🏈 NFL 2019-20 Final Regular Season Weekend Review 🏈

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NFL 2019-20 Week 17 Review 

Well, this season is over. At least the regular season is, anyway. And it ends prematurely for a lot of teams who had playoff hopes until recent weeks, such as the Steelers, Colts, Broncos, Rams and Bears all go home after failing to qualify in these finals weeks.  

There are other teams who are going to the playoffs, but who might feel like an opportunity for a higher seed, or a playoff bye, was missed. That would surely include the Seahawks, who lost their last two home games to end this season in a rather dismal note. It would also include the Patriots, who blew an opportunity to clinch what I still feel was a much-needed playoff bye after failing to beat the last place Miami Dolphins at home in the final week.  

The playoff picture is now set, and I will make predictions about the playoffs later this week. For now, however, let us review the games that were played yesterday in the NFL, and explain in greater detail how these outcomes impacted the playoff picture:  

Green Bay 23, Detroit 20 – Let me admit one thing: when I saw that the Lions were leading this game, 17-3, I was a little excited, but refused to get too excited about this possible stunner, knowing only too well the well-established history in recent decades of Detroit football teams flirting with doing something great, pulling off some kind of major upset, only to completely fall apart at the end. Sure enough, they suffered a complete collapse, and the Packers predictably came back to win this game. The Pack keeps winning, and the Lions keep losing. They may have been cheated in the first game, but this collapse has their DNA all over it, and I do not believe that it was a controversial call that caused this latest collapse. A dismal end to a horrific year that, once upon a time, seemed actually promising for this team. But they lose their ninth straight game to end with a horrible 3-12-1 record, which is one of the worst in the league. Green Bay gets the playoff bye as the second seed. No surprises here at all. My pick: Accurate  

Miami 27, New England 24 – You just know that the Dolphins were salivating at the prospects of taking down the team that has haunted the other teams in the AFC East for two decades now. When these two teams last met, the Patriots were absolutely on fire, looking not only like the best team in the league as the defending Super Bowl champions, but looking like an all-time team. They destroyed the Dolphins in Miami, 43-0, just one week after the Ravens had picked Miami apart, 59-10. But my, how times have changed. The Pats started 8-0, but wound up losing four of their last eight games, including three of their final five now, and this one probably hurt more than the others. Why? Because they seemed to have the second seed in the AFC playoffs locked up. That would mean a week off to rest and regroup, as well as refocus, and then a home playoff game, where they usually win. Now instead, this loss coupled with the Kansas City win drops New England to the third seed, the lowest they have been all season, and that means that they have to play a game next weekend. And the Dolphins exposed some of the Patriots weaknesses, which have been on display in recent weeks. As humiliating as the blowout loss must have been for this Miami team earlier this year, this game must have been tremendous and exhilarating for them. And as awesome as it must have felt at the time for the Pats to crush the Fins in Miami en route to a historically dominant first half of the season, this loss must feel like a new low, as it really underscores the weaknesses that multiple teams have now exposed against them. It has also happened twice in Foxboro, where the Pats looked invincible, up until earlier this season. But New England hobbles to the finish line for this regular season, and they do not look like a sure bet even for next week’s wildcard game. A solid win for the hard working, never quite Dolphins. My pick: Inaccurate  

Kansas City 31, L.A. Chargers 21 – The Chargers put up a real fight, made this an actual game that the Chiefs had to find a way to win, even when they were not playing their best. Yet, they survived, managed to win. With that win, they now earn the second seed throughout the playoffs, with the bye that comes with it, as a result of the Patriots loss. Again, it was not pretty. But KC managed to get the result that they wanted, and they earned a sixth straight win in the process. I think they actually might have a better chance this season than they did last year, when they were the top seed, because they learned some things, stuck with it even after some rough times, and look like a more complete team, with a potentially explosive offense, and a serious defense that is not merely trying not to screw up the game for the high-powered offense. This is a dangerous team. My pick: Accurate  

Chicago 21, Minnesota 19 – This game actually involved a playoff team, but they were resting their starters. Yes, the Vikings had nothing at stake in this game, as the loss last weekend to the Packers assured no division title, and that Minnesota would be locked into the sixth seed of the NFC playoffs. So with nothing to gain, and wanting to keep their starters healthy, understandably, the Vikings did not play well. Meanwhile, the Bears were ending their season, and wanted to do so on a high note. They played well, even if Minnesota began to make a comeback in the final quarter. But it was not enough as the Bears held them off to earn the win, and finish on a positive, managing to avoid a losing season with their 8-8 record. The Vikings will now prepare for a road game in New Orleans next weekend, in a rematch of the wild divisional round playoff game a few years ago. My pick: Accurate  

New Orleans 42, Carolina 10 – The Saints were playing like a team possessed in the first half, racing off to a 35-0 lead, before effectively cruising to an easy 42-10 win the rest of the way. Drew Brees completed 19 of 30 passes for 253 yards, with three touchdown passes, adding to his record number of touchdown passes. New Orleans dominated time of possession, and had decisive advantages in total yards and first downs gained. They also did not turn the ball over, while the Panthers turned it over three times. A complete effort by the Saints, who tie a franchise best overall record of 13-3. Yet surprisingly, also for the second time in franchise history, that record fails to earn a playoff bye for the Saints. They still look impressive, but assuming that they win next weekend against the Vikings, they would have to go on the road to Lambeau Field for the divisional round. My pick: Accurate  

