In the scope of Star Wars, how will Rangers Of The New Republic connect to Return of the Jedi or The Force Awakens?

Lucasfilm announced enough new projects to make a Star Wars fans head explode at Disneys recent Investor Day event. Among these projects are three streaming series spun off from The Mandalorian Ahsoka, The Book of Boba Fett, and Rangers of the New Republic that will run concurrently with its story threads.

RELATED:The Mandalorian: 10 Reasons To Be Excited For Rangers Of The New Republic

Of the three shows, Rangers of the New Republic is the one with the most connection to the Skywalker saga. It can explore the transfer of political power in the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens in more depth than any other Star Wars media to date.

The most interesting thing about the New Republic officers appearances on The Mandalorian has been seeing how the Rebel Alliance morphed into a governing body that polices the galaxy.

Between the Empires fall and the First Orders rise, the New Republic enjoyed a brief period of success. In the Rangers series, the New Republic will be at the height of its powers.

Essentially, Rangers of the New Republic will be a law enforcement procedural set in a galaxy far, far away. But the tragic undercurrent is that the enforcing body, the New Republic, is inevitably doomed to fall to its knees and concede power to a fascist dictator.

The New Republic already collapsed before the events of The Force Awakens. Rangers of the New Republic can connect the victory at the end of Return of the Jedi to the defeat at the beginning of The Force Awakens.

Lukes triumphant appearance in the second-season finale of The Mandalorian proved that Disney+s new roster of post-Return of the Jedi content overseen by the dream team of Favreau and Filoni can do justice to the legacy characters who got skewed beyond recognition in the sequels.

Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover could reprise their roles as young Han and Lando, respectively, while Billie Lourd could play a CGId-up young Leia like she did in The Rise of Skywalker.

Instead of telling the story of how Han and Leias son Kylo Ren trained under Luke and turned to the dark side, the sequel trilogy picked up after all that had already happened and there wasnt much story left to tell.

RELATED:Star Wars: 10 Ways The Mandalorian Has Been Setting Up Its New Spin-Offs

With Luke, Han, and Leia all playing major roles in the formation of the New Republic after the events of Return of the Jedi, Ben Solos childhood could factor into the story arcs in Rangers.

In its exploration of a post-Return of the Jedi galaxy, The Mandalorian has made it clear that the Empire was still operational after Palpatines defeat; it just had a fraction of the power it once had.

The Imperial Remnants have existed in the background of The Mandalorian, only appearing in the context of the search for Grogu, but Rangers of the New Republic can put them at the forefront.

When The Force Awakens opens, the Empire is already back in full force except its now called the First Order with giant fleets of TIE fighters and Star Destroyers and a bigger Death Star than ever before. The sequel trilogy gave no indication about how the First Order rose to power.

George Lucas made an entire trilogy out of the birth of the Empire. Rangers of the New Republic can set the stage for the First Orders takeover.

If the young Luke Skywalker introduced in The Mandalorian crosses over into Rangers of the New Republic, then he could be seen spending time with the Force ghosts who watched over him at the end of Return of the Jedi.

An Obi-Wan ghost played by Ewan McGregor might seem strange (and a computer-generated Alec Guinness might be even stranger) and Yodas spirit appeared in The Last Jedi, but Hayden Christensen is primed for an appearance as Anakins Force ghost after his inclusion in the Special Edition of Return of the Jedi.

In The Force Awakens, Finns arc makes it clear that the First Orders Stormtroopers arent expendable cannon fodder; theyre brainwashed orphans. In theory, under all those helmets are a bunch of misunderstood Finns in need of better guidance.

RELATED:The Mandalorian: 10 Best Moments Between Djarin and Grogu

But Stormtroopers are still treated like cannon fodder for nostalgic purposes. And Finn reveals that he was in sanitation, negating his entire internal conflict. Rangers of the New Republic can explain exactly where the First Order got its troops from.

In the Special Edition of Return of the Jedi is filled with terrible additions like Jedi Rocks and the Sarlaccs beak. One addition that sort of fits is the victory celebration at the end, which shows worlds from the entire Star Wars saga Naboo, Coruscant, Bespin etc. celebrating the Empires defeat.

Before the First Order rises up, Rangers of the New Republic can take a couple of seasons to show the galaxy enjoying peace and prosperity after the fall of a dictatorship.

Palpatines return technically wasnt teased in The Force Awakens. In fact, it wasnt teased at all. It was announced in a random game of Fortnite and explained away in a couple of vague lines of dialogue in The Rise of Skywalker. But the latter movie did reveal that Supreme Leader Snoke, who supposedly took Palpatines place as the galaxys dark side ruler in the interim between trilogies, was one of his creations.

The Imperial Remnants obsession with cloning Grogu for his M-count in The Mandalorian has already hinted that a deeper exploration of these barely congruent plot points is on the way.

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Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, and independent filmmaker, and he's good at at least two of those things. In addition to writing for Screen Rant and Comic Book Resources, covering everything from Scorsese to Spider-Man, Ben directs independent films and does standup comedy. He's currently in pre-production on his first feature film, Hunting Trip, and has been for a while because filmmaking is expensive. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema and BabbleTop.

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Rangers Of The New Republic: 5 Ways It Can Tie Into Return Of The Jedi (& 5 For The Force Awakens) - Screen Rant

December 29, 2020

PEMBROKE A point or two can make a big difference in volleyball, especially late in a close set.

Late points in nailbiter sets were the difference Tuesday when Purnell Swett hosted Jack Britt, as the Buccaneers won the second and third sets narrowly to avoid the Rams upset bid and win the match 3-1.

