Hello everyone. I made a post about two months ago sharing my library index (646GB at the time). I was working with 400GB of space back then so I went with a request format so people could comment and request titles on my list. However, I have since exceeded that storage space limit through the sheer number of requests I've been getting so I decided to purchase more space to accommodate everyone's needs. As a result, I now have enough space to upload my entire library which is what I have done. Please enjoy!
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*This keeps coming up on my last post, so I will reiterate it here:
This is not a request post. I'm sharing what I have in my library. Please do not request titles that aren't listed below. Thank you. :)
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If there's no quality specified, it's FLAC at 16bit / 44.1 or 48 kHz
[320] MP3 at 320kbps, when this number is 3 digits and not 16/24 it is always MP3 with the number indicating kbps
[24] FLAC at 24 bit, if the sampling rate is higher than 44.1/48kHz it will be specified
[MQA] will be specified after bit-rate
Discographies are studio albums mostly, some include EPs/Mixtapes/Live albums as well
All albums listed are complete, unless otherwise noted.
If there are multiple formats available within an album, they will be in separate sub folders.
Occasionally there will be albums with mixed formats, which will be noted.
There's a small percentage of titles that are labeled in FLAC but are actually upsampled MP3. Unfortunately I'm not quite sure which ones they are. I'd estimate this to be less than 3% of the collection.
Some video content are also included with certain titles.
I think that would be all for now. Please let me know if you have any concerns or questions below.
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2 Chainz - Discography (2012-2020)[16~24/96]
2 Pac - 2Pacalypse Now, Strictly 4 My NIGGAZ, Me Against the World, All Eyez on Me, Americaz Most Wanted
8 Mile Original Soundtrack
8Ball - Lost
21 Savage - Slaughter King [320], Savage Mode, Savage Mode II [24]
50 Cent - Discography (2003-2014), Power of the Dollar EP+Unreleased, Guess Who's Back [Mixtape], The New Breed [Documentary CD], Get Rich or Die Tryin' OST, This is 50 [Mixtape], The Kanan Tape [Mixtape], Best Of [Compilation], Singles
112 - 112, Room 112
A Boogie wit da Hoodie - Artist, The Bigger Artist, Hoodie SZN, Artist 2.0 [24]
A Great Big World - Is There Anybody Out There? [320]
A$AP Ferg - Furious Ferg, Floor Seats II [24]
A$AP Rocky - Live.Love. ASAP, Long. Live. ASAP, At. Last. ASAP [24], Testing [24]
Aaryan Shah - In the Making, The Arrival: Part I+II [16~24]
AC/DC - Discography (1976-2020)[16~24/96]
Ace Hood [320] - Discography (2008-2013)
Mixtape: Ace Won't Fold, All Bets on Ace, Final Warning, Street Certified, The Preview, I Do It.. For the Sport, The Statement, Body Bag Vol.1, Sex Chronicles, The Statement 2, Body Bag Vol.2, Starvation, Starvation II
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ACG:
.hack_Sign OST 1+2 [320]
Castlevania - Akumajo Dracula Best Music Collections Box
Curse of Darkness - Prelude of Revenge
Harmony of Despair
Lament of Innocence
Lament of Innocence Limited Edition Music Sampler
Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate
Symphony of the Night
Death Note OST 1+2+3 [320]
Detective Conan OST 3
Final Fantasy Symphonic Suite
Final Fantasy VII OST
Final Fantasy VII Reunion Tracks
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy X
Gensomaden Saiyuki - OST 1, Single Collection
Guilty Gear X - Heavy Rock Tracks, Rising Force of Gear Image Vocal Tracks
Guilty Gear XX OST
Guilty Gear XX - Sound Alive/A.S.H.
Hikaru no Go - Theme Song Selection
Howl's Moving Castle - OST [24], Symphony Suite [320]
Hunter x Hunter - OST 1+2+3, The Last Mission
Joe Hisaishi - Dream Songs/The Essential Joe Hisaishi [24]
Koudelka
Legend of Mana [320]
Madlax
My-HiME - OST 1+2
Neon Genesis Evangelion - Single Collection, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" [24_192]
NieR:Automata [24]
Noir - OST 1+2+3
Ragnarok Online Complete Soundtrack
Rockman Zero: Remastered Tracks, Collection Soundtrack -résonnant vie-
Rockman Zero & ZX Sound Box (Zero 1+2+3+4, ZX, ZX Advent)
Rockman Zero/ZX Reploid Remixes
Rockman ZX: Soundsketch -ZX Gigamix-, ZX Tunes, ZXA Tunes
Rurouni Kenshin - OST 1 [320], OST 2+3+4, CD BOX [320], Director's Collection, Premium Collection, Songs, The Best Theme Collection
Shaman King - Comics Image Album, Melody of the Spirits, Osorezan Revoir ~au revoir~, Osorezan Revoir ~prologue to shaman~, Single Vocal Album, Vocal on Parade!!
