SBNation.com: All Posts by Bill Hanstockhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2023-03-30T10:25:01-04:00https://www.sbnation.com/authors/bill-hanstock/rss2023-03-30T10:25:01-04:002023-03-30T10:25:01-04:00Everyone should go to a WrestleMania
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<figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It’s Christmastime for pro wrestling fans, but it can be a magical time of year for everyone.</p> <p id="pm7z0V"><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/wrestlemania">WrestleMania</a> 39 takes place on Saturday and Sunday, and it’s possible that you’ve heard some of your friends talking about it, or seen a bunch of your sports fan pals tweeting about it. Maybe you’re rolling your eyes and wondering what the big deal is.</p>
<p id="yUXL9U">Well, you’re in the right place.</p>
<p id="83Wbv8">Even if you don’t like pro wrestling, you know the name “WrestleMania.” It’s the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a> of the profession, the biggest wrestling show of the year bar none, and possibly the single biggest spectacle in all of entertainment. Even the most jaded wrestling fan (which is to say, any wrestling fan who regularly uses the internet) can find something about WrestleMania Week to get excited about.</p>
<p id="QRTiBR">And make no mistake: WrestleMania is more than a show, it’s an entire week of activities, events, and revelry. For wrestling fans, WrestleMania Week is like Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl at the same time. Only with slightly less public nudity.</p>
<p id="bmfKJR">But there’s no reason that only wrestling fans should enjoy WrestleMania. Every year, more and more casuals seem to flock to the event, and I’ve certainly personally brought more than a few non-fans to different WrestlesMania over the past 15 years. Almost universally, they come away having a good time. Very few of them become active fans as a result of attending, but they always manage to get <em>something</em> out of the experience.</p>
<p id="7L5A0r">At this point, I’m convinced that if you like live entertainment or sports in any way, you should make it a point to try to attend at least one WrestleMania in your lifetime.* </p>
<p id="R682I4">Hear me out.</p>
<p id="J5JtdB">Do you like pageantry? Do you like fireworks? Do you like <em>laser light shows</em>? Do you like something ridiculous happening while loud music is playing and someone is walking down an extremely long ramp? WrestleMania has you covered.</p>
<p id="a0KweN">Every year, you know you’re going to get a big, loud, bright show with all sorts of bells and whistles and extremely random celebrity cameos. But more than the sheer spectacle of the event is the fact that the format allows WWE’s “three ring circus” approach to shine through.</p>
<aside id="CjQPyE"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Play a free $25,000 Wrestlemania pool at DraftKings Sportsbook","url":"https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/pools/pick-pool/c3f9ac54-d27f-47e6-90c9-516e1c1cf52b"}]}'></div></aside><p id="dpk5r3">Much has always been made of WrestleMania being the “Super Bowl” of fake fighting, but it’s much more than that. Imagine if, at the Super Bowl, every fifteen minutes or so you had two entirely different teams coming out to play each other, with really exciting entrances, and also before all of those teams played each other, you got to watch a video package recapping why these teams <em>hate each other</em> and are <em>desperate to do bodily harm to each other to prove a point</em>.</p>
<p id="pufQbn">Imagine if those teams were playing the Super Bowl with the interest (theoretically) of telling the best possible story en route to determining a winner. And imagine if sometimes, during the course of telling that story, one of the biggest pop stars in the world gave someone a front-flip piledriver.</p>
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<p id="pcEUrd">(The only time I wavered on the “everyone should go to a WrestleMania” talking point was from the years 2015 to 2019, when WrestleMania kept getting more and more bloated each year, and the live show was up past eight hours long, then 10 hours, but thankfully the new, permanent two-day format has brought each day down to a manageable length to watch or to sit through. I guess ... thanks, COVID?)</p>
<p id="4Lr8tr">Just a couple of years ago, WrestleMania had the added nostalgia appeal of people that non-wrestling fans have heard of being involved: The Undertaker, The Rock, Triple H. Household names. But even this year, John Cena, Ronda Rousey and Brock Lesnar are all participating in matches.</p>
<p id="LPWdmF">So you’ve got spectacle, variety, star power, and athleticism. You’ve got entertainment and feats of strength all crossed off the list. But this year’s WrestleMania also features a huge amount of heart and emotion. An underdog story (or a pair of them) that everyone should be able to get behind.</p>
<p id="qmPZFU">You see, for the past two years, WWE has been dominated by The Bloodline. This is the faction headed up by Roman Reigns, who holds <em>both</em> world championships in the company and hasn’t been pinned since <em>2019</em>. He is the “tribal chief” of the Bloodline, and is joined by his advocate Paul Heyman and his cousins, Jimmy and Jey Uso (who hold <em>both</em> tag team championships) and Solo Sikoa. </p>
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<p id="pCCguI">But for half of last year, and up until January’s <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/wwe-royal-rumble">Royal Rumble</a>, they were joined by Sami Zayn, who viewed himself as an aspiring Uso. He had been floundering in WWE in recent years, and believed he could be a huge asset to the Bloodline. And to that end, he went to impossible lengths to prove himself to Reigns and his cousins. And time after time, no matter what depths he sunk to or betrayals of his own soul he committed, Reigns told him that he just had to go <em>one </em>step further.</p>
<p id="4qhTbT">And when Zayn was told to grievously wound his lifelong best friend Kevin Owens, who was handcuffed and indefensible, that was finally a bridge too far.</p>
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<p id="X2jz98">For weeks after the Bloodline and Zayn ditched one another, Zayn had to prove to Owens that he was still worthy of friendship — of love. And now they’re finally back together, and will face the Usos for the Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania. It’s the most emotional pro wrestling storyline in recent memory, and some (myself included) count the Bloodline saga as the best long-running wrestling storyline <em>ever</em>.</p>
<p id="ebtGpY">Oh yeah, and do you know what Sami Zayn was doing at last year’s WrestleMania? He lost a match to Johnny Knoxville and the Jackass crew after being pinned by a human-sized mousetrap. </p>
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<p id="gctD1M">And as for Reigns? Well, he’s facing another underdog at WrestleMania 39 on Sunday: Cody Rhodes.</p>
<p id="mMMIBz">Rhodes, the son of the legendary “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes (and the brother of Goldust), quit WWE in 2016 after longtime frustration with his role in the company. He set out to prove he was worthy of being one of the biggest wrestling stars in the world, so he traveled the globe, winning world championships, headlining cards and eventually co-founding All Elite Wrestling, which is WWE’s first major pro wrestling competition since WCW folded.</p>
