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Tom Clancy’s The Division revisited – The Gamer in me GL-24

A blessing to be bored

I keep waiting for a new PS4 game to grab my attention and really wow me. For the last few months nothing really has. So today I found myself reaching into the Blu-ray cabinet for an old favourite, Tom Clancy’s The Division. Tell you what, I am damn glad I did. If you haven’t read some of my earlier posts. You might be unaware of the primary reason I waited in line one very early morning to purchase my PS4 on release day. I pre-ordered my PS4 from Futureshop, and although I was practically guaranteed my console provided I arrived before noon. The two games I would get to take home with me weren’t guaranteed. Each game was subject to availability, and the sole reason I wanted a PS4 on day one was to play Tom Clancy’s The Division. Well what I would soon find out is that without any prior warning a number of the day one releases had been delayed. Sony was worried that the significant number of games that had been promised on day one were reduced enough to scare people away from making a purchase. If you ask me they were probably right. I for one wouldn’t have pre-ordered a PS4 if I knew that my first two games would be Need for Speed Rivals and Injustice Gods among us. A couple of truly shitty games in my opinion. I spent the next three months after playing my favourite PS3 games. What made matters worse was the game I truly wanted got delayed multiple times over a couple years.

Would my wish be answered?

When I finally got to play Tom Clancy’s The Division my initial interest and expectations were thankfully met. It remains to this day one of the best designed games I’ve ever played. Even the Dark zone which has had it’s fair share of issues, and balance problems couldn’t ruin it for me because the primary campaign is totally playable and fantastic without it. It has the perfect balance of Story, realism, and arcade elements to make it feel challenging, but remain fun. Graphically it’s stunning. Many open world campaign shooters tend to feel monochromatic. Although the colours are subtle in The Division, they are still very present. The game rewards Players of a high arcade style skill level, but is equally playable by Players that take a more realistic tactical approach. Generally I’m not a big fan of first person or third person shooters. I find them too unrealistic, or chaotic in most cases. Successful franchises like Halo, or Battlefield are probably why so many game designers have chosen to go that way. Tom Clancy’s The Division has moments of intense action which can feel a little chaotic at times, but in doing so never feels unrealistic. The intense, and occasionally over the top sequences fit the story, and serve as a reminder that not all in this world is totally familiar.

If it isn’t obviously apparent to you by now, I’ll just say that I was hooked. I played it as much as I could for a couple months and completed the campaign. Then like most games I’ve truly enjoyed it found it’s way into my Blu-ray cabinet. Expansions were released, but I was already on to something else. Quite a few of my online friends I played The Division with, had already moved on to playing Destiny. Although a marquee game in it’s own right. Destiny was a game that I made a conscious decision to avoid because it seemed to require too much of a time commitment. I prefer solitary games or games that I can enjoy online with 1-3 friends for a few hours every now and then. Destiny just doesn’t fit what I’m looking for out of a game. Although the Division does require groups to complete some of the missions. The majority of the game can be played by yourself, and with a couple friends or strangers online when need be.

HOW IT FEELS TO REVISIT THE GAME.

There have been a number of updates since the game was originally released.  They have managed to improve an already excellent game.  Additional gameplay modes, new equipment to be found, and additional areas to explore.  Honestly they didn’t have to change a thing for me, but the additions are totally welcome.  I had already started a second campaign months ago so I started out a little buffed already.  What I wasn’t ready for was how realistic the recoil system was, and how engaging and smart the AI can be.  In other words I was rusty and ready to have my ass handed to me.  Oh and I definitely did.  Should have changed my name to respawn.  A few deaths later, and I was back to kicking gang banger ass.  It feels good to be back.

If you haven’t played Tom Clancy’s The Division, well now is a great time to give it a try.  If you own it like me but haven’t tried it since the most recent updates.  I suggest you load it up, and give it a go.  I promise you that you won’t be disappointed.

 

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Cobe Life 2018 NFL Playoff Predictions Divisional Round

 

Saturday’s Games

Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles

Are the Eagles flavoured in this one?  I haven’t actually checked the betting line.  Considering their Season they probably are, but in my opinion they shouldn’t be.  As much as I like Nick Foles, he doesn’t run this offence as effectively as Carson Wentz.  The Eagles have a tonne of weapons at their disposal, but they all suffer a slight decrease in value with Foles under center.  Their Running game is formidable.  The tandem of Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount can pound the rock.  A heavy dose of those two might be the Eagles best path to victory.  The only problem is that the Atlanta Falcons have a lot of speed on Defence.  So don’t expect Blount or Ajayi to break for any long runs.  If the Eagles win this game I would expect the  MVP to be Zach Ertz.  The Atlanta Falcons Defence can at times be a little soft across the middle. If Philadelphia has some success running the ball early.  The Falcons may pull a linebacker up into the box, opening up enough space for a top Tight End like Ertz to exploit the space.  Ertz matches up well against any Linebacker or Safety in single coverage so he could have a huge game.

All that being said, the Atlanta Falcons should really be licking their chops heading into Philadelphia.  At no time last week did they look like they might lose to the Rams.  Matty Ice was definitely in playoff form, and Julio Jones finally found the end zone.  For those of you who are paying attention I predicted a big game from Jones last week.  Losing the way they did in the Superbowl last year.  A Superbowl in which Julio Jones wasn’t targeted nearly enough, and he still had one of the best catches in Superbowl history.  The Falcons have learned their lesson, and leaned on their stars last week.  Well I would expect more of the same in this game.  Ryan, Jones, and Freeman will be expected to earn their pay on Saturday, and I don’t see why they won’t.  The Eagles don’t have a total wrecking ball like Aaron Donald to give Matt Ryan fits.  Fletcher Cox is a handful but he doesn’t possess the every down dominance of Donald.  Matt Ryan should have even more time to go through his progressions, and find the open man.  I expect this to be a very up and down game, but I expect Matt Ryan to be the better clutch performer down the stretch.