Atlanta 28, Tampa Bay 22 – This was a strange game. The Bucs fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter, but came back to score 22 points in the second. Yet, they would not score any points again in the entire game, which included the overtime session. In overtime, Jameis Winston threw a pick six to secure an Atlanta win. Not exactly the way that you want to end a season. Winston became the first player in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in a season, yet also throw 30 interceptions. That is almost an average of two INT’s per game! The Falcons recovered from a horrific 1-7 start to the season by winning six of their last eight. As I mentioned before, if they had managed to do that a bit earlier, and if they had been playing this well from the start of the season, they very well might have been a playoff team. My pick: Accurate  

N.Y. Jets 13, Buffalo 6 – Gang Green managed to earn a win in a very tough place, but of course it was not the Bills starters that the Jets beat on this final day of the season. Yes, Buffalo was locked into the fifth seed, and so they had no stake in this one. So, they made this a de facto bye week, as they now prepare for Houston. For the Jets, this was a good win, and after a horrific 1-7 start, they end the season having won six of their final eight games. Not quite meeting the high expectations prior to the start of the season, but a nice win to end on a high not. My pick: Accurate  

Cincinnati 33, Cleveland 23 – It was not much, but the Bengals at least ended the season on a high note, beating their cross state rivals, and earning only their second win of the entire season. The Browns did not look good, but this was a disappointing season almost from the get-go for them. It was not a meaningful game for either team, at least in terms of playoff positioning. Also, the Bengals had already locked up the first overall pick in the draft, with the worst record in the league. My pick: Accurate  

Philadelphia 34, N.Y. Giants 17 – Well, another miserable season for the Giants ends with another miserable loss to the Eagles. It was a tight game until the fourth quarter, when Philly scored 17 unanswered to clinch the win and the NFC East division title finally, once and for all. They improve to 9-7, and will host the Seahawks in the wildcard game next weekend. As for the Giants, this loss completes their 4-12 season, and there will likely be a lot of changes in the long offseason to come for the G-Men. My pick: Accurate  

Dallas 47, Washington 16 – Well, the Cowboys sure got the job done on their end in trying to win the NFC East and reach the playoffs, although Philly’s win against the Giants ended their hopes. Still, the Cowboys played extremely well in this one, scoring 47 points and allowing only 16 in a huge blowout win against their division rivals. The Cowboys end the season at 8-8, and it feels like another big missed opportunity of a season for the Big D. A nice win, but another disappointment for a team that sure looked good enough to reach the playoffs earlier this season. Instead, they end 8-8, while Washington finished with a 3-13 record, second worst in the league, and worst in the NFC. My pick: Accurate  

L.A. Rams 31, Arizona 24 – The Rams hardly finished the season with fireworks, and this game would not have been enough to qualify for the playoffs, after the two straight losses prior to this game had ended what hopes the defending NFC Champions had. But still the Rams earned a solid win to end the season off on a good note, and should feel better heading into an offseason filled with questions that need to be addressed, if this team hopes to return back to elite form. As for the Cardinals, they finish the season with a 5-10-1 record, which was not bad, as they continue building towards a brighter future. My pick: Accurate  

Denver 16, Oakland 15 – Neither of these two AFC West teams were going to the playoffs, obviously. For all intents and purposes, this game was a battle for second place in the division, without a chance at a playoff berth. The Broncos hosted, and managed to win to end the season on a high note. After a bad start to the season, Denver won their final two games and ended at 7-9. The Raiders also ended at 7-9, although they were 6-4 and with an excellent chance to qualify for the postseason, seemingly, before a very late season collapse ended what hopes they once had. My pick: Accurate  

Jax 38, Indianapolis 20 – The Jaguars tried out new uniforms in this game, keeping their proud tradition of ugly uniforms alive. But they also earned the win to end the season off in strong fashion, Minishew Mania is still alive, and may continue into next season with this win, although the situation with Nick Foles, a quarterback that this team went through some trouble to obtain, remains uncertain. In any case, this was a good win that allowed the Jaguars to end the season in a high note. My pick: Inaccurate  

Baltimore 28, Pittsburgh 10 – The Ravens won their 12th straight game, and finished the season with a franchise best ever 14-2 overall record. They also had 223 yards rushing against Pittsburgh, which secured an NFL single season team rushing record of 3,296 yards, just beating a mark previously held by the New England Patriots back in 1978. What was surprising was that the Ravens played so well and dominated the Steelers, even though this game actually did not mean much to them, and had no bearing on the playoffs, other than the loss eliminating the Steelers, who would have been eliminated anyway due to the win by the Titans. Pittsburgh ends the season the way that they started it, with a dismal three-game losing streak that leaves a bad taste in their mouths for a second straight offseason. My pick: Inaccurate  

Tennessee 35, Houston 14 – The Titans managed to earn that final spot in the AFC playoff by virtue of beating the Texans in Houston, thus overcome their previous two-game losing streak to earn a date next weekend. They will not head off to New England, where they lost two years ago in the divisional round. For the Texans, this game did not mean much, as the win by KC assured that Houston would be the fourth seed. As such, they will host the Bills in the first AFC Wildcard game next weekend. My pick: Accurate  

Sunday Night Football - San Francisco 26, Seattle 21 – What a game again between these two teams! The 49ers looked ready to dominate early on, but Seattle ultimately battled back to get back into this game. It became a close, back and forth game again, like the first meeting. In fact, it came down to the last seconds of the final quarter, when the Seahawks were deep in San Fran territory, with a chance to take the late lead. But a missed call, as well as a dumb delay of game penalty, ultimately hurt them. They still came close, missing the end zone by mere inches on their final offensive play. But San Fran hung on for the win, and thus clinched the NFC West title, as well as the top seed in the NFC playoffs with this victory. My pick: Accurate

Star Wars: ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ Video Review by Chris Stuckmann With Spoilers

Some years ago, I stumbled on a series of reviews - both spoiler-free and with spoilers - of literally every Star Wars move that was made.

