Well, not really. There's been a few games played but this weekend features the first important Big Ten conference game as Ohio State takes on Wisconsin. This has been more of a rivalry the last decade as Wisconsin has been more on par with Ohio State talent wise. Wisconsin has taken a bit of a step back the past few seasons though.
Ohio State has looked really good for 3 of their 4 games and were a preseason favorite to contend for the National Championship. Wisconsin I think has looked better than expected but aren't what I would call an elite level team.
This is the first real challenge that OSU faces this season. I don't expect Wisconsin to win or even come close in this game though. OSU is just better plan and simple. I think there's a chance that they'll slip up and lose a game, it's just too hard to go undefeated for 24 straight games, but Wisconsin isn't going to be the team that beats them.
The keys for an upset here and the running game and defense. If Wisconsin can establish the run early and get a lead, they might have a chance of grinding out a victory. If they fall behind at any point in the game, I think they're done. OSU seems to get a head of steam in these games and just keep piling on the points.
The only other game in the Big Ten this weekend is Minnesota vs. Iowa and really? Who gives a damn about that?
Friday, September 27, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Middle Manager of Justice Review
I came across this game while we were sitting in a restaurant last Saturday. It looked interesting but I decided that it would probably play better on my tablet. I really have a love/hate relationship with mobile platform video games. I try to convince myself that I'm really enjoying the game but then I turn on my 3DS and realize that 90% of mobile games are just garbage in comparison. There are always exceptions to those rules and MMoJ is one of those rare games.
You're a middle manager that's in charge of a group of superheroes. You hire them with special packs and then send them on missions, train them and level them up. The heroes are interesting and varied. They all have unique personalities that come out during their promotion ceremonies and during the missions. The little world that the game built is intriguing and grabs you.
Most games of this nature fall apart due to the free to play aspect. You eventually hit some invisible wall where you either have to spend money or you aren't getting any further or getting the cool stuff. The Simpsons Tapped Out game is one of the worst culprits of this. You could dump $10 into the game's currency and literally get one thing for your efforts. I've put 5 or 6 hours into this game and haven't felt the need to do it. I did drop $1 so I could get a beefed up superhero for my squad. But it was hardly necessary. As long as you keep doing missions and pushing forward, you can get all the upgrades and nicer heroes. You just have to be a little more patient with it.
The game really keeps you moving forward. The missions are basic but strategic. The way you train your heroes up is also vital. You can completely hamstring your heroes if you don't train them properly. When you aren't on missions or training your heroes, you're busy managing their moral and upgrading your base. Unlike most time sink games, you never really feel like you're waiting around.
If you have an Android or iOS device, you owe it to yourself to try this game out.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
NFL Week 3 Thoughts
I may do this weekly but I haven't totally decided yet. This is going to mostly consist of random thoughts by me. They probably won't be long form or anything like that. Maybe a couple of sentences about a particular player or team. So let's go...
Barkevious Mingo has 6 tackles and 2 sacks through the first 3 games of the season. I would like to see a written apology for all of the sports writers that bashed the Browns for taking him with their first round pick. Mingo has been a super athletic player and really causes issues on the line for other teams. So far he's my defensive rookie of the year.
Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Washington, NY Giants and Jacksonville are all 0-3. Only 3 teams have started 0-3 since 1990 and rebounded to make the playoffs and zero teams have done it since 1998. I know we like to say "it's early" but I think 0-3 is a good indicator that you aren't making the playoffs. The math is a really hard thing to overcome. Just to go 9-7 these teams would have to go 9-4 the rest of the way. And have you seen these teams play football? Woof... it's for the dogs.
I haven't quite figured out the Tennessee Titans yet. They seem to have a tough and gritty defense that keeps the offense in the games. Jake Locker has played pretty well so far too. The main knock I have against the Titans are that they beat an awful Steeler team and a pretty mediocre San Diego team. I think they'll probably beat the Jets next week and then their real challenge is going to be Kansas City. Who would have thought that would be a critical game?
Chip Kelly really doesn't seem to understand how NFL football works. He doesn't seem to understand that you're not going to wear down the opposing defense by just running a bunch of rapid fire plays. He also made the classic misstep of implementing his offense before he had the players to do it. So now the Eagles are running an offense that have averaged 20 minutes of possession the last two games and are leaving the D out their for 40 minutes a game. That's how you wear down an NFL calibur defense. It seems like the league adjusted to this style almost immediately and have it figured out. A couple of stops and the team just falls apart.
Peyton Manning is the MVP no questions asked thus far.
I think the Cincinnati Bengals are maybe the second best team in the AFC. They've gutted out two close wins, a feat which previous Bengals teams have struggled with. The Green Bay win was ugly but that was a signature win by a team that hasn't really had any in the Marvin Lewis era. This is the year for the Bengals to make a playoff run if they ever intend to.
Barkevious Mingo has 6 tackles and 2 sacks through the first 3 games of the season. I would like to see a written apology for all of the sports writers that bashed the Browns for taking him with their first round pick. Mingo has been a super athletic player and really causes issues on the line for other teams. So far he's my defensive rookie of the year.
Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Washington, NY Giants and Jacksonville are all 0-3. Only 3 teams have started 0-3 since 1990 and rebounded to make the playoffs and zero teams have done it since 1998. I know we like to say "it's early" but I think 0-3 is a good indicator that you aren't making the playoffs. The math is a really hard thing to overcome. Just to go 9-7 these teams would have to go 9-4 the rest of the way. And have you seen these teams play football? Woof... it's for the dogs.
I haven't quite figured out the Tennessee Titans yet. They seem to have a tough and gritty defense that keeps the offense in the games. Jake Locker has played pretty well so far too. The main knock I have against the Titans are that they beat an awful Steeler team and a pretty mediocre San Diego team. I think they'll probably beat the Jets next week and then their real challenge is going to be Kansas City. Who would have thought that would be a critical game?