Atlanta Falcons by 4

Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots

I have to give credit where credit is due.  The Tennessee Titans beat a Kansas City Chiefs team that was packed full of talent, in their house, and showed late season form.  I didn’t give them a chance to win.  I don’t think anyone except hardcore Titans fans did.  Well congratulations Tennessee!  Enjoy the victory because it was your last.  Lets be honest here.  They will be traveling to Foxborough heavily outmatched.  Once again the New England Patriots have parlayed winning the weakest division in football being the top seed in the AFC, and “earning” themselves the easiest path to the Superbowl.  The Patriots key to victory is simple.  Protect Tom Brady so that he can effectively deliver the ball.  That’s been their plan all Season long.  They have an amazing offensive line, and to make matters worse for opposing teams utilize their Running Backs as quick toss receivers better than any other team.  That means that you have very little time to get to Tom Brady before he becomes an ineligible target.  It’s so frustrating for opposing Defensive Ends, and Linebackers that Brady draws a lot of roughing the passer penalties for late hits.  Now given all that can the Tennessee Titans get to Brady?  Shit no!  If you actually think that they can you’re deluded, or from Tennessee.  This game could end up being so lopsided that I might tune out at half-time.  Although there could be some garbage time heroics.

New England Patriots by 13

Sunday’s Games

Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers

You can almost taste the anticipation.  The Jacksonville Jaguars scrambled their way to their first playoff win in what feels like forever last week.  That earned them a trip to Pittsburgh home of the terrible towel to face a team they embarrassed earlier this Season.  You don’t need to be a fan of either team to know that they intercepted Ben Roethlisberger five times (two for touchdowns) the last time they played.  People were questioning whether Roethlisberger should consider retirement after that beating.  Well he didn’t retire, and if not for another controversial call that went the Patriots way again.  The Steelers would be playing the lowly Titans this week instead.  Obviously the Steelers are favoured, and despite what happened earlier in the Season they should be.  For the Steelers to win this game they only need to limit their mistakes.  So I expect a heavy dose of Le’Veon Bell in this game.  Allowing Ben Roethlisberger to get the ball out of his hands quickly with minimal risk.  Don’t count Antonio Brown out of this game though.  I expect that he will be recovered enough to make a serious impact.  People forget that he isn’t just a deep threat. He gains a lot of his yards after the catch on short passes.  Juju Smith Schuster has the ability to gain chunks of yards after the catch as well.  It’s this combination of quick strike weapons that should keep the Jacksonville Jaguars Defence in check.  Don’t fool yourself though. Big Ben will get sacked. Pittsburgh will be forced into a turnover or two.  This game will be a war.  Jacksonville could have the right tools to get the upset.  Except they don’t!  Bortles threw for a grand total of 87 yards against the Buffalo Bills last week.  That kind of production just won’t do against the high powered Steelers.

Pittsburgh Steelers by 9

New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings

This could very well be the game of the week.  These two teams are pretty evenly  matched on paper.   Of course I’d give the nod to Drew Brees over Case Keenum.  I mean who wouldn’t?  Of course I’d give the advantage to the Vikings Defence over the Saints.  Nobody should think otherwise.  If you are a fan of the Running Back position you are in for a fantastic show.  Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara, Latavius Murray, and Jerick McKinnon will all have opportunities to showcase their talents in this one.  If I had to pick just one as the Running Back to watch I’d go with Alvin Kamara.  The Vikings are so strong on the Defensive line that I expect Kamara to find the most success receiving passes out of the backfield.  Of all the games this weekend this game has the highest scoring potential because it’s being played in a dome.  The kickers will definitely play a role in deciding who wins, and expect a few deep passes to find their targets.  Of all the games I found this one to be the most difficult to predict.  In that case I have to give the advantage to the home team.

Minnesota Vikings by 3

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Cellphone Gaming – The Gamer in me GL-23

It might surprise you to know…

… that some of the most popular games people play are on their cellphones.  That’s right, move over Microsoft, sorry about your luck Sony, and not so fast Nintendo.  The masses are downloading the newest game on Android or iOS right now.  Convenience over quality is where the market seems to be going.  Instead of playing photorealistic games like Gran Turismo, or The Division.  People are getting hooked on simplistic games like Candy Crush, or Stack Jump.

What’s fueling the change?

I’m sure there are a number of factors, but what I believe has the greatest influence on the switch to cellular games are the devices themselves.  Sure they’ve improved, but its not like their processing power rivals a PS4, or Xbox one.  It’s our increasing reliance upon being constantly connected to each and every person we know that’s pushed the consoles to the wayside.  While playing a game on your cellphone you can still receive all the relevant notifications of each and every application you’ve downloaded.  Most games can be easily paused, or automatically pause for you when a call, text, Facebook message, or recent Post alert comes in.  It’s our need to know right now that prevents us from choosing to do anything that takes our attention away from our cellphones for any considerable length of time.  Most video games require a significant time investment.  Some even require you wear a headset to stay in contact with other players during multiplayer gameplay.  I wonder how many Destiny raids were ruined because something started trending on Twitter, or somebody just got tagged in something on Instagram.  Before anyone chooses to sit down on the couch and start up their game system.  They have to consciously decide to close themselves off from their cellular world to do so.  I’m willing to bet if you banned the average gamer from using their cellphone for a weekend.  They would play their console game system at least twice as much that weekend.  Honestly they would probably be happier for it.  Cellphone Games can be fun, but are they nearly as satisfying as Console Games?

