We here at The Addison Recorder read stuff. We also watch stuff. And play stuff, even. Sometimes, that stuff is interesting. Sometimes we just need to talk about whatever pop culture ephemera occupies our time. Which brings us to this column.
Three years ago, I sat down in Julius Meinl with some friends and tossed around the idea of starting our own website, a place where we could write what we wanted to write, where we could talk about sports, movies, games, drinks…the skies were the limit.
Now, as we draw closer to the third anniversary of the Recorder and with a stable of 15 writers, over 400 posts, and multiple new features coming soon, we felt it was time for an upgrade.
Andrew Rostan was a film student before he realized that making comics was his horrible destiny, but he’s never shaken his love of cinema. Every two weeks, he’ll opine on either current pictures or important movies from the past.
This is what we’re all dreaming of right now…
The Oscars are over and it will be at least nine months until we start prognosticating for the 2016 show. The number-one film at the box office is a horribly bad mix of Twilight fanfic, kinkiness, and misogyny. The studios are in the springtime doldrums with no LEGO Movie or Grand Budapest in sight like there were last year. Thankfully, libraries and Netflix have a tremendous selection of classic or overlooked films waiting for you to fall in love with them.
But that’s the problem: there are so many movies out there that it can be difficult to pick one.
No need for a clever lead-in this week. All we need is a single image:
Well, shit.
Let’s rip the Band-Aid off right away: Patrick Kane will be out for 12 weeks, and the Blackhawks are in deep trouble. Any team who loses a league-leading scorer is going to take a hit. And while it’s unlikely that Chicago misses the playoffs, they suddenly look at lot less dangerous come playoff time. The first two rounds of the playoff will be against teams from the league’s toughest division — Nashville is obscene, St. Louis is a gritty rival, Winnipeg has been Chicago’s Achilles’ heel this season. [Read more…]
Stephen F. Austin celebrating a 2014 tournament win. Photo credit
Last week, we explored the statistical qualities of lowly seeded teams who pull upsets in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. While I recommend reading the full analysis here, the short version is: Intuitively, one might think that some combination of fixed strengths and variable luck contribute to most first round upsets. The first and easiest metrics that fit the bill are height and experience – two things teams either possess or don’t – and good three point shooting – an important variable that can change games or neutralize opponent strengths. I argue that recent Cinderella teams actually exhibit two tempo-free metrics, defensive turnover percentage, and steal percentage more reliably than they do height, experience, and good 3-point shooting.
With this theory in mind, we might actually be able to predict the most likely mid-major teams to pull significant upsets in the first round of this year’s tournament. To do so, I compiled a list of teams near the top of their conferences likely to receive a 10-or-lower seed should they make the tournament. I studied their team pages on KenPom.com, and awarded them “Slippers” based on their seasons to this point. I awarded Zero Slippers to teams least likely to score an upset, One Slipper to teams I think might bust brackets based on their matchup, and Two Slippers to teams ready to make their mark in March.
Iona – The Gaels have been a popular upset pick in recent years. Coach Tim Cluess ranks consistently in the top 10 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, and his teams play very quickly. To this point, Iona shoots the three with an amazing 40% accuracy, and they already clinched the regular season MAAC Title. Other than their 3-point percentage, though, the Gaels don’t show many signs of a team capable of winning tournament games. With their pace and shooting, they could get lucky, but I won’t count on it. One Slipper
Eastern Washington – EWU turned heads early this season winning in Assembly Hall against Indiana and taking Washington to the wire. Should they make the tournament, pundits and observers will point to these games as the early signs of a Cinderella run. I just don’t see it happening. The Eagles play very poor defense, and they don’t do enough well on offense to compensate. Even with a strong three-point shooting backcourt, opponent size affects their offense drastically. Zero Slippers
Stephen F. Austin – The Lumberjacks return four starters from last season’s Cinderella team. While they recently lost their first conference game in nearly two calendar years, they have displayed every characteristic of a team likely to win at least one game in March. Future major conference coach Brad Underwood has himself a top-20 offense, and while their defense struggles overall, they rank 7th nationally in defensive turnover percentage and 46th overall in steal percentage. With a win at Memphis, and overtime loss to Northern Iowa, we know the Lumberjacks can compete with anyone. Two Slippers
