far north as Zion, I think Tighthead Brewing in Mundelein is where I’m willing to begin. There are a number of south suburb breweries as well but for time’s sake, going as far as the Northwest Indiana (notably 3 Floyds), sounds worth the finish. 

The next steps will include plotting a route with 80 or so brewers chosen, and then reaching out to each one to see what’s good. For now, here is a preliminary list of where the #ChiBrewChallenge adventure could go! 

In The City…

Alarmist Brewing 4055 W. Peterson Ave. – North Park 60646

Ale Syndicate 2601 W. Diversey Ave. – Logan Square 60647

Aleman (In Progress) 3304 N. Knox Ave. – Belmont Cragin 60641

All Rise Brewing Co 235 N. Ashland Ave. – West Loop 60607

Andersonville Brewing 5402 N. Clark St. – Andersonville 60640

Aquanaut Brewing 5435 N. Wolcott Ave. – Bowmanville 60640

Arcade Brewery 2601 W. Diversey Ave. – Logan Square 60647

Argus Brewery 11314 S. Front Ave. – Roseland 60628

Around the Bend Beer Co. 2601 W. Diversey Ave. – Logan Square 60647

Atlas Beer Company 2747 N. Lincoln Ave. – Lincoln Park 60614

Baderbräu (In Progress, Beer Available) 2515 S. Wabash – Bronzeville 60611

Band of Bohemia (In Progress) 4710 N. Ravenswood – Ravenswood 60640

Berghoff Brewery 17 W. Adams St. – Loop 60603

Begyle Brewing Company 1800 W. Cuyler St. – Northcenter 60613

Birreria Chicago 43 East Ohio St. – River North 60611

Bixi Brewery (In Progress) 2515 N. Milwaukee Ave. – Logan Square 60647

Bold Dog Brewing (In Planning) 1935 E Irving Park Rd. – Northcenter 60613

Breakroom Brewery 2925 W. Montrose Ave. – Irving Park 60618

Bucket List Brewing (In Planning) Chicago, IL 60641

Chicago Beer Company (Beer Available) 1140 W. Randolph St. – West Loop 60607

Corridor Brewery & Provisions 3446 N. Southport Ave – Lakeview 60657

Crooked Fork Brewing (In Planning) 4419 W. Montrose Ave – Mayfair 60641

Cruz Blanca (In Progress) 900 W. Randolph St. – West Loop 60607

Diversey Brewing Company (In Planning) – Logan Square 60647

DryHop Brewers 3155 N. Broadway Ave. – Lakeview 60657

Empirical Brewing 1801 W. Foster Ave. – Ravenswood 60640

Eris Brewery & Ciderhouse (In Planning) 4240 W. Irving Park Rd. – Old Irving 60641

