It’s Lawlapalooza week! We know that isn’t #Sport related but we don’t care, we are PUMPED for CHICAGO! The boys finish up their World Cup talk and get into some NFL 2018 news and notes. TM watched the Home Run Derby and the British Open, PJ actually played golf instead. Also, the Mets still Suck. See Ya’s in Chi Town!
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
TM is back from his 1 Month Birthday Celebration and the boys catch up on NBA free agency, the MLB All Star Game, and a bunch of BSV. Then Keen returns to discuss the World Cup Semifinal matches and preview the final.
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
The guys waste no time and jump right in to the discussing the Yankees performance(s) after being down 2-0 to the Astros. TM continues to try to convince everyone that the Yankees aren’t the same old Yankees… yeah, ok TM. Dodgers continue to roll and only so much can be discussed.
What’s going on with Friday night college football and top 10 teams struggling? What can anyone really say except “It’s college football”.
Finally, the Jets/Pats game and controversy is discussed. Has instant replay made the NFL better? Or is it a crutch for the ever growing problem of NFL officiating. A-A-ron goes down and the Packers are screwed. Who’s the best team outside of Kansas City?
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
Breaking News about the US Men’s National Soccer Team being eliminated from the 2018 World Cup drops right before the show. Soccer is discussed for 5 minutes. Next soccer talk… 4 years from now.
After a quick college football roundup where PJ bitches about his own alma mater (Michigan) and their inability to win against their rivals… the guys get into the MLB Post Season and the Divisional Series. How is the city of New York feeling about their chances? Will Girardi not challenging the hit batter in game 2 come and bite him in the ass? Justin Verlander as a reliever? It’s all covered!
NFL Week 5 came and went with a wimper. Countless injuries, teams not covering spreads, other teams not covering receivers. Where is the Jay Cutler meter with TM? Does anyone in the AFC East want to win the division? It’s all discussed in this weeks Around the League.
New Segment… 60 seconds of News with Booze… it’s a working title. shut up
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
What was supposed to be a quick MLB Post Season Preview show morphed into a full fledged SportsCast!
The guys record while watching the MLB Wild Card game and give their opinions on the current MLB Playoff format. Predictions on who and where these early series will go.
NFL Week 4 is in the books and what do we know? Nothing… absolutely nothing. Who’s good? Who’s bad? Well, the Dolphins… they’re bad. Are the Bills for real? The guys bring a special correspondent to analyze and critique the AFC East leaders. Antonio Brown shows he’s a true diva and is called out by Big Ben. Things wrap up with some fantasy talk before getting into the Week 5 picks.
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
You didn’t think you were getting off without me, did you? Wait, what? Okay, let me try that again. Welcome to another edition of Highlights of 2016: The Luke Norris Edition. That doesn’t go against my third-person count, does it?
In any event, I figured that since I used to write the weekend column at this here site, I’d wait until today to get my list of things for 2016 out there. I’ll get to some movies and TV here in a bit, but seeing as I’m the sports guy I’ll go ahead and start there. It just so happens that my favorite thing of 2016 came from the sports world anyway and I don’t think anybody will be surprised by it.
The Cubs Win The World Series
Moreno said it earlier in the week and he was absolutely right. Just saying that the Chicago Cubs won the World Series is still a very strange thing to say and probably will be for a while but that doesn’t mean that I won’t keep doing it. For those that know me, you know how much the Cubs mean to me and to say that watching them win that epic Game 7 was a very special moment for me. I’m trying to keep these short today so I won’t go into as much detail as I did in my “What The Cubs Winning The World Series Means To Me” piece I wrote over at The Luke Norris Experience (shameless plug and I don’t feel bad about it) but it was something that I will never forget and was easily one of the biggest and best stories of the year in any form of entertainment.
The End Of An Era In The NBA
There’s a lot of people out there that simply don’t like the NBA anymore, or just don’t like the NBA at all, but it’s always been something that I’ve followed closely and 2016 marked the true end of an era as three of the all-time greats in Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett all retired, making this current season the first since Bill Clinton’s first term not to have at least one of these three in the league. While Kobe Bryant embarked on a farewell tour, including his 60-point closing game, Tim Duncan stayed true to form and just quietly walked away. I think KG really wanted to play another season but after 21 years of intensity, his body just couldn’t take anymore and he joined his fellow future Hall of Famers as spectators. In the end, these three played a combined 40 seasons, scored 86,210 points, won four MVP awards (how that total isn’t higher is beyond me), played in 48 All-Star Games and won 11 titles. Incredible.