Chip Kelly really doesn't seem to understand how NFL football works. He doesn't seem to understand that you're not going to wear down the opposing defense by just running a bunch of rapid fire plays. He also made the classic misstep of implementing his offense before he had the players to do it. So now the Eagles are running an offense that have averaged 20 minutes of possession the last two games and are leaving the D out their for 40 minutes a game. That's how you wear down an NFL calibur defense. It seems like the league adjusted to this style almost immediately and have it figured out. A couple of stops and the team just falls apart.
Peyton Manning is the MVP no questions asked thus far.
I think the Cincinnati Bengals are maybe the second best team in the AFC. They've gutted out two close wins, a feat which previous Bengals teams have struggled with. The Green Bay win was ugly but that was a signature win by a team that hasn't really had any in the Marvin Lewis era. This is the year for the Bengals to make a playoff run if they ever intend to.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Monday TTM: GOAT Edition
We're going to keep it brief today. I got this back this afternoon and it's easily the best autograph that I've ever seen come back.
That's right. The greatest wide receiver of all time and probably my favorite NFL player of all time. He's really tough to get as the site I use has him at a 22% success rate. This one was gone for 47 days. I will say that there are few autographs that could beat this as far as being my favorite.
That's all for this week. I think Jerry Rice deserves a post all to himself.
That's right. The greatest wide receiver of all time and probably my favorite NFL player of all time. He's really tough to get as the site I use has him at a 22% success rate. This one was gone for 47 days. I will say that there are few autographs that could beat this as far as being my favorite.
That's all for this week. I think Jerry Rice deserves a post all to himself.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Top 10 Reasons that Fall Rules
1. Football
This is an obvious reason. Football comes back in September both college and the NFL. You can spend a good weekend glued to the tv and gorge yourself on football from noon Saturday until midnight Sunday. What could be better.
2. Apple Cider
It's not officially fall until you've taken that first sip of apple cider. There's a local apple orchard called Lynd's where I live and they have absolutely awesome cider. It has a nice deep flavor to it. Not too sweet and not too tart. It's just that perfect spot between the two. A great weekend snack is to get some mini Hostess donuts and wash them down with a nice cold glass of cider.
3. Halloween
There's many reasons why Halloween is one of my favorite days of the years. For starters, the old horror movies come on television. There's always some odd movie on television or Netflix to really get into the mood for the season. I love old horror movies, it's a bit of a hobby of mine. On top of that you have all the cool costumes that people make and dress up in. I don't really do the costume thing but it's cool to see what people can think up.
4. The leaves change
Ohio has kind of gotten screwed in this regard the last few seasons. But there's nothing like a cold fall evening with all the bright and vibrant colors as the trees begin to shed their leaves.
5. It's the epicenter of the sports world
Think about this. Football, hockey and basketball are all amping up AND you get playoff baseball. There's literally something awesome on every night as far as sports go.
6. The start of fire season
Those first couple of chilly days come around and you get to hunker down with a nice fire. There's always something special about those first few fires of the season.
7. Pumpkin pie
Namely from Big Boy. Pumpkin pie is probably my favorite of the pie world. When it's well done, nothing can compare to it.
8. Honeycrisp apples
The king of the apples. I tried these for the first time this year and absolutely fell in love with them. I've been heard saying many a time that I would "knife a bitch for some honeycrisp apples." These are amazing. They are super sweet and just full of flavor. You owe it to yourself to go to a farmer's market and get some.
9. HOODIES
Need I say more?
10. WOW
My wife and I are seasonal World of Warcraft players. We usually pick the game up in November some time and play till April. We usually retire the game for the summer as we do a lot of outdoor activities. WOW is the perfect cold weather kind of game. There's always something to do and it gives you a sort of routine to pass the short winter days with. MMOs aren't for everyone but my wife and I really just get a lot out of the game. We can play together or apart if we want. It allows you to set goals for yourself and there's always the allure of starting a new character and building them from the ground up.
This is an obvious reason. Football comes back in September both college and the NFL. You can spend a good weekend glued to the tv and gorge yourself on football from noon Saturday until midnight Sunday. What could be better.
2. Apple Cider
It's not officially fall until you've taken that first sip of apple cider. There's a local apple orchard called Lynd's where I live and they have absolutely awesome cider. It has a nice deep flavor to it. Not too sweet and not too tart. It's just that perfect spot between the two. A great weekend snack is to get some mini Hostess donuts and wash them down with a nice cold glass of cider.
3. Halloween
There's many reasons why Halloween is one of my favorite days of the years. For starters, the old horror movies come on television. There's always some odd movie on television or Netflix to really get into the mood for the season. I love old horror movies, it's a bit of a hobby of mine. On top of that you have all the cool costumes that people make and dress up in. I don't really do the costume thing but it's cool to see what people can think up.
4. The leaves change
Ohio has kind of gotten screwed in this regard the last few seasons. But there's nothing like a cold fall evening with all the bright and vibrant colors as the trees begin to shed their leaves.
5. It's the epicenter of the sports world
Think about this. Football, hockey and basketball are all amping up AND you get playoff baseball. There's literally something awesome on every night as far as sports go.
6. The start of fire season
Those first couple of chilly days come around and you get to hunker down with a nice fire. There's always something special about those first few fires of the season.
7. Pumpkin pie
Namely from Big Boy. Pumpkin pie is probably my favorite of the pie world. When it's well done, nothing can compare to it.
8. Honeycrisp apples
The king of the apples. I tried these for the first time this year and absolutely fell in love with them. I've been heard saying many a time that I would "knife a bitch for some honeycrisp apples." These are amazing. They are super sweet and just full of flavor. You owe it to yourself to go to a farmer's market and get some.