Finch’s Beer Company 4565 N Elston Ave. – Avondale 60630

Forbidden Root 1746 W. Chicago Ave. – West Town 60622 

Gino’s East Brewing Company 500 N. LaSalle St. – River North 60654

Goose Island Beer Company 1800 W. Fulton St. – Near West Side 60612

Goose Island – Clybourn 1800 N. Clybourn St. – Lincoln Park 60614

Great Central Brewing (In Planning) 1745 W. Walnut St. – Near West Side 60612

Greenstar Brewing Co 3800 N. Clark St. – Lakeview 60613

Half Acre Beer Company Tap Room 4257 N. Lincoln Ave. – Northcenter 60618

Half Acre Beer Company (In Progress) 2050 W. Balmoral Ave. – Bowmanville 60640

Haymarket Pub & Brewery 737 W. Randolph St. – West Loop 60661

Hopewell Brewing (In Progress) 2760 N. Milwaukee Ave. – Logan Square 60647

Hopothesis Beer Company 730 W. Randolph St. – West Loop 60661

Horse Thief Hollow 10426 S. Western Ave. – Beverly 60643

Illuminated Brew Works 415 N. Sangamon Ave. – West Loop 60642

Lagunitas Brewing Company 1843 S. Washtenaw Ave. – Douglas Park 60608

Lake Effect Brewing Company 4727 W. Montrose Ave. – Irving Park 60641

Like Minds Brewing 1800 W. Walnut St. – Near West Side 60612

Lo Rez Brewing (In Planning) Chicago, IL

Mad Mouse Brewery 724 Maxwell St. – University Village/Little Italy 60607

Maplewood Brewery & Distillery 2717 N. Maplewood Ave. – Logan Square 60647

Marz Community Brewing 3315 S. Halsted St. – Bridgeport 60608

Metropolitan Brewing 5121 N Ravenswood Ave. – Ravenswood 60640

Mikerphone Brewing (Beer Available) 3223 S. Kolin Ave. – South Lawndale 60623

Moody Tongue 2136 S. Peoria St. – Pilsen 60608

Motor Row Brewing 2337 S. Michigan Ave. – South Loop 60616

Off Color Brewing 3925 W. Dickens Ave. – Hermosa 60639

Piece Brewery & Pizzeria 1927 W. North Ave. – Wicker Park 60622

Pipeworks Brewing Company 1675 N. Western Ave. – Bucktown 60647

Revolution Brewing 3340 N. Kedzie Ave. – Avondale 60618

Revolution Brewing Brewpub 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave. – Logan Square 60647

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery 1 W. Grand Ave. – River North 60610

SlapShot Brewing 3223 S. Kolin Ave. – South Lawndale 60623

South Loop Brewing Company (Beer Available) Chicago, IL

Spiteful Brewing 1815 W. Berteau Ave. – Northcenter 60613

Transient Artisan Ales (In Planning, Gypsy Brewer) Chicago, IL

Une Année Brewery 1638 W. Hubbard St. – West Town 60622

Veteran Beer Company (In Planning) Chicago, IL

Vice District Brewing 1454 S. Michigan Ave. – South Loop 60605

Whiner Brewery (In Progress) 1400 W. 46th St. – Back of the Yards 60609

 