One play could have made a huge difference, Purnell Swett coach Corey Deese said. Momentum would shift. Set two and three we only lost by (a few) points, both of them, but it was a hard hit to the little bit of self-confidence that they have.

In the second set, after Purnell Swett had won the first, Jack Britt (7-4, 7-4 Sandhills Athletic Conference) led throughout, with a largest lead of 19-12. Purnell Swett (1-10, 1-10 SAC) used a 9-3 run to pull to within a point at 22-21, but out of a Buccaneers timeout, two unforced errors by the Rams allowed Jack Britt to extend its lead to 24-21. The Rams stayed alive with two more points before falling 25-23.

Purnell Swett played from in front in the third set, taking a 7-4 lead early after four straight Ram points and a 13-8 lead after a 5-0 run. The Rams extended the lead to 19-13 before Jack Britt began its comeback, using an 8-2 run to pull to a 21-21 tie. After the teams exchanged points to make it 22-22, Jack Britt scored three straight to win the set 25-22.

They came out to play, and I think sometimes they either celebrate too early, and forget that it takes three sets to win, or they relax, and get complacent, and then they try to play that catch-up thing, and volleyballs not a catch-up sport, its just not, Deese said. When you get down four, five, six even when you play well, its hard to come back, and thats what they did in set two, and set three.

The Rams ran out of steam in the fourth set, when Jack Britt scored the first three points and continued stretching its lead throughout, to 9-4, 12-5, 14-6, 17-7, 21-9 and 25-10.

Purnell Swetts early lead in the match came after a 25-17 win in the opening set. The Rams led 13-4 before Jack Britt closed three times to within five points, including 22-17, before Purnell Swett scored the last three points to win the set.

The set win and the two narrow losses showed some improvement for a Rams team that has often been swept this season, including their first meeting with Jack Britt Nov. 24 in a match with only one competitive set.

I just want to see improvement, Deese said. Improvement was there, but the lack of confidence at the end is still a big issue for us, its still a huge problem. Its toxic even if its just one, volleyballs a contagious sport, and it passes from one to the other, and that just makes it really hard.

Alona Locklear had two kills, five single blocks and 10 block assists for the Rams. Madison Harris had three kills and six block assists; Lexiana Sencenbaugh had one ace, two kills, three digs and four assists; Chloe Locklear had three kills, one single block, four block assists and three assists; and Jenna Parker had 10 service points.

For a Rams team with nine seniors, even as they struggle from a wins and losses standpoint, Deese is making sure the team knows to leave everything on the floor in their final few high school volleyball games.

I was pleased with a lot of the stuff I saw, but my point to them is always to make it count, Deese said. It could always be your last day on the court. They could cancel the season, even though its got one week left. Ive got nine seniors; several of those are going somewhere to play, but other than that, the other ones, next weeks going to be it for them with volleyball. They need to make every single play and everything else count, and sometimes I think they forget that.

The Rams play Wednesday at Seventy-First.

Lumberton swept by Pinecrest

SAC-leading Pinecrest made quick work of visiting Lumberton with a straight-sets win in Southern Pines Tuesday.

Pinecrest (11-0, 11-0 SAC) won with set scores of 25-6, 25-8 and 25-14.

Lumberton led the third set 8-2 before Pinecrest tied the score at 12-12. The Patriots then finished the set with a 12-1 run to win and clinch the match.

Lumberton plays Wednesday at Richmond.

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Red Devil boys different-looking - The Robesonian

The youth movement is forging ahead with the Orioles.

General manager Mike Elias protected six minor-league players from the Rule 5 draft scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 10. The Orioles claimed multiple players off waivers in recent weeks as well.

Its just an important step closer to these guys contributing to the major league team, Elias said of the six prospects added to the 40-man roster. A lot of these decisions are difficult. One thing that made it easier with this group is we feel that each of these six guys will be able to contribute in 2021 if called upon by the major league team. While they are not finished products, they are developed enough to be functional members of the roster this year. That makes these decisions easier.

Heres a look at the recent additions. Since this story was published, the Orioles also claimed reliever Ashton Goudeau from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Goudeau, 28, made his big-league debut in 2020 for the Colorado Rockies. The 6-foot-6 right-hander threw 8.1 innings for the Rockies last summer.

The versatile 28-year-old infielder was claimed off waivers from the Chicago White Sox Oct. 30. Snchez has hit .245/.300/.360 across seven minor-league seasons and won a Gold Glove as a second baseman in 2019. He can play second base, third base and shortstop, which provides extra value to the club, especially with the recent departures of Jose Iglesias and Hanser Alberto.

We didnt have him last year, so theres not a lot of internal familiarity with our coaches, Elias said of Snchez. I dont think anybody in our organization has ever really had him, but a stellar reputation. Not just on the field and particularly defensively, but the versatility and also leadership, makeup, hustle.

He can also play third if needed. Hes a very good defender, a very versatile defender.

The Orioles claimed the 27-year-old first baseman/outfielder on waivers from the San Francisco Giants in late November. Shaw, who was drafted in the first round in 2015 out of Boston College, appeared in 38 games with the Giants from 2018-2019 and batted .153 (11 for 72) with two doubles and a home run. However, he slashed .279/.340/.520 with 109 home runs in five minor-league seasons. He is potentially a valuable left-handed option for Orioles manager Brandon Hyde.

