It’s the weekend of champions at Binge Media, as many in the crew are in Chicago for Moreno’s wedding, and I’m one of them, but doesn’t mean that I’ve forgotten that it’s Night of Champions weekend in the WWE. Obviously, you know that means it’s time for yet another wrestling edition of the Binge SportsCast.
I’m joined as always by my tag-team partner, Batch, but for a big show, we felt we needed a little extra help, so we brought in our own mysterious “third man”. You know him as the legendary Binge Media hypeman, Denny Luis, who makes his long-awaited debut on the wrestling show.
We had a lot of things to get to during the show, and we tried to get as much in as we could, even if the show was almost hijacked with talk of lawsuits and worthless Canadian wrestlers. But when the show is on track, we talk the new Owen Hart DVD, the Divas Revolution and what we might do differently, the disappointing ending to Summerslam, the PWI top 10, the Night of Champions card, and much more.
This is honestly one of my favorite shows so far, so as I’m enjoying my weekend in Chicago, enjoy your weekend with the all-new Binge SportsCast. Get all the updates on new shows and more on Twitter @BingeSports.
Angry Drunk Movies Dads is back and the boys are angrier and drunkier than ever. It’s hard to summarize exactly what we cover this episode because a) it was like… five days ago and I drink and b) we cover everything. Here’s the notes I took while recording…
if our wives were dead
terminator 2
kids favorite movies
b-88
lilo stitch
monster high
mission impossible
pirates of the car
scooby doo
star wars
chimpmunks
teen titans go
mickey mouse
sleepwalking
youtube
goosebumps
That first one should be interesting because I don’t remember shit about it. Sit back and let Ammon and Law raise your children for you.
Welcome back to Binge Sports and welcome to Week 2 of the inaugural season of the Binge Fantasy Football League. Before I discuss anything else, I want to give a big shoutout and give major props to my main man, Sneaky Juan Carlos, who took time out of his busy schedule to design not only the new logo you see above, but logos and helmets for all twelve teams in the league. Yeah, I know that you had your heart set on seeing my awfully designed helmets all season, but I suppose these will have to do. In all seriousness, though, a big thanks from Binge Sports goes out to THE MAN. Take a look.
Pretty freakin’ sweet, right? I know I’m thrilled with mine and I’m sure the rest of the boys are too. Thanks again brother. Well, Week 1 is behind us, thank God. I got my ass handed to me by Jack this week as only one or two of my players did anything for me. Things could be worse, though. I could have gotten the beating that Oh Hai Denny Luis got from Wayne’s Awesome Team. And all the smack talk from Chad D. did him no good as Daniel’s Bigfoot in Sandals stepped all over those Deflated Balls. Comics beat movies this week in another Binge Media battle as Nick took down Garrett, and Tim’s Touchdown There put a 40 point beating on Art and his Vatos Locos. But the best matchup of the week was Chad F.’s Chi-Town Smackdowns and Murphy’s Law. Chad got the victory with a score of 133.04-130.24. The funny thing about that is Murph would have beaten every single team in the BFFL with that many points, but unfortunately for him, he ran into a smackdown from Chad. Them’s the breaks, bitch. Let’s see how the standings break down after Week 1.
WEEK 1 RESULTS
12.5 or Die def. Italian Stallions 98.22-54.34
Wayne’s Awesome Team def. Oh Hai Denny Luis 81.90-36.92
The Jaws of Geno def. G Force 102.12-74.70
Chi-Town Smackdowns def. Murphy’s Law 133.04-130.24
Touchdown There def. Vatos Locos 106.12-66.24
Bigfoot in Sandals def. Deflated Balls 109.86-97.72
STANDINGS
1. CHI-TOWN SMACKDOWNS (1-0, 133.04 points)
2. BIGFOOT IN SANDALS (1-0, 109.86 points)
3. TOUCHDOWN THERE (1-0, 106.12 points)
4. JAWS OF GENO (1-0, 102.12 points)
5. 12.5 OR DIE (1-0, 98.22 points)
6. WAYNE’S AWESOME TEAM (1-0, 81.90 points)
7. MURPHY’S LAW (0-1, 130.24 points)
8. DEFLATED BALLS (0-1, 97.72 points)
9. G FORCE (0-1, 74.70 points)
10. VATOS LOCOS (0-1, 66.24 points)
11. ITALIAN STALLIONS (0-1, 54.34 points)
12. OH HAI DENNY LUIS (0-1, 36.92 points)
WEEK 2 MATCHUPS
ITALIAN STALLIONS (0-1) v. OH HAI DENNY LUIS (0-1)
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12.5 OR DIE (1-0) v. BIGFOOT IN SANDALS (1-0)
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G FORCE (0-1) v. WAYNE’S AWESOME TEAM (1-0)
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MURPHY’S LAW (0-1) v. THE JAWS OF GENO (1-0)
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VATOS LOCOS (0-1) v. CHI-TOWN SMACKDOWNS (1-0)
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DEFLATED BALLS (0-1) v. TOUCHDOWN THERE (1-0)
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And of course, there’s still the big vote. After finally seeing the teams in action, who will win the very first Binge Fantasy Football League Championship?
