Life's Too Sports

Thus far, Season 6 of Fear the Walking Dead has produced two intriguing bottle episodes -- the season premiere (revealing Morgan's fate) and last week's emotional rollercoaster (revolving around the trio of Alicia, Strand, and Daniel). However, Sunday's "Alaska" may feature this season's most powerful narrative to date. Though the episode begins with Morgan gifting supplies to Rachel and her newborn baby (also named Morgan), his promise to return with Grace and the remainder of his people will have to wait until later in Season 6. Indeed, this week's episode focuses primarily on the journey of Dwight and Al, who have set out to examine locations where "things have gone south", reporting back to Virginia to help her organization avoid similar mistakes. To make their task more bearable, the pair create a grim game for themselves -- snatching licenses out of the wallets of fallen walkers and trying to collect as many states as possible. It's ...

In last week's episode of the most recent  Walking Dead spin-off, Felix and Huck reunited with the four teenagers in their quest to rescue Dr. Leopold Bennett from imminent danger at the CRM headquarters in New York. However, the pair of young adults seem to possess a more realistic mindset than Iris, Hope, Elton, and Silas -- Felix insists that the gang doesn't know what they're walking into, remaining determined to keep them safe. When our party of six stumbles across an abandoned high school to conduct a supply raid, they split into three pairs -- Felix intends to convince Elton that their mission is foolhardy, Iris blows off Hope in favor of Silas, and Huck attempts to uncover the true meaning behind the trail that Hope left behind. As the pairs go their separate ways, Iris ensures Felix that she remembers their training techniques, quoting his statement: "It's all about avoidance." Hope soon echoes this sentiment, feeling that Iris has avoided speaking to...

While last week's  season premiere  of Fear the Walking Dead is nothing short of riveting, it fails to address the current location of many of our favorite survivors. As promised, this Sunday's "bottle episode" provides further insight on the whereabouts of Alicia Clark, Victor Strand, and Daniel Salazar. "Welcome to the Club" begins with Virginia's night crew being tasked with the near-impossible job of overcoming dozens of walkers covered in molasses. Unfortunately, their efforts quickly go horribly wrong -- a partially jammed door causes Virginia's rangers and the entirety of her night crew (aside from a terrified, indecisive Sanjay) to become walker food. Meanwhile, Alicia and Strand are on [excrement]-cleaning duty when they are approached by Marcus, one of Virginia's more hostile rangers. When Strand challenges his authority, Marcus pulls a gun on both of them -- only to be talked down by Dakota, Virginia's younger sister. Alicia and St...

Similarly to last week's "The Blaze of Gory" , this Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead: World Beyond does not provide much in the way of plot furtherance -- however, it does finish setting the stage for the dramatic journey promised in its series debut . While the first two episodes of this series focus mainly on Hope and Iris Bennett, episode three begins providing background information on the intriguing history of Silas, our resident "gentle giant". As Silas refuses to kill empties (carrying his friends' bags instead), it starts to become evident that a violent past threatens his present-day ability to survive outside the walls of their community. Throughout "The Tyger and the Lamb", Silas is greeted by flashbacks, including the audio from his sixth birthday tape, a conversation with Iris in her father's classroom, and the memory of an imaginative poem she once wrote. While it is unclear precisely what haunts Silas, another flashback ...

The Atlanta Braves scored six runs in the sixth inning on Thursday, en route to their lopsided 10-2 victory over the Dodgers in NLCS Game 4. Despite being blown out in Game 3, Atlanta's bounce-back effort in Thursday's Game 4 propels them to a 3-1 series advantage as they seek to advance to their first World Series since 1999. As expected, the Braves' winning formula proved once again to be solid pitching and timely hitting, much as they received in their  Game 1 and Game 2  victories earlier in the week. Meanwhile, the Dodgers' October opposition benefitted (once again) from the inability of star pitcher Clayton Kershaw to deliver in a clutch moment. Despite allowing only one run through five innings of work, Kershaw's solid outing quickly crumbled in the sixth, and reliever Brusdar Graterol was unable to stop the bleeding. With the score tied, 1-1 in the bottom of the inning, Braves' first baseman Freddie Freeman stepped to the plate hungry to deliver a clutc...

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers by the score of 8-7 in NLCS Game 2 on Tuesday. For the Braves, this evening's victory propels them to a flawless, 7-0 record thus far in the 2020 MLB Postseason. Despite Atlanta's Game 1 win coming courtesy of a ninth-inning rally, NLCS Game 2 proved to be much less stressful . . . for awhile. As the contest progressed, the Dodgers' greatest threat seemed to come in a pivotal third inning plate appearance, when Will Smith grounded into a force-out to strand the bases loaded. From that moment forward, it was all Atlanta, as the Braves' star-studded lineup sought to capitalize on Clayton Kershaw's absence (due to back spasms). The Braves' offensive onslaught began in the fourth inning, when Freddie Freeman launched a home run for the second consecutive night to make it 2-0. In the fifth, however, their lead became nearly insurmountable. Cristian Pache and Freddie Freeman both recorded RBI knocks before Los Angel...