The 24-year-old outfielder is the Orioles No. 8 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Diaz was acquired with Rylan Bannon and Dean Kremer from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Manny Machado in 2018. Diaz has slashed .278/.355/.440 with 68 doubles, 42 homers, 209 RBIs and 28 stolen bases across four minor-league seasons. He also has a deft glove and is expected to be a high-impact player in the future.

The 25-year-old right-handed pitcher is the organizations No. 9 prospect. Baumann went 7-6 with a 2.98 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 24 games (22 starts) between Double-A Bowie and High-A Frederick in 2019. He also struck out 142 batters in 124 innings. Baumann will have to get healthy for spring training after suffering a flexor mass strain in his right forearm at the clubs alternate site in Bowie this past season.

Its very exciting, Baumann said of being added to the 40-man roster. We all kind of went through the system together, played together. Seeing [other prospects] have success in Baltimore is great and very exciting, very encouraging. I think it shows the future is bright. There are a lot of good things coming.

The left-handed pitcher is the Orioles No. 11 prospect after being selected with the 74th overall pick in the 2017 draft out of Xavier. Lowther went 13-7 with a 2.55 ERA for Double-A Bowie in 2019 and was the organizations co-Pitcher of the Year with Keegan Akin a year prior. Lowther spent part of the summer at the clubs alternate site.

Once I got to Bowie it was working on basically just getting some innings, Lowther said. A lot of stuff we wanted to develop this year during the season, it was at an accelerated pace. But going to Bowie and then to instructional camp was probably the most beneficial two months that Ive had in baseball in a long time, in terms of development.

The left-handed pitcher is the Orioles No. 19 prospect. Wells has gone 30-24 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.067 WHIP across four minor-league seasons. The Australian has also struck out 369 batters with a mere 76 walks. In 2019, he went 8-6 with a 2.95 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in 24 starts with Double-A Bowie.

Getting protected by the Orioles just gives me an extra bit of confidence to know that they trust me enough to go up to the big leagues and compete with my type of pitching, Wells said. It gives me a lot more confidence.

The versatile infielder can play second or third base and is the Orioles No. 25 prospect. Bannon was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth-round of the 2017 draft after being named the Big East Conference Player of the Year at Xavier. After arriving in Baltimore via the Machado trade, Bannon batted .266/.345/.421 across 110 games with Bowie and Norfolk in 2019. Overall, Bannon has slashed .280/.375/.481 with 63 doubles, 10 triples, 43 homers and 161 RBIs with a .856 OPS in 291 minor-league games

Hes a guy that can move around, Elias said. I think if you ask what his best position is, you might get some different opinions whether that is second or third base. That is a good thing, its interesting. But its also about the bat with him. Hes had a terrific minor league career and hes got power.

The reliever, along with Kyle Bradish, Zach Peek and Kyle Brnovich, was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in December 2019 for Dylan Bundy. Mattson posted a 2.33 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP in 37 relief appearances between Single-A-Inland Empire, Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Salt Lake in 2019. Mattson can provide valuable depth to Baltimores bullpen.

I think every year is important and every step is important, Mattson said. This one was a big one for me and Im thankful for all the people who have helped me get here, but the jobs not done and theres still a little ways to go for me and I know the Orioles have their sights set on competing well in the East, so I hope to be able to contribute at that level.

Photo Credit: William Vaughan/Bowie Baysox

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A Look At The Orioles' New Additions To The 40-Man Roster - Press Box

This is getting ridiculous.

About ayear ago at this time, we were raving about the future of the wide receiver position and how it was more talented than anything we've seen in Columbus. The Buckeyes were fresh off an early signing period that included Julian Fleming, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Gee Scott Jr., and Mookie Cooper.

The talented quartet enrolled early to team up with the likes of Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave to form what is already one of the nation's top units. Since the 2020 class put pen to paper, Brian Hartline has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down and has more than solidified his status as one of college football's truly elite recruiters.

RELATED Relationship with Brian Hartline, Ohio State's Dynamic Passing Attack Helped Lead Emeka Egbuka to Ohio State

Yesterday's commitment from Emeka Egbuka was just the latest in Hartline's recent tear on the trail. The relationship with the nation's No. 1 wideout started nearly two years ago and culminated with last night's pledge to the Buckeyes. Hartline was able to build and cultivate that relationship despite the five-star being nearly 2,500 miles away in the midst of a global pandemic.

The talent we're going to see in Ohio State's wide receiver room is practically unfair. And while recruiting rankings don't always tell the whole tale, these are players that everyone in the country wanted to coach. Instead, for the next three to five years, they're set to be a partof Hartline's room in Columbus.

That's five five-stars and 10 top-100 prospects dating back to the Class of 2019. I can't imagine any other program in the country has had a better stretch at the position; or perhaps any position for that matter.

It's probably fair to assume that Garrett Wilson has just one more year left before heading off to the NFL as a first-round pick. His move to the slot has paid off in a big way in 2020, and we'll see how he's utilized next year with Chris Olave likely no longer in the picture.

As for the 2020 newcomers, it's been an interesting first year. I think most expected an early impactfrom at least two of the signees, but COVID-19 didn't do them any favors in taking away much of the spring and summer. Jaxon Smith-Njigba made a splash in his debut with a highlight-reelscore, but the four new additions have combined for just nine catches so far. Smith-Njigba has six grabs while Julian Fleming has added three of his own.

A full scheduleof offseason workouts and practices assuming it's allowed to happen will certainly do wonders for the Class of 2020. And there's absolutely no reason for concern at this point as they've simply been playing behind what is perhaps the nation's best pair of wideouts. It's also worth noting that Mookie Cooper missed his senior year of high school and an early impact wasn't really expected from the St. Louis native.