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That does it for Week 2. Check back in next week for the latest results and certainly don’t forget to get involved in the inaugural Binge Sports Pick ‘Em Contest as well, where you have the chance to win a special prize from Binge Media, which I will personally pay for. For all the latest updates, follow @BingeSports and @THElukenorris on Twitter.
Welcome to Week 2 of the Binge Sports Pick ‘Em Contest. The first week of the NFL season brought some interesting games and a few surprises, but it’s nice to be watching some football that means something. Thirteen others were man enough to join me for the inaugural contest, but let’s remember that this is a season-long contest, so there’s still time to join. As a reminder, participants aren’t required to play every week, but points will start to add up. And if you look at the standings after Week 1, there’s already a few people on the negative side of things, so you’ve already got an advantage. And for those who’ve already entered and might be upset by that, just make better picks. A quick summary of the rules for those just joining us: you must pick a winner in EVERY game, picks MUST be entered into the comments section at the bottom of this page, and if you get a pick wrong, your point total will be docked, hence the negative point totals you’ll see below. The number beside the game is the amount of points that game is worth, so choose wisely. Let’s take a look at the standings after Week 1. Yes, that’s Jack at the top; God help us.
STANDINGS
Episode IV=78
TM=74
Andy Nemenoff=64
Denny Luis=52
Chad D=52
Anthony D=36
Ed Minkowski=24
Luke Norris=14
Nick Fortuna=4
PJ=–2
Poljak= –6
Art 1318= –6
Bri D= –12
Harwood= –12
WEEK 2 MATCHUPS
16. Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
15. Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
14. San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals
13. Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
12. New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
11. Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns
10. Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers
9. Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
8. San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers
7. Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants
6. Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
4. St. Louis Rams at Washington Redskins
3. Baltimore Ravens at Oakland Raiders
2. New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts
1. Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears
My picks for the week are: Kansas City-Dallas-Cincinnati-Detroit-New England-Tennessee-Houston-Green Bay-Pittsburgh-Atlanta-Miami-New Orleans-St. Louis-Baltimore-Indianapolis-Arizona
And there you have it. Make sure to get your picks in on time (don’t forget about Thursday Night Football) and remember that you must pick a winner for EVERY game and picks MUST be entered into the comments section below. I will not accept picks anywhere else. Stay tuned this weekend for a new Binge SportsCast as Batch and I break down Night of Champions, and as always, you can get all the latest updates on Twitter @BingeSports and @THElukenorris.
Very little movement across the board this week but news out of the Toronto International Film Festival has promise for some future nudity points. Apparently EX MACHINA starlet, Alicia Vikander, is at it again by getting buff in THE DANISH GIRL. I can’t add the points until the film officially gets released in November but just wanted you to know. We are all smarter today for knowing this. Hit the link below for the entire sheet.
Moreno, Kupka, and Law kick things off with some TV Round-Up which features thoughts on Ray Donovan and Narcos. This leads to a mini Fall preview where we discuss what we’re looking forward to. This includes Ash Vs. The Evil Dead and Fargo.
Ammon shows up in the middle of Google Voice and makes us do the entire first hour over as he brings up 11/22/63 and other bullshit.
There’s a huge Hottie League update as we look to the Fall for the points to roll in. Kupka describes his ideas for next year’s league which would feature actors and directors. It’s all so confusing.
As a preview to Moreno’s wedding next weekend, Ammon gives his Top 5 wedding moments.
What Did You Watch has shit talking of FANTASTIC FOUR, LOVE & MERCY, AMERICAN ULTRA, THE OVERNIGHT, JAWS, GAURDIANS OF THE GALAXY, and MONSTER’S INC.
0:00:00-Why is there a Kupka sounder starting off the Bingecast? Hmmmmm
0:04:30-Because Kupka is guesting on the Binge, you dumbass! He also makes an announcement that is kind of surprising, but not at all life changing, depending on how you look at it.
0:14:30-TV ROUND UP. The Boys discuss (with somewhat disgust) The League. Drunk History notes are swapped.
0:41:40-Spontaneous Skype Bachelor Party!
0:44:42-TV ROUND UP CONTINUED. Kupka talks Network TV and how he binge (plug?) watches dramas. He also hates shows that are continuations of movies. Picky bastard. Moreno fifes over Gossip Girl. Fall TV 2015 gets an overview.
1:13:16-GOOGLE VOICE. Translation is getting better every day. But not 100% yet.
