Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
0:00:00 – Happy Holidays Everyone! And for Christmas, you get a shortened “mini-binge” sportscast. Where are your Voicemails? We understand, kind of. Let’s get everything back on track next week… alright! LET’S GO!
0:09:05 – Fantasy Baseball? Who’s down? Throw your name in the ring!
0:12:30 – AROUND THE LEAGUE: Who you got for the Superbowl? Call in and give us your predictions for the NFL Playoffs? Once again, we’re left wondering WHAT THE HELL IS A CATCH? Do the Patriots actually get calls shifted their way? After the controversies, the guys discuss the playoff scenarios and who’s actually got a shot.
0:54:45 – THE PICKS: PJ is officially going to lose money (if he bet, that is). TM and the Guests can still end up above .500 with the right picks this week!
1:08:12 – FANTASY: Your Champ has been crowned! On the back of Todd Gurley (and CJ Anderson), Emo Kev (aka The Poon Slayers) has taken home the trophy, the money, and the bragging rights for the 2017 BMFFL! Congrats Eric, you deserve it…. Thank to everyone that participated, we’ll be back again next year!
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
0:00:00 – What’s happening…
0:08:30 – BSV: Right off the hop! The guys check in on the BS Voicemail. New callers, random topics and who the fuck is JV!
0:37:30 – AROUND THE LEAGUE: NOPE! Fantasy Football is discussed….well, TM bitches about it. Then we discuss this weeks Championship between Emo Kev & Chad C!
0:48:52 – AROUND THE LEAGUE – AGAIN: Does anyone know what a catch is anymore? I would think almost everyone in the world thought Jesse James caught the ball… except the NFL. What rules do we hate… what rules are stupid… and what rules can be determined by pieces of paper.
1:29:05 – THE PICKS: TM extends his lead… PJ sucks and the guest try to hold their own. We get another call in from our guest picker this week!
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
Remember to call us with your questions/comments/suggestions for the show #708-316-8822…
0:00:00 – What’s happening… snow, that’s what!
0:10:15 – BSV: Right off the hop! The guys check in on the BS Voicemail and they all incept eachother and NFL violence. Well, we beat that topic into a pulp and hopefully won’t talk about it again…until next week!
0:34:45 – 60 SECONDS: What’s happening in the world of sports outside of the NFL… let TM break it down for you!
0:50:20 – AROUND THE LEAGUE: GOOD GAMES! GOOD GAMES! GOOD GAMES! FINS UP!!! Guess who got their asses handed to them by TM’s boys! That, on top of the rest of the good games, we welcome a refreshing weekend of actual good football games. Sure, they were still riddled with injury, fighting (Fuck the Seahawk Douches), and endless penalties, but we saw some good match-ups and some great finishes. Where does everyone stand in the playoff hunt after week 13? Pittsburgh and Philadelphia clinch their divisions… but that #1 seed is still up for grabs. Do the Packers have a shot with A-A-Ron coming back? Where do the Eagles go from here?
1:27:50 – THE PICKS: TM extends his lead over PJ and the guests. Is there enough time for them to catch up in the final 3 weeks. This week we get a special call in from our guest picker!
1:41:10 – FANTASY: The first round of the playoffs is complete! Did we get an upset, or did it go as planned? How do this weekends injuries affect the playoffs? Apparently there are consolation games… and only Chad D. knew!
Keep an eye out for the Binge Sportscast on a weekly basis through the NFL season!
After what proved to be one of the greatest sporting events of all time, SportsCast hijackers Valley and PJ are back to give their thoughts on the biggest night in sports (at least until next year).
Jack Valley borrows the Binge SportsCast moniker to join PJ the Intern in their thoughts on the upcoming Super Bowl LI. The guys dish on the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots and all the stats you can shake a babadiiick at. Find out their thoughts on the game, score predictions and why the least likely of positions may get the edge during the big game this Sunday. Download the podcast and enjoy the game!