Hell to the no!

Lets not kid ourselves here.  For almost any Gamer, defeating a high level boss, taking your virtual franchise to the Championship, or beating all of your friends in a classic fight sim is far more satisfying than crushing some candy.

Do yourself a favour and disconnect from your cellular world every now and then.  Fire up that overpowered console, and load up your favourite game.  Keep playing until your thumbs are raw from it.  Trust me when I tell you that you will be grinning from ear to ear when you are done.

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Cobe Life 2018 NFL Playoff Predictions

Bet on the Home Team

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This Season it’s particularly difficult to bet against the home team in the first Round.  That’s not to say that the visiting squads don’t have a chance.  Lets take a look at each match, and see where the keys to victory for each team lie.

Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars

After an unlikely turn of events the Buffalo Bills find themselves back in the Post Season.  Predicted by most to be irrelevant this Season, the Bills surprised everyone with their exceptional Defensive play, and game breaking performances by LeSean McCoy and Tyrod Taylor.  They will need all three of those elements to be functioning at 100% if they expect to get by Jacksonville.  There lies the issue.  LeSean McCoy will definitely be less than 100% on Sunday.  Without LeSean McCoy at full strength to take some of the pressure off of Tyrod Taylor, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ pass rush will declare open season on the Bills’ QB.  That leaves the Buffalo Bills Defence as their only path to victory.  Their first job will be to contain rookie sensation Leonard Fournette.  If they are able to do that then forcing Blake Bortles into making key mistakes is what it will take to win.

Another surprise team in the Post Season, the Jacksonville Jaguars actually have all the tools necessary to go deep into the Playoffs.  A very strong Defence, a featured Running Back, weapons at all levels of the Offence, and some veteran leadership.  The only knock against them is the inconsistent play of their signal caller Blake Bortles. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing them for that reason.  Quarterbacks have won Superbowls with far worse play than Bortles has showcased this Season.  The old adage is that Defence wins championships.  Well if that is the case then the Jacksonville Jaguars could be on their way to the Superbowl.  In order to beat the Buffalo Bills, all Jacksonville will have to do is limit their mistakes.  Protecting the Ball will be their path to victory.  Fournette is such a Beast of a Running Back that the Bills won’t be able to totally contain him.  I don’t expect this to be a high scoring affair, but I expect Jacksonville to score Touchdowns when they get into the Red zone, and be able to limit the Buffalo Bills to only Field Goals.  In the end I expect that to be the difference.

Jacksonville Jaguars by 6

Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs

Now here is a match between two teams that are about as difficult to predict how they’ll play, or who will win.  If I were to ask you to describe what type of team the Tennessee Titans are.  What would your answer be?  Are they a hard Running clock control Offence?  Sometimes they are.  Is Mariota an elusive Quarterback that can go downfield and take over a game?  Well he’s done it before, but he’s also a competent game manager.  Their Defence is built to stop the Run but does it?  Honestly figuring out how the Titans might approach this particular game is difficult, and that’s what makes them dangerous.  You just don’t quite know what to expect when you face them.  There is one thing that they lack that the Kansas City Chiefs have plenty of though and that’s…       Star Power

At times this Season the Kansas City Chiefs appeared to be the best team in football.  Then again there were a few games they played this year that made them seem totally disorganized.  Which team will show up at Arrowhead stadium on Saturday remains to be seen.  One thing is for sure.  All eyes will be on Star Players Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce, and Alex Smith.  Each and every one of those players have proven that they can take over a game.  If just two of them step up Saturday’s game could end up as a blowout.  What Kansas City does best is strike hard and fast when you least expect it.  A delayed draw play to Kareem Hunt can quickly turn into 20+ yards.  A screen pass to Tyreek Hill in a third and long situation can suddenly become a trip to the endzone.  Try to limit the Kansas City Chiefs perimeter Offence, and you end up getting burned by Kelce across the middle.  Oh and just in case you thought you might be able to turn the game into a shootout.  The Kansas City Chiefs Defence is none too shabby either.  In other words the only way I can see the Kansas City Chiefs losing is if they beat themselves.  The thing is they’ve done it quite a few times this Season.  The thing is I don’t see them doing it at home.

Kansas City Chiefs by 10

Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Rams

“Embrace the suck” has been the Falcons motto this Season.  Well they’re back in the Post Season after their Superbowl meltdown last year.  There’s no denying that the Atlanta Falcons are excellent on paper.  They have a franchise Quarterback in Matty Ice.  Julio Jones is probably the most physically dominant Wide Receiver in the NFL.  Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman are a potent one two punch at Running Back.  They have veterans at every level of the Defence.  It shouldn’t really be a surprise that they are back in the playoffs.  Then why does it feel that way?  Things just haven’t clicked for the Atlanta Falcons this Season.  Something seems a little off.  Could it be that the team we watched in awe last Season was a total fluke?  I don’t think so.  What I believe is that it’s rare to have all of your Star Players playing to their full potential at the same time.  If the Atlanta Falcons want to win this game it’s going to be in Julio’s hands to do it.  When he has a great game, so does the entire team.  Double covered or not, just throw him the ball.  There aren’t too many Cornerback/Safety tandems that can effectively cover him.  Unfortunately for the Los Angeles Rams they don’t have one of those tandems.