The Dallas Cowboys
Outside of the Los Angeles Lakers, my sports teams have had a pretty good 2016. The Cubs did what they did. Michigan football, while losing their last two games, put themselves in title contention and look to be headed back towards what they used to be and the Dallas Cowboys have surpassed every expectation coming into this NFL season and no matter what happens tomorrow against the Eagles will go into the playoffs with the best record in the NFC. And while I knew that Ezekiel Elliott would do well, especially behind that amazing offensive line, Dak Prescott has shocked everyone with his poise and control as the field leader of this offense. When Tony Romo went down in the preseason, I don’t think anybody could have expected what’s happened since. Obviously, I’ll have to wait until 2017 to see how all of this plays out but the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl could be an early contender for one of my favorite moments of the new year.
The Passing Of Icons
We all know that 2016 has seen a lot of celebrity deaths and the sports world wasn’t immune as a few of the biggest icons in sports history were lost this year. One of the best hockey players in history, Gordie Howe, died on June 10 and it really didn’t get the coverage that it deserved, but that was mainly due to the fact that Muhammad Ali passed only seven days before. And trust me, I could sit here and write for hours on Ali’s legacy but there’s plenty of documentaries and films out there if you’re not as familiar as you’d like to be about him. And yes, they’re all worth watching. And I know I don’t have a big audience for it here, but the death of Arnold Palmer in late September was a big deal to those of us that follow golf and a true loss for the sports world.
Okay, I’ll stop with the sports stuff for a minute and get to some TV. I’ve mentioned before on a few podcasts that I’m a very impatient person when it comes to television and I miss out on a lot of conversations because of it. It’s why I don’t watch a lot of new TV, even with all of the amazing shows that are out there right now. I’ll often wait until a series is completely over until I even start an episode because I don’t like waiting nine or ten months before it returns. But I did make a few exceptions this year, and will likely make a few more in the upcoming year, and I’ll start with another obvious entry.
Better Call Saul
It’s no secret that I’m a big Breaking Bad guy and I could write and talk for hours upon hours about that show. And yes, I’ll go ahead and take the blame for falling behind on those podcasts that we were doing. We had some scheduling conflicts and I had some computer issues and we just got away from it. Sorry. But I love everything about that universe and although I was scared in the beginning that Better Call Saul wouldn’t be able to live up to the hype, I’m okay with being wrong on this one. While the first season was very solid, the second was exceptional and I can’t even imagine what the third has in store for us. Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Banks have both been brilliant and the supporting players are carrying their own weight and then some. There isn’t a scene that I don’t look forward to and while we may question them in real time, every one ends up having a purpose in the overall story. And then you add Gus Fring to the mix coming up. Damn.
The Path
And since we’re on Breaking Bad a little bit, I have to mention how much I enjoyed The Path. I’ve made no secret of the fact that Jesse Pinkman was my favorite character on the show and I hoped that Aaron Paul wouldn’t fall off the map after the show ended. After a role like that, it’s easy for an actor to only be looked at as that one character and I’m extremely happy that both Paul and Bryan Cranston have found success beyond Breaking Bad. Paul’s role as a husband and father on this show is obviously very different than what he did before and he’s doing it well. I won’t get into the plot points or anything here for those who haven’t seen it, but I highly recommend watching the first season before the second gets going here in a few weeks. Very nice surprise.
Stranger Things
Honestly, I really had no plans to watch Stranger Things right away. But after everyone and their mother started talking and posting about how much they enjoyed it, Shawshank and I sat down one night and started it, figuring we’d watch an episode to get the feel of it and go from there. Nope. I think we stayed up until about 2 or 3 in the morning watching five or six episodes that night and I’m pretty sure we finished it the next day. That kind of show normally isn’t my thing but throw in all of the 80s goodness, Winona Ryder, Matthew Modine and I’m in. Another fun surprise.
O.J.: Made in America
I don’t know if they’re classifying this as TV or a movie but I really don’t care. O.J.: Made in America was absolutely phenomenal. I watched these events unfold in the mid-90s as a teenager and I was captivated by it then. As a sports fan (and a Naked Gun fan as well), I knew who O.J. Simpson was but as his football career was before my time, I really didn’t know a ton about him except that he was one of the all-time greats. I knew he was an actor and a celebrity and that everyone seemed to like him, which is obviously what made those murders the big deal that they became. And this documentary captured all of it. From his time in college to his pro career to his acting days and his personal relationships, every single aspect of this man’s life was covered. Mix all of that with the controversial history of the LAPD and the trial coverage and you’ve got one of the best documentaries of the year. It took me back to my high school days when I couldn’t get enough of the coverage and I learned so much more. Outstanding.