Jayden Ballard is the state of Ohio's best receiver and he leaves Massillon Washington as the program's all-time leader in receiving yards (2,737) and touchdowns (39). Philly's MarvinHarrison Jr. will team up with his quarterback Kyle McCord when he gets to campus.And then you have Egbuka who is the country's top wideout according to all of the recruiting services that matter and a top-10 prospect in the composite rankings.

As if that weren't enough, Hartline has already landed his top target for the 2022 recruiting class with five-star Texan Caleb Burton. Considering the talent that's been assembled at the position, the Buckeyes really could stop with Burton and just take one wideout in 2022. Things would be totally fine if that were the case, but we're expecting that number to be atthree signees when all is said and done.

The passing game is going to look a lot different next season. Unless Justin Fields does the unthinkable, we'll see either C.J. Stroud, Jack Miller, or Kyle McCord running the Ohio State offense. It's unfair to expect the same precision of the last two seasons, but there's still plenty of reason for optimism moving forward; even with Olave and Fields likely gone.

It's also worth noting that teams like Michigan and Penn State haven't exactly been bringing in a bunch of high-caliber defensive back prospects; especially at corner. It's looking like itcould be another rough few years for the rest of the Big Ten.

I suppose you can make an argument for the quarterbacksas well, but Ohio State's wide receiver room is set to be the program's greatest strength for the next several years. What Brian Hartline is doing on the field and the recruiting trail hasn't been seen before in Columbus. Here's to hoping he sticks around for a very long time.

See more here:
Second To None: The Country's Best Recruiter Has a Wide Receiver Room That's Set for the Foreseeable Future | - Eleven Warriors

If you walk through many of Hamiltons older areas, you will see widespread instances where single-family homes, usually two and a half story homes, have been converted into duplexes and triplexes. Sometimes additional entrances have been added, in other cases, there is a single entrance with partitioning inside to separate the living units. In addition, many of these homes already underwent expansion sometime earlier in the last century with the addition of a kitchen at the rear of the home typically with a second floor sunporch built above. Many of these conversions took place immediately after the second world war when there was a severe housing shortage in Canada, and homeowners were encouraged to duplex large homes.

In New York, the Regional Plan Association has been around for more that a hundred years. One of its most notable early members was Thomas Adams, the Scottish-born father of town planning. Adams spent several years preaching Town Planning in Canada and among his associates was one of Canadas first major planners, Naulon Cauchon who developed several grandiose plans for Hamilton. Adams formed Canadas Town Planning institute in 1919, and among the charter members was Cauchon, and Hamiltons TB McQuestena lawyer and politician who was keenly interested in planning, who went on to a major career is a promoter of parks and public works..

In the early 1920s Adamas went to new York where he joined the Regional Plan Association there and developed a 30-year official plan for New York and surrounding area.

Still functioning, a hundred years after its formation, the Regional Plan Association recently published a paper on the affordable housing shortage in the United States. Essentially the plan suggests greater intensification of existing properties.

In the paper the RPA notes, Done thoughtfully, every municipality can create more housing simply by allowing more flexibility within the context of existing land use patterns. We can create hundreds of thousands of new homes in the region just by allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and conversions of large single-family homes to two- or three-family homes, most of which would be in areas near transit.

Not all of these new homes would necessarily mean new people. Some would allow extended families to live in more comfortable situations, by having separate units for grandparents, older children or others currently living together in a single-family house. Others would allow for upgrades to legal dwelling units for people currently living in units which dont meet code compliancewhich would also help ensure that these units are safe. All would be valuable additions to housing choice in neighborhoods and the housing supply of the region as a whole.A housing unit built above a garage

We can achieve the creation of these additional homes through policies that can be implemented by the states and by local communities through both legislation and local zoning changes, by addressing technical issues to unlock this hidden housing, and by addressing the misconceptions that can undermine productive dialogue around this issue in local communities.

The paper suggests that if even one -third of single family homes in the Metropolitan New York are underwent convesion or retrofitted with one ADU, then more than 250,000 units would be created.

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Housing intensification without high-rise | - The Bay Observer - Providing a Fresh Perspective for Hamilton and Burlington

Steven A. Cohen and his wife, Alex, spent part of their Saturday outside Citi Field, in the chill and the drizzle, greeting Mets season-ticket holders who stopped by for a bobblehead promotion. By the end of the day, the fans had more than trinkets.

The Mets added two important pieces to the team Cohen bought for a record $2.475 billion last month, filling pressing vacancies on and off the field. The Mets decided on a new general manager, Jared Porter, an assistant with the Arizona Diamondbacks who has helped build four championship teams. They also filled their catching void with James McCann, a free agent from the Chicago White Sox who agreed to a four-year deal worth a bit more than $40 million.

The additions were confirmed by multiple people within baseball with direct knowledge of the moves, neither of which has been announced by the Mets. McCann must first pass a physical examination before his deal can become official, and Porter and the Mets were said to be finalizing contract details.

Cohen had initially sought to hire a president of baseball operations and a general manager, but several teams declined permission for their executives to interview. Sandy Alderson, 73, the former general manager and new Mets president, agreed to assume more baseball-related duties and focus strictly on hiring a general manager.

In Porter, he found a deeply respected and experienced evaluator who is only 41 years old. Porter a former baseball and hockey captain at Bowdoin College worked for the Boston Red Sox from 2004 through 2015, when the team won three titles, and was pro scouting director for the Chicago Cubs when they won the World Series in 2016.

