Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the death of Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was murdered on stage at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio while performing with his other band Damageplan. While I didn't listen to Pantera (or metal in general) at the time of his passing, they instantly became one of my favorite bands upon discovering them in 2007, and Dimebag was a large part of why their music resonated so much with me. To this day, I've never heard a guitarist with a stronger knack for writing punchy, memorable guitar licks than Dimebag. You seldom hear a Pantera song from Cowboys from Hell through Reinventing the Steel that isn't packed to the brim with phenomenal riffage. Dimebag's contributions to music will never be forgotten and it's a shame that his life was taken at such a young age (he was 38 when he was killed) under such tragic circumstances. To commemorate Dimebag's legacy, here are my picks for the 10 best songs in Pantera's catalog. Hope you all enjoy.
10. "Fucking Hostile" (from 1992's Vulgar Display of Power) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E929gqIcwwI
9. "Becoming" (from 1994's Far Beyond Driven) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ht3XGhlfYs
8. "The Great Southern Trendkill" (from 1996's The Great Southern Trendkill) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4pOIndfTzI
7. "Domination" (from 1990's Cowboys from Hell) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYPFrXvc2rE
6."Cowboys from Hell" (from 1990's Cowboys from Hell) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DfYLar2QGI
5. "A New Level" (from 1992's Vulgar Display of Power) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ0bG_7L3Sw
4. "Rise" (from 1992's Vulgar Display of Power") http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrMrF_k_fMo
3. "I'm Broken" (from 1994's Far Beyond Driven) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1fUgpYSdpo
2. "Floods" (from 1996's The Great Southern Trendkill) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td-v6vG2Xhs
1. "Cemetery Gates" (from 1990's Cowboys from Hell) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OYw7FPB7CE
Monday, December 8, 2014
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Concert Review: Abstract Reality Tour (Devin Townsend Project/Animals as Leaders)-- Worcester, MA-- December 5th, 2014
The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts was invaded by three heavyweights of progressive metal last night, as the Abstract Reality Tour featuring the Devin Townsend Project, Animals as Leaders and Monuments rolled into town. Unsurprisingly given the caliber of the lineup, the show (mostly) didn't fail to disappoint.
Monuments kicked off the festivities promptly at 8:00. These guys have been rapidly rising up the progressive metal ladder since ex-Periphery vocalist Chris Barretto joined the fold in 2013 and landing the opening slot on a high-profile tour like this, perfectly exemplifies the surge in popularity they've enjoyed over the past year. Just like on their excellent new album, The Amanuesis, Barretto is the driving force behind the quality of their live performance. His vocals that range from beautiful falsetto to powerful, almost guttural screams are excellent and have single-handedly elevated Monuments from middling djent band to one of the most exciting young acts in progressive metal. The setlist was perfect showcase of the versatility of his vocals and his work on the soaring yet crushing "Atlas" and gorgeous "Garden of Sankhara" was especially stirring. Not only is Barretto a top-tier vocalist, he is a phenomenal frontman that puts a ton of effort into getting the entire room involved in the performance. He made sure the crowd didn't forget who they were by inciting a wall-of-death, encouraging people to crowd surf and sing-a-long any opportunity he got and stage-diving numerous times during their far too short 30 minute set. Monuments packed the room full of energy right out of the gate and managed to successfully steal the show from both of the headliners in their brief but wholly memorable set.
Instrumental titans Animals as Leaders were up next. This marked my fifth seeing them and they once again managed to bowl me over in a live setting. You don't fully appreciate just how talented Animals as Leaders is as a band until you see them live. Tosin Abasi is every bit the guitar god he's made out to be. He makes even the most complex solos and riffs look routine. Audience members frequently were yelling about how of a machine he is between songs and I have to say I feel inclined to agree with that assessment. It's hard to fathom a human being being that effortlessly great at guitar. While Abasi's virtuoso guitar playing is clearly at forefront of the band, drummer Matt Gartska is every bit as talented behind the kit. The variety of beats and absolutely insane fills he pulls off has added another level of complexity to their music that they just didn't have in the past. It's no condience that their new album The Joy of Motion- the first of which Gartska has played on-is their finest work to-date. Gartska's inhuman and constantly unpredictable drumming has helped raise Animals as Leaders to another level as a band. As for the setlist, they played a majority of the prime cuts from The Joy of Motion ("Ka$cade", "Physical Education", "The Woven Web") dusted off some lesser-played tracks ("The Price of Everything and Value of Nothing", "Behaving Badly") off their self-titled debut and of course, played their set staples ("CAFO", "Tempting Time", "Wave of Babies") that haven't managed to lose even a little bit of their luster. I really wish Animals as Leaders headlined this show because there was just no way in hell Devin Townsend was going to top the crowd enthusiasm and awe-inspiring musicality that ran through their set.
After a bit of pause, Towsend hit the stage. I hadn't seen Townsend since he opened for Children of Bodom in 2011, so I was excited to get the chance to see him again. Even with my disdain for all of his post-Deconstruction material, I expected to at least be entertained by his typically hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable live performances. You could tell something was kind of off before he went on stage. The ridiculous dance-pop soundtrack Townsend plays when he's setting up was absent, there really wasn't much of a soundcheck and Townsend popped on stage without the lights even going down and immediately started talking about how miserable he was before he even started playing. He did crack a lot of the jokes once the set started, but they were often about how fucked up his current musical situation is and not a whole lot of them were particularly funny. It was really bizarre to see the typically cheery Townsend so bummed out and it definitely took away from some of the fun his live shows typically offer up. Not making things any better, was a setlist focused almost entirely on his new album Z2. Z2 was severely underwhelming to me and hearing these songs live didn't do much to change my mind. The Z2 songs aren't exactly awful from a songwriting standpoint, they just lack the soul and edge that his much of his early solo material had in spades. I will say, that I'm 100% in the minority on Z2. The Townsend faithful greeted the new material just as warmly as the older songs, if not more so. It also irked me that his set had such a narrow focus and ignored a majority of his catalog. He's got a seemingly endless number of songs, yet he focuses almost all of his attention on songs from records he's put out over the last three years. In my eyes, completely ignoring material from Deconstruction and Addicted! in an hour-long headlining set is an unforgivable sin. Townsend was able to offset his visibly disgruntled demeanor and poor song choices to an extent with his knack for showmanship, consistently excellent vocal performance and picking some solid non Z2 tracks to sprinkle into the set, but it still wasn't enough to save his set from being pretty disappointing on the whole. Unless he starts diversifying his setlists further and starts making enjoyable music again, I doubt I'll pay to see Devin Townsend live again.
Side Notes:
-This guy standing in front of me during Animals as Leader would not stop farting. Seriously take some Beano dude, you got some serious gas problems.