9. HOODIES
Need I say more?
10. WOW
My wife and I are seasonal World of Warcraft players. We usually pick the game up in November some time and play till April. We usually retire the game for the summer as we do a lot of outdoor activities. WOW is the perfect cold weather kind of game. There's always something to do and it gives you a sort of routine to pass the short winter days with. MMOs aren't for everyone but my wife and I really just get a lot out of the game. We can play together or apart if we want. It allows you to set goals for yourself and there's always the allure of starting a new character and building them from the ground up.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Football Friday: NFL Quarterback Ratings
My friend Jonathan and I were going back and forth over texts last week about where we'd place the starting quarterbacks in the NFL. I really enjoyed the conversation and it seemed like a good idea for an article. I'm not going to go one by one here. I'm going to divide the QBs into groups and then review why I put those guys where I did.
THE ELITE:
GOOD BUT NOT GREAT:
5. Matt Ryan
6. Ben Rothlisberger
7. Eli Manning
8. Joe Flacco
9. Matt Schaub
10. Matthew Stafford
11. Tony Romo
12. Phillip Rivers
I actually didn't mean for this division to be as large as it is but it didn't make sense to put these guys in the next group. Rivers has had the biggest freefall in my opinion as I would've considered him elite level a few seasons ago. But he's been a fairly bad QB and has slid down the charts. I think Eli's performance the last calendar year is starting to erode his place on my chart as well. On a brighter note, I think Matt Ryan is close to making a jump into the elite level. Last season he took a big step forward when he threw for 4,719 yards and 32 TDs. Another season or two of that and I think he will be there.
Joe Flacco is #8 you say? But he just won the Super Bowl! That's very true, he did just win the Super Bowl but that still doesn't change what he is. Flacco is going to have bad games a few times a season. He needs good receivers because he doesn't necessarily make them better. I would be happy to have him on my team any day but he's not an elite level QB by any means.
NEEDS MORE COWBELL:
13. Andy Dalton
14. Russell Wilson
15. Colin Kaepernick
16. Andrew Luck
17. Robert Griffith III
This is like the Elite section in that I think you can move most of the pieces around in any order and I'd be okay with it. I put Andy Dalton at the top of this list because I think he has the least to prove. He's 19-13 as a starter in his first 2 seasons and has 2 playoff appearances. That's a level of success that few QBs have ever pulled off. Kaepernick and Wilson look like franchise QBs for their teams but they need more time to do it.
Luck and RGIII bring up the rear on this list. I think there are some real questions about RGIII's long term health in the league. He hasn't looked good to start this season and I think the ACL is an obvious cause. Luck got a lot of hype last season but his stats were the least impressive of the newer QBs. I think he's also not with the right franchise for long term success.
DO OR DIE TIME:
18. Cam Newton
Newton is the ultimate empty calorie guy. Great stats in a vacuum but then you realize, he isn't getting his team any wins. He isn't leading any big comeback drives and he doesn't really make the players around him better. Sources like ESPN will hype him because of those stats but all of the guys in the group above him have had more of an impact for their respective teams. I think another losing season for the Panthers and it's time to start questioning if Cam Newton is the right fit.
YOU CAN DO WORSE:
19. Alex Smith
20. EJ Manuel
21. Jay Cutler
22. Sam Bradford
23. Jay Cutler
24. Ryan Tannehill
This group is just what it sounds like. You can win with these guys and make a playoff run but you're also going to always be looking for an upgrade. Manuel and Tannehill don't fit that description. This is just where I decided to throw them in this article.
EH, IT'S A LIVING...:
25. Christian Ponder
26. Michael Vick
Vick and Ponder have their moments of being okay. I think the jury is still out on Ponder and how viable he is as an NFL QB. Vick is at the end of his playing career and had an awful season last year. I think this season will tell us where Vick is at.
WHO'S OUR QUARTERBACK AGAIN?!?!:
27. Brandon Weeden
28. Josh Freeman
29. Jake Locker
30. Terrell Pryor
31. Blaine Gabbert
32. Mark Sanchez
I feel bad for putting Weeden and Freeman in this category. There's still a slight chance that Freeman can have a bounce back season and regain his form from a few years ago. Likewise, there's a slight chance that Weeden could have a good season or two before he starts to decline as a QB.
The rest of that group though, yeah... it's bad. I think the tough question here is who is worse? Gabbert or Sanchez. I decided that Gabbert gets to be #31 because he doesn't cost as much money and he didn't fumble the ball by running into an offensive lineman's ass. What more can be said about Sanchez, he's just a colossally incompetent QB on the pro level. He has no arm strength, he plays scared and he makes bad decisions with his throws. Congratulations Mark Sanchez, YOU SUCK!
THE ELITE:
- Drew Brees
- Peyton Manning
- Tom Brady
- Aaron Rogers
GOOD BUT NOT GREAT:
5. Matt Ryan
6. Ben Rothlisberger
7. Eli Manning
8. Joe Flacco
9. Matt Schaub
10. Matthew Stafford
11. Tony Romo
12. Phillip Rivers
I actually didn't mean for this division to be as large as it is but it didn't make sense to put these guys in the next group. Rivers has had the biggest freefall in my opinion as I would've considered him elite level a few seasons ago. But he's been a fairly bad QB and has slid down the charts. I think Eli's performance the last calendar year is starting to erode his place on my chart as well. On a brighter note, I think Matt Ryan is close to making a jump into the elite level. Last season he took a big step forward when he threw for 4,719 yards and 32 TDs. Another season or two of that and I think he will be there.
Joe Flacco is #8 you say? But he just won the Super Bowl! That's very true, he did just win the Super Bowl but that still doesn't change what he is. Flacco is going to have bad games a few times a season. He needs good receivers because he doesn't necessarily make them better. I would be happy to have him on my team any day but he's not an elite level QB by any means.