Around Chicago/Suburbs

3 Floyds Brewing Company 9750 Indiana Pkwy., Munster, IN 46321

5 Rabbit Cervecería 6399 W. 74th St., Bedford Park, IL 60638

18th Street Brewery 5725 Miller Ave., Gary, IN 46403

51st Ward Brewing (Contracting – Beer Available) Westmont, IL

350 Brewing Company 7144 W. 183rd St., Tinley Park, IL 60477

Arrowhead Ales Brewing Company (In Planning, Beer Available) New Lenox, IL

Ancient Owl Brewing (In Planning) Lombard, IL

Banging Gavel Brews (Beer Available) Palos Heights, IL

Big Hurt Brewing 6801 W. Cermak Rd., Berwyn, IL 60402

Black Belt Brewery (In Planning) Lake Zurich, IL

Blue Island Brewing Company 13357 Old Western Ave., Blue Island, IL 60406

Blue Nose Brewery 6119 East Ave., Hodgkins, IL 60525

Brickstone Brewery 557 William R. Latham Senior Dr., Bourbonnais, IL 60914

BuckleDown Brewing 8699 W 47th St., Lyons, IL 60534

Bulldog Brewing Company 1409 119th St., Whiting, IN 46394

Byway Brewing Company (In Planning) 2825 Carlson Dr., Hammond, IN 46323

Cademon Brewing Company 217 W. Main St., Genoa, IL 60135

Cahoots Brewing (In Planning) Downtown/Lake St. – Oak Park, IL

Chain O’Lakes Brewing Company 3425 Pearl St., McHenry, IL 60050

Church Street Brewing 1480 Industrial Dr. Unit C, Itasca, IL 60143

Crown Brewing 211 S. East St., Crown Point, IN 46307

Crystal Lake Brewing 150 N. Main St., Crystal Lake, IL 60014

The Devil’s Trumpet Brewing Co. 8250 Utah St., Merrillville, IN 46410

Dry City Brew Works 120B N. Main St., Wheaton, IL 60187

Emmett’s Brewing Company 110 N. Brockway St., Palatine, IL 60067

Evil Horse Brewing Company (In Progress) 1336 Main St., Crete, IL 60417

Exit Strategy Brewing Co. 7700 W Madison, Forest Park, IL 60130

Figure Eight Brewing 150 S. Washington St., Valparaiso, IN 46383

Flapjack Brewery (In Planning) Berwyn, IL

Flesk Brewing 844 N. Ridge Ave., Lombard, IL 60148

Flossmoor Station Brewing Company 1035 Sterling Ave., Flossmoor, IL 60422

Four Fathers Brewing 1555 W. Lincolnway Suite 105, Valparaiso, IN 46385

Gordon Biersch 639 E. Boughton Rd. #100, Bolingbrook, IL 60440

Granite City Brewery – Naperville 1828 Abriter Ct., Naperville, IL 60563

Granite City Brewery – Orland Park 14035 S. La Grange Rd., Orland Park, IL 60462

Granite City Brewery – Schaumburg 801 Plaza Dr., Schaumburg, IL 60173

Hailstorm Brewing Company 8060 186th St., Tinley Park, IL 60487

Hofbräuhuas Chicago 5500 Park Pl., Rosemont, IL 60018

Hopvine Brewing Company 4030 Fox Valley Center Dr., Aurora, IL 60504

Hunter’s Brewing 1535 S. Calumet Rd., Chesterton, IN 46304

Imperial Oak Brewing 501 Willow Blvd., Willow Springs, IL 60480

Ironwood Brewing Co. 6 Roosevelt Rd, Valparaiso, IN 46383

Lake Bluff Brewing Company  16 E. Scranton Ave., Lake Bluff, IL 60044

Light the Lamp Brewery 10 N. Lake St., Grayslake, IL 60030

The Lucky Monk 105 Hollywood Blvd., South Barrington, IL 60010

Lunar Brewing Company 54 E. St. Charles Rd. #11, Villa Park, IL 60181

Metal Monkey Brewing (In Progress) 515 Anderson Dr. #900, Romeoville, IL 60446

Mickey Finn’s Brewery 412 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, IL 60048

Middle Brow Beer Company 2701 Deborah Ave., Zion, IL 60099

Miskatonic Brewing Company 1000 N. Frontage Rd., Darien, IL 60561

Nevin’s Brewing Company 12337 S. Rte. 59 #155, Plainfield, IL 60585

New Oberpfalz Brewing 121 E. Main St., Griffith, IN 46319

Noon Whistle Brewing 800 E. Roosevelt Rd., Lombard, IL 60148

Oak Park Brewing Company (In Progress) 155 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302

One Trick Pony Brewery 17933 Chappel Ave., Lansing, IL 60438

Only Child Brewing 1350 Tri State Pkwy, Ste 124, Gurnee, IL 60031

Peckish Pig 623 Howard St., Evanston, IL 60202

Penrose Brewing Company 509 Stevens St., Geneva, IL 60134

Pokro Brewing Company 311 North Broad Street, Griffith, IN  46319

Pollyanna Brewing Company 431 Talcott Ave., Lemont, IL 60439

Rock Bottom – Lombard 94 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, IL 60148

Rock Bottom – Orland Park 16156 S. La Grange Rd., Orland Park, IL 60467

Rock Bottom – Warrenville 28256 Diehl Rd., Warrenville, IL 60555

Route 2 Brews 141 Harding Dr., Lowell, IN 46356

Rude Hippo Brewing Company 5725 Miller Ave., Gary, IN 46403

Saint John Malt Brothers Brewing 9607 Wicker Ave., St. John, IN 46373

Scorched Earth Brewing Company 203 Berg St., Algonquin, IL 60102

Sketchbook Brewing  825 Chicago Ave., Evanston, IL 60202

Small Town Brewery 1000 Brown St. #212, Wauconda, IL 60084

Smylie Bros. Brewing  1615 Oak Ave., Evanston, IL 60201

Solemn Oath Brewery 1661 Quincy Ave. #179, Naperville, IL 60540

Stockholm’s Brewpub  306 W. State St., Geneva, IL 60134

Temperance Beer Company 2000 Dempster St., Evanston, IL 60202

Ten Ninety Brewing 2701 Deborah Ave., Zion, IL 60099

Three Angels Brewing 10482 Ashley Rd., Yorkville, IL 60560

Tighthead Brewing Company 161 N. Archer Ave., Mundelein, IL 60060

Transient Artisan Ales (Brewing at One Trick Pony) 17933 Chappel Ave., Lansing, IL 60438