These reviews were well done, intelligently analyzed and, I think, fairly reviewed. He noticed both the good and the bad, and explained the inconsistencies. Sometimes, he pointed out and explained aspects of these movies that I had noticed but not fully formulated or thought of the words for in my own mind, both positive and negative.

So, these reviews by Chris Stuckman seemed like a solid thing to add, and I am relying on his video to do it again this time, too.

Here is his review of 'The Rise of Skywalker' with full spoilers, so be warned:

Star Wars: ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ Full Review, Including Spoilers

We were excited about seeing the movie for a long time, like all Star Wars fans were. And I already reviewed the movie without spoilers earlier.           


But this following review will have spoilers, so if you have not seen the movie yet, this is your chance to turn away, to close this page and go see the movie without this review ruining any of the surprises, because there are surprises.           


Last call, last chance. If you read on, there will be spoilers.           

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Okay, so now, here goes. The spoiler-filled review of ‘The Rise of Skywalker.’           


First of all, it felt like much of the movie was a bit rushed. The pacing was uneven. I had heard that the first half was slow, while the second half went so fast, that you hardly had a chance to catch your breath. To some degree, that is true, although it certainly was not ridiculously slow in the first half. The action in the second half was predictable. It is a Star Wars movie, after all. The bigger problem to me, however, was that the storyline at times felt rather incomplete. There were a lot of questions that were answered, but there were others that remained unanswered, or which felt glossed over.


In fact, I hear some suggesting that this movie was a hot mess of Easter eggs, which sounded quite accurate to me, frankly.


It was all a bit too much at times, almost to the point of being distracting of the fact that this is supposed to be it’s own movie.


To be sure, there were moments when I felt emotional and nostalgic, when we glimpsed the old Star Wars universe, if you will. Such as Luke catching the lightsaber, and making his presumably final appearance in these movies as a Force Ghost. Also, Chewie’s reaction upon hearing about the death of Leia was powerful and emotional. This film did have some moments like that.       


Indeed, there were a lot of Easter eggs, obvious allusions to other movies, to the point that they felt excessive and, frankly, like shameless pandering to the old school Star Wars fans. There were times when this film reminded me of Indiana Jones, almost. But mostly, there were just a lot of references to other movies, including the very one that director J.J. Abrams clearly seems to want everyone to forget: ‘The Last Jedi.’ Yes, Luke catching the lightsaber is meant to serve as a retort and reprimand to Luke’s tossing of the lightsaber in that last film, and it also kind of reminds us of when we saw Luke last catch lightsabers, in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ and ‘Return of the Jedi.’ There was also an appearance by the porgs, which were some of the most popular new creatures from ‘The Last Jedi.’


There were plenty of other moments when we see nostalgia of earlier films. Obviously, the return of some of the characters, including Chewie, C-3PO, and R2-D2, the return of Lando Calrissian, as well as appearances by all three of the main characters of the original trilogy in some form or other: Leia, Luke, and Han Solo. We get to visit yet another desert planet, and there is even an homage of sorts to the fact that it has been 42 years since the release of Star Wars, with that festival that only comes around once every 42 years, according to C-3PO. There are kind of skiffs that are a bit reminiscent of those used by Jabba’s entourage in ‘Return of the Jedi.’


Before finishing this particular review with spoilers, I went ahead and watched the newest Star Wars movie a second time. This allowed me to view it without the distraction of surprises, since I had already seen it and knew what was going on. Also, I had watched and read some reviews, and knew a bit more what to kook out for.


One example: when Han Solo is talking to Kylo/Ben, just before Kylo finally turns away from the Dark Side and becomes Ben again. I had not caught onto the significance of Han Solo’s last words, which were “I know.” This was in response to Kylo/Ben beginning to talk to him, and seeming to be on the verge of telling him that he loved him. It was a nod to Han saying those same words in response to Leia in ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ after Leia tells Han that she loves him. It made it all the more powerful, packing an emotional punch, and was a nice touch, even though I had not quite grasped it for some reason after the first viewing.


Now again, I watched a lot of videos after seeing the movie the first time, and admittedly, most of the reviews were negative ones. A lot of people, or I should clarify a lot of passionate Star Wars fans, really did not seem to like this movie, and truth be told, I can really understand that.


My problems with the movie were consistent with the consensus among many of these fans and critics. Specifically, I did not like the pacing, and felt that they tried to pack too much into too short of a movie. Some parts felt rushed, and other parts felt a bit forced. There were contradictions with the storyline, and also, admittedly, while I was excited on some level with the return of the Emperor, it did not come in quite the manner I expected.