NEEDS MORE COWBELL:
13. Andy Dalton
14. Russell Wilson
15. Colin Kaepernick
16. Andrew Luck
17. Robert Griffith III
This is like the Elite section in that I think you can move most of the pieces around in any order and I'd be okay with it. I put Andy Dalton at the top of this list because I think he has the least to prove. He's 19-13 as a starter in his first 2 seasons and has 2 playoff appearances. That's a level of success that few QBs have ever pulled off. Kaepernick and Wilson look like franchise QBs for their teams but they need more time to do it.
Luck and RGIII bring up the rear on this list. I think there are some real questions about RGIII's long term health in the league. He hasn't looked good to start this season and I think the ACL is an obvious cause. Luck got a lot of hype last season but his stats were the least impressive of the newer QBs. I think he's also not with the right franchise for long term success.
DO OR DIE TIME:
18. Cam Newton
Newton is the ultimate empty calorie guy. Great stats in a vacuum but then you realize, he isn't getting his team any wins. He isn't leading any big comeback drives and he doesn't really make the players around him better. Sources like ESPN will hype him because of those stats but all of the guys in the group above him have had more of an impact for their respective teams. I think another losing season for the Panthers and it's time to start questioning if Cam Newton is the right fit.
YOU CAN DO WORSE:
19. Alex Smith
20. EJ Manuel
21. Jay Cutler
22. Sam Bradford
23. Jay Cutler
24. Ryan Tannehill
This group is just what it sounds like. You can win with these guys and make a playoff run but you're also going to always be looking for an upgrade. Manuel and Tannehill don't fit that description. This is just where I decided to throw them in this article.
EH, IT'S A LIVING...:
25. Christian Ponder
26. Michael Vick
Vick and Ponder have their moments of being okay. I think the jury is still out on Ponder and how viable he is as an NFL QB. Vick is at the end of his playing career and had an awful season last year. I think this season will tell us where Vick is at.
WHO'S OUR QUARTERBACK AGAIN?!?!:
27. Brandon Weeden
28. Josh Freeman
29. Jake Locker
30. Terrell Pryor
31. Blaine Gabbert
32. Mark Sanchez
I feel bad for putting Weeden and Freeman in this category. There's still a slight chance that Freeman can have a bounce back season and regain his form from a few years ago. Likewise, there's a slight chance that Weeden could have a good season or two before he starts to decline as a QB.
The rest of that group though, yeah... it's bad. I think the tough question here is who is worse? Gabbert or Sanchez. I decided that Gabbert gets to be #31 because he doesn't cost as much money and he didn't fumble the ball by running into an offensive lineman's ass. What more can be said about Sanchez, he's just a colossally incompetent QB on the pro level. He has no arm strength, he plays scared and he makes bad decisions with his throws. Congratulations Mark Sanchez, YOU SUCK!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
The NFL Walking Dead
I know, I know. It's only week 2 and it's early and blah blah whatever. Through 2 weeks of the season I feel comfortable enough to say that the following teams are out of it. These team has shown some horrible flaw that tells me, they aren't making the playoffs or if they are it will be some giant fluke and they'll get destroyed in the first round. So let's take a look at our animated corpses shall we...
New York Giants
Few teams have ever had such an incompetent running game. Through 2 games the Giants have carried the ball 33 times for 73 yards. That's 2.2 YPC! That's insane, even bad teams can get 3 yards a carry. David Wilson is the leading rusher with 14 carries for 36 yards and he's already got 2 fumbles. Ouch. The team is also dead last in defense as they're giving up 38.5 points per game. while allowing 747 yards of offense against them. This team is just bad. The only positive for this team is they play in a god awful division and 8-8 might be able to get you the crown. I'm saying dead though.
Washington Redskins
Another NFC East team. This team has just been brutal to watch this season. RG3 doesn't look like he's 100% and the defense is just beyond awful. If it wasn't for how terrible the Giants defense is, they would have the worst defense in the league. They've allowed over 1000 yards of offense in just 2 games. 2 GAMES!!! How does that even happen? This team also can't score on offense. Don't be fooled, most of the points they do score come in garbage time. Green Bay was up 38-7 and just quit trying. What I don't get about this team, is why are you sending RG3 out there when he's clearly not fully healed and risk him further when Kirk Cousins is sitting on the bench and he can win you games. This seems like a perfect time to sit RG3 and let the guy fully heal.
Philadelphia Eagles
3 out of 4 NFC East teams. That must mean that Dallas is winning the division... I don't know. All 4 of the teams suck, Dallas just hasn't looked as bad as the other teams. The Eagles haven't been brutal by any stretch but they have some fundamental flaws that are going to hurt them in the long run. For starters, their defense isn't very good. Their time of possession against San Diego was less than 20 minutes. So you have a mediocre defense and you're going to force them to be on the field constantly. They might score 30 a game but they could also allow 30 a game. Plus, Vick's health is a constant concern. He could get injured and start playing poorly again. I see them falling off as the season progresses.
New York Jets
Their only victory was kind of a fluke. The offense is just awful. I think Geno Smith is doing better than Mark Sanchez would be but that's not saying much. They can't run, their best offensive option left the team. I just don't see how they can win more than 3-5 games this year.
Cleveland Browns
The offense is the issue here. The defense has played some really good football through the first two games. Trent Richardson isn't getting the job done on the ground, Weeden just isn't going to work out as an NFL calibur QB and the offensive line has really struggled. The Baltimore game is what this season is going to look like. I foresee a lot of games where they hold the team to 17 pts. and can't manage more than 10. This team has no shot of a playoff spot.