Tribes Alehouse Brewery 11220 W. Lincoln Hwy., Mokena, IL 60448

Two Brothers Brewing 30W315 Calumet Ave. W., Warrenville, IL 60555

Two Brothers Roundhouse 205 N. Broadway, Aurora IL 60505

Urban Legend Brewing Company 1115 Zygmunt Cir., Westmont, IL 60559

Village Vitner Winery & Brewery 2380 Esplanade Dr., Algonquin, IL 60102

Werk Force 14903 S. Center St., Plainfield, IL 60544

Wild Onion Pub & Brewery 22221 N. Pepper Rd., Lake Barrington, IL 60010

Wildrose Brewing 1104 E. Main St., Griffith, IN 46319

Windmill Brewing 2121 Gettler St, Dyer, IN 46311

ZümBier 3232 E. Monroe St., Waukegan, IL 60085

 

There are 154 breweries total listed but if you know or recommend others, please let me know on either Facebook or Twitter! 

 

I can also be reached by email at piff.michael@gmail.com. Check back as the plan keeps coming together!

1 Comment Posted on Food

Chicago Brewery Challenge: The Beginning

Perusing one of my favorite sites this morning, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks page, a certain story grabbed my attention…

Screen Shot 2015-11-20 at 11.15.35 AM

 

In the words of Barney Stinson,

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

John Lovegrove had his first beer at 7:00 AM and his 77th at 12:55 the next morning. Here’s the timeline of every brewery he stopped at and all the fun his crew of 7 had. Lovegrove had a pint at his first brewpub and another at the 50th, then drank from his one-ounce stein at the 75 others…which is very responsible.

The #SpiritOf77Breweries Challenge was an awesome project to promote the amazing breweries of Portland. I’d love to do the same for the Chicago area. By The Hop Review’s count, there are at least 66 in the city, 85 around it. Let’s see if we can hit more breweries in 18 hours than Lovegrove did.

The Chicago Pizza and Food Truck Challenges were fun (and still ongoing). Those projects took months to execute, but this will take just a day…and a lot of time to plan leading up. You have to start somewhere though and that’s what this is…the beginning.

The date and route are still TBD. Any Chicago beer enthusiasts and breweries interested in helping out are welcome! Let me know on Facebook and Twitter, or email me at piff.michael@gmail.com with serious inquiries.

Updates on the of the Chicago Brewery Challenge plan will be posted here and on social media with the hashtag

#ChiBrewChallenge

Cheers gif

Feel free to share this with anyone who wishes to partake. 

 

Leave a comment Posted on Fantasy Football, Uncategorized

NFL Week 11 Fantasy Mailbag

When you hear the phrase “down the stretch”, this is officially it. We’re all just a few weeks away from the Fantasy playoffs and every win really counts. Your lineup probably looks very different than it did to start the season, much like those of actual NFL rosters by Week 11. For instance, Peyton Manning…

It seems like yesterday when Peyton’s receivers were playing keep away with his record setting touchdown pass.

Peyton keepaway

Fast forward to last Sunday when Peyton threw more interceptions (4) than the number of yards he needed to break the all-time passing yards record (3). Next thing you know, he’s on the bench for Brock Osweiler, and Gary Kubiak says it only has to do with a plantar fascia issue and not based on merit. Politics and bad Broncos storylines aside, I’m glad I traded Peyton after Week 1 and picked up Cam Newton and Jay Cutler off waivers.

