Everything Wrong with "Fyre Festival"

It isn't that difficult to understand why music festivals are so successful. Take a number of successful artists, pay them to perform together over a small number of days, all of which at one venue, and charge an exclusive group of attendees WAY too much money to see it.

This was the business strategy that 25-year-old "tech-bro" Billy McFarland thought he could master with minimal effort. He teamed up with former Billboard-topping rapper Ja Rule, and things got moving.

Enter

Fyre Festival

The intended music festival that was supposed to take place last week turned into one of the most talked about news stories of the year, even overshadowing President Trump's 100th day in office anf the Correspondent's Dinner on the same weekend.

What was supposed to be a private weekend getaway on a private island in the Bahamas turned into a basic human rights violation, as the festival was extremely underequipped and unerstaffed. The hundreds off attendees ended up trapped on the island for the entire weekend, with little to no food or water, inadequate shelter, and due to the intended "exclusive paradise", no money.

That's right, no money. On top of the fact that attendees spent anywhere fro $4,000 to $100,000 on their respective tickets, the island was decreed a cash-free zone, forcing the attendees to upload electronic funds on to an exclusive concert bracelet.

Ja Rule and McFarland are currently in a legal battle with celebrity attorney-turned-man-of-the-people Mark Geragos. Apparently his client, Daniel Jung, is filing a class-action lawsuit on behalf of himself and multiple concert attendees. The suit claims that the founders knowingly created a dangerous environment and used false advertisement in order to make money.

Rule and McFarland advertised multiple celebrities such as the Hidad Sisters, and others in order to promote the festival. The performers, mostly consisting of  G.O.O.D Music artists, were warned ahead of time not to attend for risk of danger. They also claimed that the island was formerly owned by Pablo Escobar, which turned out to be a lie. I  fact, there was a "Sandals" resort down the block.

Not to mention the fact that most attendees could not make it back to the states for the entire weekend, which forced Rule and McFarland to charter 3 flights per day from the Bahamas back to Miami, and pay numerous customs fines.

So, what have the co-founders/co-idiots done to combat this negative publicity? 

They have issued an official statement on their instagram page and official website, claiming that they knew it would be under-prepared, and promising that "next time they throw a festival" it will be properly equipped and stateside.

Personally, I doubt there will ever be a "next time," because both Ja Rule and Billy McFarland are about to lose soooooo much money in this lawsuit. 

But this is an ongoing story, perhaps the power of Ja Rule's celebrity will alleviate some of the blow. Perhaps the exclusivity of the lawsuit will make the tech-bro feel special.

Should NBA stars sit regular season games (without being injured) ?

It happens all the time, they call it a "healthy scratch." There is been much debate this season about NBA players sitting in regular season games without an injury warranting their rest day. This season, as opposed to many others, has seen some of the higher caliber players resting on game days.

LeBron James

Courtesy of SB Nation

LeBron is one of the greatest of all time, and the NBA's reigning King. The three-time champion and four-time MVP has sat 5 games this season (as of Mar 30) and is expected to sit one-to-two more games as the season comes to a close. James is averaging 26 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game this season.

LeBron, as well as teammate, All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving have been criticized for sitting in multiple games this season, with the main complaint coming from a fanbase that feels robbed for paying to see players that may not be active on any given night. Both LeBron and Kyrie have been outspoken defending the players right to rest during the season. The Cavs were scheduled for games on consecutive nights 16 times this season, second in back-to-back games only to the (awful) New York Knicks.

Golden State Warriors

Courtesy of ESPN.com

March 11th - Saturday night’s ABC primetime matchup between the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs – the top two teams in the West separated by 1½ games – Warriors coach Steve Kerr rested Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala.

Last season, the Golden State Warriors set the NBA record for most wins in one season, with a 73-9 record improving on the 1995-'96 Chicago Bulls 72-10 record. This regular season success took a toll on the team in the postseason, though. Following a 7-game series against the Oklahoma City, they were drained by the NBA Finals where they played in another 7-games series, this time losing to LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers.

Russell Westbrook and James Harden

Courtesy of Bleacher Report

This years MVP race is led by former OKC teammates Russell Westbrook, still with the Thunder, and James Harden, now of the Houston Rockets.

Harden, played in all 74 of the Houston Rockets regular season games thus far, and has averaged 29.3 points, 8 rebounds, and 11.3 assists per game. When asked about the importance of playing all 82 games, he had this to say.