2:12:25-Lead in from GOOGLE VOICE: MOVIE HOMEWORK: Sling Blade
2:35:34 Law questions the Game Cast. Kupka gets feisty.
2:40:08-Announcement of Movie Homework Theme for the past few weeks. This news will blow your fucking mind! Unless you figured it out or saw the theme mentioned on Facebook already. Then fuck you.
2:41:50-In honor of Moreno’s wedding less than a week away, we bring you the Top Wedding Moments in Movies. D’awwww.
2:55:44-WHAT DID YOU WATCH? Kupka revisits Jaws. Shark still looks fake. Back to the Future sequel ideas are discussed. Moreno dug Love & Mercy, the story about the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson. Ammon shows his Disney love card with Guardians of the Galaxy and Monster’s Inc. Law watched The Overnight and Fantastic Four. Take a wild fucking guess which one he liked more.
My anticipation for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS is astronomical yet guarded. We’ve all been here before – new Star Wars, it’s gonna be the best thing ever, holy fucking shit-balls! That didn’t work out for me too great the last time around so I’ve distanced myself from the majority of the hype. I’ll watch official trailers and that’s about it. I’m not buying any magazines with epic articles or watching any 30 second clips online. I want to go in as blind as possible so I’m mentally prepared to be either, blown away, or slapped in the nuts. Again.
Then they announced Aftermath, a book written by Chuck Wendig that will help bridge the gap between RETURN OF THE JEDI and THE FORCE AWAKENS. More importantly, an officially licensed story extending the original timeline. I’m in. Then they announced it was going to be a trilogy. Wait, what? This is the story that happens between JEDI and AWAKENS right? So now it’s a three part arc with two of those parts coming out after AWAKENS comes out? What’s the point of that? It’s going to turn into a prequel one third of the way through? Fucking money hungry cocks. Whatever, I’m still reading it.
Of course, if you know me at all, you know that I listen to audiobooks. Sometimes it adds to the story and makes it a better experience overall – sometimes it ruins everything. There’s no doubt that any hardcore STAR WARS fan is going to want to listen rather than read here. Hearing John Williams’ score kick in at the beginning of this book was glorious. It’s presence throughout keeps you locked within the galaxy. The overall presentation of the book is like an old radio play. If a droid is talking it sounds like a droid, beeps and boops included. Space battle? Get ready to listen to the hum of tie-fighters and x-wings going at it in the background as the narrator continues the story. You can’t get this kind of atmosphere from the written word alone. The presentation here is incredible and would be worth the money alone if it wasn’t for the delivery of the somewhat over-the-top narrator, Marc Thompson. His cheesiness can make you cringe on more than one occasion and there’s a lot of work to be done on his Wookie impersonation. A lot.
As for the plot itself. To break it down to simplest terms – the Empire is trying to rebuild itself after getting their asses handed to them on and off Endor. The New Republic (what the Rebels are going by these days) are trying to tighten the noose. There’s a top secret meeting of some of the top surviving Imperial diplomats on a outer rim planet named Akiva. A small group of strangers (a rebel, her son, a bounty hunter, an Imperial turncoat, and a battle droid [yes, a fucking battle droid from the prequels]) join forces to try and stop them. That’s it. Aside from some minor interludes, (which I’ll talk about below) there’s no continuing adventures of Han and Chewie. Luke is nowhere to be seen. Leia, Lando, R2, and C3PO are apparently off doing much more important things. I even kept an ear out for some of the new characters. There’s no mention of a Poe, or Kylo, or Captain Phasma. Maybe this is because they’re saving them for later in the trilogy, when we’ve already met them and know some of their fates. Which doesn’t make sense to me in the least.
The book as a whole comes off no better or no worse than the majority of the one-off extended universe novels. It sparked my interest more than those because it’s supposed to be “official”. J.J. Abrams must have signed off on this at one point or another as it is leading into the film. By those standards it’s disappointing. While the ramifications of what happens in this book might be felt throughout the universe, it seems too small to matter overall. The main kid, Temmin Wexley, is as cliched and annoying as the worst child character in the worst action movie. His battle droid is sold as a badass Jar Jar Binks but fails to matter when it counts. The most interesting part of the main plot line is the inclusion of Wedge Antilles, the heroic fan favorite from the original trilogy. It’s Wedge that first comes across the Empire’s intentions but he quickly fades into the background as we’re forced to care about a handful of new characters.
The most interesting thing about these new characters is their connection to the original films. The Imperial Loyalty officer and the Bounty Hunter first meet through flashback during the battle on Endor. Temmin’s mother, Nora, was in the second Death Star seconds before it exploded. Another fact we get through flashback. It’s these memories that hit home the most and on more than one occasion I was wishing we could get more versions of these different perspectives of iconic events in the past.