So the Los Angeles Rams are not only in the Post Season, but they are playing at home.  They have who I would consider to be the Offensive Player of the year in Todd Gurley.  Jared Goff is playing like the first pick overall this Season.  The Rams Defence is still the dominant Defence it’s always been, but now gets to play with a lead at times.  5 times this Season they put up 40+ points so you know this Offence can score.  If there’s a weakness it’s whether or not they are ready for the Post Season.  Obviously the Falcons are ready.  They have got to be chomping at the bit to get back to the Superbowl.  This game will come down to who stops who’s Star Player.  Will the Falcons be able to contain Todd Gurley, or will the Rams be able to contain Julio Jones?  As much as I want to see the Rams advance I’m going to go with the experience here.

Atlanta Falcons by 3

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints

Superman is in the building.  The success of this Season’s Carolina Panthers begins and ends with their charismatic signal caller Cam Newton.  Injuries and inconsistencies have plagued their usually dominant Defence.  This Season the wins came through the strength of Cam’s arm, and at times his legs.  Having Greg Olsen back is a huge boost, but will it be enough?  The Panthers lack a legitimate deep threat to help keep the New Orleans Saints Defence honest.  You can almost guarantee that the Saints will dedicate at least a linebacker to keep close tabs on Cam, and I would expect a few Corner or Safety blitzes as well.  I know I’m supposed to be campaigning on Carolina’s behalf during this paragraph but it’s difficult to do so.  Cam will have to be almost perfect to win this game.

The New Orleans Saints resemble the team that won the Superbowl.  Drew Brees is still one of the Top Quarterbacks in the NFL.  They have the best tandem of Running Backs in football with Mark Ingram, and Alvin Kamara.  Michael Thomas has quietly become one of the Top Wide Receivers in the NFL.  Their Defence which has been their Achilles heel in recent Seasons is playing at a very high level.  Home field advantage is absolutely huge for the Saints.  Losing at home is a rarity for them.  The Superdome is easily in the Top 5 of Home field advantage stadiums.  Player to Player the New Orleans Saints are just better than the Carolina Panthers.  Of all the games this weekend, this is the one I’m most certain of.  It would be a travesty if the Saints lost this game.

New Orleans Saints by 11

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Giga Golf Irons – A Beginner’s Opinion

First Impressions of Giga Golf Clubs

Like pretty much every other Golf enthusiast on a budget I’ve looked into the possibility of playing clone, or custom small manufacturers clubs.  After extensive research of a number of brands I decided to give Giga Golf Irons a chance.  Some key factors that went into my decision were their direct from manufacturer approach, custom club assembly, and ease of contact.  I was actually able to speak with the President of the company Robert Wilson before making a purchase.  They also offer an online Efit system for getting your clubs fit for your body size.  Although it isn’t a foolproof method, it should work for most.  I already knew my proper sizing, and the Efit method confirmed it so it would have worked for me.  As a lefty my choices were limited, but fortunately they did have a game Improvement Iron that seemed suitable.  Their manufacturing facility is located in Florida.  Even though I was having the clubs custom built, and I placed the order on the 19th of December.  The clubs arrived at my door in Toronto, Ontario nine days later.  Needless to say I was very impressed with the speed my order was fulfilled.

Love at First Sight

Upon opening the box that contained my new Irons I was pleasantly surprised.  To be fair I wasn’t expecting to be impressed with the looks of the TRX Power Slot Irons.  A set including five Iron through Pitching Wedge without any shaft or grip upgrades comes out to only $225 Canadian including delivery.  Compare that to the Taylormade, and Srixon Irons sets I was looking at that were $500+.  Expecting them to be aesthetically pleasing, and function well seemed like too much to hope for.  Even the pictures on the Giga Golf website appeared a bit cheesy looking.  Seeing them up close for the first time.  The subtle style touches, thin topline, and mixture of reflective and matt surfaces look great.  If these Irons perform half as well as advertised I’ll be more than satisfied.  The suggested shafts by True Temper look great, and even their basic grip by Sensatec in midsize feels good.  Giga Golf does offer a number of grip upgrades by Golf Pride, Lamkin, and Winn but my preferred grip wasn’t one of them so I decided to go with their basic grip at no additional charge.  If it doesn’t perform well I can just regrip the clubs later.  Giga Golf allows you to order clubs individually so I only ordered the 6 Iron, 7 Iron, 8 Iron, 9 Iron, and Pitching Wedge.  As a High handicapper I believe that the best combination of clubs in the bag include Hybrid Clubs.  My current set includes a 3 Hybrid, 4 Hybrid, and 5 Hybrid so I didn’t require the 5 Iron.  Removing the one club saved me around $25.

An Ongoing Review of Giga Golf Irons

You would expect that with all of the information available on the internet you could find a review of Giga Golf Irons that included Carry and total Distance numbers, Spin rpms, and Launch angles.  Well you can’t.  Sure there are unboxing videos, and product information reviews but those don’t really tell you how good their clubs may actually be.  Not only will I be testing these Irons on the course, but I’ll also get you all of the numbers in a Simulator.  What you have probably been craving for most is direct comparisons of Giga Golf Clubs against the top manufacturers.  Well I’ll have that too!  So be sure to Subscribe to my Blog, and YouTube Channel to finally learn how much of a difference the Top manufacturers equipment gains you.

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We are the Champions – Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-37

Consistency wins

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In both of my featured Fantasy Football leagues the highest average scoring team in the League won the Championship.  All is right in the Fantasy universe.  If you have played Fantasy Football for a few years you will know that that isn’t always the case.  It’s Fantasy Football, so absolutely anything can happen.  What makes the right thing happening so special this Season is that my Grid Warriors team was the highest scoring team in the Gridiron Pros Fantasy Football League.  Which means I have retaken the Championship in my longest running Keeper league.  😁 I managed a fourth place finish in the other feature league.  I lost the semi-final to the eventual Champion Texas Proud.  Trust me when I tell you that it didn’t come as a surprise.  I predicted them to win it all Mid Season.