 “Yeah, because you’re not leaving your teammates out there to dry, “Harden said Tuesday morning, before the Rockets’ game against the Warriors.  “For me, I worry about always having my teammates’ back and always being out there.”

Westbrook, played in all 73 of the Oklahoma City Thunder regular season games thus far, and has averaged 31.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game. When asked for his thoughts on NBA stars resting, he had this to say.

“I like to play basketball, so I like to go out and complete and have fun. For me, I look at it differently from being hurt, and missing a lot of games. I embrace every moment. I have an opportunity to play basketball, and I’m enjoying any time I can to get on the floor and play.”

Personally, I have been to multiple games where star players are taking an opportunity to rest. All-Star talents like John Wall, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Garnett, as well as others over the years. Although I as a fan want to see the best players compete, it is understandable that a player at such a high level at times can feel physically burnt out. I think it is the responsibility of the coach to win games, not to give the fans a show. 

Wrestlemania 33 Predictions

This years Wrestlemania, being promoted as "The Ultimate Thrill Ride", is being held this coming Sunday, April 2nd, in Orlando, Florida. Wrestlemania is the "showcase of the immortals", it is covered by major media outlets, attended by A-List celebrities, and consistently sets PPV buy records for wrestling promotions. This year's Wrestlemania is one of many in recent history that is headlined by part-time talent, with major match-ups such as Brock Lesnar vs. Bill Goldberg, Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns, and Triple H vs. Seth Rollins (hopefully). With these bouts, as well as some of the younger talent being featured in marquee match-ups, Wrestlemania 33 should round up to be one of the best in WWE history.

So let's make some predictions*.

Cruiserweight Championship (Kickoff Show)

Courtesy of WWE.com

Neville (c) takes on Austin Aries in what has built as a dream match since the Cruiserweight Division returned in mid-2016. The King of the Cruiserweights looks to defend his title against A-Double in the first match on the card. The way Neville has been booked as of late implies that not even Aries can defeat him. Yet, since his in-ring debut on the main roster, Aries has been on top of the world.

Prediction: Aries defeats Neville in tightly contested bout.

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Courtesy WWE.com

The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal is a tricky situation. When used correctly, it can be a stepping stone to stardom. When misused, it can be a way to bury young talent and waste an opportunity to make a young superstar successful. Current names involved include Samoa Joe, Sami Zayn, Big Show, Goldust, R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler, and Braun Strowman, among others. In addition, the possibilities of NXT call-ups and/or surprise returns.

Prediction: Big Show, it has been announced that this is his last Wrestlemania, and given his legacy as a dominant giant, a la Andre, I believe he will hold the trophy over his head.

Raw Tag Team Championships

Courtesy of WWE.com

This triple threat match has The Club (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) defending their newly acquired championships against the teams of Sheamus & Cesaro AND Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady. This is one of the more difficult matches to predict the outcome of. Sheamus/Cesaro held the belts for only a couple of weeks and lost it due to shenanigans. The Club were the ones to defeat Cesaro & Sheamus, and are finally booked as the kind of winning team they were before they left New Japan Pro Wrestling. Despite all of this, Enzo and Cass are one of the most over acts in the WWE today, and have never held WWE gold despite their popularity.

Prediction: Enzo and Cass, they're long overdue for a tag team title reign.

Smackdown Live! Women's Championship

Courtesy of WWE.com

Alexa Bliss (c) defends her title against "every available woman on the Smackdown Live! roster" according to Smackdown Live! General Manager Daniel Bryan. Those names currently include former champions Becky Lynch, Natalya Neidhart, Mickie James, and newcomer Carmella> There are also rumors of former champions Naomi and Kelly Kelly returning and a possible call-up of  undefeated NXT Women's Champion Asuka.

Prediction: Naomi returns and regains her championship in her hometown of Orlando, FL

Intercontinental Championship

Courtesy of WWE.com

Dean Ambrose (c) takes on Baron Corbin in a somewhat thrown together match for the Intercontinental Championship. Ambrose has been booked 50/50 since losing his WWE Championship to AJ Styles. He beat The Miz for the title shortly after losing the WWE Championship, and has somehow been able to keep the title around his waist. Corbin, on the other hand, has won every rivalry he's been booked in since the brand split.