Author's Note: This was written before the Richardson trade went down yesterday. It doesn't really change the outcome of their Walking Dead status. They're going to probably win 3-5 games at best.
Pittsburgh Steelers
I thought the Bengals played a pretty poor game last night and I also never thought for a second that the Steelers were a threat to win the game. Bill Simmons linked to this article in Pittsburgh Magazine about how Todd Haley is ruining the offense. Past that, they don't have a running back, they don't have a deep threat and the secondary isn't very good. They're 0-2 right now and they haven't played what I would call amazing teams. I think the Bengals are winning the North but they haven't been what I would call good through 2 games.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Need I say more? I think Chad Henne makes them a better team. But I think Henne makes them a 4-12 team instead of a 1-15 team. Their offense is bad on an epic level. Fun fact, the team is currently on pace to score 88 points this season. It's really just sad that a team could actually be this bad.
Carolina Panthers
Ron Rivera is just a bad coach. Kicking a field goal instead of going for it on 4th down probably cost the team the game. Cam Newton hasn't been good so far this season. The running game has been okay and and the defense has been okay. This team just doesn't win close games and I think you're looking at another losing season.
Oakland Raiders
Come on... do I even need to write anything here? I think not.
That's quite a list for it only being Week 2 of the season. There are just some bad bad teams out there. I will update this list periodically when more teams join the ranks of the NFL Walking Dead
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Boo Berry appears again...
It's that time of year again. Boo Berry has made it's first appearance on store shelves for the Halloween season. I posted about the virtues of Boo Berry last year. I decided this year to post some Boo Berry commercials just for a fun trip down memory lane.
Enjoy your Boo Berry while it lasts, I know I will.
Enjoy your Boo Berry while it lasts, I know I will.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Superman Recap: January 1987
When the Man of Steel mini-series ended, it was time to get back into the habit of telling monthly Superman stories. John Byrne and Marv Wolfman were charged with the task of spearheading the new take on Supes and building on what Byrne did in Man of Steel.
Coming out of the Crisis and Man of Steel, there were 3 monthly Superman books titled Superman, Adventures of Superman and Action Comics. John Byrne would write and pencil Superman and Action comics while Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ostrander would write and pencil the Adventures of Superman book. Action Comics would retain it's numbering, Superman started over with a new #1 and Adventures of Superman kept the numbering from the original Superman title. Does that make sense?
Superman would focus on action and stories with Superman in the cape, Adventures was more about the Clark Kent side of things and Action Comics was a team-up book.
Superman #1: Picks up right where Man of Steel #6 left off. Superman tracks down the space pod that brought him to Earth and found that a scientist has been studying him extensively and was the shadowy figure following him around in Man of Steel. Metallo hits the scene and uses his Kryptonite heart to almost kill Superman. Lex Luthor teleports Metallo away at the last moment because if anyone is going to kill Superman, it's going to be Luthor. Good debut issue here.
Adventures of Superman #424: This introduces Cat Grant as a member of the cast and serial flirt with Clark Kent. A terrorist organization called the Freedom League is destroying parts of Metropolis with giant robots. Superman hits the scene and gets a building dropped on him. He manages to escape but has to face all of the robots and they of course combine like a transformer to make an even bigger robot. This had a subplot of Lois' mother being sick and Lex Luthor offering a serum to make her better. At the end it's revealed that Luthor caused the accident and is going to use this to force Lois to love him. This was a To Be Continued! Another good issue for the first month.
Action Comics #584: Superman has gone crazy and starts destroying Metropolis. The Teen Titans of Cyborg, Donna Troy, Changeling and Jericho duke it out with him. Superman tears through the Titans until Jericho possesses him with his powers. A crippled man arrives on the scene and claims to be Superman. He tells of how their bodies were switched, The Titans restore Superman to his proper body to end this one. This one wasn't as good as the others but it was a fun little one shot of a story.
Good round of books this month. They really helped pull you further into the world of Superman. The Daily Planet seems almost like a living place. I kind of want to go back just to see how the staff of the Daily Planet is getting along again. I have to say, Superman is showing a lot more personality than I was expecting. There's a certain level of humanity that Byrne and Wolfman have lended to the character that I really like.
I also find it interesting that this bright and vibrant world was communicated in just 9 issues. There are books in the New 52 that don't have a fraction of this development in close to 25 issues. I think current companies should be worried less about writing for a trade and more about creating a world that people want to visit. I just feel this big level of investment in the characters, their problems and their relationships and it's only been 9 issues of material. I might lose interest as I progress through these but so far I'm actually excited to read some Superman comics. I'll be back at some point to discuss Superman #2, Adventures of Superman #425 and Action Comics #585. See you next time!
Coming out of the Crisis and Man of Steel, there were 3 monthly Superman books titled Superman, Adventures of Superman and Action Comics. John Byrne would write and pencil Superman and Action comics while Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ostrander would write and pencil the Adventures of Superman book. Action Comics would retain it's numbering, Superman started over with a new #1 and Adventures of Superman kept the numbering from the original Superman title. Does that make sense?
Superman would focus on action and stories with Superman in the cape, Adventures was more about the Clark Kent side of things and Action Comics was a team-up book.
Superman #1: Picks up right where Man of Steel #6 left off. Superman tracks down the space pod that brought him to Earth and found that a scientist has been studying him extensively and was the shadowy figure following him around in Man of Steel. Metallo hits the scene and uses his Kryptonite heart to almost kill Superman. Lex Luthor teleports Metallo away at the last moment because if anyone is going to kill Superman, it's going to be Luthor. Good debut issue here.