<p id="j5750C">Rhodes returned at last year’s WrestleMania, but soon after suffered a torn pectoral muscle and missed the remainder of the year. He returned from that injury to win this year’s Royal Rumble, and now he’s challenging the unbeatable Roman Reigns in hopes of capturing his first WWE world title. </p>
<p id="wBcnkc">Do you like drama? Do you like passion? There’ll be no shortage of it this weekend.</p>
<p id="eoRAGy">Oh yeah, and if you happen to be in the Los Angeles area, there will essentially be wrestling-adjacent entertainment 24 hours a day from now until the end of WWE Raw on Monday night. Beginning with WrestleMania 23 in Detroit, other wrestling companies have taken advantage of wrestling fans from around the world flocking to the WrestleMania host city. It started with indie promotion Ring Of Honor (which was recently bought by AEW) running WrestleMania weekend shows in the same area, but other companies and promotions soon caught on. Now there are comedy shows, concerts, live podcast tapings, a wrestling convention, personal appearances, parties ... and upwards of 50 distinct wrestling shows in the host city every year. Obviously, that’s <em>way</em> too much wrestling-related content for any one fan to enjoy, but you can pick and choose exactly what you want to see.</p>
<p id="iIaNHn">And if you’ve never experienced any of WrestleMania Week in person before, I insist that you pick at least one day of WrestleMania to attend live. It’s hard to believe that you’ll regret it.</p>
<p id="MZTMZK">And if you miss it this time around, it’s in a different city each year. Keep it in mind for next April.</p>
<p id="awfqY8">* <em>If you have moral objections to the art of pro wrestling, or to WWE’s ongoing partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I absolutely understand that. You’re off the hook and don’t have to attend a WrestleMania. I’m talking to everyone else. Thanks for reading, though!</em></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/wrestling/2023/3/30/23662297/wrestlemania-why-you-should-goBill Hanstock2021-09-09T12:45:00-04:002021-09-09T12:45:00-04:00A major commenting update for fans
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<figcaption>Ken Ruinard / staff via Imagn Content Services, LLC</figcaption>
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<p>The Z key is back, so start Z-ing through those comments!</p> <p id="FbCAml">You might know that we’ve been rolling out a new commenting platform across some of our sites. One thing we’ve heard loud and clear: It needed a much-loved feature from the old platform. And so, we’re delighted to announce that the Z Key is back. </p>
<p id="2QKxPK">If you know, you know, but in case you don’t: the Z Key (and on mobile devices, the Next Unread button) lets readers jump between comments they haven’t previously seen, in order to catch up on the latest comments and replies.</p>
<p id="E9pbb8">It wasn’t an easy thing to port over, but we’re delighted to announce that it’s about to go live, just in time for the start of the NFL season. It’s basically the same as the old version, with a few tweaks to make it even better. </p>
<p id="RH0lVD">We know you have been asking for this feature for a long time now, and we hope this makes community conversations easier to read and follow.</p>
<p id="B8EEH5"><strong>How it works:</strong></p>
<p id="kefIwh">When you visit a comment thread, you can tap the Z key to skip to the next unread comment (highlighted in yellow). If there aren’t any unread comments on the page, but there are more comments to be loaded, Z key will auto-load the next batch of comments and then jump to the next unread comment.</p>
<p id="a3nQi9">Right now, the highlighting/unread comments are device specific, so it <strong>will </strong>remember what you’ve seen in the same browser that you used before, but it <strong>won’t</strong> remember if you switch devices. Cross-device support will be coming in the future.</p>
<p id="qCXMXF">It’s not the only keyboard shortcut on offer in the new commenting platform. Here’s a quick summary:</p>
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<li id="1gjdCz">Z – go to next unread comment</li>
<li id="mAlnnz">shift-A – mark all comments that have loaded as ‘read’</li>
<li id="byijCB">C – go to the next comment, regardless of if it’s new or not</li>
<li id="dteGqA">shift-C – go to the previous comment</li>
<li id="4aIWfT">control-B – add/remove bold text in the comment you’re writing</li>
<li id="0P8FzL">control-I – add/remove italic text in the comment you’re writing</li>
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<p id="hQqUCn">Also, you can now see what people are replying to by clicking/tapping on the words “in reply to” on a comment, and we know that a small number of commenters were sometimes experiencing a lag in the system. That’s all been fixed.</p>
<p id="kT7Jv1">We’ll keep on developing and improving the platform, so let us know below what we should work on next. </p>
<p id="fL4cWu">Thanks for being part of our community, and thank you for helping us bring you the fan experience you want from our network.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2021/9/9/22663103/sb-nation-comments-z-key-updateBill Hanstock2020-09-04T21:22:12-04:002020-09-04T21:22:12-04:00‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2’ is exactly what you’ve been missing
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<p>Yes, it has “Superman.”</p> <p id="zNz5DJ">From 1999 to about 2003 (give or take, depending on your opinion of the two <em>Tony Hawk’s Underground</em> games), Activision and Neversoft created and then refined arguably the perfect sports video game franchise, <em>Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater</em>. Not to get too deep in the weeds on the value of art and storytelling, but I’d happily argue its merits for being a perfect video game, period. I didn’t <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/9/29/8656927/best-tony-hawk-pro-skater-songs-soundtrack-extreme-heck-yeah">rank every song on the original games’ soundtracks</a> for nothing, you know. </p>
<p id="IzFHoB"><em>Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 </em>and <em>Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 </em>might be the most cumulative time I’ve logged in my lifetime playing video games — and I played <em>World of Warcraft</em> for several years. It’s vitally important to me, and I know I’m not the only one who feels that way. </p>
<p id="OsdP2k">Video game fans have decried what has become of the franchise for more than a decade now, hoping the franchise returns to the simplicity of the original game. Those calls have gotten louder each year, and now those pleas have finally, mercifully been answered.</p>
<p id="8g5HmE"><em>Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2</em>, a remastered, high-definition recreation of the first two games, lands on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on Friday. I’m relieved and thrilled to tell you it was well worth the wait. (Mostly, anyway).</p>
<p id="G8yjlt">When you fire up the game, the unfiltered nostalgia hits you full force with a video mixtape of the skaters featured in the game, set to Rage Against the Machine and fully preparing your entire body to jump off a building. Then the title screen starts rolling, and yes, “Superman” by Goldfinger is the first song you hear as the virtual camera follows a skateboard at ground level. </p>