Okay, here’s the thing about the Emperor: he seems to die in ‘Return of the Jedi.’ You know what? Let’s be a bit more blunt about it: he dies outright. For over three and a half decades, that was our understanding of the events towards the end of that movie, right? I mean, Darth Vader/ Anakin Skywalker is watching Emperor Palpatine electrocute his son, right before his eyes. There was no uncertainty, because Palpatine outright declared that this was what he was going to do, and he was very clearly doing that. But then, Vader/Anakin lifts the Emperor up over his head, and then throws him down one of those endless pits that Star Wars movies are so famous for. We see an explosion at the end. Then, a few minutes later, as Luke is struggling to help his father to one of the ships, we realize he has to rush to escape the Death Star, because it is about to blow up. And it does blow up, and presumably, the Emperor blows up with it. If he had not been killed by the fall, or by the electrical explosion at the end of that fall, then surely, he must have died a fiery death when his most dangerous creation explodes, right? In other words, there is really no way that he could have survived. Period.


Wrong, apparently. But how did he escape? Hell, how did he even survive at all? That is never explained. Why did he systematically go into hiding? Why create Snoke and others to do his dirty work? After all, he is the Emperor, the undisputed leader of the Empire. Presumably, he does not need to hide, one would think. Yet, he does. Why? That, also, is never explained. He just suddenly is there, in some sinister lair on the Sith planet of Exegol. It is never explained how he survived, how he got there, and why he seems to be attached to that weird machine. Is that his life support system? Again, it is not explained. He does not need assistance breathing, as Vader does. And while he seems weaker than we have seen him before, he also seems all-powerful, which is to say more powerful than ever before, simultaneously. Like Obi Wan just before Darth Vader struck him down in the first movie, Emperor Palatine tells Rey that he too will become more powerful if she strikes him down. In fact, he will reside within her.


I don’t know. That seems a bit…well, forced. Weak.


Yes, I understand that J.J. Abrams was kind of put into a very difficult position by Rian Johnson famously throwing a monkey wrench into the machinery of the Star Wars traditional story, and I will get back to that later. For now, I will say that whole Johnson actually had some good and truly innovative ideas, and brought back unpredictability and even a degree of reality.


But the problem with Palpatine surviving is that it completely detracts from the sacrifice of Anakin Skywalker at the end of ‘Return of the Jedi.’ After all, the prophecy that he fulfilled was to bring balance back to the Force. Yet, with the Emperor still alive, he actually has not done that, and so he sacrificed his own life, and apparently for nothing. No, I do not like that. It is a worse betrayal of the legacy of the original films than Luke tossing the lightsaber and refusing to train Rey in ‘The Last Jedi.’ That was a huge problem in this movie.


One of the questions that was never satisfactorily addressed was how Palpatine managed to survive. Upon first learning that Palpatine would be making another appearance in this last Skywalker saga movie, I had kind of expected Emperor Palpatine to be a Force ghost. That was not the case. He actually literally survived the fall and the apparent electrical explosion at the end of ‘Return of the Jedi.’ Yet, not completely, because he seemed to need the use of that machine that seemed to be propping him up, almost like an external version of the body armor/uniform/life support system that kept Darth Vader fully alive and mobile, only this left Palpatine more stationary. He has no pupils and, presumably, no eyesight. He seemed almost half dead at times, although that was likely to make him appear more sinister and zombie or ghost like. I did not see how the energy that he sapped from Ben and Rey would somehow have given him more life and fixed his wounds, however. Perhaps it was mixed with Rey’s bizarre healing abilities (more on that in a little while). That seemed a bit strange and rather cartoonish, and not quite adequately explained, either. If he needed the use of that machine, most likely it was because some aspects of him were broken, and it hardly seems that whatever he sucked out from those two would have necessarily fixed all that.


The Emperor’s Lair, or cave, or whatever that was on the planet Exegol, was kind of cool. Probably a bit forced, because it was predictably eerie, in a kind of overdone way. I did like the chanting, which reminded me a bit of the eerie, strange chanting used in Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic ‘The Shining.’


There were aspects of this film that I liked very much, and then, obviously, some things that I did not really care for. So, let me begin to dissect some of the things that I liked, versus those that I felt took away from the movie, rather than enhanced it.


I kind of expected and even appreciated some of the Easter eggs, although they began to feel like simply too much after a while. But again, there was an emotional punch to Luke’s reappearance, brought on by Rey throwing his old saber into the fire, and Luke intercepting it. I liked Han Solo’s reappearance as well, and his simple line, “I know,” which like when used in ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ effectively cut through yet enhanced the emotion behind the sentiments of the moment. Leia outright told him that she loved him back then, while Ben struggled to find the words, but was saved from having to do so with these two simple words. Speaking of Ben/Kylo, I liked his story arc, and appreciated his turn from the Dark Side to become a Jedi again, fitting as a Skywalker, right at the end.