Yeah, I know once I get rolling that these things get a little long but I just want to mention a few flicks and I’ll let you out of here. Now, there’s a couple of the awards season contenders that I haven’t gotten to yet and while I will mention a couple of those below, I first want to quickly talk about a couple of movies that will obviously not be a part of that conversation.
I’m always looking for fun, stupid movies. Movies that you can hit up on a Sunday afternoon when you’re hungover and don’t want to have to think about anything. And I found a couple of those year.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
I love the Lonely Island and their brilliance is on full display here. Following all of their albums and music videos and such, it was only a matter of time before they tried it out on the big screen and I’m so happy that they did. Outside of the guys themselves, this flick is full of outstanding cameos (I think Seal might be my favorite…”Fucking wolves”) and crazy awesome tracks that I’ve got no problem admitting I listened to repeatedly just so I could get all of the lyrics down. Don’t judge me.
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
I really had no idea what to expect from this one but I sat down and gave it a chance one day and I’m glad that I did. Again, there’s not much substance here but I’m okay with that. You’ve got Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick playing crazy chicks who like to drink (I’m sold right there) and a very funny dude in Adam DeVine. And then you’ve got Zac Efron. Now, I don’t know who exactly it was that decided he was going to start being in all of these comedies, but I want to shake that person’s hand. He’s the only thing that’s good about the Neighbors movies and he upped his game even more in this one. And you’ve got Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick playing crazy chicks who like to drink. Wait, did I say that already?
The Magnificent Seven
Was this remake necessary? Certainly not. But did I enjoy the hell out of it? Absolutely. I’ve always been a big Denzel fan and watching him in this role only proved that this guy can do it all. He’ll likely get an Oscar nomination for Fences, which will be well-deserved I’m sure, but he was cool as hell here. And I did mark out a little bit seeing him and Ethan Hawke back onscreen together as I’m a big fan of Training Day. Throw in Chris Pratt in the Steve McQueen role and you’ve got gold. Really fun flick. And watch Seven Samurai already, will ya?
The Birth of a Nation
Just getting this film made was a difficult task for writer/producer/director Nate Parker, but the end result was amazing, even if it became a disappointment at the box office. There were always going to be people out there that wouldn’t like it for a variety of reasons, including the controversy surrounding Parker himself, but strictly from the perspective of a moviegoer, I was captivated from start to finish. To me, it was everything that 12 Years A Slave wasn’t. And yes, I’m aware that the latter took home numerous Best Picture awards but I could never get into it. Although the source material was great, I was never connected to the characters and it always felt very flat to me. It was the complete opposite for me here. The story of the relationship between Parker’s Nat Turner and Samuel, played brilliantly by Armie Hammer, was told very well and the supporting players were excellent. I may be in the minority here but I really dug this flick.
Hell or High Water
As I mentioned earlier, there’s still a few movies from this year that I’ve yet to get around to but this is my favorite film of 2016. It’s got a very No Country for Old Men feeling to it without being No Country for Old Men. Jeff Bridges is always going to do his thing but underappreciated actors Ben Foster and Chris Pine absolutely slay it in this film. It’s unfortunate that so many people will only ever see Pine as Captain Kirk because he’s got so much more versatility than he’s given credit for. I dug him next to Denzel in the underrated Unstoppable and he showed he’s got some comedic chops as well in last year’s Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. I’m hoping the attention this movie’s going to get during awards season wakes people up a bit. And Ben Foster was phenomenal in this flick. I remember seeing him in a couple of episodes of Boston Public when he was a youngster years and years ago and he’s been killing it ever since. This is another one I could go on and on about…the direction, the acting, the cinematography…everything was superb here.
Okay, I think I’ve held you up long enough. Happy New Year to everyone in our little slice of paradise here at Binge Media.
It’s all come down to this. Welcome back to Binge Sports and our continuing coverage of the 2015 Major League Baseball season. Throughout the year, we’ve covered a lot of baseball here. We did some season-long votes on division winners, a vote on who you thought would make the playoffs, and once we got to the playoffs, we had votes for that too. All the while, it’s been great giving some analysis and breaking down the regular season and the playoffs, but the time has almost come to close up talk on this monumental season. But we’ve got one more series to go as the New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals will battle for the right to be called World Series champions. Let’s take a look at how you voted in the championship series and my predictions for those two series (SPOILER ALERT: we were all horribly wrong) and look ahead to the 2015 Fall Classic.