-Some guy standing in my vicinity brought a giant modified Dunkin Donuts sign that read "America runs on Devin". Sadly for him, I don't think Townsend noticed it.
-Chris Barretto of Monuments showed his saxophone chops during "Garden of Sankhara". He's a damn good player and for whatever reason, I forgot he played saxophone until he broke it out last night.
-Tosin Abasi has the best flat-top in music.
Scores:
Monuments 8.5/10
Animals as Leaders 8.5/10
Devin Townsend Project 7/10
Setlists:
Monuments:
Origin of Escape
Degenerate
Atlas
Garden of Sankhara
I, The Creator
Animals as Leaders:
Tooth & Claw
Tempting Time
Wave of Babies
Ka$Cade
Lippincott
Air Chrysalis
Point to Point
The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing
Behaving Badly
Espera
Physical Education
The Woven Web
Weightless
CAFO
Devin Townsend Project:
Regulator
Rejoice
Midnight Sun
War
A New Reign
Z2
March of the Poozers
Ziltodian Empire
Bad Devil
Ziltoid Goes Home
Grace
Kingdom
Monuments kicked off the festivities promptly at 8:00. These guys have been rapidly rising up the progressive metal ladder since ex-Periphery vocalist Chris Barretto joined the fold in 2013 and landing the opening slot on a high-profile tour like this, perfectly exemplifies the surge in popularity they've enjoyed over the past year. Just like on their excellent new album, The Amanuesis, Barretto is the driving force behind the quality of their live performance. His vocals that range from beautiful falsetto to powerful, almost guttural screams are excellent and have single-handedly elevated Monuments from middling djent band to one of the most exciting young acts in progressive metal. The setlist was perfect showcase of the versatility of his vocals and his work on the soaring yet crushing "Atlas" and gorgeous "Garden of Sankhara" was especially stirring. Not only is Barretto a top-tier vocalist, he is a phenomenal frontman that puts a ton of effort into getting the entire room involved in the performance. He made sure the crowd didn't forget who they were by inciting a wall-of-death, encouraging people to crowd surf and sing-a-long any opportunity he got and stage-diving numerous times during their far too short 30 minute set. Monuments packed the room full of energy right out of the gate and managed to successfully steal the show from both of the headliners in their brief but wholly memorable set.
Instrumental titans Animals as Leaders were up next. This marked my fifth seeing them and they once again managed to bowl me over in a live setting. You don't fully appreciate just how talented Animals as Leaders is as a band until you see them live. Tosin Abasi is every bit the guitar god he's made out to be. He makes even the most complex solos and riffs look routine. Audience members frequently were yelling about how of a machine he is between songs and I have to say I feel inclined to agree with that assessment. It's hard to fathom a human being being that effortlessly great at guitar. While Abasi's virtuoso guitar playing is clearly at forefront of the band, drummer Matt Gartska is every bit as talented behind the kit. The variety of beats and absolutely insane fills he pulls off has added another level of complexity to their music that they just didn't have in the past. It's no condience that their new album The Joy of Motion- the first of which Gartska has played on-is their finest work to-date. Gartska's inhuman and constantly unpredictable drumming has helped raise Animals as Leaders to another level as a band. As for the setlist, they played a majority of the prime cuts from The Joy of Motion ("Ka$cade", "Physical Education", "The Woven Web") dusted off some lesser-played tracks ("The Price of Everything and Value of Nothing", "Behaving Badly") off their self-titled debut and of course, played their set staples ("CAFO", "Tempting Time", "Wave of Babies") that haven't managed to lose even a little bit of their luster. I really wish Animals as Leaders headlined this show because there was just no way in hell Devin Townsend was going to top the crowd enthusiasm and awe-inspiring musicality that ran through their set.
After a bit of pause, Towsend hit the stage. I hadn't seen Townsend since he opened for Children of Bodom in 2011, so I was excited to get the chance to see him again. Even with my disdain for all of his post-Deconstruction material, I expected to at least be entertained by his typically hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable live performances. You could tell something was kind of off before he went on stage. The ridiculous dance-pop soundtrack Townsend plays when he's setting up was absent, there really wasn't much of a soundcheck and Townsend popped on stage without the lights even going down and immediately started talking about how miserable he was before he even started playing. He did crack a lot of the jokes once the set started, but they were often about how fucked up his current musical situation is and not a whole lot of them were particularly funny. It was really bizarre to see the typically cheery Townsend so bummed out and it definitely took away from some of the fun his live shows typically offer up. Not making things any better, was a setlist focused almost entirely on his new album Z2. Z2 was severely underwhelming to me and hearing these songs live didn't do much to change my mind. The Z2 songs aren't exactly awful from a songwriting standpoint, they just lack the soul and edge that his much of his early solo material had in spades. I will say, that I'm 100% in the minority on Z2. The Townsend faithful greeted the new material just as warmly as the older songs, if not more so. It also irked me that his set had such a narrow focus and ignored a majority of his catalog. He's got a seemingly endless number of songs, yet he focuses almost all of his attention on songs from records he's put out over the last three years. In my eyes, completely ignoring material from Deconstruction and Addicted! in an hour-long headlining set is an unforgivable sin. Townsend was able to offset his visibly disgruntled demeanor and poor song choices to an extent with his knack for showmanship, consistently excellent vocal performance and picking some solid non Z2 tracks to sprinkle into the set, but it still wasn't enough to save his set from being pretty disappointing on the whole. Unless he starts diversifying his setlists further and starts making enjoyable music again, I doubt I'll pay to see Devin Townsend live again.
Side Notes:
-This guy standing in front of me during Animals as Leader would not stop farting. Seriously take some Beano dude, you got some serious gas problems.
-Some guy standing in my vicinity brought a giant modified Dunkin Donuts sign that read "America runs on Devin". Sadly for him, I don't think Townsend noticed it.
-Chris Barretto of Monuments showed his saxophone chops during "Garden of Sankhara". He's a damn good player and for whatever reason, I forgot he played saxophone until he broke it out last night.
-Tosin Abasi has the best flat-top in music.
Scores:
Monuments 8.5/10
Animals as Leaders 8.5/10
Devin Townsend Project 7/10
Setlists:
Monuments:
Origin of Escape
Degenerate
Atlas
Garden of Sankhara
I, The Creator
Animals as Leaders:
Tooth & Claw
Tempting Time
Wave of Babies
Ka$Cade
Lippincott
Air Chrysalis
Point to Point
The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing
Behaving Badly
Espera
Physical Education
The Woven Web
Weightless
CAFO
Devin Townsend Project:
Regulator
Rejoice
Midnight Sun
War
A New Reign
Z2
March of the Poozers
Ziltodian Empire
Bad Devil
Ziltoid Goes Home
Grace
Kingdom
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
2014 Week 13 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Andrew Luck (Colts)
Andrew Luck has had an absurd fantasy season and his performance on Sunday was his best to-date. Luck overcame turnovers on the Colts first 2 drives, to throw for 370 yards and 5 TD's against a terrible Redskins secondary. Luck had put up back-to-back subpar outings, so it was great to see him return to his dominant form as the fantasy playoff season approaches.