Rey’s rise to fully become a Jedi knight was predictable, and her turn, if you can call it that, to becoming a “Skywalker” was not what I expected, yet more or less acceptable. Better than being a Palpatine, right? But that said, I still think that all three of these movies suffered from making her a little too perfect, almost completely devoid of flaws. There were a couple of opportunities in this movie when she might have come close to turning towards the Dark Side, particularly when she shot out the lightning and blew up the ship, and believed that she had killed Chewie. Then, she uses the moment that Kylo Ren gets distracted by his mother, Leia, to pierce him with his own lightsaber after he seems to have defeated Rey. It could have been interesting to explore that side of Rey a little more, to make her temptation to the Dark Side feel more real, more of an immediate threat. Of course, we also outright catch a glimpse of a different version of Rey, the one who has given herself to the Dark Side. This was kind of cool, and reminiscent of Luke’s glimpse of his own possible turn to the Dark Side when he sees his own face in Vader’s helmet in ‘The Empire Strikes Back.’ It could have improved the movie to make her feel more realistic, more human, and to be tempted by the Dark Side, like Anakin, Ben, and even Luke were at times. Frankly, it would have made her more interesting. Some flaws would have made her feel more relatable.


That is a flaw throughout this last trilogy. Rey is too perfect, from the beginning of this trilogy, right to the end, and that made it hard to feel any kind of struggle. She seems tempted by the Dark Side, but the light side wins out every single time. Anakin was tempted, and eventually gave in. Luke was tempted, and he really struggled with it. Rey apparently was tempted, and like all other challenges, she overcomes this with a degree of ease that feels frankly unrealistic. After all, she seems to have mastered the deepest intricacies of the Force with hardly any effort on her part. Remember in the first movie, she had never picked up a lightsaber before, and certainly never handled one in battle. Yet, she manages not only to hold her own against a master of the Force, but she outright defeats Kylo Ren. Then in this movie, she defeats the Emperor, and with such ease. He is trying to electrocute her, and she successfully resists – as Mace Windu had done before her - by using not one, but two lightsabers (unlike Windu). Apparently, he never thinks to stop trying to electrocute her, even though it literally tears him apart and (presumably) kills him. That was kind of weak.


All the Sith being in Palpatine, and all of the Jedi being in Rey seemed a bit…well, illogical and, frankly, anti-climactic. Ian McDiarmid


Why couldn’t Kylo Ren have been the main villain? Don’t get me wrong: I really enjoyed Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine. He was a scary villain in the original trilogy, and his character going from a seemingly normal, albeit very ambitious politician, and becoming ever more sinister, until he becomes the all-powerful Emperor, the Sith master of evil. But again, my understanding was that he died. And that was how George Lucas devised it, too, because he told Ian McDiarmid that the Emperor was dead, as well.

Yet here he is again. And the story of how he managed to cheat death is never really explained, other than his words – repeated from the same character’s own words in ‘Revenge of the Sith’ – are the closest to an explanation that we get, which is that the Dark Side is a path to many abilities that some would consider unnatural.


Not much of an explanation there.


Those are some huge holes with this movie, and they lack consistency with the whole Skywalker saga. Many of these things just do not seem to make sense. And that is a shame, because this is the final film for the Skywalker saga. There will be no other chances to try and get this one right. This movie feels too forced, too compromised in that regard. It very well might have been detrimental to the whole saga.


Star Wars is, to me, American mythology at its finest, blending Greek style family drama with incredible modern technology, and just a touch of both eastern-style mysticism and western religious traditions. It transcended a cartoonish kind of labeling to become a classic. Meanwhile, the newest movies - particularly the newest - tries to do way too much in too short a time. The pacing in this last movie was such that you hardly had time to digest what just happened, before something else occurs and, at least in one case, completely contradicts what you thought you had understood. Made me long for the slower pace and simpler feel of the old Star Wars saga.

On Thursday evening of the 19th of December, the night before it was officially released, my son and I went to see the latest Star Wars movie ‘The Rise of Skywalker.’ I then reviewed it on Friday morning, being careful to avoid any spoilers, at least any big spoilers.           


It was exciting to see this, because Star Wars has come to mean a lot to both my son and I. After all, as a kid, I grew up on it, at least from just after ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ onwards. That meant that I actually saw the original movie, which was then still mostly known as ‘Star Wars’ (it would only later be popularly known as ‘A New Hope’). I could not seem to find a way to watch ‘The Empire Strikes Back,” and read the book of it that I got from Scholastic Books (remember them?). So I was familiar with the story, and collected the toys and all of that, and looked forward to what I thought would be many more movies.           


When it finally was released, it was so exciting! I remember how modern, how new, ‘Return of the Jedi’ seemed to me at the time. Luke had a green lightsaber! He wore black, and the picture quality and special effects felt way better than the prior two movies. It holds up relatively well, even after all of these years. I know some people detract from it, for various reasons. Some took exception to the cuteness factor of the Ewoks, which seemed to preceded the disastrous Jar Jar Binks many years later, who was a character clearly meant for little children, but who in fact was a source of extreme irritation for most Star Wars fans, both passionate and more casual.           


Still, Star Wars felt like magic back then. Of course, I was a kid still myself. But it aspired kids like me to dream of the universe out there, amidst the stars of the night sky. It gave us heroes who we could cheer for, and villains who would live within our minds long after the closing credits. And it gave us conflicts and drama worthy of Greek mythology, all with the backdrop of a very futuristic universe, where the technology far exceeded our own, yet with a somehow simpler feel to it all.           


Frankly, to me, Star Wars is nothing short of modern American mythology at it’s finest, and I do not say that lightly.           


Yes, I watched and was excited for the new Star Wars movies, but the prequels infamously were not quite on par with the originals. The newest sequels in this latest trilogy have been criticized. Most people really liked ‘The Force Awakens,’ while there is a lot of polarization in opinions with the follow-up, ‘The Last Jedi,’ with some loving it, and others hating it with a passion.           