Top 6 Final standings

Gridiron Pros

True Fanatics

Coming out on top as the eventual Champion this Season was especially special.  There were an unprecedented amount of Star Player injuries, underperforming, and overperforming teams, and amazing rookie seasons.  Who would have predicted that the Jacksonville Jaguars would make the playoffs, and the Dallas Cowboys or Denver Broncos wouldn’t.  Some of the top performing Quarterbacks at the end of the Season were backups at the beginning.  Finishing first this year means you stayed one step ahead of it all.

Dawn of a new age

I hinted in my last Fantasy post that Fantasy Football has been dramatically changed.   For at least the last five Seasons the primary focus of Fantasy drafts have been about Running Backs.  Year after year it seemed like the number of quality Running Backs continuously diminished.  More teams adopted the Running Back by committee approach.  Utilizing two or three Running Backs each and every game.  Reducing the value of each back to fantasy irrelevance.  The NFL has slowly transitioned into a passing league.  Further limiting the value of Running Backs.  Their increased chance of injury coupled with the concussion protocol system means that most of the top Running Backs will miss at least a few games.  If you didn’t draft a quality RB early you were really hoping to get lucky with a backup, or fantasy relevant third down back.  Well next year things are going to be a lot different.  The recent crop of star rookie Running Backs, backups that excelled when given an opportunity, and teams that have switched to a Run heavy offence will dramatically change next Season’s draft.  Coming in to this Season there was only about 10 potential high value Running Backs.  In a 12 team League which I consider to be the most competitive that left very few to go around.  By the time you draft next summer things will be much different.  I can count on at least 20 high quality Running Backs being available in next Season’s draft, and that’s not including Rookies.  If Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette, and Kareem Hunt haven’t convinced you how important a Rookie Running Back can be to your team then you probably shouldn’t be playing Fantasy Football next Season.  There’s at least another 10 after the first 20 that will be fantasy relevant, and could help you win a Championship.  Gone are the days of the First Round Running Back pick, or you’re in trouble drafts.  With that many quality Running Backs available you can afford to wait until the third Round before you draft your first RB.  It is my belief that the NFL currently has more star power now at every skill position than it’s had in over a decade.  The only skill position that’s at all lacking is Tight End, and it’s the least important in Fantasy.  My Grid Warriors team won this Season with a combination of Charles Clay, Hunter Henry, Eric Ebron, and Austin Hooper.  That’s how unimportant it is.  Due to the wealth of talent there’s only one draft strategy that’s viable in my opinion next Season.

Take the best Player available!

Position picking will be far less important next year than in years previous.  Where I used to be concerned about drafting a Top 10 Running Back in either Round 1 or 2, it won’t matter now.  If you drafted a stud Wide Receiver in Round 3, and when your fourth Round pick comes around there’s another great WR.  Don’t even think twice about it, draft him.  I used to stack my bench with Running Backs in case my first or second rounder went down with an injury.  Trust me when I tell you that I won’t be doing it next year.  There are so many quality backups that I’ll pick one up off the waiver wire when I need one.  Managers would stress over when to draft a Top tier QB.  Well let me be the first to tell you that next Season should have you stress free.  There were so many great QB performances this year that picking one early doesn’t make sense at all.  Next Season should actually be better.  I guarantee that a number of Backup Quarterbacks that were given a chance to strut their stuff will be full time starters on another squad nest Season.  It was already leaning that way the last couple of Seasons.  So much so that I was able to draft Matthew Stafford in the 10th Round this Season as my primary Starter, and used both Tyrod Taylor as a backup early in the Season, and Blake Bortles later in the Season.  Blake Bortles was in my lineup for the Semi-final and Championship games by the way.  Blake Bortles!  As next Season draws closer I’ll go into far more depth about each position, and why drafting the best available is your only option for success.

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Championship Week – Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-36

Then there were two

In both of my featured leagues, one of the teams in the finals was obviously going to make it there.  In the True Fanatics league Texas Proud continued their Season of dominance by knocking me out in the semi-final.  Their final test to cap off a truly great Season with a Championship comes against Raider in the North.  In the Gridiron Pros League my team the Grid Warriors easily made their way into the Championship game.  My opponent beat the Top seed Blitzkrieg in order to earn their spot against me.  For the third time this Season I will face my division rival Swaggy B, but this time it’s for the Championship.  I defeated him easily the first two times but this time won’t be as easy.  I’ll be without the best Fantasy Wide Receiver in the league Antonio Brown because of his injury.  To make matters worse another one of my Top Wide Receivers Davante Adams is in concussion protocol.  Beating Swaggy B won’t be as simple as rolling with the best players in Fantasy.  Matchups will be a key path to victory.