Cam Dance

 

Quick Hits

 

  • As one aforementioned AFC West quarterback seems to be riding off into the distance, a new one seems to have arrived in a big way. Derek Carr is coming off a streak of 3 straight 300+ yard performances and 10 touchdowns over that stretch. Not only is Carr a surefire Top 10 QB now, his Top 2 WRs become easy starts every week as well because of his maturation. Carr, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree get a plum matchup at Detroit against a defense that has given up big numbers against solid receiver duos like Keenan Allen/Stevie Johnson (21-248-1), Demaryius Thomas/Emmanuel Sanders (15-179-1), and Larry Fitzgerald/John Brown (9-131-2).

Carr to Crabtree

  • Helping Kirk Cousins achieve his perfect 158.3 passer rating last week against the Saints was his tight end, Jordan Reed. Reed’s health has always been a hinderance for his production, but he’s currently as hot as anyone in the end zone. Over his last 3 games, Reed has scored 5 touchdowns. He’s also the 2nd highest targeted tight end in the end zone and is getting plenty more opportunities than any of the other Washington WRs. Reed takes on a Panthers defense this weekend that has allowed 3 touchdowns in their last 3 games.

 

  • I’ve learned my lesson on Lamar Miller. No matter how juicy the matchup looks for other running backs on my team, I can’t leave Miller on my bench. Even if he’s being limited in the run game (only 103 yards rushing in his last 3 games), he’s racking up the points receiving with 7 touchdowns through the air over his last 5 games.

 

Mail Time!

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Danny Amendola should not be left available in any league at this point. Before his injury, Julian Edelman was getting 10 targets per game from Tom Brady. Amendola had 11 just on Sunday. He’s filling in the Edelman role and has returner duties as well for more potential points.

Between Danny Woodhead or John Brown to drop, I would feel better letting go of Brown for the time being. You’ve had at least 3 weeks of no production in a row out of the guy. Jaron Brown was confusing viewers the other night getting more looks than John actually. I’m sure he’ll get back on track with Michael Floyd dealing with a hamstring injury, but Woodhead is much more valuable to the Chargers’ depleted offense than Brown is to the Cardinals.

 

Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 10.52.39 AM

I know the bad version of Andy Dalton showed up again Monday night, but the guy was and probably still is an MVP candidate this season. With that said, Russell Wilson’s matchup against the 49ers at home is too good to ignore. The Niners are allowing 327 pass yards per game on the road. If Wilson doesn’t show up for you this week, you can drop his ass. Quote me on that one.

 

Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 10.53.34 AM

Flex: At this point, I can’t sit either Cooper or Crabtree with the way Carr is throwing. And he’s going to light up the Lions secondary this weekend too. While the running back hipster in me wants you go with Danny Woodhead, the upside for Michael Crabtree is too great this weekend to pass up. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the Chargers start running Melvin Gordon more to see what they have while they are out of the playoff race.

WR: Simply because Kamar Aiken is Joe Flacco’s only pass option, I like his chances for production over Donte Moncrief. TY Hilton will be closer to 100% this weekend and will garner more attention from Matt Hasselbeck. Moncrief also falls behind the tight ends for targets as they are Rob Chudzinski’s bread and butter for play calling.

 

Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 10.53.55 AM

At least you’re in first place with a few weeks left in the regular season. If there are guys on your roster who are out for the season, you should already be working the waiver wire for the best available pickups. Let me know on Facebook or Twitter who’s in Free Agency for your league and we’ll patch up your lineup.

 

Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 10.54.14 AM

The Broncos wide receivers probably got an upgrade with Manning going down. I anticipate Emmanuel Sanders’s possession game will be more helpful to Osweiler, especially this week against the Bears. Quietly, Kyle Fuller has played like one of the best cornerbacks in football recently and he’ll likely draw Demaryius Thomas. Go with old reliable Sanders over Jeremy Maclin, who hasn’t done much since Week 5.