Personally, I feel that there was a lot to both like and dislike with ‘The Last Jedi.’ Whether you liked it or hated it, it seems to me that Rian Johnson should get points for taking an original, unpredictable approach. He had some interesting ideas, although not all of them worked. Also, the movie felt disjointed, almost like Johnson was making a point of contradicting the normal narrative of one of these Star Wars movies, just throwing a monkey wrench into the machinery, if you will. Yet, my son (who was 12 years old when we saw the movie) absolutely loved it, and felt that it was his favorite Star Wars movie.           


Until now. Yes, he liked ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ that much.       


In that regard, perhaps this movie was a success, and will carry on the magic of Star Wars to a newer generation, even if movies like this risk irking older fans who first got into the original trilogy. 


And that kind of speaks of a certain success in it’s own right, does it not? 

🏈 NFL 2019-20 Week 17 Preview 🏈

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NFL 2019-20 Week 17 Preview 

No Thursday Night Football games, no Saturday games, No Sunday Night Football games, and no Monday Night Football Games for this final weekend of the regular season of NFL action for 2019. Whatever teams are trying to still accomplish by this point, whether it is clinching a playoff spot, or a division title, or one of the top two seeds for a playoff bye, this is their final opportunity to get the job done.

Indeed, there are teams that need to clinch some things as we head in, or they might be going home much earlier.

So, let’s take a closer look at each individual game, with my prediction for each coming at the end of the explanations:

Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants – The Eagles can clinch the NFC East, finally, if they manage to win this game. The Giants are not going to reach the playoffs, much less take the division title this year, no matter what they do in this game. But the G-Men are possibly playing their best football of the season in the last two weeks, and they gave the Eagles a hard time a few weeks ago, during the first meeting between these two teams. So, I expect that the Giants will give Philly a seriously tough time. Yet, that will likely not be enough, because the Eagles will be giving it their all, with literally everything that could be riding on this game for them riding on these results. The Eagles have been inconsistent all season long, without a doubt. But they have played their best football in the past few weeks, as well, winning three in a row when they needed it the most, and maybe even beginning to resemble a team that deserves to be in the playoffs. They can enter the playoffs not as favorites, but as a team that should be getting hot precisely at the right time, and I expect them to do exactly that with a win. My pick: Philadelphia 

N.Y. Jets at Buffalo – This game is the final game of the season for Gang Green, because they, unlike the Bills, are not going to reach the playoffs. That said, this game might mean more for them, because the Bills already clinched a Wildcard spot, and are locked into that fifth spot in the AFC. So win or lose, this game will not mean anything for them. That likely means that they will rest their starters, and make this a de facto bye week for most of the starters. Which, in turn, gives Gang Green a real chance for one final win, and in a tough environment against a playoff team, at that. It will not salvage too much of a lost season, but for the sake of pride, the Jets will likely play well. I expect the Jets to pull off this win. My pick: N.Y. Jets 

Miami at New England – The Pats won the big showdown against Buffalo last weekend, and officially clinched the AFC East title. Yet, they still need to win this game to secure the second seed in the AFC, which would get them that much needed bye week. They need it more than most teams, because while they looked incredibly dominant earlier in the season, they really seemed to run out of gas there for a while. They recovered enough in the past two weeks to secure that division title, once and for all. But a loss here would not only kill that momentum and throw everything right back into doubt, but it would also force them to play a game next week, when they really could use that break. If they are going to advance far into the playoffs, possibly even to the Super Bowl, then I think that the bye week would be an absolute necessity for them, even more than some of the other teams in the league. And really, they should beat the Dolphins. They have a better overall team, both on offense and on defense. They crushed the Dolphins, in Miami, 43-0 earlier this season, and this game will be up at Foxboro, which is still a very tough place for road teams to have to play. The Dolphins are better than they maybe seemed earlier this season, but they really are not likely good enough to beat the Pats up there. The only way I see the Patriots losing this is if they get nervous and have a major, major letdown, and allow Miami to play spoiler. But Belichick will have his team ready, and they know what’s at stake. And let’s face it: the Pats have been in very big games many, many times. The have more experience than any other team. Yes, I think that they will rise to the occasion and finally clinch that second seed with a win here. My pick: New England 

Green Bay at Detroit – The newly crowned NFC North champions go up to Detroit to face the Lions, who want revenge for being cheated from what seemed like a sure win u[ at Green Bay earlier this season. The Lions would love to play spoiler here. But they are not the same team that they were in the first part of the season, when they were competitive and looked like a possibly playoff contender. This team has not won in months, and the Packers are hot, and have something large at stake. They can earn a playoff bye, and have a real shot at possibly earning home field advantage in the playoffs. So, they will have clear motivation, and should manage a win on the road against one of the worst teams in the league. My pick: Green Bay 

Indianapolis at Jacksonville – A battle between two teams that are not going to the playoffs. I know the Colts technically have an outside chance, if several things work out just so. But they will not likely work out just so, and so the Colts will miss the playoffs. That said, it is hard not to be impressed with how well they played in blowing out the Panthers in Carolina. The Jaguars are not a very good team either, and my guess is that the Colts should be able to earn a solid road win again, and end the season on a positive note, looking a bit more like the team that they looked like earlier in the season, and probably like the team that they should have been this year, when many expected them to be a title contender. My pick Indianapolis 

