Category: Uncategorized

What Happened This Weekend? Vol. 105

On By Luke FlorenceIn Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Guardians, NFL, Notre Dame, Uncategorized, Weekend ThoughtsLeave a comment

A brief recap of the last 72 hours on a variety of topics including sports, news and personal events.

3 Runs … 2 Homers … 1 Series Win

The Wild Card Series was brand new this year and of course I thought my team was screwed by this renovated format.  As you’re about to see, this thinking is deep rooted in personal experience. 

For instance – in 1995 (the first year of the Wild Card), the Indians had won a major-league leading 100 games.  However, MLB instituted a ridiculous rule that included a home-field advantage rotation amongst divisions.  Because of this, the Indians never had home-field advantage once during the 1995 postseason.

In 2020, the Indians won the Wild Card in the pandemic-shortened season, but MLB allowed 8 teams from each league to make the playoffs.  This meant that instead of playing the White Sox in a winner-take-all game, the Indians had to play the Yankees (and were immediately bounced).  

This year – with another silly MLB change (at least I initially thought) – we now added another Wild Card team and introduced the Wild Card Series.  So, instead of the division-winning Guardians automatically advancing to the ALDS (as they would have every year since 1995), they were forced to play a best-of-three against the Tampa Bay Rays.

You can imagine my speculation when Jose Siri hit a homerun in the top of the 6th in Game One to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.  My head immediately went spinning with some of these absurd rule changes and how my team always got the short end of the stick.  How I was to know that the Rays would not score another run in the series?!? 

Jose Ramirez hit a two-run homer in Game One and then Oscar Gonzalez blasted a solo shot in the bottom of the 15th to win Game Two and the series.  As expected, both games were extremely close and full of drama despite the low scores (2-1, 1-0).  Game Two was historic on multiple levels as it was the first postseason game in MLB history to be scoreless after 13 innings.  My son Jack’s favorite player is Oscar Gonzalez because of his Spongebob Squarepants walk-up song.  Every time he comes up to bat my son starts singing along.  As I told him when he approached the plate for the sixth time, “He could end it with one swing.” 

And then he did. 

We went crazy.  We blasted Spongebob on the speakers.  We danced.  It was awesome.  Jack had recently learned what the word “chaos” meant, so it was only appropriate that after everything settled down, he said, “Dad, that was chaos.”

Welcome to postseason baseball Jack.  

Browns Lose … To Themselves … Again

Last week the Cleveland Browns dropped a three-point game to the Atlanta Falcons by having a swiss-cheese defense and continuing to shoot themselves in the foot on offense.  Yesterday, the Cleveland Browns dropped a two-point game to the Los Angeles Chargers by having a swiss-cheese defense and continuing to shoot themselves in the foot on offense.  They are nothing if not consistent.  Let me correct that, they are nothing if not soul-crushing.  

Last week I also talked about leaving Nick Chubb – who is clearly, and unmistakably, the best player on the Cleveland Browns – on the bench in game-winning drives.  And yet again, Coach Stefanski made the same decision against the Chargers.  This one was even more egregious as they were gifted a short-field with 90 seconds left and were still in position to run the ball. 

On a macro level, only running Chubb 17 times is mind-boggling.  If the goal of these games is to win, I would think that number could have been easily increased.

I’m just going to leave this picture of an unhappy Nick Chubb up until I feel Stefanski understands what he’s doing wrong.   Last week I talked about some questionable decision making by Kevin Stefanski, and yesterday he did it again – this time coming on a crucial 4th down decision in the 2nd half.  

After the Chargers scored to take a 24-21 lead, the Browns faced a 4th and 1 from their own 34.  Stefanski went for it (right decision) but called a very suspicious play that included multiple pulling lineman (wrong decision).  And what do you know, it was blown up.  Jacoby Brissett is clearly limited in both his arm strength and mobility, but he is elite at one thing, the QB sneak.

Coming into this season, he was hitting at a 95% success-rate when he’s been asked to execute the QB sneak.  Coming into this game against the Chargers, he’s been perfect on the season.  And yet, I get the feeling that Stefanski wants to try and “outsmart” other coaches with some of these 4th down play-calls.  It doesn’t have to be rocket science.  Brissett can get one yard just laying down.  In fact, historically, teams have brought him off the bench in these exact situations.  I don’t know why Stefanski avoids it as much as he does.    

I know this looks like nit-picking, but when you don’t have a defense that can continually get stops, it makes every possession crucial.  You win by holding on to the ball and scoring – every time.  The Browns only had four 2nd half possessions in the Chargers game.  They scored on just one of them.  If they can get one more score, the game changes dramatically.  