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<p id="E7eZlF">All the levels you remember from the first two games are here, in painstaking detail for the current-gen consoles. The depth and breadth of detail given to the grimy garages, scuffed playgrounds and filthy alleys is breathtaking, and it really hammers home just how expansive those levels were in the first place. Everything is in place, with every level improved, fine-tuned, and optimized for 2020, all while still somehow being the exact game you remember.</p>
<p id="t3pyh6">Best of all, the gameplay is exactly how you remember it. Like muscle memory, if you’ve played five or so hours of <em>THPS </em>in your life, you’re primed and ready to dive back in.</p>
<p id="Q3kLh1">There was something tactically phenomenal about the mechanics of ollieing, launching off kickers and vert ramps, stringing together flip tricks, grabs, spins and grinds. The addition of the manual in <em>THPS 2</em> and then the revert in <em>THPS 3</em> meant you could string tricks together for the perfect line or combo — theoretically for eternity. It’s easy to learn, easy to master, and becomes second nature after a while. I wouldn’t say <em>Tony Hawk</em> is an easy game, but it’s one of the very few games in history that I’ve honestly been good at (or okay at, at least).</p>
<p id="nqDrZ1">Every level, every trick, and every twist and turn bring back new waves of nostalgia to varying degrees, and the thrill of upgrading your skater’s attributes with each new level and skill point acquired still packs a powerful sense of accomplishment. When you get enough air and hangtime stat points to land that rooftop-to-rooftop gap in rain-slicked Minneapolis, you’ll be READY for “Police Truck” by Dead Kennedys to carry you away to extreme sports nirvana.</p>
<p id="AvREcQ">(While I have not dived much into it, I have seen reviews saying the online features of the remastered game leave a lot to be desired. But in my personal experience, <em>THPS</em> has never been a franchise for online play. It’s been a franchise for just <em>getting fully rad</em>. And there’s no shortage of raddening going on here.)</p>
<p id="KNKNXL">The beauty of the original <em>Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater</em> games is its core premise that you’ve got two minutes to shred your heart out, with the ability only to move forward, like a shark, and to mash the buttons when you bail because the time is running out. Then you do it again, as much or as little as you want. </p>
<p id="3iWdov">It’s the same game you remember, but it’s a million times better than it ever was. If you’ve been missing the series, you should probably pick this up. This year could do with a hell of a lot more getting rad. </p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2020/9/4/21423309/tony-hawk-remastered-reviewBill Hanstock2020-09-01T08:00:00-04:002020-09-01T08:00:00-04:00The San Diego Padres are going for it, and they absolutely should
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<img alt="MLB: Game One-Seattle Mariners at San Diego Padres" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3OYNE1_w5mjrnyJu5RT_FWlw42s=/0x0:2503x1669/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67325041/usa_today_14837327.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The most fun team in baseball made a flurry of moves at the MLB trade deadline, because they think they can win the World Series. They could be right!</p> <p id="If0iPh">If you haven’t been paying attention (and there hasn’t been a lot of good reason in the past couple decades to warrant it), the <a href="https://www.gaslampball.com/">San Diego Padres</a> have spent the past few years creeping toward relevance. They’ve built a team, nearly from the ground up, the way you would want and hope and expect an MLB team to do so if their name isn’t the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">New York Yankees</a> or a similar “back up the Brinks truck” franchise. A major free agent signing here, a minor free agent signing there, some savvy trades and a whole bunch of solid drafting and development.</p>
<p id="U5grpN">The end result, prior to this week, was the 2020 emergence of the Padres as the absolute most fun baseball team to watch, and a surprise contender to come out of the West in a short season with expanded playoffs. You have almost certainly been aware of the exploits of <span>Fernando Tatis</span> Jr. and his brethren who have broken the dumbest unwritten rules in the sport and demolished the baseball everywhere, rechristening the team as “Slam Diego.” You can even buy the shirt!</p>
<p id="RYZ0UK"><span>Manny Machado</span> was last year’s gargantuan free agent signing for the Padres and he’s knocking the cover off the ball. <span>Eric Hosmer</span> was 2018’s moderately big free agent signing for the Padres and he’s mashing. The Padres attempted to trade for <span>Mookie Betts</span> before the <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> snagged him (you probably heard about that one), but <span>Wil Myers</span>, one of the cornerstones of that proposed trade, is still in San Diego putting up an OPS of close to 1.000. <span>Tommy Pham</span> and <span>Jake Cronenworth</span> came over in a trade from the <a href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Tampa Bay Rays</a>.</p>
<p id="MF5iqS">This has been a very good, very deep team, and thanks in part to not having even reached the postseason since 2006 (playing in the same division as the Dodgers and the 2010s <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> will do that to you), they have a very, very deep farm system. </p>
<p id="o6wqNu">Just over halfway through this sprint of a season, the Padres are one of only seven MLB teams with more than 20 wins and are solidly in playoff position. Failing a catastrophic collapse, they were probably counting on reaching the new best-of-three Wild Card round of the postseason in a worst case scenario. (They’re also just five games behind the Dodgers, so they were likely dreaming of a best case scenario where they don’t have to play the short series.)</p>
<p id="rTu2Xa">As such, the Padres had two choices at this week’s trade deadline: 1) either stand relatively pat with the full knowledge that this team is going to try their best in a very likely postseason appearance and that the entire squad, give or take, is lined up to be even better in a full season next year after getting a national showcase, or 2) do everything you can to make sure this year’s version of the Padres has no cracks whatsoever, and go all in, with the full knowledge that the team is still stacked, the farm is still stocked, and that the entire squad, give or take, is lined up to be even better in a full season next year ... as potential defending <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> champions.</p>
<p id="3Bdeps">On Saturday, the <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F2031376%2F2020%2F08%2F29%2Fpadres-acquire-trevor-rosenthal-in-win-now-move-and-they-might-not-be-done%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbnation.com%2Fmlb%2F2020%2F9%2F1%2F21409230%2Fpadres-trade-moves-deadline-mike-clevinger-austin-nola" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Padres traded a prospect and a player to be named later for Trevor Rosenthal</a>, arguably best reliever on the market and an impending free agent. The bullpen had been a weak link and Pads closer <span>Kirby Yates</span> suffered a season-ending injury. </p>