Prediction: Corbin in a sub-par, "bathroom break" quality match.

Mixed Tag Team Match

Courtesy of WWE.com

John Cena and Nikki Bella take on the married couple of The Miz and Maryse. This is the kind of match that on paper looks pretty lame, but due to the in-ring abilities of John Cena and The Miz, it might be a Match of the Night Nominee. The promos and matches leading up to this match made fans actually care about it., thanks to the mic work of Miz and Cena.

Prediction: The Face that Runs the Place, John Cena and his girlfriend Nikki Bella, take the W.

United States Championship

Courtesy WWE.com

Chris Jericho (c) vs. Kevin Owens in a classic "best friends turned bitter enemies" storyline. Owens turned on Jericho, Jericho cost Owens his Universal Championship, Owens snapped The List of Jericho in half, now Owens threatens to cost Jericho his title. Basic wrestling storytelling 101. I love it.

Prediction: Jericho is rumored to take an extended break after this years WM, I imagine Kevin Owens walks out with the title.

Courtesy of WWE.com

AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon is going to be a high-spot filled, car crash match that will most likely feature the most memorable moment of the night. After Smackdown Live! GM Daniel Bryan fired AJ Styles, Styles went after Smackdown Live! Commissioner Shane McMahon and assaulted him in the parking lot of an arena. This match is going to be fun.

Prediction: Styles, McMahon is the only part-timer that constantly puts over the full-time talent.

Co-Main Event

Courtesy WWE.com

Although The Undertaker's undefeated streak at Wrestlemania was broken a number of years ago, he has still been shown to be an absolute monster at the #1 WWE pay-per-view. He'll be taking on Roman Reigns in a match that most people really don't want to see. Taker is getting up there in age (52 at the time of writing this), and the dream matches of Sting or John Cena are becoming less likely with every passing 'Mania. Plus everybody thinks Reigns is going over.

Prediction: Unfortunately, Roman Reigns.

Unsanctioned Match (AKA No Holds Barred, No DQ, or Anything Goes Match)

Courtesy of WWE.com

The match that almost didn't happen, and as of writing this still may not! Although Seth Rollins and Triple H have confirmed on-screen that this match is going to happen, Pro Wrestling Insider has reported that the Rollins/HHH match is a "game time decision", as Rollins is still recovering from a real-life knee injury suffered at the hands of a debuting Samoa Joe. But if this match does happen, it is guaranteed to entertain. "The Architect" takes on "The King of Kings" in a No-DQ Match that is over 2 years in the making. 

Prediction: If the match happens, Rollins goes over The Game

Co-Main Event: WWE Championship Match

Courtesy of WWE.com

"The Apex Predator" looks to take the WWE Championship from the "Eater of Worlds" as Royal Rumble Winner Randy Orton takes on Bray Wyatt (c). In a similar, yet very different from the Owens/Jericho fued, allies turn enemies when Randy Orton burned the Wyatt family compound down to the ground and desicrated the grave of Sister Abgail (and yet somehow Orton is the good guy in this scenario). Wyatt earned the WWE Championship by pinning both AJ Styles AND John Cena in the Elimination Chamber match last February, and although it is his first taste of singles gold, I doubt he will have it much longer.

Prediction: Orton wins, becomes 13-time World Champion.

MAIN EVENT: Universal Championship

Courtesy of WWE.com

This match is above good guys vs. bad guys. This match is easily the most anticipated part-timer event of all time. 52-year-old superhero Bill Goldberg (c) takes on "The Beast Incarnate" Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. After Goldberg and Lesnar stunk up Madison Square Garden in 2004 at Wrestlemania 20, they have a second chance to blow the roof** off the place when they go at it in the main event. Last year's Survivor Series saw Goldberg stun Lesnar, and the WWE Universe, by beating Lesnar in just under 2 minutes. Then Goldberg easily eliminated Lesnar from the Royal Rumble this past January. The key here is to keep the WWE Universe guessing. If the match becomes predictable, the people will stop caring.

Prediction: Brock finally defeats Goldberg. But that ending is a bit predictable, anything could happen with these two monsters. I just hope that the match goes over 5 minutes this time.

*Yes, I know. Professional Wrestling results are predetermined. Go away.

**The SunLife Stadium in Orlando, Florida has no actual roof.

Mock News w/ voiceover

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A POST FOR THE SAKE OF ENTERTAINMENT, LOOK NO FURTHER.