I’m not sure the defense can be helped at this point.  The Browns did trade for Deion Jones, a linebacker from the Atlanta Falcons, but who knows how healthy and able he will be.  I guess anything will be better than Jacob Phillips, who is not a starting middle-linebacker in this league.  Cleveland brought a little of this on themselves by not investing anything in the LB or DT positions this offseason.  As a result, teams are having no issue just running the ball straight ahead.  

Like I mentioned last week, the goal should be at least 5-6 during Watson’s 11-game suspension but things don’t get any easier next week when the 2-3 New England Patriots come into town.  They may be short on talent, but they are well-coached and execute at a high level.  They spanked the Browns 45-7 last year and may be positioned to do the exact same in 2022.  

Odds and Ends

Congratulations to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for their 28-20 win over #16 BYU on Saturday.  I’ve always been a fan of the Shamrock Series (although not with all of their uniform selections), and it was pretty cool to see them play a good team on a big stage out in Las Vegas.  No other team gets that opportunity, and it’s one of the main reasons Notre Dame loves their independence.  

Oh, and Michael Mayer might end up being the best TE in Notre Dame history.  That dude is amazing.  A lot of noise was directed at Marcus Freeman – and deservedly so – after his 0-2 start to the season, but I haven’t heard much on a national stage about Oklahoma’s new coach, Brent Venables.  The Sooners have been blown out in their last two games, including a 49-0 shutout courtesy of the Texas Longhorns.  They will ride a three-game losing streak into their contest against Kansas next week.  Rock Chalk Jayhawk.  Whatever that means.   

How has What We Do In The Shadows not won a single Emmy?  It’s been nominated 17 times, but has yet to take home any hardware.  It’s without question one of the funniest TV shows I’ve seen in the last decade.  Maybe I’m a couple years late to this, but could the Emmy’s make themselves irrelevant by continually picking the same small group of shows as winners?   

Until next time, peace be the journey.

2022 NFL ATS: Week Five

On By Luke FlorenceIn Cleveland Browns, NFL, NFL Picks, Sports, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Last Saturday was a bro-party at the Florence household.  Mom was out on a spa day with friends which left Jack and Dad to their own accord.  As a father, I always enjoy and relish these opportunities, especially since Jack has gotten a little older.  His personality has started to shine through – for better or worse – and I can’t help but see some of myself in him.

As the day was winding down, I asked Jack if he wanted to play one more game.  He went to his playroom and came back with an unexpected surprise – a 755 piece, 3-D Tiger Lego Set.  Jack had received this toy during his 5th birthday party last fall (even though the box clearly states it is designed for those who are 9+) and I immediately feared for my own sanity.However, I had a plan – one that I thought was foolproof.  I would take this poorly chosen present and bury it with a bunch of Jack’s baby/less-used toys.  He’d never take the time to even glance at that bin, let alone sort through all of it to find this tiger set at the bottom.  My assumption was right for nearly six months … until it wasn’t.

You can imagine my shock when after a couple minutes of searching, Jack came back with said Lego set in hand.  “Dad, look what I found!  I’ve been looking for this!  Can we put it together, pleeeeease?”

The universe remains undefeated.

Last week I talked about making mistakes, and I made a couple here.  It wasn’t saying yes despite having less than 90 minutes to Jack’s bedtime.  It was choosing to put together this massive set on the basement carpet and not at a table.  I never thought that some of these Lego pieces would be so small that they could actually get lost in the carpet.  The other mistake was letting Jack open some of the bags.  He made it through the first two with no issue, but the third was giving him some pushback, so he used those newly-developed muscles of his and yanked with all of his might.  The bag gave and the pieces exploded in the sky like a 4th of July Fireworks show.  100+ pieces smaller than my pinky-nail were sent sprawling on our basement carpet.

To Jack’s credit, he immediately went for a flashlight and searched under the furniture and “cleared” them all, one-by-one.  Once we cleaned up to the best of our abilities, I proceeded to Step One (out of 290) and away we went.  The process was slow – made even slower by Jack’s desire to hand me every single piece, but slow motion is better than no motion.

As we reached Step 230, I thought we actually may be able to finish with Jack only being 60 minutes late for bed.  It was bro-day, and as long as we got him to bed before Mom came home, I’d be in the clear.  We had all four legs done, the body and the tail.  All we needed was the tiger’s face and we’d be all done after just a couple of short hours.  But along came Step 276 and the missing piece.  Everything came to a standstill.