2016 has been full of ups and downs. For a lot of people, the downs have seemed to be at their lowest, with celebrity deaths (wtf Leia too?!?!), corrupt elections and Justin Bieber still touring the world at the forefront of everyone’s attention. Much like some drunk Mexican before me, I’d like to take a look at some things that I dug this year. Keep in mind, my annual Year In Review will be dropping on New Year’s Day for you Bingers, so keep an eye out for that soon.
Making a Sassquatch
It would be easy to look back on that experience with some bitterness, but I can’t deny that I had a blast doing the show. From Moreno and PeteMC’s involvement to the insanity that ensued from the mystery of who Sass was, I thought it was a rousing success and also, like Moreno, appreciated how organic it was. Stuff like Making a Sass reminds me that the best ideas are sometimes also the dumbest ones, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Horace and Pete/Louis CK Live at Foxwoods
If there’s one singular experience that sums up 2016 I think it’s probably Horace and Pete. Likely now finding a new audience due to the fact it just premiered on Hulu, Horace and Pete was the story of Horace and Pete, owners and operators of Horace and Pete’s bar in New York City. Horace, played by CK, and Pete, played by Steve Buscemi, play the two cousins doomed to live out the lives their fathers pre-ordained for them. The series features show-stopping performances across the board and moments that come completely out of left field, but the resolution is where I think the story mirrors this year really well. Nothing is easy, and happiness is a commodity that comes with a price for many folks. I think that this series will stand as not only a great piece of art but a meaningful one, and it stands out as one of the great experiences I’ve had watching anything this year. Couple this with the fact that I got to see Louie a few months later, with Kurt Metzger opening for him as a kicker, makes this one of my highlights of the year.
Dark Souls III
I play a few games now and again, and one of the great ones this year was Dark Souls III. DSIII provides a level of challenge that most games shy away from, but anyone who has beaten their first boss after several frustrating failures can tell you that there is possibly no better feeling in all of gaming than what this series gives you. From the opening moments avoiding dormant dragons to finding an imposter wearing the sacred Havel armor, DSIII delivers the goods and then some. Absolutely one of the great games of 2016.
Completing my Associate’s Degree
Most of you know I’m still in school. While my Bachelor’s degree is finishing up at the end of March, it’s easy to forget that I also completed my Associate’s Degree this year. It was a big step, and something that I did not dwell on for too long as the Bachelor’s was always the ultimate goal, but it was a milestone in 2016 that I am quick to overlook.
Wake & Bake with Bob Ross
I was lucky enough to start up two pods this year, with both being equally rewarding and tons of fun. As a casual idea that I threw out one BingeCast, the concept of sitting around, chilling the FUCK out and letting Bob Ross paint a god-damned masterpiece seemed like a great morning activity. So, as one does, we recorded it, wrapped it up in a bow and made for you, the listeners, Wake & Bake. Supka, myself and the occasional guest host dish on all the Pthalo Blue and Permanent Red you can shake your medium-length knife at. This is another example of stupidity being the mother of invention, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the course of this year in Binge it’s got to be that no idea is useless, and this show is a good example of that.
Meeting Joe Fernandes & The Kicks
With the big meetup this past summer, some of you may recall my meeting with “Sass”. The Kicks, consisting of TM, KariTM and PeteMC, came to Boston and I was lucky enough to meet the crew. Add in Joe Fernandes, native of New Bedford, and we had ourselves a great time listening to some dulcet tones in a Jock-McFuckFace Sports Bar in Beantown. It’s great to have met all of them and I can’t wait until our reunion in March.
Meeting Bruce Springsteen/Seeing Bruce Live
Four years ago, I saw Springsteen live at Gillette Stadium. That night it ignited a passion and love for his music that has only strengthened over time. I remember seeing a show that cracked a three-hour runtime with no breaks. This year, he came back to Gillette and played for over four hours. The madman brought his A-Game and did not disappoint. That would have been enough, but a few short weeks later I was afforded the opportunity to meet the man. It was brief, maybe all of 40 seconds, but one blurry picture marks the occasion for all time. Autographs are nice, but I felt it was an honor to shake the man’s hand and say “Thank you”. I got to do that this year. It was pretty awesome.