The Championship rosters

Texas Proud

QB – Drew Brees

QB – Philip Rivers

RB – Melvin Gordon

RB – Kareem Hunt

RB – Duke Johnson

WR – Keenan Allen

WR – DeAndre Hopkins

WR – Marqise Lee

WR – Rishard Matthews

WR – Robert Woods

WR – Mohamed Sanu

TE – Travis Kelce

TE – Eric Ebron

Raider in the North

QB – Case Keenum

QB – Andy Dalton

QB – Jameis Winston

RB – LeSean McCoy

RB – Jerick McKinnon

RB – Giovani Bernard

RB – Alfred Morris

WR – Tyreek Hill

WR – Michael Thomas

WR – Cooper Kupp

WR – Devin Funchess

TE – Rob Gronkowski

TE – Tyler Kroft

Grid Warriors

QB – Matthew Stafford

QB – Blake Bortles

RB – Leonard Fournette

RB – Jerick McKinnon

RB – Alvin Kamara

RB – Chris Ivory

WR – Antonio Brown

WR – Davante Adams

WR – Jarvis Landry

WR – Martavis Bryant

TE – Eric Ebron

Swaggy B

QB – Jameis Winston

QB – Jimmy Garoppolo

QB – Dak Prescott

RB – Kenyan Drake

RB – Kareem Hunt

RB – Isaiah Crowell

RB – Peyton Barber

RB – Alex Collins

WR – A.J. Green

WR – Adam Thielen

WR – Tyreek Hill

TE – Evan Engram

Although there are a few similar names amongst the four Championship rosters.  The four rosters have very different strengths and weaknesses.  Of course every team’s roster has gone through major changes over the course of the Season.  What every one of these roster does have in common is a Top 5 RB and a Top 5 WR.  It just goes to show you how important it is to have a balanced roster.

Looking ahead

As the 2017 fantasy Season comes to an end, I’m more excited than I’ve ever been about what’s to come next year. You are probably wondering why.  Things have happened across the league this year that has made draft strategies of the last five years obsolete.  I’ll go into detail in my next post.  For those of you in the Championship game in your leagues, Good Luck!

 

 

Categories
GAMING Uncategorized

Competitive or Cooperative? – The Gamer in me GL-20

How things have changed

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All of us grew up playing games.  Some of us played Sports.  Many of us played Board games.  A few of us were early adopters of Video games.  Practically everyone played Card games.  I could go on and on but one thing is for sure.  I played them all.  I didn’t just play them though.  I played to win!  You see the one thing that was similar about all of the games I played was that they included an opponent.  Another person, a few other individuals, or another team that I had to beat.  This was one of the main things about games that made them appealing to me.  You had a quantifiable way to determine if you were better than someone else.  I was naturally competitive so I tended to win more often than I lost.  Which made playing games one of my favourite things to do.  But what if you were somebody that lost most of the time?  Well fortunately for them Video games increased in popularity, and quality as a direct result.  Home Video game consoles turned gaming into a solitary affair.  Eventually though people began to miss the connection with others they used to have playing games.  But how could they get past the inherent competitiveness of it?  Along came the current generation of cooperative games.  Games that allow a group of people to play together to achieve a common goal.  You either win as a team, or all of you lose collectively.  It creates a sense of equality that wasn’t present in the games we played as kids.

Congratulations for coming out

It’s commonplace for children’s sports leagues to give every player a trophy at the end of the season.  The reason for this is to prevent anyone from feeling less accomplished than anyone else.  Some leagues no longer keep score during games.  That way there is no winner or loser.  Everyone is considered an equal success for having played.  Do agree with this new way of thinking?  No I don’t, not at all.  That’s a whole nother article though, and I won’t go into it now.  I’ll just summarize it by saying it’s wrong to make someone feel inept, but it’s equally wrong to marginalize someone else’s talent.  I’ll leave it at that.  Cooperative games make this new way of thinking unnecessary.  The best games require multiple disciplines, and innovative thinking to succeed.  In this way they can appeal to many different people.  Probably one of the best examples of this is Escape Rooms.  I’ve played Escape Rooms that required athleticism, manual dexterity, trivia knowledge, and of course puzzle solving.  Just imagine the group of people that would be required to work together as a team to be victorious in that particular Room.  Schools should be working towards incorporating extra curricular activities similar to Escape Rooms if they are concerned about all participants feeling valuable.

Kitchen table battleground

Cooperative Board games, and Card games have turned what used to be the family Kitchen table battleground into a friendly cooperative affair.   My family played cards when I was a kid, and I could probably give lessons on how to play competitive Crazy 8s, Hearts, or Euchre.  A particularly brutal night of cards could lead to me receiving a couple of days of the silent treatment.  It also meant that the next family game night wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.  What if we were playing a cooperative game instead?  If I won it meant we all won.  No more jealousy or resentment, just celebration.  Games like Escape, Curse of the Temple or if you are feeling really adventurous and have a few hours Gloomhaven are great games to play that require real teamwork to win.  The best part is losing only makes the group more determined to win next time, and winning becomes addictive because of the group celebration.  You won’t have to wait long no matter what the result was before you get together to play again.  I’ve become a real fan of cooperative games because I can approach playing them in a far more relaxed manner.  My competitive instincts are still there, but the anxiety that usually goes along with it is gone.  I still want to win, but I don’t need to.  If you have played anything at a competitive level you’ll know what I mean.  The other major bonus that comes with playing cooperative games is finding others to join you is much much easier.  Trust me, there was a time that finding someone to play me head to head at Magic the Gathering required a tournament entry.  Cooperative games are here to stay, and I am really glad that they are.  If you haven’t played one yet.  I suggest that you give one a try.

Categories
GOLF Uncategorized

All about Forgiveness – Beginner’s guide to Golf

What is Forgiveness?