<p id="kh0KWH">On Sunday, the Padres <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F2032969%2F2020%2F08%2F30%2Fmariners-sell-high-on-austin-nola-land-four-players-from-padres%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbnation.com%2Fmlb%2F2020%2F9%2F1%2F21409230%2Fpadres-trade-moves-deadline-mike-clevinger-austin-nola" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">traded one of their very top prospects, Taylor Trammell, to the Mariners for catcher Austin Nola</a>, along with pitching prospect Andrés Muñoz, catcher <span>Luis Torrens</span> and infielder <span>Ty France</span> — who had been a solid bench contributor this season. </p>
<p id="PCSFFD">The catcher position had far and away been San Diego’s weak link this season, with starter <span>Austin Hedges</span> putting up a slash line of .158/.258/.591 and an OPS+ of 63. He’s been solid defensively, but that’s way too glaring a hole in an otherwise powerfully potent lineup. <span>Nola</span>, in just his second MLB season at the age of 30, looks to be a massive upgrade if he can continue his production so far in 2020. He’s batting .306/.373/.531 to the tune of a 149 OPS+. </p>
<p id="YdM01x">Yes, Trammell may very well turn into a big, valuable star in coming years, but that sort of exponential upgrade in a backstop is easy to trade for, especially in a postseason where every offensive run counts. Trammell wasn’t going to make a difference in this year’s team. The Padres can afford to make this upgrade now, and they were almost certainly right to. (Please note that I have the right to reverse this opinion if Nola goes hitless for the next two months.)</p>
<p id="PkaQGK">(The <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F2033575%2F2020%2F08%2F31%2Fafter-four-trades-in-32-hours-padres-could-be-headed-for-a-blockbuster-finale%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbnation.com%2Fmlb%2F2020%2F9%2F1%2F21409230%2Fpadres-trade-moves-deadline-mike-clevinger-austin-nola" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Padres also added a second catcher</a>, <span>Jason Castro</span>, from the <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a>, for reliever Geraro Reyes. This was a minor deal, but added depth at the catcher position while trading away a tertiary reliever in the wake of the Rosenthal trade. Again, this all makes sense.)</p>
<p id="cl3SEP">The Padres <em>further</em> bolstered their offense by trading another two prospects for designated hitter <span>Mitch Moreland</span>, who is a lefty masher with discipline, and while the Padres and every other NL team thought they wouldn’t need a DH when they started building their rosters for 2020, most NL teams could desperately use one now — especially the teams eyeing a postseason berth. </p>
<p id="rRVPTO">And while they were stockpiling bats, the Padres didn’t forget about their rotation, either. <span>Mike Clevinger</span>, who had figured to be the forefront of the <a href="https://www.letsgotribe.com/">Cleveland Indians</a> rotation this year, punched his own ticket out of town when he broke quarantine and earned the ire of the entire Cleveland clubhouse. Now he’s heading to the Padres, where he can start over with his teammate relationships and, his new team hopes, continue to be a top-tier starter. <span>Hedges</span> found his way out of San Diego on this deal, along with <span>Josh Naylor</span>, who had been a solid bench performer for the Padres this season, pitcher <span>Cal Quantrill</span>, and three minor leaguers. Outfielder Greg Allen and a player to be named later came over from Cleveland in the <span>Clevinger</span> trade, bringing us up to eight players in and 14 players out. That’s an acceptable ratio!</p>
<p id="oQBWBR">The Padres aren’t done making moves, either. They picked up a Mariners right-hander for a player to be named later and kicked the tires on <span>Lance Lynn</span> prior to the <span>Clevinger</span> deal. They also reportedly have interest in <span>Joey Gallo</span>, one of the few bright spots on a generally abysmal <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> team. </p>
<p id="p5epJi">There was a lot of handwringing about the deal that brought Nola in and sent Trammell away; a lot of worrying about the future of the Padres. The Padres have made it abundantly clear that they aren’t worrying about the future. They’re focusing on continuing to cultivate this lighting in a bottle that they’ve captured. The San Diego front office knows that they built a great team, and that it’s actually ahead of schedule. They know that the baseball world is talking about Fernando Tatis and <span>Manny Machado</span> and the San Diego Padres, and they know that they haven’t made the playoffs in 14 years and are one of seven teams who have never won a World Series. </p>
<p id="iJFg8X">This is a season where absolutely anything can, and has, and will happen. There are certainly 14 or 15 (or more) other teams whose fans would kill to be in a position to trade away large sections of the farm for some dynamic, everyday contributors in preparation of a postseason run. </p>
<p id="MNGqfz">But it’s the Padres who are doing it, because they know that this could actually be their year. And they might just pull it off. </p>
https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2020/9/1/21409230/padres-trade-moves-deadline-mike-clevinger-austin-nolaBill Hanstock2018-10-09T09:36:25-04:002018-10-09T09:36:25-04:00Let’s imagine a world where the Warriors really DID ruin basketball
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cWgCZvRJJQpP4p4xUZMnldvanCU=/474x0:2724x1500/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61638661/Warriors_Wide_Text.0.0.jpg" />
</figure>
<p>How will the writers of “The Warriors” figure out how to tell next season’s story after the team goes full scorched Earth on the competition?</p> <p id="9KjeQH"><em>Now in its 10th season, “The Warriors” returns in 2018 with showrunners scrambling to make an inevitable story still interesting to fans. Here, we give you a behind-the-scenes look into the writers’ room as they prepped for the upcoming season, as well as a treatment and script for their eventual, earth-shattering idea.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="NSozIe">
<p id="jz7iC2">Rick heaves a sigh. “It’s no use,” he groans, sitting farther back in his chair and kicking his feet up on the large coffee table in the center of the writers’ room. </p>
<p id="S9Tx75">Joe, pacing the floor incessantly, clenches his jaw. If this were 20 — or hell, 10 years ago — he’d be stubbing a cigarette out in anger. Instead, he dips into a nearby tub of Starburst and tears one open, popping it in his mouth. Junk food. Nothing in here but junk food. He checks his watch: almost 3:00 in the morning. </p>
<p id="ptGxgE">Jennifer, sprawled out across one of the sofas, takes her arm away from her weary eyes for a moment. “What if,” she begins, and then stops talking immediately after those two words. Still, the promise of an idea is enough to get Joe to stop pacing for a moment. Gail and Lisa turn away from their blank Final Draft documents and pivot their office chairs toward her. Rick leans forward. Bob raises his eyebrows in anticipation.</p>
<p id="R71IhB">Jennifer, suddenly aware all eyes are on her, squints up at the overhead fluorescents. She starts to speak again, the arm that had been covering her eyes now straight up in the air, her tired brain churning. “What. If.” The team’s on pins and needles now, starving for someone to break the story. “What if the team goes to space?”</p>
<p id="nKSzeg">The tension hangs there for another few beats, then the room deflates. Gail speaks gently: “Jen, hon ... we did that two seasons ago. Remember? ‘The Splash Brothers Shoot the Moon’?”</p>