Slayers TRY Treasure BGM
Spirited Away [320]
The Legend of Zelda - Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time, 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD
Tsubasa Chronicle - OST 1+2+3+4
Yu-Gi-Oh! Theme Song Single Collection
Z.O.E. - Zone of the Enders, Anubis: Zone of the Enders
Zenki - Character Song Collection 2, OST 2 Raigou Shourin!!
軒轅劍三外傳:天之痕 - 三個人的時光
風色幻想 - 1+SP+2+3+4+5
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Adam Ben Ezra - Discography (2015-2020)
Adam Lambert - Trespassing
Adam Lopez - The Popera, Showstopper, Till the End of Time
Adele - Discography (2008-2015)
Afek-T - Les brumes, "Impassible"
Agnes Obel - Philharmonics, Aventine, Citizen of Glass [24], Myopia [24]
Akon - Trouble
Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls, Sound & Color
Alejandro Fernández - de noche - clasicos a mi manera, Confidencias [320]
Alicia Keys - Songs in A Minor
Aloe Blacc - Shine Through, Good Things, Lift Your Spirit
Aloosh - Separate, Ceramic [24/96]
Amber Run [320] - 5am, For a Moment I Was Lost
Amy Winehouse - Frank [24], Back to Black [24/96], Lioness: Hidden Treasures, At the BBC
Andrea Bocelli - Romanza, Verdi
Angra - Discography (1992 - 2010)[160~231, except Temple of Shadows in 16]
Anita Baker - Rhythm of Love
Anthony Ramos - The Freedom EP, The Good & The Bad
Ariana Grande - Discography (2013-2020)[16~24/MQA]
Arvo Part - Various works
Audiophile Analog Collection Vol. 2 [DSD256]
Aurora - Discography (2015-2019)[24, except Infections of a Different Kind in 16]
AZ - Doe or Die
Az Yet - Az Yet, She's Magic
Babyface - The Day
Bad Meets Evil - Hell: The Sequel
Ballet Class Music [320]
Banks - Discography (2014-2019)[16~24/MQA]
Basso Profondo from Old Russia
Belly - Another Day in Paradise, Inzombia, Mumble Rap, Immigrant
Beyoncé - 4, Beyoncé, Lemonade
Big Boi - Boomiverse
Bilal - 1st Born Second
Bill Evans Trio [320] - Explorations, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, Waltz for Debby
Bill Withers - Lovely Day: The Very Best of Bill Withers
Billie Eilish - Discography (2017-2020)
Birdy - Discography (2011-2016)
Bishop Briggs - EP [24MQA], Church of Scars [24MQA], Champions [24]
Black OST
Black Hill - Discography (2014-2019)[16~24]
Stvannyr - Secrets of the runes
Black Panther - Original Score [24], The Album [24], Wakanda Remixed [16]
Blindspotting - The Collins EP, The Miles EP
Bloom - Sinses
Blue - All Rise
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Legend
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - Creepin on ah Come Up EP
Brent Faiyaz - A.M. Paradox EP, Sonder Son, Lost EP, Fuck the World
Bruno Mars - Discography (2010-2016)
Busta Rhymes - The Coming
Call Me By Your Name OST
Camila Cabello - Romance
Cardi B - Gangsta Bitch Music Vol.1 [128], UnderEstimated - The Tour Album [128], GBMV2 [128], Invasion of Privacy
Carolina Eyck - Discography (2008-2019)
Case - Open Letter
Céline Dion - All the Way... A Decade of Song, A New Day Has Come, Courage
Charlotte Cardin - Big Boy EP, Main Girl EP
Charlotte Cardinale - Florescentia
Chase Holfelder - Major to Minor, Vol. 1+2
Chet Faker - Thinking in Textures, Built on Glass, Lockjaw
Childish Gambino - Camp, Because the Internet, 3.15.20, "This is America"
Chingy - Jackpot
Chloe x Halle [24] - Sugar Symphony EP, The Kids Are Alright, Ungodly Hour
Choral: Aliqua, Chor Leoni Men's Choir Discography (1998-2018), Christmas with The Princeton Singers, musica intima (clear), Rajaton (Boundless, Tarinoita), The Manitou Singers - Repertoire for Women's Voices, Vol. 2
Christina Aguilera - Christina Aguilera [320], Stripped, Back to Basics, Bionic, Lotus [320], Liberation [24]
Cirque du Soleil - Discography (1992-2015)[128~320, 3 albums in 16]
Clann [24] - Kin Fables, Seelie
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Classical:
100 Great Symphonies
Bach - Selected Organ Works, The Famous Cantatas, The Six Motets
Beethoven - Complete String Quartets, Piano Sonata No.8 op.13 'Pathetique', Piano Sonata No.14 op.27 'Moonlight', Piano Sonata No.23 op.57 'Appassionata'
Brahms - Brahms on Life and Love, Requiem, Symphony No.1
Bruckner - Te Deum
Chopin Complete Piano Music [192]
Dvořák - Mass in D, Requiem, Symphony No.7+8+9
Fauré - Requiem
Glazunov - Violin Concerto in Am op.82
Grieg - Piano Concerto op.16 in Am