This post is for the sole purpose of completing a class assignment.

Script 1: Roundabout

A new roundabout worth $20,000 has been constructed at the intersection of Dugg Gap Road and Wary Lane. The roundabout is funded by the county, as well as federal grant loans. After delays last month due to heavy rain, construction has finally completed and will be opening this coming Saturday. This is the third roundabout built in the last two years, and County Road Commissioner Sara Jess Thornburgh says that others are being considered.

Script 2:

Three books, authored by Ed Caudill and Paul Ashdown, that have been published over the last 10 years, have been awarded with the Phantom Grace Award for Civil War Literature today by the Phantom Grace Society. The books, entitled: "Sherman's March in Myth and Memory", "The Myth of Nathan Bedford Forrest", and "The Mosby Myth: Confederate Hero in Life and Legend", respectively, take a look at three different Civil War personalities and what people think of them today. Authors Caudill and Ashdown  will be discussing their books on local public radio show "Datelines and Bylines" this coming Sunday.

Reporting News via Twitter

Twitter is the social media outlet used by many to keep informed of the news. While the masses are hooked on the tweets of current President Donald Trump, I keep my focus generally on the never-resting world of sports. This past week marked the beginning of the NFL's Free Agency period.

Free agency in the NFL is the period where players that are no longer under contract can be contacted by other NFL teams. This period is one of the most anticipated parts of free agency, and is closely payed attention to by the experts and analysts across the major sports networks and websites.

As I covered the NFL free agency period via my twitter page @QuarterbackDiaz, i found that the people most important to follow were ESPN's @AdamSchefter, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport (@rapsheet), and FOX Sports' @JayGlazer.

Free Agency started officially on the Friday before spring break, and is currently still ongoing (as of writing this).

From following this, I learned that it is quite difficult to follow a news story without any actual leads or NFL-qualified contacts.

Despite that, it was definitely interesting and fun for me to follow the ongoing free agency moves and give my opinions on them as I reported.

Storytelling via Snapchat

Snapchat is one of the most popular social media outlets in todays current internet-obsessed culture. While some users indulge in self-obsession or mind-numbing entertainment, other users are required to use the media for information and news sharing. I was required to do something a bit different with my use of social media.

STORYTELLING

I had the luxury of traveling to Los Angeles, California over spring break. I recorded some of the key moments from the morning of my departure to California, to my return back into Newark, New Jersey. 

Day One: The Journey

It started with my digging out snow in order to get to the car, just to get me to the airport. In Poughkeepsie, my family and I got 26 inches of snow, so it took some work to make that happen. Then I had to find a way to make it to Los Angeles. Once I arrived, I made my way to STAPLES Center to watch the Los Angeles Clippers game.

Day Two: Getting Acquainted 

My first official day in Los Angeles was met with awe. I took a walk around the neighborhood, met up with my cousin Louie, toured my dream school, the University of Southern California, and hung out at a few bars in Downtown Los Angeles.

Day Three: The Hike, and Quality Time

My second, and unfortunately, my last day in Los Angeles was spent hiking (halfway) up the famous Griffith Park to the Griffith Observatory. After this, I came back to my cousins house to hang out with her kids, my little cousins.

Day Four: The Return

It started a bit after 4am, after staying up all night I made my way to the airport. I walked from gate to gate in the overcrowded LAX, found myself eating multiple plates of pancakes and watching old wrestling videos, and miraculously getting on a direct flight from LA to New Jersey. After an entire morning of trying to travel, and an entire afternoon of flying cross-country, I finally made my way back to the Bronx.

Cutlines: Captions Under Pictures

John Ross (pictured) at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis,
 breaking the all-time record for 40 yard dash, running a 4.22.

Nova (above), taking a nice autumn walk. Nova, a 2 year-old purebred 
American Pit Bull Terrier currently resides with The Diaz family in the Bronx, NY.

Colin Cassady (upper right) throwing his partner, Enzo Amore (upper left),
onto his opponents Luke Gallows (lower left) and Karl Anderson (lower right).

Explaining the X-Men Cinematic Timeline

With Logan being recently released (to excellent reviews by the way), I'd like to take the opportunity to explain the timeline of the X-Men movies, from the perspective of the titular character, James "Logan" Howlett, AKA Wolverine. My intention here is to clear up any of the misunderstandings that may be felt by intimidated casual fans of the series.

