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gatling

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About gatling

  • Birthday 06/24/1979

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    Indiana

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  1. Shameless bit of self promotion here. Some friends and I started a wrestling/pop culture podcast about a year, and in our latest episode that dropped today, we have an interview with former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, The Tokyo Monster Kahagas. He talks about his unusual path of training to becoming a wrestler, who influenced him in the business, how his gimmick evolved, and some stories of working in different indie promotions. We also plug the Glory Days of Future Past card taking place in Orlando on April 19th and the Glory Days Grapplecon convention in Orlando on April 20th, run by Barry Rose and Nick Masci, both events will feature Kahagas as well. Thanks in advance if anyone takes the time to check out the show! https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theothership/episodes/The-Othership-Episode-47-From-an-Orange-Grove-to-the-Ten-Pounds-of-Gold--The-Story-of-Kahagas--The-Tokyo-Monster-e2gsvdv
  2. The lack of effort by whoever put that graphic together just using a lineup from either last season or this spring training for the opening of a stadium in 2028 is...something.
  3. Yeah, not running the ball down the Chiefs throats after the pick was...a choice. I honestly think even if they won the game, Wilks was probably gone. Bosa and Warner just didn't seem to jive with Wilks and he didn't always game plan to the strengths of the players. Greenlaw getting hurt was also a HUGE blow. I saw a stat that Oren Burks was targeted nine times with every pass a completion to his man for like 140 yards or something. I'm not sure how many of those came after he moved over to Greenlaw's spot, but besides losing the tone setter/emotional heart of the defense, the drop in speed and coverage ability from Dre to Burks was substantial. The loss was a confluence of a lot of things, really. McCaffrey's fumble took at least three but probably seven points off the board to open up. Not capitalizing on the INT and failing to run or gain yards on three straight drives in the third quarter probably took at least another three to ten points off the board. The punt hitting Luter and McCloud trying to scoop it up and run instead of diving it on like a grenade was a gift of seven points to the Chiefs. Feliciano being out and Burford picking up the blitzing DB instead of Jones cost them four points. The Niners had a chance to win this by two or three scores, but too many mistakes let it slip away.
  4. The Wilks firing is about the fact he wasn't a fit from the get go, despite assuring Shanahan and Lynch he could definitely adapt to the Niners defensive system. I honestly think the writing was on the wall when Shanahan had to force Wilks down from the booth to the sidelines because the communication wasn't working between Wilks, his assistants, and the players. Having watched all but I think three or four games(two while on the road driving back and forth from Florida), while some of the raw numbers of the defense look good to great, there were way too many struggles along the way for the talent they have on hand. They were 3rd in rushing yards allowed this year compared to 2nd last year, but this year they gave up 4.1 yards per attempt vs. 3.4 ypa last year. The raw yardage is similar because this year opposing teams were playing from behind most of the year because the Niners offense was scoring more, and quickly, meaning teams had to abandon the run. In games where the Niners didn't get off to a fast start offensively, opponents gashed them on the ground(see the Browns and Bengals games in the regular season and all three playoff games). Beyond that, the defense has seemed to feed off the energy of the DC during the Shanahan era, from Saleh to Ryans. That was missing with Wilks, even after he moved down to the field from the booth. Wilks wasn't able to marry his schematic ideas and tendencies to what the Niners have done previously and what ShanaLynch and the even the players wanted to see continue. The Zero Blitz is a good example of that. It's not a thing the Niners defense did much during the Saleh and Ryans tenures, and it cost the Niners a game against the Vikings early in the season and led to a couple of major gains in the Super Bowl. TL/DR, Wilks was a square peg in a round hole from the start. His philosophy didn't mesh with the Niners system as hoped, and the players didn't seem to buy in to scheme changes to a defense that didn't need fixing, only minor tweaking. I'm curious to see where they turn now. Is linebackers coach Johnny Holland, now two years removed from taking time off due to cancer at a point where he could assume the role with no worries? Does Pete Carroll still have enough creativity and adaptability and maybe anger at the Seahawks management to take a year or two as a DC, running the a talented defense that plays the scheme he developed back with the Niners in 1995? Is there a lame duck college coach that fits the fiery former linebacker/D-lineman archetype the players seem to want who would make a move like Chip Kelly to OSU or the GSU coach who just left for a South Carolina assistant gig?
  5. Regular use of the dual bonus system available to them(and the accompanying void years) and ownership being willing to spend to big cash up front on said bonuses. Plus, they constantly re-work contracts, converting base salaries to bonuses that are paid out immediately but count against the cap a year or two after the contract is actually up. You can see this on overthecap.com--Trent, Armstead, Bosa, Deebo, Hargrave, Kittle all have sizeable amounts of pro-rated bonuses on void years that will either count against the cap in total the year after the contract ends or will get pushed out as they re-work the contract again in a year or two. It's all cap gymnastics and pushing things out to point where the cap rises to a level you can live with it or the players cease to be useful. Eventually there will be a year of cap hell probably, but the guy they have in charge of their cap is pretty good at this it seems, so hopefully they don't end up in the same situation the Rams did.
  6. Cornerback. Mooney Ward is above average but a bit shy of elite. Deommodore Lenoir is a bit handsy, but he's getting better. Isaiah Oliver is fine in the slot against bigger options like Darren Waller but struggles with the shiftier, quicker guys. When they move Lenoir inside to the slot, then Ambry Thomas comes in as an outside corner and he's average at best. I'd love to see the Niners add a corner via trade if an above average option comes available. They have $40 million in cap space(most of which they need to roll over to next year) and 11 picks in the draft next year, so can definitely make something happen if an option becomes available in trade.
  7. This was a no lose proposition this week. Either the Cowboys won and I'd make it to week 4, or the Cowboys would lose and I'd be happy. Here's to next year!
  8. I'm so sorry to hear this. My deepest condolences, Eddie.
  9. Volleyball is THE fall sport for girls in elementary, jr. high, and high school in Indiana, and at least at the school I went to it was the most important girls sport, period. My high school, which at the time had about 300 students from 9th through 12th grade, went 47-0 and won the state title in 1984 when it was still single class(all schools in the state in one tournament). Overall, they won over 25 sectional titles, a number of regional titles, a few semi-states, and a couple of Single A state titles once they split things up by school size like the other sports.
  10. I only knew Dean through DVDVR and reading his writing, but his effusiveness and positive attitude about wrestling has so influenced how I view wrestling compared to the non-wrestling world, I'm sitting here crying my eyes out while typing this. I can only imagine what those of you like J.T., Rippa, Pete and so many more that actually knew and spent time with Dean are going through. My heart goes out to you and all of Dean's family and friends, including the extended family here. Thank you for having such an impact on so many of us, Dean.
  11. We've thoroughly enjoyed the XFL in my household and watched three of the four USFL games this weekend. My wife, daughter, and I all have different teams we root for so we can bicker back and forth when they face off which is always fun.
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