New England Patriots
As I write this the Patriots are sitting at 13-2. Our Quarterback was unjustly and unfairly persecuted and despite his absence we found a way to go 3-1. We beat the Broncos. We beat the Ravens. The Seahawks…well they beat us, but we played a well fought game. Who knows, that may still be the Super Bowl preview when all is said and done. Each year the Pats are an absolute joy to watch and I am always looking forward to the next thing our dark overlord Coach Belichick and TB12 are cooking up next. See you in Houston.
Tracy Morgan Live at the Comedy Connection
One comedy show would have been big, but thanks to Meg’s keen eye we got to see Tracy Morgan this year too. In what must be his first tour since the accident, Morgan was on fire. They had us lock up our cell phones, so I imagine some iteration of this show will be available online at some point, but it was great to see Morgan not only on his feet and enjoying himself but finding the humor in the situation he’s been forced into. A great time and a great performance, Tracy Morgan, if he comes to your town, should be a priority.
Titanfall 2: Effect and Cause
Gaming has been good to us this year, no more so than this wonder of a mission from TItanfall 2’s brilliant single player campaign. The story at this point establishes that you are on a colony where something bad happened, and you’re looking for spare parts. As you’re traveling through, however, you begin to see people who look like they are halfway through a wall. Soon thereafter, you find an item with the ability to “jump” between two different times. This creates an interesting piece of strategy in an otherwise straightforward level, propelling this game into the must-play lists of 2016. Levels like this show you things that even at this stage in gaming you can’t believe you haven’t seen before. Here’s to more of this in 2017.
OJ Made in America
Easily the most powerful and fascinating documentary of the year, OJ Made in America aims to tell the story you know in a way that you don’t. By taking a few steps back and really examining the racial implications of the OJ Simpson murder trial you begin to see the flaws in not only the criminal justice system but also in ideas about racial prejudice and fairness. This five part documentary, totaling a little over seven hours, is essential viewing for anyone and everyone.
The Greasy Strangler/The Greasy Strangler Soundtrack
Thank you, thank you, thank you Jim Law. This was absolutely not on my radar in any way until Law brought it up during a BingeCast. This is the type of movie that you watch 5-10 minutes and decide whether or not you’ll be in for the long haul. This movie is hilarious, the soundtrack is batshit catchy-insane and it’s full of awkward dicks, smoothies and bullshit artists. You at least should give this a try if you’re at all curious. I don’t know what it says about me that I love this flick as much as I do. Probably nothing healthy.
That’s it for me. There was plenty of other good shite this year but I’ll let the others cover that stuff. As for myself, it’s an honor and a privilege being a part of Binge Media and I cannot wait to see what this year brings us. Binge On!
Guys, football season is almost here, and to commemorate, I’m taking you on a trip down memory lane. Since I can’t think of anything worthwhile to write about, I’m hooking all of you up with some seriously legitimate Awards-caliber shit. That’s right, here it is in all its glory, the New England Patriots first Super Bowl win highlight film from NFL Films. Enjoy and Binge On!
It’s difficult for me to be objective in this matter, but I am going to really try here. I’ve been here defending the wall since this story broke with a few moderate mentions here and there, most notably when Luke invited me to the Binge SportsCast to give some thoughts on the sordid saga of Deflategate, or how I will now and forever refer to it, Deframegate.
There’s a lot of venom being spewed in all directions right now and I feel like it’s important to look at everything in perspective and get this out of our collective consciousness before real football finally starts. Look, I get it. The Patriots have (unless you’re the Giants) successfully bested you some time in the past decade-and-a-half. They are the Scarface of the NFL in the eyes of everyone not living in New England or central Florida (there’s a huge demographic of New England transplants living down there). At some point over the past 15 years the Patriots probably at least beat you, if not completely dismantled you morally and spiritually. The hatred for them rivals that of America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys, which was also brought on by a run of solid wins. Look, success breeds envy, and if you want to cheat yourself of enjoying one of the greatest athletes of his sport go to work, then good on you. Nothing I say will change that, and I don’t aim to. Pissing in the wind isn’t a hobby of mine.