 

Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 10.54.33 AM

Flex: For the same reason I listed earlier, go with Aiken. While the Broncos will run more this weekend, the Bears are stout against the run. They’ve only allowed 3 touchdowns to running backs all season as well.

TE: If one person is doing well for the Packers during their current 3 game slide, it’s Richard Rodgers. He has 3 touchdowns in his last 2 games, 14 targets, 10 catches, and likely all of Aaron Rodgers’s attention in the red zone against a Vikings D that keeps WRs and RBs in check regularly.

 

Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 10.54.50 AMDude…Marshawn. And if Thomas Rawls is available, go handcuff him in case something absurd happens. But seriously…Marshawn.

Marshawn racoon

Have more lineup questions? Feel free to ask on both Facebook and Twitter! Also, don’t hesitate to post any questions for next week’s Mailbag. Good luck this weekend! 

Leave a comment Posted on Movies, Uncategorized

Upcoming Sequels & Reboots: What To Say YES or NOPE To

One of the biggest cliches regarding Hollywood and film is that “original material is dead”. To the people who feel that way, I would recommend going to their nearest theater and checking out Room and Bridge of Spies. We do seem to receive news on a daily basis of an upcoming reboot or sequel to a classic that’s either been long overdue or way too late.

Some of these projects are exciting and give us something to look forward to. Others just make you shake your head and ask…”Why?”

A remake to a film or franchise can be refreshing. Most of us are Shawshanked (naturally forced to sit and watch the rest of the way through, no matter the time) whenever Ocean’s Eleven comes on TV, the George Clooney version and not the 1960 Frank Sinatra one. Did you see the Footloose remake though? Neither did I.

There are a number of reboots and sequels coming to theaters in the next year or so. Many of the original titles are decades old. I’ll here to separate what’s worth the hype and what’s not.

 

Yes!

Yes

(Movies To Look Forward To)

Zoolander 2 (2016)

Although the original was released 15 years before this sequel hits theaters, it still works because the two stars NEVER AGE. Seriously, whatever moisturizer these guys are using makes 15 years look like 5.

Image (8)

…and they’re killing off Bieber, so at least the movie has that going for it. Just avoid anything the Anchorman did. Seriously.

 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Aside from jerks who lack imagination, everyone is looking forward to this film and rightfully so. The build up and marketing for Episode VII has been remarkably. While it’s been over 30 years since Han Solo was unfrozen from carbonite on the screen, chills ran down my spine hearing him say “…we’re home”, alongside a Chewbacca roar.

Returning to a set that isn’t so dependent on CGI and green screen like Episodes I-III has audiences excited. It’s also fun for both new and old generations of fans to see new characters on new adventures with old ones.

 

Spider-Man (2017)

Spider-Man

I, like many, was left with a really bad taste in my mouth after Spider-Man 3. It bothered me so much that I didn’t even see the Andrew Garfield version until I happened upon it on FX like a month ago…and I still didn’t feel like I missed out.

Now that Spider-Man is home in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, my spidey senses are tingling again (yeah, I said it). We’ll get our first look at the reboot edition in the highly anticipated Captain America: Civil Waras he chooses a side between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. This means we won’t have to go through ANOTHER origin radioactive spider bite story when Peter Parker gets his solo film in 2017. We also know he’ll be in high school played by an actor who is actually in the appropriate age-range, Tom Holland. Tobey Maguire and Garfield were both in their very late twenties when they played high school Peter Parker.

It will be fun to see how the new Spider-Man fits into the Marvel/Avengers story going forward and who he will face off with. Hopefully NOT the Green Goblin for a 3rd time.

 

Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters 2016

I really don’t get why the idea of this film is so controversial. It’s an expansion of the Ghostbusters universe and features a female dominant cast with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and current SNL cast members Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. Bridesmaids director/Freaks and Geeks writer Paul Feig is teaming up with Parks and Recreation for what’s meant to be a series of new Ghostbusters films that Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson have not only signed off on, but plan to appear in as well.

Also, Chris Hemsworth is their receptionist, so…there’s that.

 

NOPE!