ALCS Results
Toronto Blue Jays vs Kansas City Royals: Royals win in 6
My prediction: Blue Jays in 6
Fan poll: 0% picked Kansas City
Well, there’s our first complete failure. I honestly thought that the Blue Jays firepower would be too much for Kansas City, but the Royals continue to show the determination to finish what they started last year. They’ve been the best team in the American League for most of the season, and they aren’t letting go of that title now. It will be interesting to see how the Blue Jays respond in 2016.
NLCS Results
Chicago Cubs vs New York Mets: Mets win in 4
My prediction: Cubs in 6
Fan poll: 0% picked New York
And there’s our second. I wasn’t kidding when I said that we were ALL horribly wrong. Not one person picked the Royals above, and not one person picked the Mets to do what they did to the Cubs, and that’s just completely dominate them in a four-game sweep. The Mets have been tearing through some of the best pitchers in baseball while showing off their young pitching to the rest of the baseball world. The Cubs’ youth really showed in this series, but they’re built to last for years to come. We’ll see how that plays out next season.
New York Mets vs Kansas City Royals
HOW THEY GOT HERE
New York: 90-72 (won NL East), NLDS: def. Los Angeles 3-2, NLCS: def. Chicago 4-0
Kansas City: 95-67 (won AL Central), ALDS: def. Houston 3-2, ALCS: def. Toronto 4-2
SCHEDULE
Game 1: @Kansas City-Tuesday, October 27-8E/7C-FOX
Game 2: @Kansas City-Wednesday, October 28-8E/7C-FOX
Game 3: @New York-Friday, October 30-8E/7C-FOX
Game 4: @New York-Saturday, October 31-8E/7C-FOX
Game 5 (if necessary): @New York-Sunday, November 1-8E/7C-FOX
Game 6 (if necessary): @Kansas City-Tuesday, November 3-8E/7C-FOX
Game 7 (if necessary): @Kansas City-Wednesday, November 4-8E/7C-FOX
PREVIEW
Sure, the Daniel Murphy home run streak is a nice story, but let’s give credit where credit is due. The Mets are here because of their pitching. In the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs, their four starters had a combined 2.16 ERA and gave up only 15 hits in 25 innings. They had 29 strikeouts against only six walks, and they’re all going to be fully rested for this series, and the Mets will need them to be. It may seem like they’re hitting on all cylinders, but outside of Murphy, the rest of the team hasn’t set the world on fire, yet they’re able to win games because they don’t have to score that much. The team average is only .235.
On the other side, the Kansas City Royals are coming into this series having played arguably the most consistent baseball of any team in these playoffs, but the problem with the Royals is getting behind early. And we saw the Mets jump all over the Cubs pitching in the first inning throughout the NLCS, so keeping the Mets at bay in the early innings will be crucial. It’s not that the Royals can’t overcome a lead, as it’s what they’ve been doing throughout these playoffs. The Royals can score a lot of runs in a hurry; they were seventh in the league in scoring this year. While the Mets have the edge in starting pitching, the Royals probably have the edge in the bullpen. Their big three of Davis, Herrera, and Hochevar have a combined 0.45 ERA in 20 1/3 innings this postseason. Late-inning matchups against the Mets’ power hitters could be interesting.
MY PREDICTION
Mets in 6
I think the Mets pitching has just been too good for them to stop now. Whether I’m right or wrong, a long championship drought will be broken. The Royals won in 1985 with the Mets winning the very next season in 1986. Neither team has won since. The ratings may not end up reflecting it, but this will be a very good series.
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There you have it. That’s just about everything you need to know for the 2015 World Series. For the latest updates from Binge Sports, follow me on Twitter @BingeSports and @THElukenorris. If you missed this week’s Binge SportsCast, you can check that out HERE and stay tuned for an all-new wrestling version coming your way for Hell in a Cell weekend. Binge Sports….we’ve got all the balls.
Welcome back to Binge Sports and welcome to an all-new Binge SportsCast. Once again, you’re stuck with only me for a little over an hour, but this time, I actually explain why it has to be that way sometimes.
As far as content goes, I start off by talking some Cubs/Mets and Blue Jays/Royals baseball, where those series stand, my thoughts on both, and what the World Series is going to look like. From there, things get a little personal as I discuss the classic rivalry between the Cubs and Cardinals and what exactly that means to me, which is where the cemetery comes into play. Trust me, it’s worth the listen.
I get into a little NHL talk as I run down my early top 5, as I do with the NFL as well. I close up talking a little Michigan/Michigan State and try to figure out what the hell the Colts were doing on Sunday night. It’s a little different kind of show this week, and if I sound tired on the air, it’s because I was. But hey, you came looking for a Binge SportsCast today, and goddammit, you got one. Enjoy.