While the media has been the true center of this entire story, I think it’s an important thing to observe this whole debacle from a distance. There are may suspicious goings on throughout this whole affair. As a die-hard Patriots fan, even I will admit that. McNally taking the game balls into the bathroom before play is a little odd, but so is finding out that the NFL edited a supposedly “Independent” investigation before it was released to the world. Brady destroying his cell phone doesn’t look great, but when you read in the Wells report that Ted Wells told him he didn’t need the phone, nor would that effect his decision, it makes you suspicious as to why the NFL is outrightly lying about what is happening here.
As a fan of football, all I really want is to go to games, enjoy myself and smack talk with friends and family via fantasy football every year. Personally, I don’t think that’s too much to ask of the sport. I’ve spoken before about my adoration for the team and Brady in particular because I have a connection to this team from an early age. It’s frustrating hearing people try and convince me that the team are a bunch of cheaters. The truth of all of this, though, is that for those who actually know the details of Spygate, that was an issue of arrogance on Belichick’s part, and even his statement earlier this year at the press conference regarding air pressure measurement affirms his stance that the rule they broke was, in his eyes, silly. But in the case of Spygate, you had a situation where the team was caught, told to move their cameras to another angle and carry on. Belichick refused, and his ego unfortunately led to that scenario. I understand that, I can move on from that. Moral of the story there is don’t be an arrogant prick.
Cut to the AFC Championship Game against the Colts this year. The Patriots manhandled the Colts for what is becoming an annual party with a blowout win. The next morning, a story gets out about balls being under-inflated and Brady says on sports radio “Well, I’ve just about heard it all.” with a laugh and verbal shrug. Fast forward a few months and Brady is suspended for being “at least generally aware” of football deflation. Think about that, NFL fans. If tomorrow Peyton Manning’s limo driver kills someone in a car accident after dropping Peyton off at home, wouldn’t it be insane to think that Peyton was “generally aware” of the crime, and likely to be thrown in prison alongside the driver? That is the precedent Roger Goodell and the league are standing on at the moment. At this point in the game, court documents and emails have confirmed that the NFL and, specifically, Commissioner Goodell, are lying through their teeth. They’re doing this because they know they can, and backing down now would make the man look even more useless.
While nothing is likely to be done about this, I believe the league’s true intention with all of this hoopla was to keep the NFL in the news throughout the offseason and, most importantly, deflect the real issues that need to be addressed. Does anyone care about domestic violence now that we can point at Brady and the Patriots and cry “Cheaters!”. The NFL’s concussion issue, a potentially $700,000,000 lawsuit, hasn’t been mentioned since January (to my knowledge) because it’s a lot more fun and satisfying to look the other way and try and get one over on the World Champions. Sheeple, take notice, we’re being played.
Was Brady “generally aware” of deflating footballs? My answer is no. I don’t think the guy had anything to do with it, and frankly I don’t see the evidence to be damning towards him. Can anyone prove, one way or the other, that anything happened? Where you fall in this whole debacle is largely based on your level of butthurt. I will say though, that for the first time, I sympathize with Saints and Dolphins fans. If this level of incompetence was similar to what you folks went through in the Richie Incognito and Bountygate scandals then I have to give all of you fans an apology, because if your team was railroaded the way mine is being right now then the NFL has a much more damning issue than some footballs with low air pressure.
Football PSI, Cobain: Montage of Heck and The Superhero Bubble
Timing is everything, and as I write this article news is breaking of the punishment for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots regarding the football PSI scandal (I’m done using “-gate” terms for this shit, it’s annoying). You guys know me, I’m a die-hard Pats fan and I have no shame in admitting I have issues with how this entire debacle came together, was propagated by the media and continues to leave Patriots-haters salty. Look, human beings make mistakes. If there truly was evidence found implicating Brady and the team in some sort of wrongdoing, I’d walk away, angrily, but I’d get on with my life. Because of what was found in the Wells Report and the media’s reaction to and reporting of the findings, this is a sad day for the Patriots and the NFL. The message that was sent with this ruling was clear; wife-beaters, child abusers and possible murderers are a-ok, but if you may be “generally aware” of a ball being deflated, you have committed crimes against football and you must be tarred, feathered and shamed in public.