With five eclectic seasons in the rearview, AMC aired the Season 6 premiere of  Fear the Walking Dead on Sunday, October 11. And if the premiere is any indication, viewers are in for a captivating ride this season. Initially, the introduction of the series'  70th episode  is quite reminiscent of its Season 4 premiere, featuring a character "running from something" and stumbling across a fellow survivor in the woods. Unfortunately for Walter (the runner), his time as an on-screen survivor is relatively short-lived, as he immediately encounters one of the most sinister individuals in the history of The Walking Dead universe. While this villain seems cordial upon introduction (gifting Walter beans and accepting his company), Emile soon reveals his true colors by beheading the newcomer with an axe. He then removes a mysterious key from Walter's corpse and leaves the site alongside his dog, Rufus. However, the apocalyptic bounty hunter is quickly called into action once m...

The Atlanta Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers by the score of 5-1 in NLCS Game 1 on Monday night. Both teams entered the contest with flawless postseason records of 5-0. The Dodgers swept the Brewers and Padres. The Braves swept the  Reds  and  Marlins . Thus, in Game 1 of the NLCS, something had to give. The first inning brought immediate joy to the Atlanta fanbase, as veteran Freddie Freeman shook off the rust with a solo shot to give the Braves a 1-0 edge. In the fifth, however, Dodgers' infielder Enrique Hernandez launched a solo blast of his own, knotting the score at one run apiece. Predictably, runs were difficult to come by in Monday night's matchup. Braves' starter Max Fried posted a truly impressive line (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO). Meanwhile, Dodgers' starter Walker Buehler posted a respectable line in his own right, despite a high pitch count due to a plethora of walks issued (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 7 SO). Nonetheless, Atlanta flexed thei...

Last week, the series premiere of The Walking Dead: World Beyond generated a plethora of questions for viewers across the globe. And while Sunday's second episode didn't do much in terms of plot furtherance, it provided useful background information and helped illuminate a glaring issue -- despite Felix's training, this teenage gang is truly incapable of surviving outside the safety of their walls. The point is driven home almost instantly as viewers painfully watch Iris attempt to kill her first "empty" in completely inept fashion.  Later, Elton spray paints one of the dead, Silas fails to attack it, and Hope eventually lures it into a swimming pool and flips it off as though she's accomplished something remarkable. We're about a decade into the apocalypse now and nobody in this gang has ever killed an empty, which certainly doesn't bode very well for their survivability. Nonetheless, "The Blaze of Gory" does  feature some interesting chara...

On Sunday, October 11, AMC is slated to air the Season 6 premiere of spinoff series  Fear the Walking Dead (alongside the second episode of World Beyond ). With this in mind, I thought it might be interesting to rank all five seasons of the series currently in circulation. (Please note that these rankings are subjective, and thus, subject to change.) If you haven't seen all five seasons of this show, be warned: there are spoilers ahead . 5. Season Five There seems to be little argument amongst Fear fans that the most current season is the worst of the bunch. Quite honestly, the first half of this season has some very interesting storylines, as fans try to unpack a rather layered plot. The season starts with a plane crash, Al encounters a mysterious woman, a community of small children pose a threat to our survivors, and Logan of C&L Freight Services moves into his role as the series' newest villain. However, Season 5 quickly goes off the rails with too much captured video f...

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the New York Yankees by the score of 2-1 in Game 5 of the ALDS on Friday evening.  Despite finishing their 2020 campaign with the best record in the American League (40-20), Tampa Bay's season hung in the balance in a decisive ALDS contest against their pesky division rivals. Both the Rays and Yankees swept their American League Wild Card Series matchups (against the Blue Jays and Indians, respectively) to qualify for Major League Baseball's final eight. And in Friday's decisive Game 5, it seemed as though the 27-time MLB champion Yankees may be poised for yet another ALCS appearance. In the first inning, the Rays had a golden opportunity to jump out to an early lead with the bases loaded, but failed to capitalize. In the fourth, Yankees' outfielder Aaron Judge went deep to give New York a slim 1-0 advantage. However, Tampa Bay responded in the fifth with a solo shot of their own, courtesy of leadoff hitter Austin Meadows. Aside from two midd...

For the first time since 2001, the Atlanta Braves are headed to the NLCS. Through the opening two rounds of the 2020 MLB Playoffs, Atlanta posts an impressive 5-0 record (including four shutouts): NL Wild Card Series Game 1: Braves 1, Reds 0 (13) Game 2: Braves 5, Reds 0 NL Divisional Series Game 1: Braves 9, Marlins 5 Game 2: Braves 2, Marlins 0 Game 3: Braves 7, Marlins 0 In NLDS Game 3 on Thursday, the Braves left no doubt that they belong amongst baseball's final four. Despite stranding the bases loaded in the second inning, Atlanta's offensive firepower seemed poised to break Miami's spirit in the ensuing innings. In the third, Atlanta scored four runs, including perhaps their biggest offensive contribution of the contest -- a two-run double from their red-hot catcher, Travis d'Arnaud. During this inning, Marcell Ozuna also drove in a run to extend his hot streak, and Dansby Swanson recorded a sacrifice fly for good measure. In the fourth, Atlanta struck again -- ...