Honorable Mentions: Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Drew Brees (Saints), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
LVP: Tony Romo (Cowboys)
Tony Romo managed to ruin Thanksgiving for his fantasy owners with a vintage Romo stinker against the Eagles. Romo made a ton of bad over/underthrows and forced the ball into double/triple coverage as he went onto throw for 199 yards and 2 INT's without throwing a TD against a lackluster Eagles secondary. With the dreaded month of December approaching, Romo is a shaky QB1 option at best for the stretch run- even with creampuff matchups against the Bears and Redskins on the schedule.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Colin Kaepernick (49ers)
Running Back
MVP: Tre Mason (Rams)
Tre Mason has been solid since taking over as the Rams sole starting back in Week 9, but this performance was his official coming out party. Mason manhandled the Raiders weak defense for 164 total yards (117 rushing, 47 receiving) and 3 TD's (2 rushing, 1 receiving) in the Rams blowout victory on Sunday. Despite how great he's been of late, Mason is running into a buzzsaw as he faces a pair of top 10 run defenses the Redskins and Cardinals in the next 2 weeks.
Honorable Mentions: Le'Veon Bell (Steelers), C.J. Anderson (Broncos), Joique Bell (Lions)
LVP: Denard Robinson (Jaguars)
Denard Robinson has been the only member of the Jacksonville Jaguars that can be trusted from a fantasy prospective this year. However, that was not the case this week, as Robinson faltered against the struggling Giants rush D. To be fair, Robinson only touched the ball 14 times, but for a guy who is the clear centerpiece of a terrible offense, you expect him to get more than 54 total yards against a defense that isn't very good. Robinson remains a weekly RB2 due to his volume and the fact that the Jaguars have literally no other playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Forte (Bears), Giovani Bernard (Bengals), Alfred Morris (Redskins)
Wide Receiver
MVP: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)
There's nothing about DeAndre Hopkins' performance in Week that isn't hard to believe. Hopkins was the primary beneficiary of Ryan Fitzpatrick's career-best 6 TD outburst against the Titans on Sunday, catching all 9 of his targets for 238 yards and 2 TD's. Hopkins has topped Andre Johnson as the go-to receiver in the Texans offense and save for a matchup with the Colts next weekend, has a favorable schedule for the last month of the season. Hopkins is a weekly WR2 with a WR1 ceiling.
Honorable Mentions: Calvin Johnson (Lions), Julio Jones (Falcons), Kennan Allen (Chargers)
LVP: Brandon Marshall (Bears)
Its been tough sledding for the Bears offense in 2014, as they've slipped from one of the most potent offenses in the league to one of the most inept in a year's time. No one has suffered more from these offensive woes than Brandon Marshall. Marshall picked up just 42 yards on 6 receptions in the Bears miserable Thanksgiving Day loss against the Lions. Marshall's season has been up-and-down and as long as the Bears offense continues to run in the same fashion, Marshall will be an unpredictable fantasy play for the remainder of 2014.
Dishonorable Mentions: Dez Bryant (Cowboys), Julian Edelman (Patriots), Steve Smith (Ravens)
Tight End
MVP: Coby Fleener (Colts)
Tight End Coby Fleener was once again Andrew Luck's favorite target in Week 13 against the Redskins. Fleener finished the game with 127 yards and 2 TD's- that were for 30 and 73 yards respectively. Fleener's afternoon could've been even bigger if he hadn't dropped a gimme touchdown on a perfectly thrown deep ball from Luck in the 1st quarter. As long as Dwayne Allen remains sidelined, Fleener is worth a start.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Reed (Redskins), Martellus Bennett (Bears), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
LVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
A week after Jimmy Graham had one of his strongest outings of season versus the Ravens, Graham was a complete non-factor against the Steelers. Graham didn't even get TARGETED once in the Saints victory over the Steelers on Sunday. It's beyond bizarre that Drew Brees managed to have a 5 TD outing without Graham getting involved at all. Graham fantasy owners can mark this epic floundering as a freak occurrence, he's just too vital to the flow of this offense to go another week without getting numerous targets.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Delanie Walker (Titans), Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Defense
MVP: St. Louis Rams
Now this is the Rams defense everyone expected to see at the start of the season. The Rams defense picked up 6 sacks, 3 INT"s, 2 fumble recoveries, a touchdown and allowed 0 points in their utter domination of the Raiders on Sunday afternoon. The Rams defense has become a formidable option over the past month or so, so keep using them until that changes.
Honorable Mentions: Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks
LVP: Carolina Panthers
This is definitely a cop-out pick on my part because no good defense with a great matchup fell short of expectations this week. The Panthers, who have struggled for most of the season- managed to once again fail to deliver against the Vikings' practically non-existent offense on Sunday. The Panthers allowed 31 points, got 3 sacks and failed to get a takeaway for the 5th time this season. If you're still holding on to the Panthers defense, it's time to let go. This defense is not even half the defense they were a year ago and their play seems to only be getting worse as the season goes on.
Dishonorable Mentions: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns
MVP: Andrew Luck (Colts)
Andrew Luck has had an absurd fantasy season and his performance on Sunday was his best to-date. Luck overcame turnovers on the Colts first 2 drives, to throw for 370 yards and 5 TD's against a terrible Redskins secondary. Luck had put up back-to-back subpar outings, so it was great to see him return to his dominant form as the fantasy playoff season approaches.
Honorable Mentions: Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Drew Brees (Saints), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)
LVP: Tony Romo (Cowboys)
Tony Romo managed to ruin Thanksgiving for his fantasy owners with a vintage Romo stinker against the Eagles. Romo made a ton of bad over/underthrows and forced the ball into double/triple coverage as he went onto throw for 199 yards and 2 INT's without throwing a TD against a lackluster Eagles secondary. With the dreaded month of December approaching, Romo is a shaky QB1 option at best for the stretch run- even with creampuff matchups against the Bears and Redskins on the schedule.
Dishonorable Mentions: Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Colin Kaepernick (49ers)
Running Back
MVP: Tre Mason (Rams)
Tre Mason has been solid since taking over as the Rams sole starting back in Week 9, but this performance was his official coming out party. Mason manhandled the Raiders weak defense for 164 total yards (117 rushing, 47 receiving) and 3 TD's (2 rushing, 1 receiving) in the Rams blowout victory on Sunday. Despite how great he's been of late, Mason is running into a buzzsaw as he faces a pair of top 10 run defenses the Redskins and Cardinals in the next 2 weeks.