The last 17 years has been made up of 11 different X-Men films, 8 starring Hugh Jackman's Wolverine as a main character, 2 featuring a Wolverine cameo, and one without Jackman. The only film in the X-Men series not to feature Wolverine in any capacity is 2016's "Deadpool", which is the R-rated surprise box office sensation that motivated "Logan" to keep the necessary R rating.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW

Read at your own risk

First up is the very first X-Men movie, released in 2000, but set in 2003. When we first meet Logan, he's wandering around Canada with no memory of who he is or how he got those awesome meta claws. He's literally cagefighting in underground clubs for money; it's pretty awesome actually. By the end of this movie he's in this group the X-Men, he's a bit happier now that he's got some friends and what he considers to be a family. Professor X sends him to an abandoned military complex called Alkalai Lake, in Canada, to find answers about who he is.

Courtesy: Collider.com

The next film in the series was released in 2003. X2: X-Men United, takes place directly where the original film left off. He arrives in Canada at Alkalai Lake, stares down a wolf or something (he's really into nature, but doesn't find anything up there until the end of the movie. At the end of X2, the X-Men have to rescue Professor X from the main villian William Stryker. At this point, Jean Grey has to sacrifice herself to save the rest of the X-Men, which Wolverine is torn up about about because he was in love with her, even though she was dating Cyclops. 

X-Men 3: The Last Stand is the final film of the original trilogy. Taking place and released in 2006, we have Wolverine still upset about losing Jean Grey, but at this point acting as more of a leader of the X-Men team. Early in the film, Jean Grey somehow comes back with new powers and being referred to as The Phoenix. She cannot control her powers though, as she ends up killing Cyclops and disintegrating Professor X, which was pretty nuts to see. At the end of the movie, Logan then has to kill Jean Grey in order to stop her from killing many more people. Also at the end of this movie, somehow, Professor Xavier somehow transfers his consciousness to a replica of his body (but for some reason is still confined to a wheelchair).

Here's where things start to get a bit more difficult to follow.

Courtesy: PluggedIn.com

So X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a pretty bad movie. Like, awful. But it does reveal a lot of new information about the character. We learn that Logan is born all the way back in 1832, and due to his healing factor he ages at an extremely slow rate. This is alluded to in the first X-Men film, as Professor X couldn't tell how old Logan was after a full DNA study. His powers first manifest themselves in 1845, as the mutations often begin to show signs in this universe with the coming of age that is commonly associated with puberty. In Logan's case, the manifestation of his powers result in the accidental killing of his father. After this, he and his half-brother Victor Creed, later to be known as Sabertooth, have to survive on their own. They go on to fight side by side in every major American War after this. In an awesome title sequence for the otherwise terrible film, we see a montage of them fighting in the American Civil War, World War One, World War Two and the Vietnam War. 

While fighting in Vietnam, he meets a man named William Stryker for the first time, Stryker is the man who is responsible for Logan's unbreakable adamantium skeleton and retractable claws. He recruits them into a group called Task Force X, where they are tasked with black ops missions and assassination jobs. At the end of this film, Wolverine is shot in the head with an adamantium bullet, which gives him amnesia.

From this event in 1979, all the way until to 2003, Wolverine is in Canada...cagefighting and stuff, probably.

Courtesy: themarysue.com

X-Men: First Class, a prequel released in 2011, is set in 1962. The film is about Professor X and Magneto starting the X-Men and recruiting for members. Wolverine only has a cameo in this, where he tells Xavier and Erik Lenssher to "Fuck off."

Courtesy: Deadline

2013 brought us the second solo film, The Wolverine which takes place first in 1945 as the atomic bomb was dropped in Nagasaki. He wakes up from a dream about the bomb dropping, at which he saved a young Japanese man's life, in 2013. He is living as a hermit in caves in Canada. This is only 7 years separated from having to kill Jean Grey, by which he is still emotionally traumatized. He is tracked down by the man who he saved in Japan, now very old and dying, but also wealthy enough to try and use science in order to copy Wolverine's healing factor. By the end of this film, he gets his metal claws chopped off and his healing factor reduced. He at this point as his original bone claws, as he did as a child.

Still with me? Okay, pay close attention.