Adventures of Superman #424: This introduces Cat Grant as a member of the cast and serial flirt with Clark Kent. A terrorist organization called the Freedom League is destroying parts of Metropolis with giant robots. Superman hits the scene and gets a building dropped on him. He manages to escape but has to face all of the robots and they of course combine like a transformer to make an even bigger robot. This had a subplot of Lois' mother being sick and Lex Luthor offering a serum to make her better. At the end it's revealed that Luthor caused the accident and is going to use this to force Lois to love him. This was a To Be Continued! Another good issue for the first month.
Action Comics #584: Superman has gone crazy and starts destroying Metropolis. The Teen Titans of Cyborg, Donna Troy, Changeling and Jericho duke it out with him. Superman tears through the Titans until Jericho possesses him with his powers. A crippled man arrives on the scene and claims to be Superman. He tells of how their bodies were switched, The Titans restore Superman to his proper body to end this one. This one wasn't as good as the others but it was a fun little one shot of a story.
Good round of books this month. They really helped pull you further into the world of Superman. The Daily Planet seems almost like a living place. I kind of want to go back just to see how the staff of the Daily Planet is getting along again. I have to say, Superman is showing a lot more personality than I was expecting. There's a certain level of humanity that Byrne and Wolfman have lended to the character that I really like.
I also find it interesting that this bright and vibrant world was communicated in just 9 issues. There are books in the New 52 that don't have a fraction of this development in close to 25 issues. I think current companies should be worried less about writing for a trade and more about creating a world that people want to visit. I just feel this big level of investment in the characters, their problems and their relationships and it's only been 9 issues of material. I might lose interest as I progress through these but so far I'm actually excited to read some Superman comics. I'll be back at some point to discuss Superman #2, Adventures of Superman #425 and Action Comics #585. See you next time!
Monday, September 16, 2013
Monday TTM: Football Season!
It's that time of year again, that's right football is upon us yet again. An interesting aspect of doing the whole TTM autograph thing is trying to get active players via their teams. I'm currently in the process of hitting NHL teams as they enter training camp. The NFL is a little harder to deal with as far as TTM goes. I have several ones still outstanding but I think most of the ones that I sent out will return eventually. Here's some of the ones that have made their way back to me so far this season.
We'll get the big one out of the way right away. That's right, Peyton Manning signed one of my cards. This is actually a pretty rare success. Looking over the list people either send to the Broncos or his Foundation that's still in Indianapolis. A lot of people send to his Foundation and that seems to land them a preprint from Manning. I sent this to the Broncos and to my pleasant surprise he signed it! This was a long shot in my opinion and it paid off really well for me. A future Hall of Famer and one of the top 3 QBs of the modern era. He probably shoots right to the top of my list of quality gets. I sent this out on September 3rd and got it back September 14th for a total of 11 days.
Rookie quarterback of the Bills, EJ Manuel. He seems to be a mostly solid signer TTM. The verdict of course is still out on him but this could be a solid get years down the road. Speaking of this rookie card, that's part of the trick of doing TTM with active players. Get the guys while they're young and don't have a huge fanbase, they'll be more likely to respond. I sent this June 17th and got it back on September 14th for a total of 89 days.
Geno Atkins is a monster on the line for the Bengals. He surprisingly doesn't have a lot of people writing to him on the site I use. He signed two for me so I'm going to be mailing the extra copy to my friend Jonathan. I sent this out June 20th and got it back August 1st for a total of 42 days.
I live in the heart of Buckeye country so this one gets the biggest reaction from people around me. Mike Nugent is a beloved Ohio State alumni. That feels weird to say about a kicker but it's true. People absolutely loved Nugent when he played. He was a big part of the team that won the National Championship during the 2002 season. I sent this out June 20th and got it back July 29th for a total of 39 days.
Antonio Brown isn't what I would call a well known player. He's well known to Steeler fans and Fantasy Football nerds like me but I don't think many fans know him well. He certainly has very few TTM requests on the site I use. This one was an interesting story. I sent him a 2013 Score card and he signed and sent back a 2012 Score card. So he might have mixed up two cards or he might have wanted the card I sent for his own collection and sent this back. It's all good either way. I sent this out June 24th and got it back September 5th for a total of 73 days.
That's all for this week, join me next week as I open up the vaults of my autograph collection again for another edition of Monday TTM.
We'll get the big one out of the way right away. That's right, Peyton Manning signed one of my cards. This is actually a pretty rare success. Looking over the list people either send to the Broncos or his Foundation that's still in Indianapolis. A lot of people send to his Foundation and that seems to land them a preprint from Manning. I sent this to the Broncos and to my pleasant surprise he signed it! This was a long shot in my opinion and it paid off really well for me. A future Hall of Famer and one of the top 3 QBs of the modern era. He probably shoots right to the top of my list of quality gets. I sent this out on September 3rd and got it back September 14th for a total of 11 days.
Rookie quarterback of the Bills, EJ Manuel. He seems to be a mostly solid signer TTM. The verdict of course is still out on him but this could be a solid get years down the road. Speaking of this rookie card, that's part of the trick of doing TTM with active players. Get the guys while they're young and don't have a huge fanbase, they'll be more likely to respond. I sent this June 17th and got it back on September 14th for a total of 89 days.
Geno Atkins is a monster on the line for the Bengals. He surprisingly doesn't have a lot of people writing to him on the site I use. He signed two for me so I'm going to be mailing the extra copy to my friend Jonathan. I sent this out June 20th and got it back August 1st for a total of 42 days.
I live in the heart of Buckeye country so this one gets the biggest reaction from people around me. Mike Nugent is a beloved Ohio State alumni. That feels weird to say about a kicker but it's true. People absolutely loved Nugent when he played. He was a big part of the team that won the National Championship during the 2002 season. I sent this out June 20th and got it back July 29th for a total of 39 days.