Honorable Mentions: Le'Veon Bell (Steelers), C.J. Anderson (Broncos), Joique Bell (Lions)
LVP: Denard Robinson (Jaguars)
Denard Robinson has been the only member of the Jacksonville Jaguars that can be trusted from a fantasy prospective this year. However, that was not the case this week, as Robinson faltered against the struggling Giants rush D. To be fair, Robinson only touched the ball 14 times, but for a guy who is the clear centerpiece of a terrible offense, you expect him to get more than 54 total yards against a defense that isn't very good. Robinson remains a weekly RB2 due to his volume and the fact that the Jaguars have literally no other playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.
Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Forte (Bears), Giovani Bernard (Bengals), Alfred Morris (Redskins)
Wide Receiver
MVP: DeAndre Hopkins (Texans)
There's nothing about DeAndre Hopkins' performance in Week that isn't hard to believe. Hopkins was the primary beneficiary of Ryan Fitzpatrick's career-best 6 TD outburst against the Titans on Sunday, catching all 9 of his targets for 238 yards and 2 TD's. Hopkins has topped Andre Johnson as the go-to receiver in the Texans offense and save for a matchup with the Colts next weekend, has a favorable schedule for the last month of the season. Hopkins is a weekly WR2 with a WR1 ceiling.
Honorable Mentions: Calvin Johnson (Lions), Julio Jones (Falcons), Kennan Allen (Chargers)
LVP: Brandon Marshall (Bears)
Its been tough sledding for the Bears offense in 2014, as they've slipped from one of the most potent offenses in the league to one of the most inept in a year's time. No one has suffered more from these offensive woes than Brandon Marshall. Marshall picked up just 42 yards on 6 receptions in the Bears miserable Thanksgiving Day loss against the Lions. Marshall's season has been up-and-down and as long as the Bears offense continues to run in the same fashion, Marshall will be an unpredictable fantasy play for the remainder of 2014.
Dishonorable Mentions: Dez Bryant (Cowboys), Julian Edelman (Patriots), Steve Smith (Ravens)
Tight End
MVP: Coby Fleener (Colts)
Tight End Coby Fleener was once again Andrew Luck's favorite target in Week 13 against the Redskins. Fleener finished the game with 127 yards and 2 TD's- that were for 30 and 73 yards respectively. Fleener's afternoon could've been even bigger if he hadn't dropped a gimme touchdown on a perfectly thrown deep ball from Luck in the 1st quarter. As long as Dwayne Allen remains sidelined, Fleener is worth a start.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Reed (Redskins), Martellus Bennett (Bears), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
LVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
A week after Jimmy Graham had one of his strongest outings of season versus the Ravens, Graham was a complete non-factor against the Steelers. Graham didn't even get TARGETED once in the Saints victory over the Steelers on Sunday. It's beyond bizarre that Drew Brees managed to have a 5 TD outing without Graham getting involved at all. Graham fantasy owners can mark this epic floundering as a freak occurrence, he's just too vital to the flow of this offense to go another week without getting numerous targets.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Delanie Walker (Titans), Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
Defense
MVP: St. Louis Rams
Now this is the Rams defense everyone expected to see at the start of the season. The Rams defense picked up 6 sacks, 3 INT"s, 2 fumble recoveries, a touchdown and allowed 0 points in their utter domination of the Raiders on Sunday afternoon. The Rams defense has become a formidable option over the past month or so, so keep using them until that changes.
Honorable Mentions: Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks
LVP: Carolina Panthers
This is definitely a cop-out pick on my part because no good defense with a great matchup fell short of expectations this week. The Panthers, who have struggled for most of the season- managed to once again fail to deliver against the Vikings' practically non-existent offense on Sunday. The Panthers allowed 31 points, got 3 sacks and failed to get a takeaway for the 5th time this season. If you're still holding on to the Panthers defense, it's time to let go. This defense is not even half the defense they were a year ago and their play seems to only be getting worse as the season goes on.
Dishonorable Mentions: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Concert Review: Run the Jewels-- Boston, MA-- November 28th, 2014
In August 2013, I witnessed the Run the Jewels put on the best hip-hop show I've ever seen at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. Just over a year later at the same venue, I saw them top themselves and set a new bar for live hip-hop performances.
The show opened with an upstart group named Black Heart Broadway. Their sound had a very low-rent feel to it, so it was to my surprise when they said they had collaborated with Killer Mike on their debut EP, which is set for release in early 2015. Black Heart Broadway was on stage for less than 15 minutes and while they weren't insultingly bad, they didn't really do much to convince me to check out their material further.
The main touring lineup kicked off shortly after as Queens-bred MC Despot hit the stage. Despot highly impressed me when he opened for Run the Jewels on their last headlining tour and this time out was no different. His lyrics are excellent and he has a rare flow that allows him to own both intense and melodic beats with ease. Aside from being a great MC, he's also a hilarious dude. Between the deadpan delivery of jokes in-between songs and his trademark mid-set aerobics routine that he makes the audience and his tourmates participate in, there's never a dull moment during a Despot show. I really hope he actually releases his long-delayed collab album with Ratatat in the near future because based on the material he played live, it sounds killer. Despot managed to top the previous time I saw him by a pretty wide margin and is without question in the upper-echelon of live rappers currently in the game.
Ratking hit the stage almost immediately after Despot wrapped up his set. Ratking is the latest in a seemingly endless wave of new hip-hop groups that hail from New York. Just like on record, Ratking's live performaces shows off serious potential but also leaves a lot to be desired. The production from in-house DJ Sporting Life is stellar and serve as the driving force of the group. Their beats range from beautifully abstract to noise-fueled, industrial bangers, which gives them a nice sense of diversity that you don't always find in hip-hop in the present day. Where Ratking struggles is in the inconsistency of the rapping. One part of the duo was absent (i don't know if it was Wiki or Hak), but the remaining one has a bizarre, almost reggae-esque cadence to his rapping that sounds great at times and falls completely flat at others. Ratking is a really young group and they certainly could amount to something noteworthy in the future, but they aren't anything above decent at this point in time.