<p id="V8uy8U">“Ugh. Right, right. Sorry guys. All-nighter brain.” Jennifer closes her eyes and shakes her head, letting her arm flop across her face once again. Rick leans back once again, fingers laced behind his head. Joe resumes his pacing. Lisa turns back to her MacBook and refreshes the “Jobs” page on LinkedIn.</p>
<p id="rAMhD2">“Keep hammering away, guys,” Bob grunts as he stands and stretches. His back pops in a manner that’s both good and bad, causing him to wince slightly. “We’ll break this sucker yet.” This will be Bob’s seventh season as head writer for “The Warriors,” but things have never been this bleak before. They’re pretty much tapped out. </p>
<p id="Yrg4Og">Just as Bob thinks it, Joe pipes up. “But what if we don’t break the story, Bob?” Like all showrunners, Joe was nervous as a rule, always ready for the sky to come crashing down. His tenure even predated Bob’s, but over the past handful of years they’d come to enjoy a marvelous symbiosis. With that partnership had come success they’d never dreamed of individually, but after all the awards, the fans, and the ratings bonanza, they were running short of inspiration. They’d gotten too much, too fast, and as the riches kept pouring in, the story options kept dwindling. </p>
<p id="FawiE9">“We’ll break it, Joe,” Bob assures him. “We always have before.” </p>
<p id="zhXL5y">“Yeah, but it’s always been easy before,” Rick offers. “We had a hell of a villain for the last few seasons, but then somebody decided it would be a great story to turn him into a good guy.” </p>
<p id="Nmazss">Lisa spins her chair back around. “Hey, it was a great idea. You know how many LeBron T-shirts we’ve sold since we turned him into Season 6 Spike?”</p>
<p id="kgK24K">Rick grins. “Yeah, yeah. I know you’re right. But I still think we could have squeezed at least one more year out of making him our Big Bad.”</p>
<p id="uj5IPh">Jennifer’s hand shoots up into the air again, eyes wide. “What if — oh my god, you guys.” She sits up on the couch, looking around at the room. “What if LeBron is actually a mole in the Western Conference? And then we can spend the entire season with him trying to bring the place down from the inside, only to get exposed near the finale?”</p>
<p id="0OVwu1">The others look at Bob, grimacing. Crestfallen, he nods and takes this one himself. “Jennifer,” he starts. She turns to look at him, eyebrows raised expectantly. “We’ve done the ‘inside man’ angle with both Durant AND Kawhi.” </p>
<p id="wjk78G">“And Kyrie,” adds Gail. </p>
<p id="Os16uV">Bob nods. “And Kyrie.”</p>
<p id="wjcCgl">Jennifer’s shoulders slump. She pushes her face into the sofa cushions. “Just fire me,” she moans, muffled by the fabric. “Fire me and put me out of my misery.” </p>
<p id="wQhbZr">Gail pats her on the shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll get through this.”</p>
<p id="hfZQyA">“And don’t put your face in those cushions,” Lisa advises. “There’s like a decade of writer sweat in there. You’ll have to chew a Tide pod for real if any gets in your mouth.”</p>
<p id="30OaV6">“Bob,” Joe says, softly. Bob turns to face his jittery showrunner. “I’m serious. If you think ‘Simpsons did it’ is a well-worn cliché, that’s nothing compared to what we’ve already burned through over the past few years. Even Kurt Sutter would think some of our recent storylines are a stretch.”</p>
<p id="o1MIGt">Still putting on a brave face, Bob tries to steer the conversation back to the positives of the upcoming season. “Hey, we’ve got Boogie now. Imagine the hijinks we can get up to with him.”</p>
<p id="76XPKj">This time, Rick interjects: “Boogie’s going to be a non-factor. He only signed on for a recurring role at midseason. He’s not a member of the main cast. Jason Mantzoukas was great on ‘Nine-Nine,’ but no one thought he was going to stick around and factor into long-term storylines.” </p>
<p id="41qMSQ">Lisa nods. “Boogie’s for B-stories only, Bob. You know that. He’s our Worf.”</p>
<p id="VsFGu4">Bob tries to protest, meekly. “Hey, Worf was great in the late seasons. And then he went on to ‘Deep Space Nine’!”</p>
<p id="GT58FM">Lisa crosses her arms. “Yeah, and he was still Worf over there, too.”</p>
<p id="B6prR0">Bob opens his mouth to respond, but Joe cuts him off. “Look,” he says, “we all love Worf. Worf’s great. But he’s not Picard.” He raises a hand to thwart another interjection from Bob. “And yeah, we’ve got a Picard. The problem is we’ve got five goddamn Picards. And nobody wants five Picards. Nobody wants three Picards. We’ve just ...” He trails off and looks through the blinds at the dark parking lot outside. “We’ve just got way too much of a good thing. It’s not compelling. There aren’t any stories to tell. Who wants to watch a show where there’s no tension, where there’s no drama?”</p>
<p id="TwAjaH">Bob doesn’t have an answer for that. Rick, head still back and eyes closed, pipes up. “Face it, boss,” he says. “We’re cooked. No more stories to tell.”</p>
<p id="PwUHbW">Jennifer squirms on the couch. Closing her eyes, only half-aware of what she’s saying, she sighs, “Why don’t we just burn it all down?” Everyone turns back to her, as she continues on, oblivious to the attention. “Yeah. Just go full scorched-earth, post-apocalyptic wasteland. Send them to a time where stories don’t matter, because they’ve already lived through them all. Just like us, now.”</p>
<p id="Ga5o0J">Gail speaks now, slowly. “A time jump. Oh my god.”</p>
<p id="yGxIIU">Jennifer opens her eyes and looks around. Rick is leaning forward, turning possibilities over in his mind. Bob has his head cocked, nodding almost imperceptibly, as he always did when they were close to breaking a story. Joe resumes pacing, now bouncing on the balls of his feet, a big grin slowly spreading over his face. </p>
<p id="D8aaQq">“Are you guys ... wait, really?” Jennifer sits up. In response, Lisa stands up and walks to the whiteboard. She uncaps a dry-erase marker and scrawls one huge word in black at the top of the board: WASTELAND.</p>
<p id="Yn9obp">Bob plops back down in his seat, beaming at Jennifer. “You did it. You broke the sucker. I’ll be damned.” </p>
<p id="cadqYl">Jennifer sucks in a big, ragged breath, and exhales the weight of the past few weeks’ fruitless, 14-hour days in that lived-in writers’ room. </p>
<p id="oNdfJk">And together, they get to work.</p>
<p id="XfpcBb">{squiggly}</p>
<h3 id="8baqlL"> <strong>The Warriors: The Last Team on Earth</strong>
</h3>
<p id="0vDgqC"><strong>Logline:</strong> </p>
<p id="gwKlH6">A superteam of basketball stars created a chain reaction that ignited the entire Earth ... and caused its destruction. Scattered survivors attempt to recreate basketball magic in the hellscape created by their own sheer abilities.</p>
<p id="p9bNpj"><strong>Characters: </strong></p>
<p id="3eLJ8B"><strong>Durant</strong> — The antihero of the story. Grizzled, battered, but blessed with immense gifts, he searches the apocalyptic landscape, desperate to come to terms with the nonstop restlessness that drives him.</p>
<p id="tShiUx"><strong>Curry </strong>— Expert marksman and tinkerer. There isn’t much technology left in this wasteland, but when they come across some, there’s nothing Curry can’t fix. He serves as some light comic relief and has an easygoing nature, but if you push his buttons, he becomes an unhinged maniac.</p>
<p id="Ed7lWt"><strong>Dray </strong>— The muscle. Missing an eye and an ear, Dray is always ready to get in a scrap or talk some trash. He’s ready to throw punches first and ask questions later, and his companions often have to make sure he doesn’t make a bad situation worse.</p>
<p id="f8WqXJ"><strong>Andre </strong>— A man of few words, he may have more mysteries he’s hiding than anyone else.</p>