Porter then joined the Diamondbacks as assistant general manager for Mike Hazen, a former Red Sox colleague, overseeing pro personnel and player development and impressing colleagues with his listening skills, personal connections and passion for scouting.

In reaching a deal with McCann, the Mets found another highly regarded person to handle a critical role. One of the pitchers McCann will catch, the right-hander Marcus Stroman, did not wait to welcome him to the team.

Beyond excited to work with @JamesMcCann34, Stroman wrote on Twitter. Ive heard nothing but unbelievable things about him as a player and person. Guy rakes at the dish and is always locked in behind the plate!

McCann, 30, flourished with the White Sox after five ordinary seasons with the Detroit Tigers, who did not tender him a contract after he hit .220 with eight homers in 2018. He made the American League All-Star team in 2019 and continued his improvement last season, when he split time at catcher with Yasmani Grandal.

In 149 games for the White Sox, McCann hit .276 with 25 homers and 75 runs batted in. His .334 on-base percentage and .474 slugging percentage combined for an .808 O.P.S., trailing only Willson Contreras, Grandal and J.T. Realmuto among catchers with at least 500 plate appearances over the last two seasons.

Realmuto, a two-time All-Star who has spent the last two years with the Philadelphia Phillies, is a headliner on the free-agent market and perhaps baseballs best catcher. The Mets had seemed to be a natural fit for Realmuto, but the deal with McCann could indicate that they are saving their biggest expenditures for other free agents, like center fielder George Springer of the Houston Astros, starter Trevor Bauer of the Cincinnati Reds, or both.

Cohen, the richest owner in the majors, energized the fans with a pledge to spend more aggressively than his predecessor, Fred Wilpon. McCann is the second free agent to agree to a multiyear deal with the team, after reliever Trevor May, who got a two-year, $15.5 million deal to leave the Minnesota Twins.

McCann, a right-handed hitter, has batted .320 against lefties over the last two seasons, and .259 against righties. He started at catcher for 27 of the White Sox 60 games last season and two of their three playoff games, while greatly improving his pitch-framing statistics.

According to Statcast, McCann ranked 56th among 64 qualified catchers in strike rate on borderline pitches in 2019. Last season, he rose to 8th out of 62 and forged a strong bond with ace Lucas Giolito, whose earned run average with McCann in eight starts (including a no-hitter) was 2.61, three runs better than it was in four starts with Grandal.

As a Tiger, McCann also worked well with Justin Verlander, whose 3.07 E.R.A. with McCann was the best E.R.A. among the seven catchers who caught Verlander for at least 70 innings with Detroit.

Hes unreal back there, Giolito told the Chicago Sun-Times in August. Every single game, every single pitch, hes into it 100 percent.

Now the Mets will get the benefit of that intensity, as Cohen and Alderson bring along Porter to continue their pursuit of stars.

Read more here:
Big Day for Mets Includes a New Catcher and a New G.M. - The New York Times

Netflix has renewed its British romance dramedy series Feel Good for a second and final season, according to TVLine. The first season premiered on the streamer last March with six episodes.

RELATED: Extraction: Joe Russo Teases Potential Shared Movie Universe Is in Development

Starring Mae Martin (Baroness Von Sketch Show) and Charlotte Ritchie (Call the Midwife), the second season sees Mae (Martin) struggling to come to terms with the ghosts from her past, while George (Ritchie) tries to reinvent her present.

Im beyond excited to be able to return to the world of Feel Good, and to see Mae and Georges love story through to the dramatic conclusion we had always planned, said Martin, whos also a co-creator of the series. Im deeply attached to this story and so grateful to be getting back to work with the incredible team at Objective Fiction and our hilarious cast. Having spent most of 2020 speaking only to my kettle and my television as I watched the world burn on the internet, Im euphoric to be around other human beings again. Seeing Joe Hampsons and my dumb jokes come to life is heaven.

Season 2 will also feature returning stars Lisa Kudrow (Friends), Philip Burgers (The Sheriff of Topanga Canyon), and Adrian Lukis (Pride and Prejudice), along with the seasons new additions Jordan Stephens (Glue), John Ross Bowie (Speechless), Eve (The Talk), and Eleanor Matsuura (The Walking Dead).

RELATED: Death to 2020: Samuel L. Jackson, Lisa Kudrow, & More Join New Netflix Mockumentary

Feel Good Season 2 is expected to premiere in 2021.

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Netflixs Feel Good Renewed for a Second and Final Season - ComingSoon.net

Guillermo del Toro was initially set as the director of The Hobbit movies - and his version of the films would have proved very different.

If Guillermo del Toro would have directedThe Hobbitas originally planned, the films might have been quite different. The imaginative and visionary director would have brought his particular voice to the film, infusing it with majesty, fantasy, and whimsy.

Del Toro took some time prepping for the film, collaborating with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, the minds behindThe Lord of the Rings. The three of them worked together to get the film green-lit by MGM, which was suffering financially at the time, while del Toro worked tirelessly on the sets, creatures, and structure of the film. Del Toro had his own vision for the film, which differed from Jackson's trilogy while still paying homage to its legacy. Del Toro was not a big fan of the books by J.R.R. Tolkien, but immensely enjoyed Jackson's work, so he planned on honoring it.