After a 20 minute changeover, the time had finally come for Run the Jewels to hit the stage. The minute the beat to set opener "Run the Jewels" dropped the entire room exploded into a uncontrollable frenzy. The sold-out crowd was constantly thrashing around and screaming along with just about every song in their hour-long set. The wave of hype Run the Jewels has picked up in hip-hop circles over the past year seems to helped expand their fanbase rapidly. It's great to finally see these two unheralded hip-hop veterans pick up the respect they've wholeheartedly deserved for the last two decades. As for the performance itself, everything was pretty much flawless. Killer Mike and El-P have an incredible rapport together and put 110% into every single verse they spit. Their excellent setlist selections allowed the duo to consistently show off their skills on the mic while also making sure that the room's high-energy level never wavered. Just about every top cut from both of their albums was played, with the anthematic "Sea Legs", explosive banger "36" Chain" and the powerful and incredibly timely anti-police brutality track "Early" standing out from the pack. On top of being excellent rappers, Killer Mike and El-P are two of the most genuinely good dudes you'll find in the music industry They were incredibly gracious to the crowd for giving all their energy and supporting their music and with their frequent wide-smiles and exchanges of daps and hugs, you can tell that they are having a ball on-stage every single night. About the only downside to the set was the choice to close with "A Christmas Fucking Miracle and "Angel Duster". "A Christmas Fucking Miracle" and "Angel Duster" are both good tracks, it's just that their melancholy nature kind of killed the momentum and ended their otherwise relentless set on an anti-climatic note. Run the Jewels' performance was a masterclass in hip-hop showmanship and I can not fucking wait to see them again on their next tour.
Scores:
Black Heart Broadway 5/10
Despot 8.5/10
Ratking 7/10
Run the Jewels 9.5/10
Setlist:
Despot included:
Knock, Knock Who Cares
Home is Where the Hood is
Look Alive
House Made of Bricks
Ratking:
Puerto Rico Judo
Snow Beach
So Sick Stories
Cocoa '88
New Song
Protein
Remove Ya
So It Goes
Fall in Love (Phantogram cover)
Canal
Run the Jewels:
Run the Jewels
Oh My Darling Don't Cry
Blockbuster Night Part 1
Banana Clipper
36" Chain
DDFH
Sea Legs
Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)
Tougher Colder Killer (w/Despot)
Lie, Cheat, Steal
Pew Pew Pew
Early
All Due Respect
Love Again (Akinyele Back)
Get It
A Christmas Fucking Miracle
Encore:
Angel Duster
The show opened with an upstart group named Black Heart Broadway. Their sound had a very low-rent feel to it, so it was to my surprise when they said they had collaborated with Killer Mike on their debut EP, which is set for release in early 2015. Black Heart Broadway was on stage for less than 15 minutes and while they weren't insultingly bad, they didn't really do much to convince me to check out their material further.
The main touring lineup kicked off shortly after as Queens-bred MC Despot hit the stage. Despot highly impressed me when he opened for Run the Jewels on their last headlining tour and this time out was no different. His lyrics are excellent and he has a rare flow that allows him to own both intense and melodic beats with ease. Aside from being a great MC, he's also a hilarious dude. Between the deadpan delivery of jokes in-between songs and his trademark mid-set aerobics routine that he makes the audience and his tourmates participate in, there's never a dull moment during a Despot show. I really hope he actually releases his long-delayed collab album with Ratatat in the near future because based on the material he played live, it sounds killer. Despot managed to top the previous time I saw him by a pretty wide margin and is without question in the upper-echelon of live rappers currently in the game.
Ratking hit the stage almost immediately after Despot wrapped up his set. Ratking is the latest in a seemingly endless wave of new hip-hop groups that hail from New York. Just like on record, Ratking's live performaces shows off serious potential but also leaves a lot to be desired. The production from in-house DJ Sporting Life is stellar and serve as the driving force of the group. Their beats range from beautifully abstract to noise-fueled, industrial bangers, which gives them a nice sense of diversity that you don't always find in hip-hop in the present day. Where Ratking struggles is in the inconsistency of the rapping. One part of the duo was absent (i don't know if it was Wiki or Hak), but the remaining one has a bizarre, almost reggae-esque cadence to his rapping that sounds great at times and falls completely flat at others. Ratking is a really young group and they certainly could amount to something noteworthy in the future, but they aren't anything above decent at this point in time.
After a 20 minute changeover, the time had finally come for Run the Jewels to hit the stage. The minute the beat to set opener "Run the Jewels" dropped the entire room exploded into a uncontrollable frenzy. The sold-out crowd was constantly thrashing around and screaming along with just about every song in their hour-long set. The wave of hype Run the Jewels has picked up in hip-hop circles over the past year seems to helped expand their fanbase rapidly. It's great to finally see these two unheralded hip-hop veterans pick up the respect they've wholeheartedly deserved for the last two decades. As for the performance itself, everything was pretty much flawless. Killer Mike and El-P have an incredible rapport together and put 110% into every single verse they spit. Their excellent setlist selections allowed the duo to consistently show off their skills on the mic while also making sure that the room's high-energy level never wavered. Just about every top cut from both of their albums was played, with the anthematic "Sea Legs", explosive banger "36" Chain" and the powerful and incredibly timely anti-police brutality track "Early" standing out from the pack. On top of being excellent rappers, Killer Mike and El-P are two of the most genuinely good dudes you'll find in the music industry They were incredibly gracious to the crowd for giving all their energy and supporting their music and with their frequent wide-smiles and exchanges of daps and hugs, you can tell that they are having a ball on-stage every single night. About the only downside to the set was the choice to close with "A Christmas Fucking Miracle and "Angel Duster". "A Christmas Fucking Miracle" and "Angel Duster" are both good tracks, it's just that their melancholy nature kind of killed the momentum and ended their otherwise relentless set on an anti-climatic note. Run the Jewels' performance was a masterclass in hip-hop showmanship and I can not fucking wait to see them again on their next tour.
Scores:
Black Heart Broadway 5/10
Despot 8.5/10
Ratking 7/10
Run the Jewels 9.5/10
Setlist:
Despot included:
Knock, Knock Who Cares
Home is Where the Hood is
Look Alive
House Made of Bricks
Ratking:
Puerto Rico Judo
Snow Beach
So Sick Stories
Cocoa '88
New Song
Protein
Remove Ya
So It Goes
Fall in Love (Phantogram cover)
Canal
Run the Jewels:
Run the Jewels
Oh My Darling Don't Cry
Blockbuster Night Part 1
Banana Clipper
36" Chain
DDFH
Sea Legs
Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)
Tougher Colder Killer (w/Despot)
Lie, Cheat, Steal
Pew Pew Pew
Early
All Due Respect
Love Again (Akinyele Back)
Get It
A Christmas Fucking Miracle
Encore:
Angel Duster
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Quick Movie Reviews: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, St. Vincent and The Purge: Anarchy
The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1: Yes, The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 is essentially just a two-hour tease for the second part that comes next year, but that doesn't mean its not a compelling film. The film does exactly what its supposed to do: advance the narrative of the series and generate excitement for the climax of the franchise. Mockingjay Part 1 is pretty light on action, which allows the stellar acting ensemble to really drive the film. Jennifer Lawrence is excellent as usual, Liam Hemsworth does a fine job in an expanded role and series newcomer Julianne Moore is a welcome addition to this already talented-loaded cast. About the only problem I had with the film was a severe lack of screen time for Woody Harrelson. While Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen may be the hero of the story, Harrelson's Haymitch Abernathy makes every scene that much more interesting. It may not be as strong of film as Catching Fire, but this still a beyond respectable entry in this excellent series.