Liszt - 10 Hungarian Rhapsodies, Jorge Bolet - Favourite Piano Works, Piano Works
Mendelssohn - Symphony No.4, Violin Concerto in Em
Mozart - Clarinet Concerto in A, Concerto in C for Flute, Harp, Orchestra, Horn Concerto No.4, Piano Concerto No.20, Piano Concerto No.21, Requiem
Paganini - Salvatore Accardo plays Paganini's Guarneri del Gesu 1742
Schubert - Piano Sonata No.14+19
Schumann - Piano Concerto op.54 in Am
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No.1, Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, The Symphonies [192]
Verdi - Requiem
Vivaldi - Concerto in C for Violin and Double Orchestra, Concerto in D for Violin and Double Orchestra, The Four Seasons
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clipping - CLPPNG [24], There Existed an Addiction to Blood
Coco OST
Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise
Corey Payette - Children of God, Les Filles du Roi
Craig David - Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average
Cris Derksen - The Cusp [320], The Collapse, Orchestral Powwow
Curtis Clearsky and the Constellationz - Indigifunk
D12 - Devil's Night, D12 World
Daley - Discography (2011-2017)
D'Angelo - Brown Suger, Black Messiah [24/96]
Darren Hayes - Spin
Daveed Diggs - Small THings to a Giant, Seven Nights in Chicago
David Morin - Every Colour
Deen Squad Mixtape 2015 [320]
Destino - Forte, Beginning Again
Destiny's Child - Destiny's Child, #1s
Disclosure - Caracal
DJ Danger Mouse - The Grey Album
DJ Drama - Quality Street Music 2
Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony No.1+2+3+4+5+6+8+9+12+14+15, Violin Concerto No.1
DMX - It's Dark and Hell is Hot, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, ...And Then There Was X
Dr. Dre - 2001, Compton
Drake - So Far Gone [320], Thank Me Later [320], Take Care [320], Nothing Was the Same [320], If You're Reading This It's Too Late
Dream Theater - Discography (1989-2019)[16~24/96]
Dream Warriors - Subliminal Simulation
Drezus - Red Winter, Indian Summer
Dru Hill - Dru Hill, Enter the Dru
Dumbfoundead - Discography (2011-2016), Café Bleu, Inside/Outside [24]
Dylan Brady - All I Ever Wanted [24], Choker, Dog Show, This Car Needs Some Wheels
Eagles - Discography (1972-1979)[24/192]
Eazy-E - It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa, Eternal E
Elijah Blake - Discography (2012-2019)
Eminem - Discography (1996-2020)[16~24/96]
En Vogue - Funky Divas
Enrique Iglesias - Enrique, Euphoria
ES Posthumus - Unearthed [320]
Evanescence - Discography (2003-2017)[16~24]
Fantastic Negrito - Discography (2014-2020)
Far East Movement - Free Wired
FKA Twigs - LP1, Magdalene
Flipsyde - Discography (2005-2012)[128~320]
Florence + the Machine - Discography (2009-2018)[16~24/96]
Flume - Skin [24]
For Vance - Live at Bangor Abbey [16], From Muscle Shoals [24]
Frank Ocean - Discography (2011-2016)[16~24]
Frank Sinatra - Ultimate Sinatra
Frozen OST
Frvrfriday - More Than You Know, Offline, WHOISFRIDAY [24]
Fugees - The Score
Future - Beast Mode [24], Future [24/96]
Gallant - Zebra [320]
Game of Thrones - S1-8 OST, Various Orchestra Albums, For the Throne
Gary Jules - Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets
Get Out OST
Ghost - Meliora [24]
Ginuwine - Ginuwine... The Bachelor, 100% Ginuwine
Gorillaz - Discography (2001-2020)[24/MQA~24/96]
Grace VanderWaal [24] - Perfectly Imperfect, Just the Beginning
Guru - Jazzmatazz Vol. 1
GZA - Liquid Swords
Hamilton: An Americal Musical - Cast Recording, Hamildrops [AAC], Instrumentals [AAC], The Hamilton Mixtape [AAC]
Hans Zimmer - Batman Begins OST+Recording Session, The Dark Knight [24/96], Sherlock Holmes, Inception [16~24][5.1], The Dark Knight Rises [24/192], Intersteller [24], Blade Runner 2049, Live in Prague [24], The Classics [24/96], The Lion King (2019)[24]
Harry Potter OST
Hercules [192]
Higher Brothers - Black Cab, Five Stars
Hozier - Discography (2013-2019)[16~24]
Igorrr - Hallelujah
Il Divo - Discography (2004-2018)
In tha Beginning... There Was Rap
Ingrid Michaelson - Discography (2005-2014)
iskwē - iskwē, The Fight Within, acakosik
J. Cole [24] - 2014 Forest Hills Drive, Forest Hills Drive: Live
J.S. Ondara - Tales of America (The Second Coming) [24/192], Folk n' Roll Vol.1: Tales of Isolation [24]
Jacques Loussier Trio - Vivaldi- The Four Seasons