RELATED: Lord Of The Rings Series In Order (Including Hobbit, TV Shows, & Books)

Time wound on, and del Toro stepped away from the film. He was heartbroken by the decision, but he said it had to be done. Jackson went on to direct the movies, turning the one novel into three films that he had to rush to make while undoing all of del Toro's work, which was mostly the former director's intellectual property. Jackson was given mere months to prepare, where heonce had years forThe Lord of the Rings. Audiences were denied the chance to see what the creative and talented del Toro would have done with the picture, but there is enough information to speculate on the details.

In del Toro's original vision,The Hobbitwould have been split into two movies, as he felt anything more than twomight feel bloated. The first would contain the bulk of the story from the novel,exploring Bilbo's journey and adventure with the dwarves. Smaug would have been introduced in the first film, as would Azog.Del Toro believed that the first film needed to have a different tone than the second one, committing to the feel of a fairy tale. His aim was to alter the aesthetic ofThe Hobbitfrom the look and feel of theLord of theRings trilogy, making something different. He gathered sketches from older editions of the novel and paintings from fans of the works of Tolkien to inspire the texture and details of the piece. The design of the wargs, for example, was new, as Guillermo felt that Jackson's design was a little too close to real-world wolves, and Guillermo wanted to emulate the demon wolves found in Norse mythology.

The second film would have been transitional, melding not only the story but the aesthetic into a look that tied in with Jackson'sLord of the Ringstrilogy. The artists would need to blend Guillermo's architecture and beasts with Jackson's, bringing the visual storytelling to a familiar place for fans. The film would have borrowed from the appendices in theLord of the Rings novels to flush out the space betweenThe HobbitandFellowship of the Ring, utilizing pieces of the story withGandalf to connect the two, including the White Council and the Dol Guldur additions, which was something del Toro planned from the beginning.

As to where the films would split, del Toro said that it should be obvious to fans."What we're doing is because we have the relationship between Bilbo and Thorin and all the dwarves, there is a logical place for that relationship. There is a moment in the book where something is accomplished that allows us to say, 'Okay, on to the next one after this.'" It is likely the first movie would follow Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves all the way through the Misty Mountains and then to Beorn's house, right up to the edge of Mirkwood. It is here that Gandalf takes his leave to go and reckon with Dol Guldur, leaving Bilbo to figure things out for himself. Bilbo has the admiration of the dwarves for getting out of the goblin lair, following that up with a rescue from the elves. The exact place of the split was never revealed, however, so fans can merely speculate.

RELATED:The Hobbit: What Went Wrong With The Hobbit Movie Trilogy

With his knack for telling gothic fairy tales featuring children, del Toro's idea to transform the tone into one of a dark piece of children's folklore would likely have worked well. He said that his film would contain, "A world that is slightly more golden at the beginning, a very innocent environment, and the film would need to take you from a time of more purity to a darker reality throughout the film, but in the spirit of the book." Del Toro's talents lie in expressing the loneliness and horror in the loss of innocence, which his film would focus on. It would also draw parallels to Word War I, a conflict in which Tolkien fought. Del Toro has in the past used the fantastical to say something profound about the historical, telling strange and tragic fables about children against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War inThe Devil's Backboneand Pan's Labyrinth.

Del Toro's interpretation would have also captured the childlike innocence ofThe Hobbitas opposed to its more adult sequels. In the book, Tolkien had no notion of making the ring an object of enormous, world-ending evil. The ring Bilbo finds is a simple trick ring, merely turning the bearer invisible. This is what del Toro would have done, showing the difference in stakes between the first story and the remaining three.The Hobbitwas originally intended for children, reading one chapter a night, and del Toro wanted to retain that tone.

Del Toro had a dogged commitment to keeping the film very close in mood and detail to the novel. His two planned films would have followed the story in a meaningful way, using a color code to designate the passage of time as well as Bilbo's personal journey. His aesthetic would have been fanciful and macabre, focusing on favorite scenes like the contest of riddles between Gollum and Bilbo, which del Toro considers the most beautiful in the book. He also planned to illuminate the strength of the bond between Bilbo and Thorin. There wasn't much time in the three movies to show their close friendship, but del Toro had plans to highlight the generosity of spirit between the two.

The director was concerned about the lack of female characters in the film andsupported the creation of Tauriel, the elven warrior. The movie needed a warrior, and del Toro thought that Tauriel should fill that role. He intended to honor the book's introduction of Bard and his aloof presence with not a lot of characterization, so Tauriel would have been inserted into the story much in the way Bard was.

RELATED:Why Gandalf's Final Hobbit Scene Isn't A Lord Of The Rings Plot Hole

Del Toro very much wanted his own original design for the dragon in the film. He wanted the eyes to be difficult to locate, hidden within an enormous horned head to add tension to the moments when Bilbo is sneaking around. The mouth was to be very human-like, expressive, and articulate, with some thin, silky spines that almost resembled fur. The belly would have been slithery and soft, showing a surprising vulnerability.

The director understood that the design of the dragon would ruffle some feathers. Audiences have a very particular vision of a dragon in their heads, particularly when it comes to western mythology, and del Toro's desire to make something totally new and strange and unfamiliar was bold but controversial. He admitted to discomfort and tension over the design, saying that he knew it was not what people wanted.

As Tolkien was a veteran of World War I, he detested depictions of war, particularly if they were glamorous or romantic. In his children's tale, he did not want a battle to rage on, showing them that war was epic or entertaining. Instead, he had the point of view character, Bilbo, completely unconscious for the entirety of the battle, only told about the major events after the fact. This was something del Toro completely agreed with and wanted to honor, despite pressure from the studio to show a major battle scene. The three-page 6,000-warrior conflict would have remained a minimal part of the story with perhaps only a small cameo from Legolas.