We searched and searched but could not locate one small piece that essentially acts as a springboard to the entire face.  Without this piece there would be no eyes and no nose.  Finally, I made the executive decision to stop (my back was entirely grateful for that choice) and to call it a night.  Jack could play with the headless Tiger tomorrow and I’d try to find the piece online.  While we were both disappointed with the result, I tried to take the opportunity to pass along some fatherly advice.

“Everything in it’s own time Jack.  And besides, I bet a lot of kids have a full Tiger, but you might be the only one in the world with a headless Tiger, that’s kind of cool right?”

“Dad, when do you think that piece will get here?”

As any father knows, you win some and you lose the rest.

The lesson – as it applies to these NFL Supercontest picks – is to try and build piece-by-piece throughout the season.  Slow and steady wins this race.  If you go 3-2 every week you’ll eventually be up towards the top.  But that consistency is very hard to come by and you have to be careful not to have a couple negative weeks with missing pieces.

My 3-2 week four mark has me tied for 689th (out of 1598 entries), so another slight drop despite hitting 60% the past three weeks.  Since I’m failing miserably on non-Sunday games this year (2-4), I’m hitting the pause button on Thursday and Monday night games moving forward.

If I had only picked Sunday games this year I would be sitting in 250th place.  But if my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle.  So much for ifs.

Let’s see if I can continue to build without losing any key pieces during my week five picks.

WEEK FIVE PICKS

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay (-8.5)

Even though there’s been a ton of close games over the year and even though the Falcons have been one of the best ATS teams through four weeks, I’ll ride with the home favorites.

(Insert Tom Brady divorce joke here)

The Pick: TB (-8.5)

Tennessee @ Washington (+2.5) – Los Angeles Chargers @ Cleveland (+2.5)

Home dogs can often be looked at as easy selections, especially in rivalry games.  However, these teams hardly ever play each other, and the road teams have a substantial talent advantage that should be enough to cover the small spreads.

I’ll give the points and take the better squads.

The Picks: TEN (-2.5) – LAC (-2.5)

Philadelphia @ Arizona (+5.5)

The Eagles are the only undefeated team in the NFL, but that won’t last too much longer.  My crystal ball sees it ending here on the road to an under-rated Arizona Cardinal team.

Besides, what’s the chance two different Philadelphia teams defeat a “Cardinal” in the same weekend (Phillies over St. Louis)?  I doubt that’s ever happened and I like having history on my side.

The Pick: ARI (+5.5)

Cincinnati @ Baltimore (-3)

Before the season I was all-in on Baltimore.  I thought they had the best coach, the best QB, and the best defense in the AFC North.  Four weeks in, despite their 2-2 record, I still hold all of those beliefs.  Had Baltimore managed to beat both the Bills and the Dolphins, this spread would be around a touchdown.

I’ll take those completely made-up extra points Vegas wants to give and ride with the team who stole the Browns from Cleveland.

The Pick: BAL (-3)

Peace Be The Journey.

Stephen King: #37 – Finders Keepers

On By Luke FlorenceIn Books, Lists, Stephen King, Uncategorized, WritingLeave a comment

#37 – Finders Keepers

Plot

As a deadly cat-and-mouse game begins, private detective Bill Hodges, the man who brought down the murderous Mr. Mercedes, is gradually drawn into the mystery of the unknown benefactor who helped the Sauberses through their rough patch. He knows young Pete is hiding something, but he doesn’t know that the missing piece of the puzzle is the answer to the decades-old cold case – John Rothstein’s murder.

Review

Finders Keepers is the sequel to Mr. Mercedes (yet to make an appearance) and the prequel to End of Watch (yet to make an appearance). The second book in a three-piece series is often tough to get right. Usually, they are crafted due to the success of the original and to bridge the gap to the finale. It’s difficult to write a complete story that builds upon the first and sets up the foundation for the second.

Finders Keepers plays in that space and despite a lot working against it, holds its own – for the most part. We are reacquainted with Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney and Jerome Robinson, as they have set up a private detective business. They are effectively roped into the mystery, but never really develop much as characters. Essentially, they serve as window dressing to the rest of the narrative. But that narrative is a good one that keeps your attention throughout.

The opening sequence from the 1970s is a work of art and will have Constant Readers thinking about Misery. The time jump to the present is effective and works because of how well King set everything up.

Once the case is closed we get a sneak peek into the third book as Bill Hodges pays a visit to the Mr. Mercedes main antagonist. And in perfect King fashion, a trilogy grounded in reality gets just a small taste of the supernatural.