James Blake - Discography (2011-2020)
James Vincent McMorrow [320] - Early in the Morning, Post Tropical
Janelle Monáe - Discography (2010-2018)[16~24], Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) EP
Janne - Meeting the Wolf EP
Jasmine Cephas Jones - Blue Bird
Jay-Z - Discography (1996-2017)[16~24]
JB the First Lady - Get Ready Get Steady, Indigenous Girl Lifestyle, Meant to Be, Righteous Empowered Daughter
Jeremih - That Body, All About You, Late Nights: The Album, Late Nights: Europe
Jeremy Dutcher - Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure? [24]
Jhené Aiko - Chilombo [24/96]
Jimi Hendrix - Experience Hendrix- The Best of Jimi Hendrix
JMSN - Discography (2011-2019)
Joe - All That I Am, My Name is Joe
John Coltrane - Both Directions at Once/The Lost Album
John Legend - Discography (2005-2016)[320~16]
Jon Mcxro - The Fifth of Never [320~16]
José Tomás Molina - Discography (2014-2019)[16~24]
Josh Groban - Discography (2001-2015)[320, except Stages in 16]
Joss Stone - Introducing... Joss Stone
Juice OST
Justin Timberlake - Discography (2002-2013)[16~24]
k.d. lang - Ingénue, Invincible Summer
Kadebostany - Pop Collection, Monumental [24]
Kanye West - Discography (2003-2019)[320-24]
Kehlani - Discography (2014-2020)
Keith Ape - Project: Brainwash, Born Again, various singles
Kelly Fraser - Sedna
Kendrick Lamar - Discography (2011-2017)
Kerry Muzzey - Trailer Music 3, The Architect, Trailer Music 4: Neo
Kevin Garrett - Mellow Drama, A Heart Like Yours, Hoax, Made Up Lost Time, Singles
Kid Cudi - Discography (2008-2013)[ALAC]
Kiel Magis - Kiel Magis
Kieran Fearing - Reprieve
Kieran Martin Murphy - The Painter's Hand, Theatrics
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Korean:
DJ Doc - 4th Album
eAeon - Guilt-Free
H.O.T. - We hate all kinds of violence, I yah!, Age of Peace OST, Outside Castle, The Best
IU - Miscellaneous
Park Wan Kyu - 천년지애 (千年之愛)
Rain - First Drop
Shinhwa - First Mythology, My Choice, Wedding
Taeyang - Hot [EP]
Taeyeon - Miscellaneous
​
k-os - Exit, Joyful Rebellion, Atlantis: Hymns for Disco
Koutev Bulgarian National Ensemble
Krizz Kaliko - Son of Same [239~270], Go [320]
Kubo and the Two Strings OST
Kwabs - Wrong or Right [245], Pray for Love, Walk, Love + War
La La Land - The Complete Musical Experience [24]
La Quinta Estación - Sin Frenos [192]
Lady Gaga - Discography (2008-2020)[24]
Ladysmith Black Mambazo [192~257] - The Very Best of
Lana Del Rey - Discography (2012-2019)[16~24]
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Le Flow - The Definitive French Hip Hop Compilation
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Vol.1+2 [320]
Le mystère des voix Corses - les plus belles polyphonies [320]
Led Zeppelin - Discography (1969-1982), Remasters [24/96]
Lenny Kravitz - Greatest Hits
Leonard Cohen - The Future
Les Choristes OST
Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien - The High Road to Kilkenny
Leslie Odom Jr. - Leslie Odom Jr. [24], Mr.
Lhasa de Sela - La Llorona [320]
Lil Dicky - Hump Days [256], So Hard [320], Professional Rapper [128]
Lil Uzi Vert - Eternal Atake
Linkin Park - Discography (2000-2020)[16~24/96/MQA]
Lionel Richie - Back to Front
Loïc Nottet - Selfocracy, Sillygomania
London Grammar - If You Wait [24/96], Truth is a Beautiful Thing [24]
Lou Val - Lonely in Paradise, Don't Look Now, Singles
LP - Lost on You
Ludacris - Chicken-Beer, Release Therapy
Ludovico Einaudi - Echoes: The Einaudi Collection, Una Mattina, Divenire [320], Nightbook, Islands: Essential Einaudi [320], Elements [320], Seven Days Walking [24]
Luniz - Operation Stackola
Mac Miller [24] - Swimming, Circles
Madredeus - Various albums (1987-2005)[128~320]
MAGIC! - Don't Kill the Magic, Primary Colours, Expectations
Maksim - Discography (1999-2010)[320, except 2 albums in 16]
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Mandarin:
5566 - 1st Album
Energy - E3, 無懈可擊, 米迦勒之舞
F4 - 煙火的季節
IPIS 蟑螂 - 第四蟑
RuRu - 美麗心情
S.H.E. - 青春株式會社, 美麗新世界, Together
Tension 天炫男孩 - Discography (2001-2004)
不能說的秘密 OST [148~224]
伍佰 - 夢的河流, 冬之火 九重天演唱會特選錄音專輯
伍思凱 - 分享
南拳媽媽 - 南拳媽媽的夏天
周杰倫 - Discography (2000-2006)
宋岳庭 - Life's a Struggle
張信哲 - 精選, 從開始到現在
張學友 - 走過1999, 張學友音樂之旅Live演唱會
張智成 - 凌晨三點鐘
張衛健 - 齊天大聖孫悟空
徐婕兒 - 愛之初
戴佩妮 - 怎樣
手牽手大合唱
林俊傑 - 樂行者, 第二天堂
海豚灣戀人 OST
王心凌 - Begin...