Antonio Brown isn't what I would call a well known player. He's well known to Steeler fans and Fantasy Football nerds like me but I don't think many fans know him well. He certainly has very few TTM requests on the site I use. This one was an interesting story. I sent him a 2013 Score card and he signed and sent back a 2012 Score card. So he might have mixed up two cards or he might have wanted the card I sent for his own collection and sent this back. It's all good either way. I sent this out June 24th and got it back September 5th for a total of 73 days.
That's all for this week, join me next week as I open up the vaults of my autograph collection again for another edition of Monday TTM.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
2013-2014 Columbus Blue Jackets Preview
This is a big season for the Jackets as they move to the Eastern Conference with the Detroit Red Wings. This means a lighter travel schedule with fewer trips out west. I also tend to think of the Eastern Conference as the weaker conference. The East usually seems top heavy with 2-4 teams a season and then a huge drop off. The bottom half of the conference is usually really bad and the 7th and 8th seeds are usually highly mediocre teams that just happened to win more than the other mediocre teams. I think this is a good conference for the Jackets as there will be more chances to sneak in with subpar teams on a more consistent basis.
They let Vinny Prospal go due to what I think was mostly cap concerns and his age in the offseason. He was the team's leading scorer last season with 12 goals and 18 assists. They went out and filled that void by adding Nathan Horton from the Boston Bruins. Horton has a good track record as being a solid offensive player and he should settle into being a big threat on the second line. Columbus also added Curtis McElhinney to backup Bob in the net. Overall, a quiet offseason as far as entrances and exits go. Columbus did make a splash by signing a ton of players long term and showing a commitment to keeping the good pieces in town. So let's break this team down piece by piece.
CENTER:
Welcome to town Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky. You both came in and you decided you wanted to be here. You didn't pout like Jeff Carter and then dog it until the team traded you. You joined up and you immediately went about changing the loser culture that had infected this team. You never quit when the team got down in a game and you were the leaders of the gritty hardball style the Jackets played. Dubinsky rightfully had an A on his jersey by the end of the seasson.
Ryan Johansen and Derek MacKeinze fill out this position for the Blue Jackets. All four of the centers were pretty productive. Dubinsky and Anisimov struggled with some injuries but still managed to be towards the top of the team as far as points go. Johansen managed a respectable 12 points last season despite mostly being a 3rd or 4th line guy. He's only 21 years old and he could really become a good player as he continues to mature into adulthood. I think you'll continue to see respectable numbers out of this squad. Lots of good passes from this group will set up the wings for some open shots. I feel confident in this position this year.
RIGHT WING:
Your other RW guys are Nathan Horton, Mark Letestu, Blake Comeau and Jared Boll. I think Gaborik, Horton and Letestu are going to be a nasty combination here. You have a guy that get you 30+ goals in Gaborik and behind him you have two guys that have shown the ability to get you 20+ goals in Horton and Letestu. Seriously, we're talking about some crazy depth there if 70 goals are coming from a single position and as mentioned with the centers, there are really good centers paired with these guys that can pass really well. I'm thinking back over all the years of the Blue Jackets and I don't ever recall them having this kind of offensive depth... EVER. Jared Boll is the enforcer on the squad. He's gotten better in that role over time but I don't think he's great at it. I think you're looking at a good position for the team here. I think you could see a lot of offense from these guys.
LEFT WING:
RJ Umberger, Matt Calvert, Nick Foligno and Cam Atkinson will be taking up the left side of the ice this season. This group doesn't wow you like the C or RW position do at first glance. They all made solid contributions across the board though. I think you'll see these guys do similar this year. You won't see any of these guys put up numbers that will blow you away or anything. I think we're looking at good solid contribution over a course of a season that keeps the team chugging along.
I think the difference between this year and years past is that you used to have a team filled from top to bottom of these mid-range contributors. Now, you have these guys complimenting really good talent and they can settle into the role they were meant for. I think you'll see a lot of Umberger, Calvert and Foligno setting up some good shots and getting some goals when teams are trying to stop someone else. I think you'll see this crew excel at being a support group this season.
DEFENSE:
The defense is rounded out by Fedor Tyutin, Tim Erixon, Nikita Nikitin, Dalton Prout and Ryan Murray. This is where my doubts about the team start to set in just a little bit. I thought the defense played well for the most part last season. They weren't spectacular or anything like that though. I think they let too many shots get to Bob in the net and the team has a downright disaster in a lot of games where they had to use Steve Mason in the net. I think the real question here is, will the defense be just good enough to make a run at the playoffs? Once the Jackets started rolling last season, yes, they were just good enough to keep the team winning. But that was also a result of Bob being absolutely brilliant in the net.
What I do know for sure about this squad is there's some excellent passers in the group. Johnson, Wisnieski and Tyutin can absolutely change the scope of any game with a well timed pass that leads to a goal. Those three are also gritty and tough defenders. They aren't afraid to mix it up and to lay some guys out on the boards. I think this group is the key to a playoff push this year. They need to be better than average if the team wants to push for better than an 8 seed.
GOALIE:
Even if he takes a likely step backwards, I think the team is built to anticipate that. The team has a much stronger punch on offense so they can compensate if Bob starts giving up a little closer to the league average on goals. If he stays a little more consistent to what he did last year, then this team is just going to start steamrolling some teams.My expectation is he'll take a step backwards but he's not going to fall apart like Mason did after his big season with the team.
Curtis McElhinney joins the Jackets as the primary backup to Bob. Curtis is a huge upgrade to what Mason was last season. He's logged a decent amount of minutes with teams like Calgary, Anaheim and Ottawa in the past and he performed well enough in those games. The Jackets just need a goalie that can keep the team afloat so they don't run Bob into the ground during the season. I think Curtis is a good fit for that equation.