The Oakland Athletics tallied five unanswered runs in the late innings of ALDS Game 3 to extend their season. Despite  edging the Chicago White Sox  in the American League Wild Card Series, the Athletics' window of success seemed to be closing against the rival Houston Astros in the 2020 ALDS. The Astros took Game 1 by the score of 10-5 and Game 2 by the score of 5-2. Thus, the A's entered Wednesday's contest in need of three consecutive victories to stave off elimination and propel themselves into the ALCS. While there's still much work to be done, Oakland has to feel thrilled with their comeback efforts in Game 3. After squandering two early leads and allowing the Astros to score five times in the fifth inning, all hope seemed to be lost for the scuffling A's. With the seventh inning underway, Houston led Oakland 7-4, standing merely nine outs away from their fourth consecutive ALCS appearance. And then, Chad Pinder struck for an electrifying three-run shot to kno...

The Atlanta Braves overcame the Miami Marlins by the score of 2-0 on Wednesday to take a 2-0 series lead in the NLDS (best-of-5). For Atlanta, it's been relatively smooth sailing thus far in the 2020 MLB Postseason. Following a  Freddie Freeman walk-off  in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series, the Braves dropped the hammer in Game 2 to sweep the Cincinnati Reds, winning their first postseason series in 19 years. Atlanta followed up their Wild Card Series success with an  explosive 7th inning  to propel them to victory in NLDS Game 1 against the Marlins. However, Wednesday's victory seemed to carry additional weight, as the Braves now stand only one win away from their first NLCS appearance since 2001. Though the scoreboard reflects a close contest, Game 2 was never truly in doubt. Dansby Swanson homered in the second inning, Travis d'Arnaud homered in the fourth, and the Braves carried their 2-0 lead throughout the remainder of the afternoon. However, per...

After defeating the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Wild Card Series, the Atlanta Braves entered Tuesday's NLDS contest poised to defy history. In recent weeks, there has been much talk of the Miami (Florida) Marlins' impressive playoff history. Despite 2020 serving as their third postseason appearance, the franchise has never lost a playoff series in its 28-year history -- winning two World Series titles and posting an overall series record of 7-0. Although Ronald Acuna Jr. went deep in Atlanta's first at-bat of Game 1 on Tuesday, the momentum quickly shifted in favor of Miami. Miguel Rojas knotted the score with a home run in the second inning -- and in the third, the Marlins tacked on three additional runs, courtesy of RBIs from Garrett Cooper and Brian Anderson. The Braves managed to cut into their deficit in the bottom of the third with a pair of RBI doubles from Marcell Ozuna and Travis d'Arnaud. However, Marlins' starter Sandy Alcantara helped his tea...

On Sunday, October 4, AMC aired the series premiere of World Beyond , the third installment in The Walking Dead franchise. Though billed as a limited series (featuring only two seasons with a total of 20 episodes), World Beyond generated much anticipation throughout the fandom for a variety of reasons -- the most obvious being further knowledge about a three-ring emblem spotted on helicopters in each of the franchise's two established series. In "What Comes After" [ The Walking Dead : Season 9, Episode 5], protagonist Rick Grimes is rescued by a helicopter featuring this mysterious emblem -- an emblem that reappears in "The End of Everything" [ Fear the Walking Dead : Season 5, Episode 5], when Althea Szewczyk-Przygocki (better known as Al) encounters a woman named Isabelle with a top-secret mission. As the fandom has now spent two years wondering about the reoccurring emblem, World Beyond promised to address their curiosity while presenting the "comin...

Despite falling to the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, the Oakland Athletics rebounded with consecutive wins in Games 2 and 3 to snag their first postseason series victory in 14 years, advancing to the ALDS for the first time since 2013. After digging a 3-0 hole in Thursday's decisive Game 3, Oakland rallied with four runs in the fourth inning to take the lead. However, their biggest hit of the afternoon came in the bottom of the fifth, with the score tied 4-4. In perhaps the most crucial plate appearance of his life, Chad Pinder stepped to the plate with an opportunity to defy history. Prior to this at-bat, Pinder had posted a 2-for-35 career mark with the bases loaded. However, on Thursday, he came up with a massive two-run single to propel the A's to a 6-4 advantage. And they didn't look back. Oakland now looks forward to a best-of-5 series with the Houston Astros to be played on neutral ground at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Needless to say, th...

In July 2016, the Harry Potter fandom received a highly-anticipated gift -- the release of a sequel to the original series:  Harry Potter and the Cursed Child . Like millions across the globe, I found myself extremely excited for the first new Harry Potter story since 2007.  As I was unable to travel to London to witness the play, I drove to my local target on July 31 and purchased the script in its written form. In case anyone is still unaware, this story was not meant to be enjoyed via words on a page. While those who attend the live-action production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child  tend to cite its stunning visual effects and overlook an unfulfilling plot, the written format feels more like an intriguing fanfiction. Here are five examples of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child losing the narrative integrity of Rowling's original series. 1. Delphini "Diggory" If you're unfamiliar with this story and do not wish to have it spoiled, now would be a good time to st...