<p id="QdHKkO"><strong>Klay</strong> — The face man. When they need diplomacy, the group sends in Klay to sweet talk the locals. If Dray hasn’t already gotten them into a fight, that is. </p>
<p id="OiJzvF"><strong>Boogie </strong>— The wild card. No one knows what Boogie is going to do. Ever. Think Charlie from ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,’ but seven feet tall and 270 pounds.</p>
<p id="iRAx1E"><strong>Kerr</strong> — The wise man in the desert. He tends to roam, but the crew often relies on Kerr in its times of need. It may be advice, knowledge, or just a big old grenade that he provides, but Kerr has a deep bag of tricks.</p>
<p id="LlvxtL"><strong>Synopsis: </strong></p>
<p id="MoaLLW">DURANT wanders alone through the world that has moved on, hoarding resources and trying to find his way back to the Mecca of his home court, attempting to play one last game that will bring him the peace that has long eluded him. Only one problem: he doesn’t know where that home court is. He’s going off of prophecy, magic, and his own shattered memories.</p>
<p id="B46r7d">Along the way, Durant runs into the rest of his former teammates — and adversaries — who have all been scattered by the fallout caused by the Golden State Warriors’ megatons of talent colliding with the rest of the NBA.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><div id="NhWfJp"><div data-anthem-component="aside:1887520"></div></div></div>
https://www.sbnation.com/a/nba-tv-season-preview-2018/warriors-tv-schedule-fall-2018-new-season-plotBill Hanstock2017-04-16T11:57:00-04:002017-04-16T11:57:00-04:00Jim Harbaugh wants you to think like the egg
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-y0t97uuZ-FYKKgJ8ZTfxmMUrUc=/0x0:2179x1453/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46048682/usa-today-8497967.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The adventures of the weirdest coach in college football continue.</p> <p>Ever since taking the head coaching gig at Michigan, Jim Harbaugh has slowly devolved into a living, breathing <i>Tim & Eric</i> character. Now he's here to wish you a happy Easter!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Happy Easter! God Bless you & yours! Tip for Finding Easter Eggs, think like the egg. Where would you hide if you were an egg? <a href="https://t.co/uWb0xSspBb">pic.twitter.com/uWb0xSspBb</a></p>
— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachJim4UM/status/853631541347594244">April 16, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<p>He did the same thing a couple years ago too. But the addition of the graphic is a nice touch.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Happy Easter to All! God Bless You & Yours! Tip for finding Easter Eggs: Think like the Egg! Where would you hide if you were an Egg?</p>
— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachJim4UM/status/584697355292831744">April 5, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Yes, think like the egg, everyone. Develop a strong outer shell to protect your gooey insides.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Oh, that might actually not be bad advice.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/4/5/8347445/jim-harbaugh-easter-egg-tips-tweetBill Hanstock2017-03-16T12:45:00-04:002017-03-16T12:45:00-04:00Look at Tom Crean's f#@&ing face
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Lci-APCITbEpWOh_dnO3IjwJGkA=/0x129:846x693/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45858262/new_watch.0.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>He's half Tom Arnold, half Rick Moranis and entirely fascinating.</p>
<p>Update: <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2017/3/16/14931334/tom-crean-fired-indiana-coach" target="new">Tom Crean was fired by Indiana</a> just before the start of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.</p> <p>We proudly present every Tom Crean face you could possibly want ... and then some.</p>
<h3>STUNNED:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pI3XpZ4s7JbPf3yHLcuidYvHMbg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3427076/tom-crean-screencap.0.jpeg">
</figure>
</p>
<h3>BAFFLED:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/s7P9q6VVUt2g75qpHFEpNiQuCd8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489584/635600162080424421-tomcrean.0.0.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<p> </p>
<h3>UNCOMFORTABLE</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean uncomfortable" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NFx6Un3pkdTNtTQI3MtQ2bIDkdU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489756/uncomfortable.0.gif">
</figure>
</p>
<p><i>(via @Bubbaprog)</i></p>
<h3>ANGRY:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean angry" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/o8i59Pbbj-22i4MOkiWSjZ_oex4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489646/464264443.0.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<p><i>(Duane Burleson/Getty Images)</i></p>
<h3>JERRY LEWIS:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean jerry lewis" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kyc_lKD72UbSxY9kFAPBVjO-LOo=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489608/usa-today-8428492.0.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<p><i>(Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)</i></p>
<h3>LASER NIPPLES:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean nipples" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/j3ESUMtjao_F8l-YMd7aaSrsAic=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489614/usa-today-8419560.0.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<p><i>(</i><i>Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports)</i></p>
<h3>ICE CREAM MAN IS HERE:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean ice cream" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ayw1MIXvkxsg825DRB2wekL0xoI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489806/Tom-Crean1.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<p><i>(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)</i></p>
<h3>THE KILLER IS BEHIND YOU:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean look out" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aUnGPYAleO6xnh6j_a-xgDQctJM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489618/usa-today-8419534.0.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<p><i>(David Banks-USA TODAY Sports)</i></p>
<h3>FLOP SWEAT:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean sweat" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dsmuhFoQHM92Vu34vrqJ-KWEaDw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489630/usa-today-8418372.0.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<p><i>(Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)</i></p>
<h3>IS THAT A MONKEY RIDING A DOG?:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean monkey" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9-8mtOdF7cllThkz83pXtGkpqcs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489776/is_that_a_monkey_riding_a_dog.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<h3>FUNERAL OF AN ENEMY:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean funeral" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kWLc2YTTLkakge06GpXqdM13_DA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489628/usa-today-8391948.0.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<p><i>(Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports)</i></p>