Courtesy: Empire Online

X-Men: Days of Future Past is the movie that confuses people most, even though it is the film that actually cleared up most of the plot holes left by the previous films.

The film starts in 2023, in a dystopian future where mutants are being hunted down by robots called Sentinels. Fellow mutant Kitty Pride uses her powers to send Wolverine's consciousness back to his body in 1973. This is done so that Wolverine can help halt the creation of the Sentinels by keeping Mystique from killing the creator of the robots, Bolivar Trask.

The mission is successful, and by changing history in 1973, Wolverine rendered all of the previously occurring events to be no longer existent. At the end of this film, the alternate 2023 features all of the X-Men alive and well, including Cyclops and Jean Grey who had been gone for 17 years in the original 2023.

The events of Days of Future Past created an alternate timeline.

However, Wolverine still ends up in the hands of William Stryker, as seen in the following film.

X-Men: Apocalypse is another film in which Wolverine only has a cameo. Set in the new version of 1983. The younger versions of Cyclops and Jean Grey are at Alkalai Lake rescuing their fellow X-Men, when they come across the experiment that is revealed to be Wolverine getting his adamantium skeleton. When they set Logan free, he kills his way out of Alkalai Lake, and runs out of the base, and does not reappear in the film. This presents the difference that now Wolverine has met the X-Men 20 years earlier than the original timeline, and does not have his memories wiped.

Courtesy: Screen Rant

All of that brings us here, the alternate timeline's version of 2029. Most of the mutant's are dead, no new mutants have been born for 20 years, and we are only 6 years removed from the end of Days of Future Past where everything seemed to be perfect. This future in which Logan lives is not a welcome one, he lives in hiding taking care of a mentally weakened Professor X, and works in a small town in Texas as a driver-for-hire. At this point, Logan has lived for 196 years, but emotionally and consciously he is 252 years old. He's lived two different lives with memories from both, and has seen all of his friends come and go on two separate occasions. This film takes a very in-depth look at a character who is seemingly a shell of himself, as his healing factor has weakened and his body begins to fail him, while his depression begins to consume him.

Hopefully this summary of the Wolverine timeline(s) has cleared up some of the confusion that seems to cloud the X-Men franchise. It may seem intimidating to try and follow, but give it a chance. Logan is out in most theaters now, and has made $237.8 million in its opening weekend. 

Top 5 NFL Combine Performances (Quarterbacks)

Ah yes, Day Two of the "pageant for jocks" called the NFL Combine has concluded, and with the Quarterbacks taking centerstage, it seemed fitting to take a look back at the film and analyze who the top five quarterbacks are coming out of the big weekend.

So, Here we go.

Honorable Mention:

Chad Kelly (Ole Miss)

Courtesy: The Front Office News

Although Chad Kelly did not compete at the Combine, he stands to gain plenty of positive attention from his absence. Kelly is currently rehabbing from his second ACL surgery in his NCAA football career, and although he was initially invited to the Combine, his invite was rescinded with the reveal of his ACL surgery back in December. Kelly's absence was felt, though, as some NFL executives believed that he is one of the most ready-made NFL quarterbacks in the last few years. Still though, coming off of a knee injury is no easy feat. Kelly, the nephew of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, is focused on his Ole Miss Pro Day* on April 3rd.

*Pro Day: A workout hosted privately by a specific university where student athletes compete on their own time. It is attended by NFL scouts, coaches, and select media.

#4:

Deshaun Watson (Clemson)

Courtesy: The Kansas City Star

There was no question Watson was going to appear on this list. Some even believe he is the top quarterback in this draft class. But his presumed NFL Draft status hurts him in this ranking system. Watson had a solid day, showing off the skills that made him a 2-time Davey O'Brien Award winner for the nations best signal caller, as well as the only National Champion on this list. He threw the ball with accuracy and put up solid numbers in the speed drill session.

40 Yard Dash: 4.66 seconds

Vertical Jump: 32.5 inches

Broad Jump: 9.92 feet

#3:

Mitchell Trubisky (North Carolina)

Courtesy: CBS Sports

Mitch...er...Mitchell Trubisky, as he insists we now call him, wants to be taken more seriously as a pro, and he proved he should be taken seriously at the NFL Combine. This Saturday morning he put up numbers just as good as National Champion Deshaun Watson. Trubisky is highly touted as the #1 Quarterback in this draft class, with plenty of mock drafts have him being taken in the top 3 picks of the very first round. If he doesn't get selected in those first 3, he is likely to slide to the #6 slot where my New York Jets would be lucky to have him. Trubisky threw the ball with great strength and commanded the field during drills today.