臥虎藏龍 (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) OST
英雄 (Hero) OST
范逸臣 - 同名專輯
蔡依林 - 看我72變, 城堡
薔薇之戀 OST
許慧欣 - 孤單芭蕾, 幸福
謝霆鋒 - VIVA, 了解, Viva Live 謝霆鋒演唱會
郭富城 - 目眩城迷 全精選
陳冠希 - Edison Chen
陳小春 - 抱一抱, That's Mine
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Mandido - Time on Our Hands
Marc Anthony - Discography (1993-2013)[320]
Marian Hill - Discography (2013-2020)[320~24]
Mario - Turning Point
Marvin Gaye - Discography (1961-2019)[16~24/192]
Mario Frangoulis - Various Albums (1998-2014)[128~320]
Marques Houston - MH
Mase - Harlem World
Master P - Ghetto D
Matt Corby - Into the Flame [EP], Resolution [EP], Live on the Resolution Tour [EP], Telluric, Rainbow Valley
Max Richter - Discography (2002-2020)[16~24/96]
MC 900 ft. Jesus - Welcome to My Dream, Open Step Ahead of the Spider
Meek Mill - Dreams Worth More Than Money [24], Championships
Metallica - Discography (Remastered)(1983-2020)[24]
Metro Boomin - Not All Heroes Wear Capes
Miah Luz - The Coming LP
Michael Bolton - Only a Woman Like You
Michael Bublé - Discography (1995-2013)[96~320]
Michael Conway Baker - Four Musical Portraits
Michael Jackson - Discography (1972-2014)[320 except Invincible in 16], The Ultimate Collection, The Essential Michael Jackson [24], King of Pop
Migos - Discography (2015-2018)[16~24]
Miguel - Discography (2010-2017)[16~24]
Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool [24/192], Bitches Brew [24/88], Kind of Blue
Mirah - Discography (1997-2009)[198~256]
Misha Mishenko - Discography (2016-2019)
Missy Elliott - Under Construction
Moana OST
Mob Bounce - Transformation, "Vision Quest"
Mobb Deep - The Infamous, Infamy
Mos Def [ALAC] - Black on Both Sides, The Ecstatic
Moulin Rouge! OST
Muddy Waters - Anthology
Muse - Origin of Symmetry [24/96], Absolution [24/96], The 2nd Law [24/96], Simulation Theory, Drones [24/96]
Musical Theatre - Various Musical Cast Recordings (1934-2017)[170~202, except Come From Away and Hamilton in 16]
Nahko - Dark as Night, On the Verge, Hoka [320], My Name is Bear [320]
Namie Amuro - Break the Rules, Genius 2000
Nas - Illmatic, It Was Written, Stillmatic, God's Son [ALAC], The Lost Tapes, Street's Disciple, Life is Good
Naturally 7 - Discography (2000-2015)
Naughty by Nature - 19 Naughty III
Nav - Good Intentions [24]
Ne-Yo - Discography (2006-2012)[320~16]
Night Lovell - Discography (2014-2019)[320~24]
Nina Simone - The Essential of Nina Simone [24/96]
Nipsey Hussle [ALAC] - Crenshaw, Victory Lap
Niro - Les autres
Niykee Heaton - Bad Intentions [320], The Bedroom Tour Playlist, Starting Over
Norah Jones - Come Away with Me, Feels Like Home, Not Too Late, Pick Me Up Off the Floor [24/96]
Notre-Dame de Paris (Musical) Cast Recording
NSYNC - No Strings Attached
Obie Trice - Cheers
October London - Discography (2016-2018)[320, except Color Blinds in 16]
Omar LinX - A Cold Welcome [320], City of Ommz, The Living Dead EP [128], Victor [320], M.O.R.