4/5 Stars
St. Vincent: All hail Bill Murray. The role of miserable, drunk war veteran Vincent MacKenna, who reluctantly agrees to babysit the 12-year old son (newcomer Jaeden Lieberhearer) of his new neighbor (Melissa McCarthy) was a role he was born to play. Watching Murray take a 12-year old to objectionable establishments such as bars and strip clubs and give him questionable life lessons is pure movie magic. Few people are able to play an irritable, sarcastic prick as well as Murray and with his recent string of lackluster films, this is exactly the role Murray needed to be revitalized. The narrative of St. Vincent is conventional and ends in predictably schmaltzy fashion, but this cast, who aside from Murray is going out of their comfort zones, is able to elevate this out of familiar dramedy territory. McCarthy and Naomi Watts both turn in good performances going way off-type as the mother of Oliver and a pregnant stripper/prostitute that Vincent sleeps with respectively. The typically off-the walls McCarthy is refreshingly restrained and shows off an emotional, dramatic side of her acting that she hasn't shown in the past while Watts fares much better with the breezy comedy of this film than she did with the pitch-black comedy in Birdman. St. Vincent is an entertaining, feel-good romp that is a welcome albeit relatively generic reprieve from the bleak films that have been ruling the cinemas of late.
3.5/5 Stare
The Purge: Anarchy: The Purge: Anarchy is every bit the film the first installment should've been. Anarchy expands upon the mythology of The Purge and gives a much greater sense of what this evening of chaos where all crime is legal means to this fictional society of New America. The sequences involving how the wealthy purge and an anti-purge group who are hellbent on killing the people in power and putting an end to this night of senseless mass murders amongst the lower social classes are especially gripping and give the film engaging subplots that the original sorely lacked. The Purge: Anarchy also benefits from having a much stronger cast than its predecessor. While the performances aren't exactly noteworthy, none of the lead actors veer into ridiculous overacting at any point of the film, which is more than you can say for about half of the cast of the first installment. The social commentary about violence in America still isn't very sharp and there are a couple of dumb scenes that strip away some of the entertainment value, but this is still a major improvement over the original in every possible way. If the filmmakers keep developing this world and focus more on the origins of the Purge and the impact the violence has on this society, I would love to see a third installment.
3.5/5 Stars
4/5 Stars
St. Vincent: All hail Bill Murray. The role of miserable, drunk war veteran Vincent MacKenna, who reluctantly agrees to babysit the 12-year old son (newcomer Jaeden Lieberhearer) of his new neighbor (Melissa McCarthy) was a role he was born to play. Watching Murray take a 12-year old to objectionable establishments such as bars and strip clubs and give him questionable life lessons is pure movie magic. Few people are able to play an irritable, sarcastic prick as well as Murray and with his recent string of lackluster films, this is exactly the role Murray needed to be revitalized. The narrative of St. Vincent is conventional and ends in predictably schmaltzy fashion, but this cast, who aside from Murray is going out of their comfort zones, is able to elevate this out of familiar dramedy territory. McCarthy and Naomi Watts both turn in good performances going way off-type as the mother of Oliver and a pregnant stripper/prostitute that Vincent sleeps with respectively. The typically off-the walls McCarthy is refreshingly restrained and shows off an emotional, dramatic side of her acting that she hasn't shown in the past while Watts fares much better with the breezy comedy of this film than she did with the pitch-black comedy in Birdman. St. Vincent is an entertaining, feel-good romp that is a welcome albeit relatively generic reprieve from the bleak films that have been ruling the cinemas of late.
3.5/5 Stare
The Purge: Anarchy: The Purge: Anarchy is every bit the film the first installment should've been. Anarchy expands upon the mythology of The Purge and gives a much greater sense of what this evening of chaos where all crime is legal means to this fictional society of New America. The sequences involving how the wealthy purge and an anti-purge group who are hellbent on killing the people in power and putting an end to this night of senseless mass murders amongst the lower social classes are especially gripping and give the film engaging subplots that the original sorely lacked. The Purge: Anarchy also benefits from having a much stronger cast than its predecessor. While the performances aren't exactly noteworthy, none of the lead actors veer into ridiculous overacting at any point of the film, which is more than you can say for about half of the cast of the first installment. The social commentary about violence in America still isn't very sharp and there are a couple of dumb scenes that strip away some of the entertainment value, but this is still a major improvement over the original in every possible way. If the filmmakers keep developing this world and focus more on the origins of the Purge and the impact the violence has on this society, I would love to see a third installment.
3.5/5 Stars
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
2014 Week 12 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers
Quarterback
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
This was the Drew Brees performance that his fantasy owners had been waiting for all season. Brees lit up a banged-up Ravens secondary for 420 yards and 3 TD's on Monday night. His night could've been even better if it wasn't for a dropped Jimmy Graham TD in the 2nd quarter and a a costly INT in the 3rd quarter. Brees has another solid matchup against an injury-riddled secondary in Week 13 as the Saints travel to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers.
Honorable Mentions: Peyton Manning (Broncos), Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Tony Romo (Cowboys)
LVP: Jay Cutler (Bears)
Jay Cutler found new ways to sadden his fantasy owners this week by putting up weak numbers in a game where he didn't turn the ball over multiple times. Cutler threw for a measly 130 and a TD and lost a fumble against a Buccaneers defense that has been pretty bad against QB's for a majority of the season. Cutler has a horrendous matchup against the Lions on Thanksgiving day, so avoid starting him unless you absolutely have to.
Dishonorable Mentions: Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Joe Flacco (Ravens), Mark Sanchez (Eagles)
Running Back
MVP: Justin Forsett (Ravens)
There has not been a bigger pleasant surprise in fantasy football this year than Justin Forsett. Forsett's early success appeared to be a fluke, but he's been absolutely dominate in just about every game this season and rose out of the Ravens running back committee to become the clear-cut starter. Forsett had a career night against the Saints on Monday Night Football as he went for a ridiculous 182 yards and 2 TD's on 22 carries. Forsett should continue to get high volume for the rest of the season and will likely serve as one of the keys to a lot of fantasy player's success come playoff time.