Pittsburgh at Baltimore – The Steelers suddenly have looked bad in recent weeks, and they really desperately need a win. As of right now, they are still on the outside of the playoffs, and need some help to get in. But first, they need to win this game. It might be daunting, playing literally the hottest team in the league. However, the Ravens were so hot, that they really do not need to win this game. It means nothing to them, as they already earned home field advantage throughout as the AFC’s top seed. So, they likely will not have all of their weaponry and starters out there for the full game, which would be good news for the Steelers. And that is why they are the team that should take this game. My pick: Pittsburgh 

Tennessee at Houston – The Titans really, really desperately need this win. They lost the battle to the Texans for the division title a couple of weeks ago. This game still might mean something to the Texans, but I cannot help but wonder just how much it might mean. After all, they will be playing a home game next weekend, and the main incentive is to try and avoid playing the Bills next weekend. But they not only would need to win, but also hope that the Chiefs would lose, which is beyond their control. In other words, they likely will be the fourth seed, and probably know it. And since they likely will have to face Buffalo, they want to be as healthy and prepared as possible. So if this game proves tough and physical, they might want to seriously consider sitting some of their starters, which should allow the Titans to pull off a win here, and finally secure a playoff berth. My pick: Tennessee 

Chicago at Minnesota – The Vikings were seriously humbled last weekend against the Packers. Now, they have a de facto bye week, most likely, as they want to rest up and keep their starters healthy for the all-important playoff game next weekend. They are locked into the sixth and final NFC playoff spot, which means that this game holds no significance for them. The Bears, meanwhile, had a disappointing season, especially the crushing losses right at the end, which eliminated any playoff hopes they once had. But they can beat a playoff team and division rival on the road, in a notoriously tough place for road teams to play. That should be strong incentive, and that is why they are the team I believe will come out on top here. My pick: Chicago 

Cleveland at Cincinnati – Another game that makes you almost wonder why these games should be played. The Bengals have clinched the worst record in the league, regardless of what happens in this game. But they would like to avoid matching the franchise worst ever record, and to beat a division rival, as well as the other Ohio team in the league, all at once. The Browns will likely want to win as well, and they probably are the better team. Yet, this one could be close, and I see the Bengals having a decent shot. My pick: Cincinnati 

L.A. Chargers at Kansas City – The Chiefs need to win still in order to secure at least the third seed, and possibly to even get the second seed, in the event of an admittedly unlikely upset by the Dolphins over the Patriots. So, KC will likely have their guns out in this one, and they just have the better team, plus home field advantage, which helps. No reason to believe that the Chargers will play spoilers here. My pick: Kansas City 

New Orleans at Carolina – The Saints have a chance to be either the first, second, or third seed. Obviously, they likely need to win to achieve either of those first two options. And they have the right opponents, because the Panthers look like one of the very worst teams in the league. Not sure how far the Saints can go, but the higher their seed, the better chance they have. They could use the playoff bye, and they very likely need this win to earn that much. Frankly, I do not see the Panthers being able to stop them from this. My pick: New Orleans 

Atlanta at Tampa Bay – A game that means nothing in terms of the playoff picture, bit which both teams want to win, to end this disappointing season at least on a positive note. The Bucs have home field advantage, and have been playing well lately. But the Falcons have been playing like they are on fire, as if they should have been a playoff team. Who saw that coming after a 1-7 start to this season?  This is a tough game to predict, because I could see either team winning. However, I will go with the hotter team, if ever so slightly hotter. My pick: Atlanta 

Washington at Dallas – Well, the Cowboys lost that big showdown at Philly, and now have lost control of their own destiny. They still have a chance, though they need some help. If the Giants defeat the Eagles - and New York’s Big Blue have won two in a row, and seem to be playing their best football of the season right now – then this would open up the opportunity for Dallas to take the NFC East division title. But first and foremost, they need to take care of business, and win this game. Frankly, it should not be too hard. Dallas is the more complete team, they have far more on the line, and they also have home field advantage. There really is no excuse if they fall short in this one, but I just do not see them losing here. My pick: Dallas              

San Francisco at Seattle – Once the Seahawks defeated the 49ers in San Francisco earlier this season, I kind of expected them to win the second meeting, in Seattle. But the Seahawks just suffered a bad loss to the Cardinals, which maty have been the result of overlooking their opponents in order to prepare for this much bigger, far more important game. But with the situation concerning the brother of 49ers backup quarterback C.J. Beathard, I imagine that an already charged Niners team might play even more inspired. That gives them a real shot, and they have played some solid football all season long. It is also the reason that I am surprising myself, and reversing what I expected to be my pick to win this game. My pick: San Francisco              

Oakland at Denver – A game that will not matter in the long run, but which both teams want to win for pride. The Broncos never looked like a playoff caliber team, frankly. But they showed glimpses at times this season, and they played very well last weekend in earning a home win. Here they are again at home, in the thin air at Mile High, and that should help. The Raiders also won last week, ending a long losing streak that saw them go from seemingly inside the playoff picture, to eliminated outright as quickly as it could have happened after that 6-4 start. They have played well, and maybe I would think that they would win if this was another emotional home game in Oakland, possibly their last. But since it is not, my expectations are at the home town Broncos earn this win. My pick: Denver             

Arizona at L.A. Rams – The Cardinals never looked like a playoff caliber team this year, but they have shown glimpses of what could be a very bright future. They should be riding high after handing the Seahawks a stunning loss in Seattle. Now, they go to Los Angeles to visit the Rams, a team that also looks stunned and down after two straight losses that saw them eliminated from playoff contention. The Rams were the defending NFC champs this season, but things went south quickly following an impressive 3-0 start. They are still a good team, and should be able to win this game, although another impressive road upset of a division rival is certainly not out of the questions for the Cards. My pick: L.A. Rams

Christmas 2019 Recap

A couple of days ago, my girlfriend decided that we should pose for a rare selfie, in front of the Christmas tree.