Georgia State – Georgia State hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since the legendary Lefty Driesell led them to a first round upset over Wisconsin in 2001. Last season, the Panthers went 17-1 in the Sun Belt before dropping a championship game heartbreaker to Louisiana-Lafayette. The 2015 Panthers return a wealth of talent from that squad, averaging 2.22 years of experience, and they play a smart brand of basketball. They have an absurdly low number of shots blocked and balls stolen on offense. Conversely, their quick-hands defense causes turnovers on 23.3% of opponent possessions, and they rank 7th nationally in steal percentage. I expect something closer to a 12 or 11 seed for Georgia State, and a great shot to win a game. Two Slippers
North Carolina Central – NC Central is a favorite to make their second consecutive tournament appearance. The Eagles have the most experienced team in the country and only one loss to a team ranked 100 or lower on KenPom. They play really impressive shooting defense, ranking in the top 10 in both 2-point and 3-point percentage defense. While you can say plenty of kind things about this team, “tournament game winner” won’t be one of them. The committee rarely seeds teams from Historically Black conferences (SWAC and MEAC) higher than 15. In fact, the play-in game seems to have a spot reserved every year for at least one HBCU. NC Central is unlikely to play a winnable game and even less likely to pull an upset. Zero Slippers
UC-Davis – This team embodies the unpredictability of March Madness. The Aggies field one of the best offenses in college basketball. They make an otherworldly 45.7% (!!!) of their 3 point shots, and Arizona State transfer Corey Hawkins might be the best shooter in the nation. The highest rated team Davis has played all year, however, is 105th ranked UC-Irvine (a road win for the Aggies), so we have almost no idea how well they can play against stiff competition. I do think they will capture a Big West Title and make their first ever tournament. I’m not convinced they can replicate Florida Gulf Coast’s magical tournament run. One Slipper
The opening round games, particularly the unexpected wins, make the NCAA Tournament the most exciting post season in sports. Cinderellas of years past, Bryce Drew and Valpo, George Mason, Dunk City, may only win one or two games, but their legacies and their pop culture relevance lasts in video clips, SportsCenter Top 10 lists, and in basketball fans’ memories for decades. There will never be a magic formula to predict which team shocks the world, but there are signs that some teams will have better luck than others.
-J. Michael Bestul is a writer for the Addison Recorder. Stephanie Ruehl is an artist who works in a comic book shop. They’re married and have a lot of discussions about comic books and graphic novels. Combine all that into a biweekly feature and you get “J. & Steph Talk About Comics.”
At the end of last year, we decided to spotlight the comic book artists that make us want to pick up a comic book or graphic novel. We turn now to the wordsmiths who craft the scripts behind the comics we love. This list is abridged, as our choices started to spiral out of control, threatening to take over more than just this post.
Last month, we looked at hot cocktails in a cold season, but winter libations are about more than just temperature. When the thermostat is bottoming out, I like my drinks to have some heft to them. The flavors are bold, with darker sweet notes and warm spices, and definitely with a nice heavy dose of herbs.
Which is why I love a good drink with sweet vermouth at this time of year. Granted, it’s an all-year, all-season love, but there’s something particularly satisfying about sweet vermouth in the winter. And here’s why I think you should join me in imbibing this lovely fortified wine. [Read more…]
One of the most consistent qualities of Mad Men is how deftly it weaves its characters and their story into the larger historical narrative of the 1960’s. I remember when the series debuted there was some worry that the narrative might developed what I’ll call Forrest Gump Syndrome: the tendency to artlessly insert the characters into gigantic historical events. Maybe I just play Assassin’s Creed too much, but that type of story is a dark and dangerous hole from which no compelling story can emerge. It asks too much of the viewers’ suspension of disbelief and often robs the characters of their agency within the narrative. So it’s always a welcome relief to watch Mad Men and revel in how well it handles history. The approach is usually two-pronged, and I think season two gives us solid examples of each. [Read more…]
Courtesy: Nathaniel E. Bell/Netflix
House of Cards, the Netflix original series is back with season three this Friday, which means that if you haven’t seen them yet, you have just enough time to binge-watch seasons one and two. And here are five (spoiler-free) reasons why you should.
Travis: Well, that happened.
The 2015 Academy Awards Ceremony was last night, and Birdman cleaned up, winning awards for Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, and Cinematography. Alex, I know you’re feeling…well, feelings about this. Talk me through what you’re going through right now. And remember, you’re in a safe space. Don’t hold back.