Omarion - O, 21, Ollusion
Once OST [96]
Onegin (Musical)
Opera Babes - Beyond Imagination
P. Diddy - No Way Out, The Saga Continues..., Bad Boy's 10th Anniversary... The Hits
PartyNextDoor - PX3
Pentatonix - Various albums [128~320]
Peter Gundry - Discography (2016-2019)[16~24]
Pharrell - Girl [24]
Pink Floyd - Discography (1967-2014)[16/24/MQA/DSD64]
Playboi Carti - Die Lit
PNL - Deux frères [320]
Portishead - Discography (1994-2008)
Post Malone - Discography (2016-2019)[16~24/88]
Prince - Discography (1978-2019)
Pusha T - Daytona [24]
Putomayo - World Reggae, Asian Lounge
Quavo - Quavo Huncho [24]
Queen - Discography (1973-1995), Live Killers, Live at Wembley '86, Greatest Hits, The Platinum Collection,
Rae Sremmurd - SremmLife, SremmLife 2
Raincity - Tell Me, Stuck on Replay, Raincity EP
Raleigh Ritchie - You're a Man Now, Boy
Reggie Couz - Just Couz, singles
Rick Ross - Discography (2006-2017)
Ricky Martin - Ricky Martin, Música + Alma + Sexo
Rihanna - Discography (2005-2016)
Riit - ataataga
Robyn - Body Talk Pt. 1 + 2, Body Talk
Rockapella - 2
Roscoe Dash - J.U.I.C.E. [320], Dash Effect [160]
ROSK - remnants
Ruelle - Up in Flames, Madness, Rival, Emerge, Ode to Shadows, Earth Glow, Exodus
Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2, RTJ3 Instrumentals [24/96]
Sade - The Best of Sade
Saint-Preux - Concerto pour une voix
Sam Chimes
Sam Cooke - Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964
Sam Smith - Discography (2014-2017)
Sandra van Nieuwland [320] - And More, Banging on the Doors of Love
Santino Le Saint - Cloud 304, Xeno, Rage of Angels, Blue Pill [24+16], Red Pill, Singles
Sara Bareilles - Discography (2007-2015)[320, except What's Inside - Songs from Waitess in 24]
Scorpions - Discography (1972-2015)
Scott Leonard - 1man1mike
Sevdaliza - Discography (2017-2020)
Shai - If I Ever Fall in Love...
Sia - Discography (1997-2017)[16, except OnlySee + Healing is Difficult in M4A260, This is Acting in 24/96]
Sigur Rós - Discography (1997-2013)
Silla and Rose - Debut, Galactic Gala
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle, The Doggfather, Tha Last Meal, R&G (Rhythm&Gangsta): The Masterpiece, The Blue Carpet Treatment
Snotty Nose Rez Kids - The Average Savage, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Trapline, Born Deadly [EP]
Solange - A Seat at the Table
Southern Journey - Bad Man Ballads (Songs of Outlaws and Desperadoes, Vol. 5)
Stacey - Stacey, Stacey (Reconstruction), First Move
Stevie Wonder - The Definitive Collection
Straight Lines - Run for Cover
Stromae - Cheese, Racine carrée [24]
Sun Kil Moon - Discography (2003-2017)[320, except Benji + Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood in 16]
Swollen Members - Bad Dreams
SWV - It's About Time
System of a Down - Discography (1998-2020)[16~24/96]
SZA - Ctrl
T.I. - Trouble Man Heavy is the Head
Tame Impala - Discography (2010-2020)[24/96~24/192]
Tamia - Tamia, "Stranger in My House"
Tanya Tagaq - Auk/Blood, Animism, Retribution, Toothsayer
Tasha the Amazon - Die Every Day, Black Moon
Taylor Swift - folklore [24]
Tech N9ne - Discography (1999-2013)[192~320, The Storm+Enterfear in 16]
TGT - Three Kings
The Beatles - Discography (1963-2009)
The Blaze - Territory, Dancehall
The Carters - Everything is Love
The Chronicles of Narnia OST
The Cinematic Orchestra [320] - Every Day, Man with a Movie Camera, Ma Fleur, To Believe
The Fingerbangerz - Vi-R-Us
The Game - The Documentary, Jesus Piece, Blood Moon: Year of the Wolf [320], The Documentary 2+2.5 [320]
The Godfather I+II+III OST [320]
The Great Gatsby - OST, The Orchestral Score, The Jazz Recordings
The Great Tenors - Vol.1+2, In Concert
The Hobbit OST (Special Editions) [24]
The Lion King - Complete Score [128], Return to Pride Rock [128]
The Lord of the Rings OST
The Lumineers - Cleopatra [24/96], C-Sides [24], Live Tracks [24], III [24]
The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die, Life After Death [ALAC], Born Again
The Nutcracker (Ballet) [24/96]
The Piano Guys - The Piano Guys
The Pink Panther OST [320]
The Savannah Leigh Band - City of Grey
The Tango Project - The Tango Project
The Tenors - Discography (2008-2015)[156~254, except The Perfect Gift+Under One Sky in 16]
The Tony Rich Project - Words
The Weeknd - Discography (2012-2020)[16~24/192]
The xx - xx, Coexist, I See You
Three 6 Mafia - Most Known Unknown
Timbaland - Shock Value
Tinie Tempah - Demonstration [320]
Toni Braxton - Toni Braxton, Secrets
Tony Bennett - The Essential Tony Bennett, a wonderful world (with k.d. lang), The Absolutely Essential 3 CD Collection, Duets II [320], Tony Bennett Celebrates 90
Tory Lanez - Discography (2010-2020, except Daystar)[160~320, except I Told You in 16, Chixtape 5+The New Toronto 3 in 24]
T-Pain - Discography (2005-2012)[192~320, except Epiphany+Thr33 Ringz in 16]
Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
Travis Garland - Discography (2011-2015)[160~320, except Travis Garland in 16]
Travis Scott - Discography (2013-2018)[16~24/88]