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Forgiveness is a term used over and over again in Golf equipment reviews.  What it is, and why you need to be aware of how it will effect your game is the focus of this post.  There’s a common misconception that Forgiveness is just a simpler way of saying easier to hit.  Just because a club is Forgiving doesn’t guarantee that it will be easy to hit.  For instance I have used both Cavity back Wedges (Forgiving) and Bladed Wedges (Unforgiving).  The feedback I feel through the hands with a Bladed Wedge has helped me be far more accurate when chipping or pitching.  Even though the Cavity back Wedges are actually more Forgiving.  They aren’t easier to hit in those situations.  What actually makes a club Forgiving is having a larger sweet spot, and in most cases a lower center of gravity.  Forgiveness is all about getting the most from your club when you miss hit it.

We all want center face contact

You’ve heard it described many ways.  “Man you caught it flush”!  “I hit that one on the screws”!  “I can’t hit it any better than that”!  However you choose to describe it, one thing is for certain.  Very little feels better than making center face contact with a full swing.  First of all hitting it out of the sweet spot is gentler on the hands.  The end result is usually very satisfying as well.  In most cases it even sounds better.  So who wouldn’t want the sweet spot on their clubs to be as large as possible?  Believe it or not but quite a few people would prefer small to medium sized sweet spots instead of large ones.  Sounds crazy right?  Well that’s what I thought also.  Now I’m one of those people.  My next set of Irons are going to have a medium sized sweet spot. I’ll go into detail as to why I have chosen to go this route.  There are many different methods that can be utilized to increase the size of the sweet spot on a club.  Perimeter weighting, moving the center of gravity further back from the face of the club, and increasing the amount of flex the face of the club has on impact are just a few methods.  Whichever method a club manufacturer chooses to use essentially achieves the same result.  Miss hits should fly a little further, and a little straighter.  To help you better understand how this translates into real world results I’ll share some actual simulator numbers with you.  At the time I hit my super forgiving 7 Iron about 140 yards when I absolutely flushed it.  Even if I hit my 7 Iron off the toe of the club with a good swing I’d send it about 133 yards, and maybe 10 yards off line.  I tested a far less forgiving forged blade with a small cavity back and averaged 138 yards when I caught it perfect.  I attributed the 2 yards lost to a weaker loft with the forged blade.  The real difference was when I miss hit it.  Catching one off the toe only yielded me 126 yards, and 11 yards off line.  That’s more than a full club shorter for me.  Being 11 yards off line at only 126 yards out is close to being a slice.  Now you are probably wondering after seeing those numbers why I would even consider switching to less Forgiving clubs.  Hell why would anyone?

Sweet swingers

Some of us, and I’m not included in this particular group make center face contact most of the time.  If you have your swing fully dialed in?   Then Forgiveness isn’t really necessary for you to produce a great round of golf.  You’re already at that point that so many Beginners like myself aspire to reach.  You can seemingly hit the ball relatively straight at will.  For the majority of us, that’s all we are after.  Foolishly we believe that will be enough.  Chances are good that when that day comes you will want to do more.  You will want to start shaping the ball.  This brings us to our next common misconception about Forgiving clubs.  Supposedly you can’t shape shots with Forgiving clubs.  Anyone that tells you that is flat out lying.  There are many ways to shape a shot.  Club swing path, face angle at impact, and face contact position all play a role.  My clubs are about as Forgiving as clubs can be, and I can hit a butter cut, or power fade if I want.  I couldn’t hit a draw with my clubs but that’s more about my limitations than the clubs.  What you need to understand is that the more Forgiving the club, the more difficult it becomes to shape the ball.  As the sweet spot increases in size, the amount of space left on the face of the club to influence shape is reduced.  As the center of gravity is moved further back to help Beginners hit the ball straighter, the more difficult it becomes to create a curved shot.  So when you’ve reached that point where you are ready to start shaping the ball.  A super forgiving set of clubs might actually work against your improvement.  So that’s got to be it then.  I must be looking for a less Forgiving set of Irons because I’m ready to start shaping shots.  Truth is I’m not ready.  Not even close to ready actually.  So why then Cobe? WHY!

Feedback

You are finally going to find out why I’ve decided to switch to a less Forgiving set of Irons.  I made my decision on a Sunny afternoon on a Par 3 at Scarlett Woods Golf course in Toronto.  The hole was playing at 155 yards to the center of the green.  The Pin was set left center so it set up well for my natural shot shape which is a little right to left.  I hit my 6 Iron about 155 yards with a full swing so time to let her rip.  My swing felt perfect.  I made great contact, and even heard that satisfying pop off the face of the club.  I watched the ball launch towards the target until I lost sight of it in the sun.  I switched my focus to the Green eagerly awaiting the Ball’s return to earth.  Hopefully within a safe distance for a chance at birdie.  I never saw it land.  Oh shit I thought.  I caught it so perfect that I flew the Green.   With  bushes, and a muddy marsh behind the Green I was getting prepared for another bogey.  While searching behind the Green for my ball my playing partner noticed another ball about 10 yards short of the green.  At first I figured that it must have been somebody else’s lost ball.  Turns out that it was mine.  Somehow I came up 15 yards short.  Seriously!  But I made perfect contact!  Well on closer inspection what I thought was perfect contact was actually high on the face, and a bit chunky.  The issue was the Feedback.  There really was none.  I’ve learned that I shouldn’t assume  I’ve hit a great golf shot until I’ve verified the result.  Forgiving clubs tend to provide very little Feedback.  Even though improved miss hits can definitely help a Beginner get through a round of golf with an acceptable score.  If you are serious about furthering the development of your game?  Playing golf with clubs that provide a decent amount of Feedback are important to have as well.  If you are unsure of when you make poor contact.  You won’t be able to effectively adjust your swing to where you can fully trust it.  It’s going to take a bit of practice, but knowing when I make perfect contact is going to seriously improve my game.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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Categories
FISHING Uncategorized

Selecting the right Reel – The Right Angle RA-18

The three things to consider

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First of all this post is about helping you choose between the three complex Reels.  If your particular interest is in Fly fishing then this post isn’t for you.  Although Fly fishing Reels may differ in quality.  They are all essentially of the same design.  In this post I will help you understand the differences between Spincast, Spinning, and Baitcast Reels.  Selecting the correct one for you will depend upon how you intend on using it, where you will be fishing most often, and how skilled you are at casting?  In some cases it may be beneficial for you to own more than one type of Reel.  I will discuss why this might be the best option for some of you.