<h3>THE VAMPIRE LESTAT</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean vampire" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hKotmGJpAr9eMFgcE5LD0QQ8dq8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489762/vampire_lestat.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<h3>BUT MAWWWWMMM I HATE BRUSSELS SPROUTS:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean complain" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vyiyCt6bSHA3Dosjc9bAjXLeOWo=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489624/usa-today-8364458.0.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<p><i>(Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports)</i></p>
<h3>SUPPORTIVE:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean supportive" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RcxwYgOQIQrD-GLzyJxYHgO20Xc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489622/usa-today-8428485.0.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<p><i>(Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)</i></p>
<h3>THANKS FOR THE TARGET GIFT CARD, GRANDMA:</h3>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="crean gift card" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tAIR1rs_JHQstrufHzWLHUamuT0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3489766/thanks_for_the_target_gift_card_grandma.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<h3>DIABOLICAL:</h3>
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<p><i>(Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)</i></p>
<h3>HERE COME THE HOT DOGS</h3>
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<p><i>(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)</i></p>
<h3>MY HAIR IS A BIRD, YOUR ARGUMENT IS INVALID:</h3>
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https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/3/12/8183699/tom-crean-face-creanface-photos-guideBill Hanstock2017-03-16T08:57:00-04:002017-03-16T08:57:00-04:00Celebrate 3:16 Day with Stone Cold Stunners
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<p>If your productivity just plummeted as a result of these videos, gimme a HELL YEAH.</p> <p>You sit there and your run your mouth and you talk about your calendars; you talk about your March 16. Well, AUSTIN March 16 says ... please enjoy this video of nearly every Stone Cold Stunner ever!</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OhTHlia1NXE" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe></p>
<p>If you don't have a lot of time, maybe instead you would prefer this video of every time Steve Austin has given The Rock a Stone Cold Stunner. You'd probably enjoy that, because no one has ever taken it better.</p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QU8DDJRwjkI" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>Happy 3:16 Day, everyone!</p>
<p>★★★</p>
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<p><i>Chuck Norris explains the finer points of hand-to-hand combat and remembers the time when Bruce Lee wanted to kill him.</i></p>
https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/3/16/8224689/316-day-steve-austin-stone-cold-stunner-video-collection-KICK-WHAMBill Hanstock2016-05-23T09:00:06-04:002016-05-23T09:00:06-04:00What we learned from WWE Extreme Rules 2016
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<p>A big return and two Match of the Year candidates. Yeah, that makes for a decent pay-per-view.</p> <p>On Sunday night, WWE rolled into the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., to present the eighth installment of their Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Although the event was a mixed bag and only one out of the five defended titles changed hands, the highs were certainly enough to make it a memorable evening.</p>
<p>Let's recap everything that happened at Extreme Rules on Sunday night and what it all means for WWE storylines and performers going forward.</p>
<p>(Please note: although Big Cass appeared on the Kickoff Show to run off the Dudley Boyz and hit his catch phrase, there was no match that actually took place. But I may as well mention it before we move on to the actual results.)</p>
<h3>Kickoff Show No Disqualification Match: Baron Corbin def. Dolph Ziggler</h3>
<p>Ziggler gave it his best shot, but at the end of the day he couldn't overcome a blatant nut shot, followed by a huge End of Days. That was enough for Corbin to get the pinfall on the Extreme Rules pre-show.</p>
<p><b>What we learned: </b>Corbin would seem to have definitively won this feud, although there's a possibility Ziggler will take exception to Corbin not being able to win fair and square (although the low blow was perfectly legal in this situation and would be a pretty petty argument, even for Ziggler).</p>
<p>Both men would be best served moving onto something else. With Money in the Bank coming up in a few weeks, I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see both of these men involved in that all-important ladder match.</p>
<h3>Tornado Tag Match: The Club (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) def. The Usos</h3>
<p>The Club's first official match on a WWE pay-per-view was a brutal affair, as expected. All four men were legal the entire time under the Tornado rules. The Usos put up a valiant fight, but the Magic Killer finishing move was too much to overcome.</p>
<p><b>What we learned: </b>Both teams would show up again later in the evening, interfering in the main event on behalf of their respective combatants. As for this match, The Club has pretty definitively won this feud against the Usos and now they can set their sights on a bigger prize. The tag team titles, perhaps?</p>
<h3>WWE United States Championship Match: Rusev def. Kalisto (c)</h3>
<p>Once again, the underdog babyface gave tremendous effort, but the revitalized Rusev was just too much to overcome. Rusev wore down Kalisto's back throughout the match and finished Kalisto off with the most brutal Accolade the WWE has ever seen.</p>
<p><b>What we learned: </b>Rusev has finally reclaimed the United States title that made him such a force to be reckoned with in 2014 and 2015.</p>
<p>However, Rusev's old nemesis, John Cena, is waiting in the wings to challenge him for the U.S. Championship. The same championship that allowed Cena to redeem himself in the eyes of fans everywhere last year. Cena returns next week and woe be to Rusev if that's the opponent he chooses to target.</p>
<h3>WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day (Xavier Woods & Big E) (c) def. The Vaudevillains (Aiden English & Simon Gotch)</h3>
<p>The rare pairing of Xavier Woods and Big E defended their titles against the No. 1 contenders on Sunday and perhaps a bit surprisingly, Woods was able to score the pinfall following a Shining Wizard.</p>
<p><b>What we learned: </b>Since this is WWE, we can never rule out that the Vaudevillains won't win the titles on Monday night's episode of <i>RAW</i> if they can manage to finagle a rematch.</p>
<p>Otherwise, the New Day will focus on trying to set the WWE tag title longevity record as they take on the next challengers ... which could be the Club, or Big Cass and Enzo Amore, or who knows who else might step up.</p>
<h3>WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: The Miz (c) def. Cesaro, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn</h3>
<p>In the first of two Match of the Year contenders on Sunday, these four men pulled out all the stops as they tried to steal the show and proved that the Intercontinental Championship is still a prize worth fighting for.</p>
<p>After nothing but nonstop action, Cesaro eventually ate finishers from all three of his opponents. As Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens brawled outside the ring, The Miz took advantage of their lapse in focus and pinned Cesaro to retain his title.</p>