Trey Songz - Trey Day [320], Passion, Pain & Pleasure [320], Chapter V [320], Back Home [24]
TroyBoi - icekream [128~320], SoundSnobz [128~320], Left is Right [128], V!BEZ [128], V!BEZ, Vol.3, V!BEZ, Vol. 4 [16MQA], "Afterhours"
Tsar B - Discography (2016-2020)
Ty Dolla $ign - Featuring Ty Dolla $ign
Tyga - Discography (2008-2016)[320], Legendary
Tyrese - I Wanna Go There
UltraVillain [24] - "Break Out", Lost in You, I N V U
Ulvesang - Ulvesang [24], The Hunt
Unity: Athens 2004 (Olympic Games Album)
Usher - Discography (1994-2018)[16~24]
Van Morrison - Moondance
Vitas - Discography (2001-2009)[128~256, except A Kiss as Long as Eternity+20th Century Hits in 16]
Waka Flocka Flame - Flockaveli
Whitney - Light Upon the Lake
Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston
Wisin & Yandel - Discography (2000-2012)[320]
Wiz Khalifa - Cabin Fever, Rolling Papers, Cabin Fever 2, We Dem Boyz [320], Cabin Fever 3, various songs
Wiz Khalifa & Curren$y - 2009 [24]
Wyclef Jean - Carnival, Vol. II- Memoirs of an Immigrant
X Japan - Discoraphy (1988-2017)[16~24/96]
Xavier Rudd - Discography (2002-2018)
XXXTentacion - Revenge [320], 17 [24/192], ? [320]
Xzibit - Restless
Yann Tiersen - Discography (1995-2003)[96~160, except Amélie in 16], Portrait [24/96]
YG - My Krazy Life, Still Brazy, My Life 4Hunnid [24]
Young Bleed - My Balls and My Word
Young Buck - Buck the World
Young Thug - Barter 6 [320], Slime Season [24], Slime Season 2 [320], I'm Up [320], Slime Season 3 [320], Jeffery [320], So Much Fun
Yuki Kajiura - Discography (includes side projects: FictionJunction/YUUKA, Kalafina)(Anime soundtracks 1996-2018)
Yuna - Chapters
Zed Yun Pavarotti - French Cash
Zeina - Odd One Out, various singles

New England Patriots

Division: AFC East 2019: 12-4, Division Win
Before I dive in, I want to give a massive, massive thanks to timnog - who is a national treasure and the resident .gif queen of the Patriots - and arbrown83 - who provides excellent high-quality OC and manages patriotsdynasty.info, a definitive repository for content complete with data and .gifs spanning the past 20 years. Basically everything in this piece that isn't sourced in the click (twitter, youtube etc.) came from one of them and I don't want to imagine what this would look like without them.

Coaching Changes:

Losses

• Joe Judge: After eight seasons with the team, five as our Special Teams coordinator, Joe Judge has left New England to take on a head coaching job with the New York Giants. New England's special teams units have been consistently good to great during Judge's tenure with the team and particularly played a massive part in the 2018 Super Bowl victory against the LA Rams. With Judge's departure the team faces special teams uncertainty for the first time in nearly a decade
• Dante Scarnecchia: One of the few dedicated position coaches in the NFL with broad name recognition among many fans, Dante Scarnecchia has been one of the best position coaches in the league and a franchise legend. Scar has survived 5 General Manager transitions, 4 different head coaches, 3 decades of coaching, 2 sales of the franchise and a partridge in a pear tree return to work after a two year hiatus in retirement. Scar has been pivotal in the franchise's ability to continually identify and develop raw physical talent into serviceable or better starting linemen over the past 20 years. He heads off into retirement (part 2) and will be sorely missed
• Bret Bielema: After two years with the team as a consultant and defensive line coach, Bret Bielema has departed with Judge to take on a defensive advisory role with the Giants

Additions

• Jedd Fisch: Added to the offensive staff as the Quarterback's coach, Jedd Fisch has spent the better part of 20 years bouncing around between college and the NFL with the Texans, Ravens, Broncos, Seahawks and Jaguars before landing most recently with the LA Rams as a senior offensive assistant and assistant offensive coordinator in 2018/2019. Fisch brings a broad scope of experience to the table as an offensive mind. The linked article goes into some schematic possibilities that his addition may foretell, but we'll look closer at that in a later section
• Troy Brown: After stepping in last August to try his hand coaching, team Hall of Famer, fan favorite, RecevieReturneCornerback Troy Brown has been officially added to the coaching staff. While he spent much of last season working with the receivers, recent news says Brown will be working with the running backs as we go into camp. Whatever the case, if the man can impart even a fraction of his work ethic and selfless attitude onto the players he will be a welcome addition to the staff

After last year's mass coaching exodus there are relatively few losses among the coaching staff this season, but two of them are major losses that will certainly be felt. The team has remained true to form this year in handling coaching turnover - losses have been addressed by promotions from within and the team has brought in one mid-priority, experienced outsider to supplement.