The battle would have not been, as was the tagline of the thirdHobbitfilm, "the defining chapter." Instead, the focus would be on the characterization of the hobbit Bilbo, setting the plot aside in favor of story and character. Though the battle would have been greatly set aside, del Toro and Jackson did spend time brainstorming possibilities for what could be shown and what kinds of creatures would be present. He claimed that he, Jackson, and Walsh had a lot of childlike energy between them, talking excitedly late into the night. "We have a very well-funded sandbox," he said. It is not sure exactly how much del Toro would have been able to omit given studio pressure and how attached big-budget films are to action scenes, but a more couched approach would have served the film well and taken up far less time.

RELATED:How The Hobbit Changed The Ringwraith Origins For The Desolation Of Smaug

Significantly, del Toro wanted all of the actors from Jackson's trilogy to reprise their roles. He wanted the filmsparticularly the first oneto feel different and more ethereal, but he thought it a disservice to the fans if there wasn't a bit of familiarity. He did want to add new faces such as Brian Blessed as Thorin, Ron Perlman as Smaug or Beorn, Ian McShane as a dwarf, and Doug Jones as Thranduil, but pushed for Ian Holm to reprise Bilbo. (His notion to cast Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown stuck, and the beloved actor wound up in the film.) Though not a fan in general of epic fantasy, del Toro knew what audiences wanted to see and how they would expect the stories to match up.

The appendices included afterReturn of the Kingdetail the sixty years between the events ofThe HobbitandFellowship of the Ring, so some of those details such as the awakening of Mount Doom andSauron's return to Mordor may have been peppered into the end of del Toro's films. He also intended to include the White Council, which appears in the appendices, not inThe Hobbit. Including the White Council makes narrative sense for Gandalf, and also helps to illustrate the through-line between the two stories. Had del Toro been in charge, the Council would have likely only appeared in the second film, used in particular to infuse a bit of the connection missing from the books.

In November 2009, the script was delayed and the production timeline was set back to 2010. The script was still unfinished and no casting decisions had been made, pushing things back further. Guillermo decided to step back from The Hobbitin 2010. Because MGM had not yet greenlit the project, he was afraid all his hard work would be thrown away if the studio got too frustrated. He kept putting off quitting, but ultimately he was unable to stay. He handed it over, not knowing who would be put in charge of the project. "I have incredible heartache. I feel terrible about it. I was hanging by the thread of my arm for so long that at the end of the day, you have to cut it off," he said.

Del Toro spent two years on the production of the film, and when all was said and done, he had an entire production, set, creatures, and aesthetic ready, but no script and no green light that would allow for casting. As the production continued to balloon, Guillermo del Toro saw his future projects hemorrhaging and fading away, and so he made the difficult choice to step away, leaving the world without his version of The Hobbit.

NEXT: Lord of the Rings: Hobbiton Is A Terrible Name (& That's Why It's Perfect)

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Elise Hanson is an award-winning playwright and novelist from Salt Lake City. She lives with her husband and three cats.

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The Hobbit That Might Have Been With Guillermo del Toro - Screen Rant

ALBANY The state could receive its first COVID-19 vaccine shipments this weekend and vaccinate nursing home and high-risk health workers within the next few weeks, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday, before detailing how many dosages will be delivered to each of the states 10 regions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve Manhattan-based drugmaker Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine Thursday following a hearing. The states independent vaccine review panel, which includes national health experts and scientists, has been in contact with the FDA and is slated to immediately begin assessing the vaccines safety following federal approval.

By the end of week two, if all goes well and the federal government sticks to the schedule, we expect all high-risk staff will receive the vaccination, Cuomo said Wednesday during a coronavirus briefing at the state Capitol. Staff at every hospital will have access to the allocation ... they will have access to the vaccine via a hospital in their region.

After approval, about 6 million dosages will be allocated to U.S. states based on population and the number of nursing home and health care workers. The federal government will procure shipments, using the military and private delivery companies FedEx and McKesson to transport to states.

They will send it where we ask them to send it and then we set priorities for not only where it goes, but who gets it, Cuomo said, adding the state will expedite vaccinating New Yorkers as soon as possible.

The state is expected to receive 85,000, or half, of an initial shipment of 170,000 doses of the vaccine in the coming days. The next half of the shipment will arrive in another 21 days, or when the first patients who received an inoculation can get their second required dose.

Its a massive undertaking, Cuomo said. I think people have not focused enough on the extent of what this undertaking means.

Additional vaccine shipments are expected on a rolling basis in the coming weeks. The immunization will be prioritized for the states 210,000 nursing home workers and about 90,000 high-risk health care workers of the states 700,000, or those who directly work with COVID-infected patients.

About 225,000 health care workers treat positive cases, including emergency room and intensive care staff.

The hospitals will select the actual individuals who will get the first vaccines within that guidance, Cuomo said.

Staff and residents at long-term and adult care facilities, EMS and other health care workers and essential workers will be prioritized to receive the vaccine in that order, Cuomo said, followed by the general public. New Yorkers enlisted in the U.S. Army and National Guard are also eligible to receive the immunization first.

The governor estimated the general public will be able to receive a vaccination in late January or early February.

We have to see how it goes, and before we get to that general, public distribution, well lay out sites where people can go to get vaccinated, the governor said. But we have a ways to go before we get there.

The state plans to release contact tracing data collected by local governments and health departments. The governor will discuss more details Friday with updates to the Coronavirus Task Forces COVID-19 response plan.