As for familiar faces within the present story (SPOILER ALERT FOR CAMEOS IN AFTERMATH) we get Admiral Ackbar all worn out and, in the funniest moments of the book, intentional or not, constantly worried about traps. Mon Mothma drops by to set some people straight. Leia shows up in one of those aforementioned flashbacks and a Galactic issued hologram, describing the events of Endor and the second Death Star to the general public. Han and Chewie have an extended appearance as they struggle to do their job for the New Republic. Boba Fett is mentioned during a battle between bounty hunters and it has to be considered a slap in the face to all those fans that insist he’s still alive. Lando is mentioned, as is Luke, Vader, and The Emperor. R2 and C3PO pop in during a flashback. There’s Stormtroopers aplenty and many of the locations, species, vehicles, and events are things we’re familiar with.
Every moment you get with these beloved characters borderlines on goosebumps, and then they’re gone. That coupled with the fact that none of the main characters here have any real connection with THE FORCE AWAKENS that we know of make you question the importance of what went on here. Is it just another cool story to be told using the most popular universe in the history of pop culture as a background, or is there more meaning to these events than we could possibly know? Time will tell. As for now….
Here it is, folks. The inaugural Binge Football League is now in session, and what better way to kick things off than bringing you an all-new edition of the Binge SportsCast. Join me as I bring you an NFL preview disguised as the fantasy football draft for the BFL. Not only does Tom Brady’s publicist, Episode IV Jack Falvey, join me, but for the first time in Binge SportsCast history, I also welcome a few of my listeners to the program to join us for the live draft. Art Murillo, Chad Forsythe, and legendary hypeman Denny Luis join Jack and I as we make our picks, break down the NFL, and discuss some important topics like the difference in rooting for your fantasy team versus the actual team you root for. And let me tell you, shit gets real.
Before you listen to the show, let me break down how things will go for the BFL this season. If you listened to my previous show, or follow @BingeSports and @THElukenorris on Twitter, you know that after getting a few guys on the staff to join, I opened this league up to my listeners, and they responded very quickly to get this thing filled up. Hell, I even had to take it from 10 to 12 teams and there were still people who wanted in, but we just couldn’t add anybody else. After listening to the show, come right back here to check out the rosters for each team and make your pick at the bottom of the page on which team you think will win the inaugural season of the BFL. Every week, I’ll be bringing you that week’s matchups, the updated standings, and perhaps the best smack talk of the week. And if you could have seen the board while we were drafting, believe me, you’ll want to see more. So take a listen to this ground-breaking edition of the Binge SportsCast and keep coming back every single week to check in on the BFL. Also debuting this week is the Binge Sports Pick ‘Em Contest, where you have the chance to win new Binge Media merchandise, which I will personally buy for you. To check out the rules and get in on the action, click HERE.
Enjoy the show, and don’t forget to come back to check out the rosters and cast your votes for the Week 1 matchups and the team you think will take it all in the inaugural BFL season.
RB-Jamaal Charles, Chris Ivory, T.J. Yeldon, Ryan Matthews, Rashad Jennings
WR-Demaryius Thomas, Jordan Matthews, DeAndre Hopkins, Allen Robinson, Nelson Agholor
TE-Delanie Walker
K-Matt Prater
DEF-Arizona Cardinals
VATOS LOCOS (owned by Art Murillo)
QB-Sam Bradford, Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick
RB-C.J. Anderson, Darren McFadden, Reggie Bush
WR-Golden Tate, DeSean Jackson, Larry Fitzgerald, Stevie Johnson, Rueben Randle
TE-Jason Witten, Heath Miller
K-Phil Dawson
DEF-Green Bay Packers
WAYNE’S AWESOME TEAM (owned by Wayne Dew)
QB-Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford
RB-DeMarco Murray, Doug Martin, Chris Johnson, Knowshon Moreno
WR-Brandon Marshall, Jeremy Maclin, Marques Colston, Torrey Smith, Dwayne Bowe
TE-Vernon Davis, Larry Donnell
K-Greg Zuerlein
DEF-Kansas City Chiefs
WEEK 1 MATCHUPS
VS
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VS
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VS
[yop_poll id=”254″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
VS
[yop_poll id=”255″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
VS
[yop_poll id=”256″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
VS
[yop_poll id=”257″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
Okay, you’ve got what you need for the start of the BFL season. Now let’s take an early vote on who you think can win the whole thing. The top eight teams will get into the playoffs. Who’s it gonna be?
Is Lizzy Caplan the only woman getting naked in Hollywood nowadays? Yes. Yes she is. Otherwise, something called WAR ROOM caused nobody to get top box office points this week and there were no new magazine covers. Is it Fall yet? Check out the entire spreadsheet by clicking the link below.