Honorable Mentions: C.J. Anderson (Broncos), Eddie Lacy (Packers), Matt Forte (Bears)
LVP: Alfred Blue (Texans)
Rookie Alfred Blue had a great day in Week 11 starting in place of the injured Arian Foster. That success did not carry over to Week 12 as Blue got held in check in his 3rd career start, picking up just 66 yards (46 rushing, 20 receiving) on 19 touches against the Bengals mediocre defense. Foster is on track to return this week, so unless Foster misses another game, Blue's fantasy value is very limited moving forward.
Dishonorable Mentions: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Andre Ellington (Cardinals), Jerrick McKinnon (Vikings)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
Remember when Demaryius Thomas was asleep at the wheel for the first 3 weeks of the season? Didn't think so. Thomas has been electric since the Broncos return from bye in Week 5, picking up double digit fantasy points in every single game over that span. Thomas was once again fantastic this week as he put 89 yards and 3 TD's on a Dolphins secondary that has been suffocating wideouts all season long. Thomas is unstoppable right now and unless something inexplicably terrible happens, he will be a top 3 fantasy wideout for the rest of the 2014 season.
Honorable Mentions: Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), Dez Bryant (Cowboys), T.Y Hilton (Colts)
LVP: Sammy Watkins (Bills)
The Bills unloaded on the Jets on Monday night, following a week of limited practice and emotional heartache due to the wild blizzard that dumped 60+ inches of snow on the Buffalo area. About the only Bill who didn't get in on the action was rookie wideout Sammy Watkins. Robert Woods took the brunt of the targets, leaving Watkins to finish with just 35 yards on 3 receptions. Watkins' groin injury has certain held him back and with a matchup against Browns shutdown corner Joe Haden on the horizon, don't look for Watkins to bounce back in Week 13.
Dishonorable Mentions: Brandon Marshall (Bears), Percy Harvin (Jets), Kendall Wright (Titans)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Jimmy Graham certainly did not have his best outing on Monday night against the Ravens, dropping a number of passes and failing to get open in a couple of key situations that ultimately cost the Saints the game. That being said, Graham was still able to haul in a pair of TD's and put up the best TE performance of Week 12 by a pretty wide margin. The TE position has been absolutely awful this year, so even with Graham having a down year, he remains one of the very few good options at the position.
Honorable Mentions: Delanie Walker (Titans), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
LVP: Larry Donnell (Giants)
Oh Larry Donnell.... Donnell's up-and-down status was down once again this week as he got almost completely silenced by the Cowboys on Sunday night. Donnell didn't pick up a catch until the 4th quarter and finished with just 24 yards on 2 receptions on the evening. We've seen this movie before and Donnell will almost certainly bounce back and have a game where he puts up ridiculous numbers within the next couple of weeks. Donnell is an aggravating player, but his redzone ability in a terrible TE class makes him undroppable in most leagues.
Dishonorable Mentions: Antonio Gates (Chargers), Coby Fleener (Colts), Martellus Bennett (Bears)
Defense
MVP: Buffalo Bills
As I mentioned earlier, the Bills came out and decimated the Jets after an emotional week for them as a franchise on Monday night. The defense was a large part of the beatdown as they allowed just 3 points and picked up 7 sacks, an interception, a blocked punt and a touchdown on the night. The Bills are an absolute force on defense and even with a tough remaining schedule that includes matchups against the Browns, Broncos, Packers and Patriots- who are all in the bottom 10 at allowing fantasy points to defenses, this a unit that must be started week after week.
Honorable Mentions: Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers
LVP: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs defense hasn't been nearly as good in 2014 as they were a year ago. This was perfectly evidenced by their shockingly poor performance against the Raiders last Thursday. The Chiefs allowed 24 points, picked up 1 sack and a fumble recovery in a game that gave the Raiders their first win since November 17th, 2013. The Chiefs have been a middling defense all season long and with a tough schedule over the last month season, they just can't be counted on to deliver.
Dishonorable Mentions: Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos
MVP: Drew Brees (Saints)
This was the Drew Brees performance that his fantasy owners had been waiting for all season. Brees lit up a banged-up Ravens secondary for 420 yards and 3 TD's on Monday night. His night could've been even better if it wasn't for a dropped Jimmy Graham TD in the 2nd quarter and a a costly INT in the 3rd quarter. Brees has another solid matchup against an injury-riddled secondary in Week 13 as the Saints travel to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers.
Honorable Mentions: Peyton Manning (Broncos), Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Tony Romo (Cowboys)
LVP: Jay Cutler (Bears)
Jay Cutler found new ways to sadden his fantasy owners this week by putting up weak numbers in a game where he didn't turn the ball over multiple times. Cutler threw for a measly 130 and a TD and lost a fumble against a Buccaneers defense that has been pretty bad against QB's for a majority of the season. Cutler has a horrendous matchup against the Lions on Thanksgiving day, so avoid starting him unless you absolutely have to.
Dishonorable Mentions: Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Joe Flacco (Ravens), Mark Sanchez (Eagles)
Running Back
MVP: Justin Forsett (Ravens)
There has not been a bigger pleasant surprise in fantasy football this year than Justin Forsett. Forsett's early success appeared to be a fluke, but he's been absolutely dominate in just about every game this season and rose out of the Ravens running back committee to become the clear-cut starter. Forsett had a career night against the Saints on Monday Night Football as he went for a ridiculous 182 yards and 2 TD's on 22 carries. Forsett should continue to get high volume for the rest of the season and will likely serve as one of the keys to a lot of fantasy player's success come playoff time.
Honorable Mentions: C.J. Anderson (Broncos), Eddie Lacy (Packers), Matt Forte (Bears)
LVP: Alfred Blue (Texans)
Rookie Alfred Blue had a great day in Week 11 starting in place of the injured Arian Foster. That success did not carry over to Week 12 as Blue got held in check in his 3rd career start, picking up just 66 yards (46 rushing, 20 receiving) on 19 touches against the Bengals mediocre defense. Foster is on track to return this week, so unless Foster misses another game, Blue's fantasy value is very limited moving forward.
Dishonorable Mentions: Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Andre Ellington (Cardinals), Jerrick McKinnon (Vikings)
Wide Receiver
MVP: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)
Remember when Demaryius Thomas was asleep at the wheel for the first 3 weeks of the season? Didn't think so. Thomas has been electric since the Broncos return from bye in Week 5, picking up double digit fantasy points in every single game over that span. Thomas was once again fantastic this week as he put 89 yards and 3 TD's on a Dolphins secondary that has been suffocating wideouts all season long. Thomas is unstoppable right now and unless something inexplicably terrible happens, he will be a top 3 fantasy wideout for the rest of the 2014 season.