40 yard dash: 4.67 seconds

Broad Jump: 9.67 feet

20 yard shuttle: 4.25 seconds

#2:

Brad Kaaya (Miami)

Courtesy: Sun Sentinel

What seemed to be a mistake ended up an exceptional decision from Miami's all-time leading passer when he decided not to perform in any of the speed or agility drills at the NFL Combine. The man chose to simply just show up, and do what he does best: throw the damn football. He showed in the throwing drills that he could move smoothly in and out of the pocket, effortlessly delivering strikes and bombs to the best WR prospects in the country. Something else about Kaaya that scouts have been praising all weekend is his mental makeup and character. They believe he has been groomed to be a leader from a young age and can handle the responsibility that comes with being at the NFL level. Kaaya is likely to perform the 40 yard dash, vertical jump, 20 yard shuttle, and other drills, as well as throw the ball again, at the University of Miami pro day, which takes place March 29th.

#1:

Trevor Knight (Texas A&M)

Courtesy: Saturday Down South

The dark horse of the NFL Draft at the quarterback position is none other than 5th year quarterback Trevor Knight. After 3 years, and a Sugar Bowl victory as the starting quarterback of University of Oklahoma, his 4th year was spent quietly carrying a clipboard while sensation Baker Mayfield lit up the scoreboard. Knight opted to spend his fifth and final year of eligibility in College Station, Texas at Texas A&M University. Knight led the Aggies to an uninspired 8-5 win/loss record while throwing for over 2400 yards and a solid 19 touchdowns, ending the season with a loss to Kansas State in the V100 Texas Bowl. Knight likely had the most to gain from a solid showing at the Combine, and he made the most of the opportunity. I'll let the numbers explain the rest.

40 yard dash: 4.54 seconds (fastest QB)

Vertical Jump: 35.5 inches (highest QB)

Broad Jump: 10.42 feet (furthest QB)

20 yard shuttle: 4.14 seconds (fastest QB)

It'll be important to keep checking in on these quarterbacks following the draft process in the next couple of months. I have high hopes for all of these men, and their pro days will be indicative of how they perform with their fellow prospect teammates. This year's NFL Draft is going to be very interesting.

WWE Fastlane Preview

WWE Fastlane Predictions

Courtesy of WWE.com

Let's be honest here, nobody really asked for the "PPV every two weeks" format that the WWE adopted following its Brand Split back in the summer of 2016. And it seems like WWE themselves are beginning to step away from this template. With 3 weeks separating Elimination Chamber (a SmackDown Live PPV) and WWE Fastlane (a Monday Night Raw PPV), and a full month before The Grandaddy of them All, Wrestlemania 33, WWE seems to have noticed the difficulty in building believable rivalries in just 2 weeks of programming. 

This Sunday, March 5th is WWE Fastlane, and with the match card officially set, I'm here to make some predictions.

Kickoff Show:

Rich Swann & Akira Tozawa vs. The Brian Kendrick & Noam Dar

Winner: Swann and Tozawa, by way of pinfall

Analysis: In a kickoff match featuring the Cruiserweight Division, there isn't really any reason to have Kendrick and Dar pick up the victory. Swann is returning from injuries, and it seems that he should get the victory over Kendrick. Plus, Tozawa has been looking very good as of late, and there's no reason as to why he shouldn't be put over.

Courtesy of WWE.com

Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax

Winner: Sasha Banks via DQ, countout, or shenanigans

Analysis: Sasha Banks has been painted as an underdog ever since she started working as a singles competitor on the main roster. She's coming off an injury at the hands of Nia Jax, and last week on Raw she was ragdolled in a tag team matchup vs. Jax and Charlotte Flair while teaming up with Raw Women's Champion, Bayley. However, I have Banks defeating Jax without obtaining a pinfall or submission over her. It would even up the score at 1-1, potentially setting up a rubber match at Wrestlemania, while keeping Jax strong against the perennial underdog.