If you’re someone who Brady has repeatedly spanked over the years and you don’t like the guy, that’s fine. You have that right, and frankly if I didn’t have Brady as my QB I’d probably hate the guy too. The problem with this ruling is the precedent for rules and guidelines in the NFL does not exist, and furthermore isn’t clear. Why is this important? Because it now says that without any good reason if tomorrow Odell Beckham Jr. is found to have used deer antler spray on his inner thigh that contains an illegal substance the league has deemed unuseable the commissioner can have his first-born and enact Prima Noctra. It’s bullshit, and while you non-Pats fans may be happy that you won’t have to deal with Brady for potentially a quarter of next season, you should all be just as pissed as I am. The PSI rule being broken carries a $25,000 fine with it, which for some reason is being overlooked in this case. Whatever, I can’t go on about it any further, but I will say this here and now: next season is tainted. Whoever gets the Lombardi (and I include the Patriots in this) needs to have an asterisk next to their title, standing for the non-Brady handicap. Fuck Goodell. #FreeTomBrady.
So much piss and vinegar this week! It has a lot to do with the fact that moments before I read my special boy Brady is suspended that I saw Cobain: Montage of Heck, the documentary about Kurt Cobain’s life. While I found the documentary to be understandably one-sided and curiously absent of any interview with Dave Grohl it was still affecting and disturbing. Kurt was clearly a broken individual with a tough background, but at times the documentary seems to be using that as an excuse for how he treated others and, ultimately, what led to his suicide. Still though, I can’t help but find the documentary to paint a pretty vivid picture of the type of person he was, while maybe ignoring some of the more unsympathetic aspects of who he was. 8/10 all day.
Finally, I, like many of the people on this planet, got to see Avengers: Age of Ultron, and like many I felt a little underwhelmed by the film. I’ve grown up in the golden age of the superhero. I never read most of these comics but with the first two Spider-Man films, the first two X-Men films and Nolan’s Batman trilogy I have become a huge fan of these cinema landscapes. It was a given that I’d like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and at this point these films have a certain level of quality to them that sticks the landing every time. As a non-comic book reader, I can’t appreciate Vision embracing Scarlett Witch on screen the way some others can, but I do appreciate the fuck out of my boy Paul Bettany getting to beat some ass on-screen. What I’m getting at with all of this is that we are very spoiled right now. If you like superhero stories, you’re getting at least one good one a year for the foreseeable future. The bubble, however, is about ready to burst, and while I think I’m in for the long haul on most of these even I can see where in the wrong hands these stories can start to fall apart. Ultron felt like the lead-up to another Marvel film rather than a story on its own merits, which was disappointing. The first Avengers had finality to it. By the end of that film, all the characters went on a certain journey and concluded that adventure in a satisfying way, with some laughs, serious thrills and enough strands of future stories that setting up the next few films didn’t seem like a gimmick. Ultron was too full of gimmick for me. Why bring in Andy Serkis for two scenes? So he can have his arm ripped off and set up Black Panther. Tony Stark wasn’t held accountable for creating Ultron in this film? That’s just so he and the Cap have something to fight over in Civil War. There’s a lot of intentional story-threading here and it’s a little disappointing that there was so much intent put on that rather than just making this story work well. All that being said, I still enjoyed the movie as entertainment, it just didn’t have the resonance the first one had with me. Still though, I’ll go 8/10 just because Paul Bettany is my boy. How much longer will these films be good? That remains to be seen.
One last time: fuck Roger Goodell. I will be protesting this ruling in my own special way, so stay tuned for that, but as always, Binge On!