Details

Pages: 434

Dates Read: June – July 2015

Quote: “No. I was going to say his work changed my life, but that’s not right. I don’t think a teenager has much of a life to change. I just turned eighteen last month. I guess what I mean is his work changed my heart.”

Best Part: The opening scene – set in 1978 – was absolutely perfect.

Hint for #36: Ryan from The Office never wanted a nickname, but tragically was branded as one of “these” due a toaster-oven incident.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

 

Stephen King: #38 – Gerald’s Game

On By Luke FlorenceIn Books, Lists, Stephen King, Uncategorized, WritingLeave a comment

#38 – Gerald’s Game

Plot

Once again, Jessie Burlingame has been talked into submitting to her husband Gerald’s kinky sex games—something that she’s frankly had enough of, and they never held much charm for her to begin with. So much for a “romantic getaway” at their secluded summer home. After Jessie is handcuffed to the bedposts—and Gerald crosses a line with his wife—the day ends with deadly consequences.

Review

“Is this really the whole book?” These were my thoughts a couple hundred pages in as I was equally amazed and annoyed by the simplistic setting and plot. Had it not been for my resolve to read every King book, I may have stopped half-way through.

After finishing Gerald’s Game I had no idea where to rank it. Even as we currently speak, I have no idea where to rank it. I’ve never been more perplexed by my own feelings towards a work of art. There are so many unbelievable elements in this novel. The horror is real, raw and right in your face. Completely gripping.

Gerald’s Game also has one of my favorite Stephen King endings which brought total closure to the story and the main character, Jessie. But it also goes long stretches without any major plot developments and lackluster character building. I hated a lot of this book but loved it just as much. Bizarre.

Gerald’s Game is also a great reminder that people’s perception of art is typically based on their own life experiences. I’m sure there are a lot of people who would easily proclaim Gerald’s Game to be the best King novel because they could identify with some of Jessie’s thoughts and feelings. I’m also just as sure there are an equal number who could not relate to anything in Gerald’s Game and would adamantly boast this novel to be one of King’s worst.

Details

Pages: 480

Dates Read: February – March 2021

Quote: “If anyone ever asks you what panic is, now you can tell them: an emotional blank spot that leaves you feeling as if you’ve been sucking on a mouthful of pennies.”

Best Part: Always remember to check the back seat before you start driving.

Hint for #37: In 1st grade, this was the very first book I read in Mrs. Dutro’s class … although the title also included “Losers Weepers.”

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.

Stephen King: #39 – Gwendy’s Final Task

On By Luke FlorenceIn Books, Lists, Stephen King, Uncategorized, WritingLeave a comment

#39 – Gwendy’s Final Task

Plot

With the passing of time, the box has grown ever stronger and evil forces are striving to possess it. Once again, it is up to Gwendy Peterson, now a United States Senator battling the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease, to keep it from them. At all costs. But where can you hide something from such powerful entities?

Review

Stephen King co-wrote Gwendy’s Final Task with Richard Chizmar, whom he also wrote Gwendy’s Button Box (yet to be revealed). Richard wrote a novel that belongs in between the two, called Gwendy’s Magic Feather, which was a major disappointment. Heading into this Final Task I was nervously optimistic but ended up with positive vibes upon completion.

Previously I’ve talked about “The Mystery Box” but King and Chizmar bring it to another level in this trilogy. In the last installment, they bring closure to the entire series in a fitting – and noble – way. Taking place largely in outer space, Gwendy – who started as a 12-year-old – is now 65 and a United States Senator. She was given the box by Richard Farris 50 years ago, and now Richard has asked her for one more favor.

What worked well here was that both King and Chizmar utilize the backstory well with Gwendy to tell her current story. They also sprinkle in references to The Dark Tower and Derry, Maine (IT) which are much appreciated Easter Eggs for Constant Readers like me.

One aspect worth mentioning was the short chapters. Even though I read this in just a couple of sittings, the short chapters were well constructed and made for an “easy-peasy” read (as my 6-year-old son would say).

Details

Pages: 408

Dates Read: February 15 – February 19, 2022

Quote: “People don’t need a button box to do horrible things. There’s plenty of evil fuckery in the human spirit.”

Best Part: Any time Derry comes into the picture – especially when a clown is involved – is usually a highlight.

Hint for #38: Bruce Greenwood starred in the 2017 Netflix movie based off this book.

 

Until next time, peace be the journey.