Nope

(Movies Nobody Asked For)

 

Momento 

Momento

AMBI Pictures, run by Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi, announced this week that they will be financing a remake of Christopher Nolan’s breakout film, Momento. In the statement breaking the news, Bacardi said:

“Memento is a masterpiece that leaves audiences guessing not just throughout the film, but long after as well, which is a testament to its daring approach.”

Then leave the damn thing alone! Better yet, just rerelease it theaters because it only made $25 million initially and was regarded as a modern classic right after. You can’t tell me though that anyone was asking for a new take or reimagining of this story.

 

Point Break (2015)

 

I’m convinced there is an evil group of film backers who want to remake Patrick Swayze’s whole filmography and in the worst ways possible. This is Exhibit A.

I understand there are different “extreme sports” being portrayed (snowboarding instead of surfing), but you could simply call the movie something else and change the character names to make it more appealing…Ya know, like The Fast and the Furious or something like that.

Here’s the original 1991 trailer.

“Fear causes hesitation, and hesitation will cause your worst fears to come true…”, like a remake to this movie with worse actors.

 

Road House 

Road House

This is Exhibit B in the case for a Swayze movie conspiracy…

All we know about this movie is that Ronda Rousey has been casted to play Swayze’s character. A columnist for GQ, Jack Moore (who LOVES this idea), says this should work because “Ronda Rousey could end up being the new Patrick Swayze!”

…

Okay, I’m back from throwing up.

I’m not an MMA fan so I don’t share the adoration for Rousey as many people do. I also didn’t see The Entourage movie and don’t feel like I’m missing out. I have seen the other films she’s appeared in and don’t really want to again. I know that she’s the one thing that UFC has to promote itself and that she wants to join WWE. And like I said regarding the new Point Break, you can make the “Rousey as a bouncer” movie and not call it ‘Road House’. Rousey herself doesn’t sound all that confident about doing the film after telling reporters, “The worst thing that’s going to happen is, is that I’ll really suck and just disgrace the name of Swayze and ‘Road House,’ and everyone will hate me.”

+1 for self awareness.

 

Top Gun 2

Top Gun

I need this photo to have Maverick giving a thumbs down.

The original is almost 30 years old. Yeah, Tom Cruise is in fantastic shape and still kicking ass in the Mission Impossible franchise and Jack Reacher, but you’re not going to bring either Goose or Tony Scott back to get me excited for this sequel. There’s also a lot of confusion as to whether Cruise will even accept the offer to play Maverick again…Val Kilmer’s already editing his Facebook statuses about it, so it will probably go straight to DVD or VOD.

 

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

 

MSDINDA FE002

Will Smith isn’t signed up for this film so neither am I. Seriously, you could air it on SyFy after the next Sharknado and it will get as much hype as it would going to theaters.

(Sidenote: Not included is the long rumored Space Jam 2. Personally, I don’t mind if kids today get to see one featuring LeBron James because many of them weren’t even born while Michael Jordan was playing basketball. Just let that sink in…)

 

Any other reboots and sequels that interest you or make you sick? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter. 

1 Comment Posted on sports

5 Potential Bears OC Candidates To Replace Adam Gase

After winning 4 of their last 6 games, the hottest topic regarding the Chicago Bears this week seems to be “Can they keep Adam Gase?” It’s a fair conversation to have as Gase is presumed to be one of the top head coaching candidates to fill any of a number NFL openings for next season. In 9 games, Gase has the Bears offense looking as respectable as any with Jay Cutler playing his best football since coming to Chicago. He was also very close to being the 49ers head coach after last season, had San Francisco’s higher-ups not been so sold on this guy…

Daisy Tomsula

Vacancies across the league already include Tennessee and Miami, unless Dan Campbell continues to work wonders. Other teams that are expected or rumored to be looking for a new head coach include the Colts, Saints, Lions, Browns, Chargers, Rams, and the aforementioned 49ers. I wouldn’t anticipate this to be appealing to Gase, but there are several major conference openings in college football as well. The point is, there are plenty of options for Gase to move up in the football world and Bears fans shouldn’t be shocked to see Cutler working with yet another offensive coordinator next season.