THE VERDICT:
I've been a Blue Jackets fan since they came to town in 2000. Needless to say, I've taken quite a beating from the team over the years. The eternal pessimist in me wants to think that the team is going to disappoint this year. But the objective look at the numbers and the attitudes of the players thus far is telling me something else entirely. I'm going to put the pessimist aside this year and say that the Blue Jackets are going to continue what they started last season.
The Blue Jackets are going to enter the weaker Eastern Conference and make an immediate splash there. My prediction is that the team wins a franchise record 46 games, rack up 102 points and enter the playoffs as the 5th seed. So let's hope I didn't just horribly curse the team.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Man of Steel #1-6
Superman is one of those characters I've never been into. I read Action Comics and Superman for about a 4 year period in the mid 2000s. I watched some of the cartoons and Lois and Clark throughout the years as well. He's just never been someone I seek out randomly. I listed to some podcasts about him recently and it really made me curious to really try and get into the character.
I decided to go with the Post-Crisis version of Superman. If you don't know what that means. DC did an event in the mid 80s called Crisis on Infinite Earths. This compacted all of their heroes into a single universe and it rebooted the entire continuity. So when you hear the term Post-Crisis it means that it happened after this event.
Superman got a big reboot during this time frame. John Byrne came over from Marvel and spearheaded the project. Superman was depowered a lot in this era and he was more detached from Krypton in this era. The idea Byrne seems to push over and over is that Superman is human despite where he came from. The Man of Steel series was a 6 issue mini-series that came out in 1986 and goes about establishing a new status for Superman.
Issue 1: Retells the story of Krypton being destroyed and Superman coming to Earth. We see Clark as a teenager and being told about how he was found. We also see some of his early pre-Superman days and Ma Kent making the suit for him.
Issue 2: Serves to introduce us to Lois Lane. She follows Superman around trying to get the story on him but always being a little too late. She finally decides to try driving her car into the river so that Superman will save her. She interviews Superman only to arrive at the Daily Planet to find that Clark Kent beat her to the story.
Issue 3: Has the first meeting between Superman and Batman. It does away with the buddy buddy relationship they had previously and shows how their worldviews clash a little more.
Issue 4: Sets up Lex Luthor as Superman's main antagonist. We also see some of the rivalry and relationship between Lois Lane and Clark Kent.
Issue 5: Brings us Bizzaro. This is the first super villain that Superman takes on in this rebooted universe.
Issue 6: Kind of wraps things up from the last 5 issues and gives us an idea of what to expect from the three ongoing series that start up after this. Clark has a thing for Lois but wants her to love him as Clark and not Superman. Superman learns that he's from the planet Krypton but realizes that doesn't change how he was raised and who he is. It also shows Lana Lang and her dynamic with Superman.
All in all, I really enjoyed this mini-series. Superman was more interesting than I expected him to be. I really like the humility of the character. He showed a little more personality than I was expecting and I really like Lex Luthor as a big time antagonist to Superman. If I was grabbing this I would give it an A- or B+. It was a really enjoyable read and I just tore through the issues and wanted more.
It really made me want to dig beyond just this and get into the monthly issues that result from this. I plan to do that and I plan to post those in a similar fashion to this post. Starting from here there will be three monthly Superman titles (Superman, Adventures of Superman and Action Comics). I plan to read the books from a given month and post quickie reviews of each issue and more talk about how I'm feeling about Superman as a character with each passing month. So keep a look out.
I decided to go with the Post-Crisis version of Superman. If you don't know what that means. DC did an event in the mid 80s called Crisis on Infinite Earths. This compacted all of their heroes into a single universe and it rebooted the entire continuity. So when you hear the term Post-Crisis it means that it happened after this event.Superman got a big reboot during this time frame. John Byrne came over from Marvel and spearheaded the project. Superman was depowered a lot in this era and he was more detached from Krypton in this era. The idea Byrne seems to push over and over is that Superman is human despite where he came from. The Man of Steel series was a 6 issue mini-series that came out in 1986 and goes about establishing a new status for Superman.
Issue 1: Retells the story of Krypton being destroyed and Superman coming to Earth. We see Clark as a teenager and being told about how he was found. We also see some of his early pre-Superman days and Ma Kent making the suit for him.
Issue 2: Serves to introduce us to Lois Lane. She follows Superman around trying to get the story on him but always being a little too late. She finally decides to try driving her car into the river so that Superman will save her. She interviews Superman only to arrive at the Daily Planet to find that Clark Kent beat her to the story.
Issue 3: Has the first meeting between Superman and Batman. It does away with the buddy buddy relationship they had previously and shows how their worldviews clash a little more.
Issue 4: Sets up Lex Luthor as Superman's main antagonist. We also see some of the rivalry and relationship between Lois Lane and Clark Kent.
Issue 5: Brings us Bizzaro. This is the first super villain that Superman takes on in this rebooted universe.
Issue 6: Kind of wraps things up from the last 5 issues and gives us an idea of what to expect from the three ongoing series that start up after this. Clark has a thing for Lois but wants her to love him as Clark and not Superman. Superman learns that he's from the planet Krypton but realizes that doesn't change how he was raised and who he is. It also shows Lana Lang and her dynamic with Superman.
All in all, I really enjoyed this mini-series. Superman was more interesting than I expected him to be. I really like the humility of the character. He showed a little more personality than I was expecting and I really like Lex Luthor as a big time antagonist to Superman. If I was grabbing this I would give it an A- or B+. It was a really enjoyable read and I just tore through the issues and wanted more.
It really made me want to dig beyond just this and get into the monthly issues that result from this. I plan to do that and I plan to post those in a similar fashion to this post. Starting from here there will be three monthly Superman titles (Superman, Adventures of Superman and Action Comics). I plan to read the books from a given month and post quickie reviews of each issue and more talk about how I'm feeling about Superman as a character with each passing month. So keep a look out.
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