The tree itself has been at least partially destroyed by our newest cat, who is so completely taken by this strange phenomenon of both a tree in te house, and these weird, shiny things hanging from this tree. It is an irresistible playground for her, and she has taken to the habit of actually going in the tree, where the branches get weighed down. So, we had to take only the top part of the tree, which was much less damaged than the lower parts.

We enjoyed wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas meals at her friends and de facto family, from very nearby towns in her region of Poland (the Biesczcady. We enjoyed a peaceful evening on Christmas Eve.

Christmas evening itself, however, was a bit less peaceful. There was a serious argument that threatened to escalate, a reminder of just how easily holiday stress can take it's toll. The wife of the man involved with the serious family feud with his sister decided it was time to leave early, and pretty much everything ended at that time, as well.

Still, Christmas is a time for being with loved one and feeling gratitude for the blessings of life. We tried to do that, even under difficult circumstances. My son is spending the holiday season with my parents, which I think is good for everyone involved. I will be up there in a few days to celebrate a late kind of de facot Christmas, hopefully.

Here's hoping everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Boxing Day

My family took a nice holiday trip to Montreal way back in 1988, for the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. It was a trip that allowed my family, which has French roots, to really fall in love with Canada, and particularly with Quebec province.

But there was one thing that I remember seemed a mystery to me. The day after Christmas, there was this strange holiday that I had never really heard of. It was called "Boxing Day".

It sounded so strange, so....foreign, to me. It felt like there was a measure of exoticism in the holiday.

What was this "Boxing Day", anyway? Did it really have something to do with the sport of boxing, which was the first image that came to my mind? Did it perhaps have more historical roots, perhaps some sort of association with the Boxing Rebellion in China?

I really did not know. And, truth be told, it seems like it is a mystery to many others around the world, including many Americans.

So, for this Boxing Day, I thought it would be appropriate to do some research on it, and explore it further, in order to slake my own thirst of knowledge on the subject. This is some research that I have been meaning to do for some time, and actually did a long while ago. But, with the renewed activism on "The Charbor Chronicles", it also seemed an appropriate subject for this day in particular.

Boxing Day is a holiday traditionally celebrated in Great Britain and the British Commonwealth nations, including Canada and Australia. The idea behind it is that those who are more fortunate and better off generally are to give gifts to those who are less well off. It seems more or less like an extension of the most idealistic notions of gift giving during the Christmas season, along the lines of Charles Dickens in his famous "A Christmas Story".

Boxing Day is not a national holiday in the United States, although it is recognized in some measure in northern parts of the nation, particularly areas neighboring or near Canada.

So, why is it called "Boxing Day"? That much remains unclear. There are theories, of course. The one that seems to make the most sense is the close association to "Christmas boxes" as presents, and this term would then be an extension of that.

Now, Boxing Day is known as a shopping day, not unlike "Black Friday" in the United States. It may seem odd to you, as it kind of does to me, that this shopping holiday falls on literally the day after Christmas, when most people's Christmas shopping is done, and many people are thinking of saving up. But, there you have it. It almost makes me wonder why Boxing Day has not become an American holiday yet, because any holiday associated with shopping seems capable of taking off in the most consumer obsessed culture on the planet.

Also, not unlike Thanksgiving in the United States, Boxing Day is apparently a huge day for sports in participating countries, sure to get an unusually large audience because of the holiday.

For now, however, Boxing Day remains relegated to Commonwealth nations.

Please take a look at my published article on the Guardian Liberty Voice that explore the history of Boxing Day in greater detail:

Boxing Day History and Traditions

http://guardianlv.com/2014/12/boxing-day-history-and-traditions/





Here is the video attached with my GLV article, which you can view here as well:





Here are some websites that helped me in writing this particular blog entry:



Wikiepedia page on Boxing Day:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_Day



"What is Boxing Day?" on About.com under British & Irish Food:

http://britishfood.about.com/od/christmas/p/boxingday.htm



Here is a fascinating piece on the history of Boxing Day by Time magazine: "A Brief History Of Boxing Day" by Claire Suddath of Time magazine,  Friday, Dec. 25, 2009:

http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1868711,00.html

"All you need to know about Boxing day matches – History and memories" bySakshi of Sportskeeda – Tue 24 Dec, 2013:

Wishing Everyone a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to All!

Just thought I would take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas today!

To accompany this message, it seemed like a good idea to share some pictures from the White Christmas that we were blessed with in northern New Jersey back in 2017!

Enjoy!

The early morning sun rises on a winter wonderland for the first white Christmas in many years!  Got to enjoy another Christmas with family and friends.  Feeling very blessed and grateful! Joyeux Noël!!!! Merry Christmas!!!! Wesołych Świąt bożego Narodzenia!!! Feliz Navidad!!!