Is it possible the Bears will do everything in their power to keep Gase? Sure. They could make Gase an offer similar to the Cowboys’ Jason Garrett deal, making him the highest paid coordinator in football with assurances he’ll be the next head coach after John Fox is done. In 2008, Garrett was making $3 million as an assistant waiting in the wings behind then Cowobys coach Wade Phillips. League rules prevented Jerry Jones to name Garrett as an heir to take over for Phillips, but it was the worst kept secret in football.

The likelihood of Gase staying in Chicago after this season isn’t particularly probable, but one could be confident Fox will have a strong candidate in place to fill the opening. After all, Fox did bring the best two available coordinators with him after taking the Bears job, Gase and Vic Fangio.

What do Fox’s OC options look like for the 2016 season?

 

Mike McCoy

Current Chargers Head Coach

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With the team’s likely move to Los Angeles and another underwhelming season, the Chargers organization could be looking for a fresh face and a new voice in the locker room. The Bears interviewed Mike McCoy in 2013 before he took the Chargers job. McCoy had just reshaped the Broncos offense from accommodating Tim Tebow in 2011 to Peyton Manning in 2012, with Fox as his boss and Gase as QB coach. Fox and McCoy are already very familiar with each other. Gase has also credited McCoy on multiple occasions for being one of the better influences on his coaching style.

 

Dowell Loggains

Current Bears Quarterbacks Coach

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The transition for Dowell Loggains to offensive coordinator, on paper, looks seamless. Loggains is already working closely with Cutler on a daily basis and would essential continue using Gase’s playbook. He isn’t inexperienced when it comes to play-calling either, as he served as Titans OC in 2012-2013 under Mike Munchak. The concern, however, is that Loggains could leave with Gase if he’s hired elsewhere.

 

Ken Whisenhunt

Former Titans Head Coach

Ken Whisenhunt

Ken Whisenhunt keeps getting head coaching jobs because he continuously gets it done as an offensive coordinator. Before his 1 and a half year Titans tenure, Whisenhunt called plays as McCoy’s OC in San Diego in 2013. The Chargers had improved from 31st in total offense to 5th with Whisenhunt on the sidelines. The Chargers also ranked 4th in touchdowns and 5th in passing yards that season as Ryan Matthews had his best year rushing with 1,255 yards.

 

Bill Lazor

Current Dolphins Offensive Coordinator

Screen Shot 2015-11-17 at 11.54.40 AM

This really depends on what the Miami Dolphins chooses to do about their head coaching situation. If Campbell drops the interim tag, I would expect Bill Lazor to either stay put or leave for a head coaching position (although unlikely). Lazor has said that he let down former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin before his dismissal in October. Since then, the Dolphins have played like the high powered offensive team they were expected to be. Lazor runs a quick-hitting read offense works similarly to Gase’s current system. It operates best when the running backs are the central focus. Case in point, Lamar Miller: 124 total yards per game and and 9 touchdowns since Philbin’s firing with a 3-2 record.

 

Rob Chudzinski

Current Colts Offensive Coordinator

Rob Chudzinski

Chuck Pagano’s fate in Indianapolis has felt all but sealed as his Colts team has gone from predicted Super Bowl contenders to a playoff battle with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Rob Chudzinski has run up and down the ranks of offensive coaching staffs since coming into the league in 2004. “Chud” is best known for innovating the original 2-TE system and helping Cam Newton breakout during his rookie season with the most passing yards of his career so far in 2011. Chudzinski has recently taken over as Colts OC following Pep Hamilton’s scapegoat dismissal in October. He’s a play-caller with head coaching chops but probably a little out-of-the-box in terms of schemes for the Bears and their current path. You can’t help but notice though, how good the Bears offense has looked when utilizing both Martellus Bennett and Zach Miller in recent weeks.

 

Have another potential Offensive Coordinator candidate in mind for the Bears? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.