The three types of Reels

Spincast Reel

Spincast diagram

This is by far the easiest of the three Reel types to use.  Activated by simply pressing and holding a button during the cast to allow the line to release.  Then letting go of the button to stop the line from continuing to cast out.  It can easily be operated single handed, and as such is most often the Reel packaged with children’s fishing kits.  It’s most likely the Reel you learned to fish with.  It was for me.  Although easy to use, it does have some limitations.  The line is coiled around the Spool hidden beneath the Spool cover.  This means that you need to be careful to not add too much line to the Spool, or you risk the line getting jammed during the cast.  Another issue some fisherman comment on about Spincast Reels is their inability to provide visual feedback because everything is enclosed beneath the Spool cover.  Another weakness to the design is that a considerable amount of friction is caused by the Spool cover during casting so you lose a bit of distance and accuracy.  It may sound like there’s a lot of negatives to using a Spincast Reel, but used correctly it is extremely easy, and the most durable and reliable of the three Reels.

Spinning Reel

Spinning diagram

Just looking at a Spinning Reel the differences between it, and a Spincast Reel is obvious.  Where everything was enclosed with a Spincast Reel.  It’s the total opposite with a Spinning Reel.  The Spool, line, and bail are all in view.  This has advantages, and disadvantages.  One of the obvious advantages is being able to see everything that is happening while fishing.  If your line were to get knotted during a cast or retrieve you’ll notice it quickly.  That way you can take care of the issue right away before it develops into a serious problem.  Casting with a Spinning Reel isn’t nearly as easy as casting with a Spincast Reel.  First of all it’s a two handed affair.  Where everything with a Spincast Reel is practically automatic.  A Spinning Reel requires you to open the bail, pinch the line, release the line at the correct time during the cast, and then close the bail when you are ready to either stop the line, or prepare it for retrieval.  In other words, don’t expect to be great at casting with a Spinning Reel the first time out.  A little bit of practice will definitely reward you though.  I’m able to make pinpoint casts with a Spinning Reel that I wouldn’t even attempt with a Spincast Reel.  Another advantage to the Spinning Reel design is the open Spool generally allows for a lot of line to be coiled.  Quite a few models are sold, or at least designed to allow the Spools to be quickly interchangeable with another Spool.  This means that you could quickly switch between different weights of line, or types of line dependant on conditions.  The Spinning Reel has quickly become one of the favoured types of Reels by many.

Baitcast Reel

Baitcast diagram

At first glance the Baitcasting Reel looks like a combination of the Spincast Reel, and Spinning Reel designs.  To a certain extent it sort of is.  The casting motion is similar to a Spincast Reel, but even more complicated than casting with a Spinning Reel.  That can be the first issue that some people have with a Baitcast Reel.  They aren’t easy to master, and unlike the other two Reels on this list can become really troublesome if you use them incorrectly.  Most of the difficulty associated with casting Baitcast Reels is actually in their set-up.  Unlike the other two designs that only require you set the amount of drag correctly.  Baitcast Reels require you set the correct tension adjusted to the total weight of your bait, weights, or lure.  You also need to set the brake adjustment correctly to avoid line overrun or birdnesting.  Done correctly a Baitcast Reel is the most accurate of the three Reel types.  The design is limited to heavier line though.  Light line will have a tendency to unspool incorrectly during the cast and lead to birdnesting or tangles.  With adjustability comes an increase in potential issues so constant maintenance is also important.

Category Rankings

   Easy to use –

1: Spincast

2: Spinning

3: Baitcast

Maintenance –

1: Spincast

2: Spinning

3: Baitcast

Casting Accuracy –

1: Baitcast

2: Spinning

3: Spincast

Long Casting –

1: Spinning

2: Baitcast

3: Spincast

Tackle Adjustability –

1: Spinning

2: Spincast

3: Baitcast

Conclusions

The first thing you should consider is how often you intend to fish?  If you are only going out a couple times a year then a Spincast Reel is probably all you need.  Now if you intend to fish far more frequently I would suggest that you consider one of the other two.  Which one you choose will probably depend on whether you intend to fish from shore, or from a boat.  If larger predatory fish like Musky, Pike, or Bass are what you are after, and you intend to cast into tight spots then maybe a Baitcast Reel is what you should be looking for.  If you plan on going deep Sea fishing for really big fish than a Baitcast Reel is by far the best option.  In my personal opinion though, the additional accuracy that can be gained by using a Baitcast Reel doesn’t out do the versatility of a Spinning Reel in most situations.  If this was Middle Earth the Spinning Reel would be the One Reel to rule them all.  Light or heavy line is fine with a Spinning Reel.  Casting from shore, or a boat is not a problem.  It’s easy to maintain, doesn’t require a perfect set-up, and with only a little bit of practice quite easy to master.  If you are only going to buy one Reel, I suggest you buy a Spinning Reel.  Now if you are one of the few fishing enthusiasts that intend to fish every type of water.  I would suggest that you own a Baitcast Reel for large trophy sized fishing, and one of the other two for a little casual shore fishing.