<p><b>What we learned: </b>Slimebag Miz continues to keep his title by the skin of his teeth and with no small amount of help from his wife, Maryse.</p>
<p>Zayn and Owens continue to have nothing but animosity toward each other and it would be a pretty safe bet to assume they will both have spots in the Money in the Bank ladder match next month.</p>
<p>As for Cesaro, it took everyone's finisher to put him down for the count, plus he has now made Miz tap out twice without the referee seeing it. He has a legitimate claim to a one-on-one rematch for the Intercontinental belt and I think the third time will be the charm for him.</p>
<h3>Asylum Match: Dean Ambrose def. Chris Jericho</h3>
<p>This was a goofy match that a lot of people seemed to hate a whole lot, but the important thing is that Dean Ambrose finally managed to avenge the death of his beloved plant, Mitch.</p>
<p>Wait, let me check my notes ... no, that's really what this feud was all about. Okay, just making sure.</p>
<p>In an intense finish to a ridiculous match, Ambrose managed to send Jericho into thumbtacks and hit the Dirty Deeds to get the big victory.</p>
<p><b>What we learned: </b>Ambrose has now won two straight PPV matches against Jericho, which would seem to be a clear indicator that this feud is at an end. It's good for Ambrose to regain some momentum heading into Money in the Bank.</p>
<p>I suppose these are two more men who wouldn't be out of place in the MITB ladder match, although there are probably better uses for Chris Jericho at the moment.</p>
<h3>WWE Women's Championship Submission Match: Charlotte (c) def. Natalya</h3>
<p>Ric Flair was banned from ringside for this match and if he appeared, Charlotte would have forfeited her title. When Natalya had Charlotte on the ropes (literally), Flair's music hit and a white-haired figure in a "Nature Boy" robe appeared at the top of the ramp.</p>
<p>Natalya demanded that her hand be raised in victory and awarded the title, but it was all a ruse. The robed figure was actually Dana Brooke, who allied herself with Charlotte and allowed the women's champion to lock on the Figure Eight to get Natalya to tap out.</p>
<p><b>What we learned: </b>Never underestimate Charlotte, because she <i>will</i> find ways to cheat that don't involve her father. Charlotte has really come into her own as a confident, dirtbag heel and I'm certainly in favor of her gathering more lackeys.</p>
<p>This is also a great move for Dana, as she would have been slightly rudderless with her cohort Emma currently on the shelf due to back surgery.</p>
<p>This could possibly -- <i>possibly -- </i>be the first step in Charlotte assembling a stable -- perhaps named the Four Horsewomen? But it could also just be a clever way to transition Natalya out of her title feud with Charlotte (which she has now definitively lost) and into a feud with Dana.</p>
<h3>WWE World Heavyweight Championship Extreme Rules Match: Roman Reigns (c) def. AJ Styles</h3>
<p>After having an instant classic at Payback three weeks ago, Reigns and Styles put together a match that might have been every bit as good (if not better) on Sunday night.</p>
<p>They started with a traditional match before spilling out into the crowd and brawling all over the arena. Then they started trading finishers and going through tables. Then the Club and the Usos got involved, but were dispatched soon enough. Styles came just millimeters from winning the world title several times, but Reigns escaped. Styles went for a springboard forearm, but was caught with one of the biggest spears Reigns has ever hit and that was finally enough for the champ to retain.</p>
<p>After the match, Reigns attempted to celebrate with his championship, but he was jumped by the returning Seth Rollins, with a new shirt and new gear. Rollins hit Reigns with a Pedigree and then posed with the world title belt as Extreme Rules went off the air.</p>
<p><b>What we learned: </b>AJ Styles gave it his best shot, but he's had his two title matches and has been thwarted, so he's on to other things. There was no dissent between the Club on Sunday night, so most likely they'll move on as a unit.</p>
<p>For Reigns, meanwhile, his next challenger is perfectly clear: it's Seth Rollins, who was always going to return to stake his claim to the championship that he never actually lost.</p>
<p>It's thrilling to have Rollins back, especially following another classic Reigns vs. Styles match. With Rollins back on WWE television and Cena set to return next week, the immediate future is looking bright indeed for pro wrestling fans.</p>
<p style="text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0.25em">* * *</p>
<h2>Fans tell us about their cool replica belts</h2>
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https://www.sbnation.com/2016/5/23/11742370/wwe-extreme-rules-2016-recap-results-reaction-review-roman-reigns-seth-rollins-aj-stylesBill Hanstock2016-05-22T11:00:03-04:002016-05-22T11:00:03-04:00How to watch WWE Extreme Rules 2016
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<p>It's time to forget the rules and get extreme. Here's all the info on how to watch WWE's latest pay-per-view.</p> <p id="oBj4rD">Sunday night, WWE will present Extreme Rules, the annual pay-per-view where everyone gets a little reckless and most matches feature stipulations of some kind. Expect a lot of chair shots and a lot of people falling through and into things.</p>
<p id="Ryfvih">The event begins at 8 p.m. ET on pay-per-view and the WWE Network. If you subscribe to WWE Network (still only $9.99 a month), you'll be able to stream Extreme Rules live on any number of devices. There will be an hour-long, live pre-show beginning at 7 p.m. on the network, which features a no-disqualification match between Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler.</p>
<p id="M9Ig7N">Even better: WWE is currently offering a free month if you sign up for the Network, <a href="http://www.wwe.com/wwenetwork">so if you just go here and join</a>, you get Extreme Rules for free!</p>
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<p id="RhWiPA">If you prefer to watch through your cable box, Extreme Rules will set you back a minimum of $54.99 to order on traditional pay-per-view. Many large providers, like Time Warner Cable and Charter, will still carry the PPV, even though some providers like Dish Network and DIRECTV have dropped WWE's PPVs from their schedule. <a href="http://www.wwe.com/shows/howtowatch">Click here for a list of providers</a>.</p>
<p id="8m1t5b">The announced card for WWE Extreme Rules 2016:</p>
<p id="pAbljr">- Kickoff Show No Disqualification Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin</p>
<p id="jK7q9D">- Tornado Tag Match: Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows vs. The Usos</p>
<p id="xkFVqh">- WWE United States Championship Match: Kalisto (c) vs. Rusev</p>
<p id="sa7yGG">- WWE Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day (c) vs. The Vaudevillains</p>
<p id="E40puy">- Asylum Match: Dean Ambrose vs. Chris Jericho</p>
<p id="86Ae5Z">- WWE Intercontinental Championship Fatal 4-Way Match: The Miz (c) vs. Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn</p>
<p id="ALhLgx">- WWE Women's Championship Submission Match: Charlotte (c) vs. Natalya</p>
<p id="sb0Svy">- WWE World Heavyweight Championship Extreme Rules Match: Roman Reigns (c) vs. AJ Styles</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/wrestling/2016/5/22/11703178/wwe-extreme-rules-2016-time-tv-schedule-and-live-streamBill Hanstock