The state located 90 regional distribution centers in every region capable of producing the ultra-cold refrigeration conditions required to store the COVID-19 vaccine. In October, health officials said the vaccine would require storage at minus-70 degrees Celsius, or minus-112 Fahrenheit.

This is a different definition of cold storage this is like really, really cold storage, the governor said. Not every facility can do it, not every hospital can do it.

The north country will receive 3,700 doses of the first vaccine shipment, with the Capital Region getting 7,850 doses, 6,400 doses in Central New York, 11,150 in the Finger Lakes and 14,500 in Western New York. New York City will receive 72,000 dosages of the initial batch, and 26,500 doses will be sent to Long Island.

The state opted into a federal program to partner with CVS and Walgreens pharmacies to administer the immunization in nursing homes similar to a program giving nursing home residents the flu shot each year. The program will begin Dec. 21, with vaccine shipment deliveries starting to arrive next week.

We do expect to have enough to cover all residents and all staff, Cuomo said. The staff is vaccinated on a rolling basis to make sure they have staff thats receiving the vaccine and staff thats working at all times.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed the state will not send individual patient data to federal agencies that could be used to document citizenship or deportation. The federal government required states to sign a data-sharing agreement earlier this fall, which could have permitted federal officials to collect Americans Social Security, passport or drivers license numbers, which could be used to identify undocumented residents.

These are alarm bells for people who are undocumented, Cuomo said. If undocumented people dont get vaccinated, it compromises their health and it compromises the whole program. The program only works if you hit a critical mass of the population.

Between 75% and 85% of a population must be vaccinated for an immunization to be effective in a community. The state plans to launch a massive public education campaign to dispel the skepticism for residents to take the vaccine. Recent national polls show more than half of Americans question the safety of the shot and would decline receiving it.

This has to be done in a way that protects social justice in the health care system, the governor said, adding the U.S. health care model discriminates against Black, Latinx and poor communities, which have fewer medical facilities and higher COVID-19 death rates.

Cuomo has said the states separate vaccine review will not delay inoculations, and will help ease the minds of Americans who remain uncertain about the vaccine.

We have the vaccine that is the weapon that will win the war if people take it, the governor said. I think the New York panel, as a second panel to approve it, is going to go a long way toward battling that skepticism and improve that process.

Amendments and additions to the states COVID-19 winter response plan will be announced Friday, Cuomo said.

State officials met virtually with all hospital administrators Wednesday to discuss the surge and flex initiative, or plan to balance patient caseloads, among individual health systems as cases continue to increase across the state and nation.

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New York's initial vaccine dosages to arrive in coming days - The Daily News Online

It seems like just yesterday Jamal Murray was going en fuego from three point land while Nikola Jokic dissected defenses in the bubble in Orlando. In reality, its been seventy-seven days since the Denver Nuggets were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 NBA Playoffs making this the shortest offseason in franchise history. Will Denver be able to build off the momentum of their Western Conference Finals run and become title contenders? Or will the turnover in the roster and rapid schedule cause them to stagnate? Tonight we begin to find out the answers to those questions.

Their opponent has plenty of questions to answer as well. Just a few years removed from being the most dominant team in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors are looking to bounce back from a forgettable season marred by injuries that saw them put up the worst record in the NBA. Tonight was supposed to be the start of a comeback story for the Warriors but they have already lost star Klay Thompson for the season to an achilles injury. Still, Golden State will have the services of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, along with several solid additions to their roster. Despite being an exhibition, tonights game is sure to provide plenty of intrigue.

Who: Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors

When: 6:30 PM MST

Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA.

How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs does not condone piracy...unless its the romanticized 18th-century type. Altitude TV where available, League Pass for non-Denver market viewers. Sneak into the Chase Center with a Chris Mullin mask. 92.5 FM KKSE Altitude Sports Radio.

Rival blog: Golden State of Mind

Player availability: Injury reports were not submitted at time of writing. Check the NBAs official injury report website for updates.

The first game of the preseason is always going to look a bit clunky. Throw in the fact that the Nuggets added seven new players to the roster and lets just say I dont expect a very smooth game. The Warriors have gone through quite a bit of turnover themselves, with newcomers Kelly Oubre Jr. and Brad Wanaker adding to the depth behind a still potent core. Golden Sate also has been dealing with some COVID-19 issues. The aforementioned Green and second overall pick James Wiseman are both out tonight after testing positive a week ago. All in all, this game has all the makings of a true blue preseason contest.

All Nuggets fans eyes are likely to be glued to two thirds of the Unicorn Brothers. Will Michael Porter Jr. start? How many minutes and where in the rotation does Bol Bol slot in? With the shortened preseason we can expect Michael Malone wont spent too much time tinkering and will instead be using these warm up games to quickly get his team ready for when the wins and losses start to count in a week and a half. There will also be less time for players to win rotation spots. Where Bol and MPJ get their minutes and how they perform in tonights game will be very revealing for their rotation prospects, at least early on in the season.

The Unicorn Brothers (Jokic, MPJ, Bol) plus Jamal Murray is a fascinating idea to think about. It might not happen this season with Bol still early in his development but its certainly possible we get to see it. Throw in Argentinian wizard (Facundo Campazzo) and Kid Lightning (R.J. Hampton) along with a healthy Gary Harris and Will Barton and this season has the makings of being something really fun. Plus Denver still has all the fire power they need to compete for a title this year if a couple things break their way. I cant wait for it to get started.

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Preview: Denver Nuggets open 20/21 campaign with a preseason game against the Golden State Warriors - Denver Stiffs