Honorable Mentions: Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), Dez Bryant (Cowboys), T.Y Hilton (Colts)
LVP: Sammy Watkins (Bills)
The Bills unloaded on the Jets on Monday night, following a week of limited practice and emotional heartache due to the wild blizzard that dumped 60+ inches of snow on the Buffalo area. About the only Bill who didn't get in on the action was rookie wideout Sammy Watkins. Robert Woods took the brunt of the targets, leaving Watkins to finish with just 35 yards on 3 receptions. Watkins' groin injury has certain held him back and with a matchup against Browns shutdown corner Joe Haden on the horizon, don't look for Watkins to bounce back in Week 13.
Dishonorable Mentions: Brandon Marshall (Bears), Percy Harvin (Jets), Kendall Wright (Titans)
Tight End
MVP: Jimmy Graham (Saints)
Jimmy Graham certainly did not have his best outing on Monday night against the Ravens, dropping a number of passes and failing to get open in a couple of key situations that ultimately cost the Saints the game. That being said, Graham was still able to haul in a pair of TD's and put up the best TE performance of Week 12 by a pretty wide margin. The TE position has been absolutely awful this year, so even with Graham having a down year, he remains one of the very few good options at the position.
Honorable Mentions: Delanie Walker (Titans), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
LVP: Larry Donnell (Giants)
Oh Larry Donnell.... Donnell's up-and-down status was down once again this week as he got almost completely silenced by the Cowboys on Sunday night. Donnell didn't pick up a catch until the 4th quarter and finished with just 24 yards on 2 receptions on the evening. We've seen this movie before and Donnell will almost certainly bounce back and have a game where he puts up ridiculous numbers within the next couple of weeks. Donnell is an aggravating player, but his redzone ability in a terrible TE class makes him undroppable in most leagues.
Dishonorable Mentions: Antonio Gates (Chargers), Coby Fleener (Colts), Martellus Bennett (Bears)
Defense
MVP: Buffalo Bills
As I mentioned earlier, the Bills came out and decimated the Jets after an emotional week for them as a franchise on Monday night. The defense was a large part of the beatdown as they allowed just 3 points and picked up 7 sacks, an interception, a blocked punt and a touchdown on the night. The Bills are an absolute force on defense and even with a tough remaining schedule that includes matchups against the Browns, Broncos, Packers and Patriots- who are all in the bottom 10 at allowing fantasy points to defenses, this a unit that must be started week after week.
Honorable Mentions: Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers
LVP: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs defense hasn't been nearly as good in 2014 as they were a year ago. This was perfectly evidenced by their shockingly poor performance against the Raiders last Thursday. The Chiefs allowed 24 points, picked up 1 sack and a fumble recovery in a game that gave the Raiders their first win since November 17th, 2013. The Chiefs have been a middling defense all season long and with a tough schedule over the last month season, they just can't be counted on to deliver.
Dishonorable Mentions: Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos
Monday, November 24, 2014
50 Best NFL Player Names: 2014 Edition
Two years ago, I composed the hardest-hitting article of my writing career with my picks for the 50 Best NFL players (that list can be read here: http://maitlandsmadness.blogspot.com/2012/12/50-best-nfl-player-names.html). Well I'm pleased to announced that now is the time for the sequel to that list. As with the first list, this list will be comprised of the players with the funniest birth names, not nicknames (so gems like Bear Pascoe and HaHa Clinton-Dix are excluded from consideration). Without further ado, here are my picks for the 50 best players names in the NFL in 2014.
50.Knile Davis (Chiefs)
49.Joique Bell (Lions)
48.Wesley Woodyard (Titans)
47.Major Wright (Buccaneers)
46.Haloti Ngata (Ravens)
45.Michael Crabtree (49ers)
44.Brock Osweiler (Broncos)
43.Jeremy Zuttah (Ravens)
42.Knoshown Moreno (Dolphins)
38.Storm Johnson (Jaguars)
32.Stefen Wisnewski (Raiders)
31.Duke Ihenacho (Redskins)
30.Leonard Hankerson (Redskins)
29.Ezekiel Ansah (Lions)
28.Travaris Cadet (Saints)
27.Golden Tate (Lions)
24.Crockett Gilmore (Ravens)
23.Jaquizz Rodgers (Falcons)
22.Leodis McKelvin (Bills)
19.Mathais Kiwanuka (Giants)
13.John Kuhn (Packers)
12.Dexter McCluster (Titans)
7.Kai Forbath (Redskins)
6.Prince Amukamara (Giants)
3.Captain Munnerlyn (Vikings)
2.Barkevious Mingo (Browns)
1.D'Brickashaw Ferguson (Jets)
50.Knile Davis (Chiefs)
49.Joique Bell (Lions)
48.Wesley Woodyard (Titans)
47.Major Wright (Buccaneers)
46.Haloti Ngata (Ravens)
45.Michael Crabtree (49ers)
44.Brock Osweiler (Broncos)
43.Jeremy Zuttah (Ravens)
42.Knoshown Moreno (Dolphins)
41.Bjoern Werner
(Colts)
40.Cyrus Kouandijo (Bills)
39.Breno Giacomini (Jets)38.Storm Johnson (Jaguars)
37.Ndmuakong Suh (Lions)
36.Dontari Poe
(Chiefs)
35.Cornelius Washington (Bears)
34.Tony Jerrod-Eddie
(49ers)
33.Danny Woodhead (Chargers)32.Stefen Wisnewski (Raiders)
31.Duke Ihenacho (Redskins)
30.Leonard Hankerson (Redskins)
29.Ezekiel Ansah (Lions)
28.Travaris Cadet (Saints)
27.Golden Tate (Lions)
26.Orleans Darkawa
(Giants)
25.Henry Hynoski (Giants)24.Crockett Gilmore (Ravens)
23.Jaquizz Rodgers (Falcons)
22.Leodis McKelvin (Bills)
21.Gosder Cherilus
(Colts)
20.Dane Sanzenbacher (Bengals)19.Mathais Kiwanuka (Giants)
18.Michael Hoomanwanui (Patriots)
17.Ricky Jean-Francois (Colts)
16.Stanley
Jean-Baptiste (Saints)
15.Chris Ogbonnaya
(Panthers)
14.Whitney Mercilus (Texans)13.John Kuhn (Packers)
12.Dexter McCluster (Titans)
11.Jorvorskie Lane
(Buccaneers)
10.Nick Toon (Saints)
9.McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Dolphins)
8.Sherrick McMannis (Bears)7.Kai Forbath (Redskins)
6.Prince Amukamara (Giants)
5.Zane Beadles
(Jaguars)
4.Frank Zombo (Chiefs)3.Captain Munnerlyn (Vikings)
2.Barkevious Mingo (Browns)
1.D'Brickashaw Ferguson (Jets)
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