89th Academy Awards Review

What started as a triumphant ceremony ended in a debacle for the history books. The 89th Academy Awards took place last night with comedian Jimmy Kimmel on duty as the host for the evening, and just as it seemed the show would come to a close with no controversy, the final award of the night, the award for Best Film, was given to the wrong film.

Warren Beatty was handed the wrong envelope, and he walked onstage with his Bonnie & Clyde (1967) co-star Faye Dunaway as they announced the winner of the award to be La La Land.

La La Land producer Fred Berger was in the middle of his acceptance speech when an Oscars producer ran out onto the stage, handed executive producer Justin Horowitz the correct envelope, and quickly ran off.

Horowitz humbly and graciously revealed the real winner for Best Film.

Moonlight.

Horowitz shared a hug with Moonlight writer/director Barry Jenkins before handing over the award. Moonlight also was awarded with Best Adapted Screenplay, and actor Mahershala Ali earned Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film.

The Moonlight crew began their acceptance speeches, expressing their appreciation to the La La Land team for handing over the awards, all while the Oscars crew behind them along with Jimmy Kimmel and Warren Beatty tried to figure out how the mistake occurred.

In the 89 years since the inaugural Academy Awards, this is the first time in history that the wrong winner was announced on stage. The accounting firm responsible for the voting process, PricewaterhouseCoopers, had this to say following the incident:

"We sincerely apologise to Moonlight, La La Land, Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, and Oscar viewers for the error that was made during the award announcement for best picture”

According to The Guardian, Some of the focus has shifted to PWC supervisors Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz, who oversee the counting procedures and are the only two people who know the winners list before the ceremony.

In Other Oscars News

La La Land won 6 of its 14 awards it was nominated for, including Best Song, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Director (Damien Chazelle), and Best Lead Actress (Emma Stone).

Manchester By The Sea was the recipient of two major awards, Best Original Screenplay for the story written by its Director Kenneth Lonergan, and Best Actor for the performance of Casey Affleck. Casey is now one of 17 sibling pairs with an Academy Award, as he is the younger brother of two-time winner Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting, Argo).

Viola Davis took home Best Supporting Actress for her moving performance in Fences alongside Denzel Washington. She is the first African American actor to have earned an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy.

The mercurial Suicide Squad took home an Oscar for Best Hair and Makeup, likely for the character designs of Harley Quinn, El Diablo, and the Joker, and the surprise Disney blockbuster The Jungle Book was awarded with Best Visual Effects.

ESPN's OJ: Made in America was the winner of Best Feature Documentary, which was dedicated by creator Ezra Edelman to the lives and families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

Introduction, The Great Hot Dog Discussion

           This is the introduction to a blog about nothing. Not that there will be nothing on this blog, that is not what's happening here. You have encountered a blog where nothing posted will be of any consequence to the real world. You may ask yourself, "Why would such a blog exist? Why would someone continuously discuss and report on things that hold no meaning in the real world?" To that, I say, in tumultuous times like these, the healthiest thing one could do is take a break from the world, and let the mind wander among the unimportant.

And so, I bring you...

The Blog of Jarett Diaz: Sports, Movies, and other Non-Consequential Pieces of Escapism

To start with, I intend to answer the age-old question, one that has been debated and discussed over many years, among people of all walks of life.

Should a Hot Dog be considered a sandwich?

By definition, according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a sandwich can be defined as

a.) two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between.

b.) one slice of bread covered with food

One would think that by definition, a hot dog would indeed fall within the parameters of what a sandwich can be. A hot dog definitely is a split roll with a filling in between.

However, it would be inexcusable for me not to provide the opposing side of the argument. 

What other sandwich do you put potential condiments or toppings on the outside or above the sandwich?

For example, ketchup can be placed within the content of a ham and cheese sandwich, but it is not placed on the visible edges of the sandwich nor is it applied on top of the bread. 

Another point, hot dogs are not accompanied with other meats. Everyone knows you can have a ham and turkey sandwich, or a BBQ pork and sausage sandwich. But how many times have you heard of someone ordering a hot dog with salami on it? I reckon, very few.

In addition, Subway, a sandwich proprietor does not sell hot dogs. Now, why would a restaurant in the business of customizable sandwiches, not provide the hot dog as an option?

I am of the opinion that whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich can be debated in circles for years to come, just as it has been debated for decades prior. 

Both sides make good points. And after careful deliberation, I have chosen a side.

Final Verdict: The Hot Dog...............is not a sandwich.