Free Agency

Players lost/cut

Player	Position	New Team	Contract
Tom Brady	QB		2 yrs, $50M
Kyle Van Noy	Edge		4 yrs, $51M
Jamie Collins	LB		3 yrs, $30M
Danny Shelton	IDL		2 yrs, $8M
Ted Karras	C		1 yr, $3M
Nate Ebner	ST		1 yr, $2M
Elandon Roberts	LB		1 yr, $2M
Phillip Dorsett	WR		1 yr, $1M

• Tom Brady gets his own dedicated posts. It's simply impossible to talk about Tom Brady's Patriot tenure and legacy or what he has meant to the team, fan base and the sport of football inside a larger body post like this. The reddit limit for text posts is 40k characters and I could easily eclipse that talking about Brady and his career. I wouldn't be doing anybody justice by trying to shoehorn that commentary in here next to comments about Kyle Van Noy and Danny Shelton. It's simply a different universe of impact and significance from both objective and emotional angles. Suffice it to say in this section that he leaves a Lovecraftian void in his wake
• Kyle Van Noy received a well-deserved payday after delivering above and beyond expectation on his opportunity in New England. Acquired in a trade-deadline deal in 2016, Van Noy worked his way through backup duties into a significant role as a hybrid edge defender. In 2017 after Dont'a Hightower went down for the season injured, Van Noy stepped into the #1 LB role, playing starter's snap share as a valuable run stuffer and pass rusher, from the interior or from the edge, standup or hand in the dirt, even in coverage or blowing up screens, sometimes doing multiple in the same play. KVN became Mr. Utility in the front 7 and spent the past few years making plays in any way a front 7 player can. Van Noy leverages a well rounded skill set to impact games in any manner possible, and he's helped the team to three super bowl appearances and two wins doing it while being one of the best players on the field in SB53. He leaves for Miami to rejoin the man who helped unlock that skill set and I will not be happy seeing him on the other side of the field twice a year in the immediate future
• Jamie Collins leaves the Patriots for a second time after an excellent 2019 and a major bounce back from his poor showing in Cleveland. Initially drafted by New England in 2013, Collins rose quickly to become a key defensive force early on, capitalizing on explosive athleticism and a well rounded skill set (I know it's repetitive but it's the truth. I suggest you get used to the terms "well-rounded" and "versatile" now) to create a major impact in the 2014 playoffs, to earn 2nd team All Pro honors in 2015, and to get himself traded away to the gulag Cleveland in a surprise move in the middle of 2016. Collins came back home on a one-year deal in 2019 to try and show the world he deserved one more big pay day. He delivered with gusto. Through the first half of the season Collins was performing at an all pro level for a nightmarish New England Linebacking corps, primarily contributing exceptional coverage and explosive pass rushing skills but also playing a key role against the run. Contrasting with Van Noy, who is much more of a by-the-book type player without any outstanding athletic traits for the position, Collins has made his career largely on his absurd athletic potential and instincts, which were still on full display at age 30 this season. He leaves for Detroit to rejoin the man who helped unlock his skill set and it's nice that the Patriots won't need to see him across the field twice a season
• Danny Shelton heads to Detroit as a big man who delivered in a big way on his 2019 one-year prove-it deal. Shelton is not the kind of name that turns heads, but he brought a significant physical presence to the interior of a defense that had been fairly vulnerable to the ground game when opponents could lean into it. He wasn't much of a pass rusher - though he did have his moments - but he was a stout run-stuffer and anchor in the middle of the D, playing the second most snaps of all of Patriot DL on the season. He leaves some large shoes to fill and his loss significantly weakens the Patriot hair game
• Ted Karras also heads to Miami after taking on a starter's role at Center with less than one month's notice on the heels of David Andrews' season-ending blood clot situation. Karras, a 6th round pick in 2016, played just 430 snaps over three seasons as a reserve OL before responsibility was thrust upon him this season. Karras played admirably on over 1000 snaps and while he wasn't blowing any doors off the center position - particularly early on when he was still hammering out some snap-issues that had also flared up in 2017 - the fact that he was able to play 90% of New England's offensive snaps from a reserve role without creating glaring issues was nothing short of a godsend. Karras took home the 2nd highest paycheck league-wide from the NFL's Performance Based Pay program for his efforts, and frankly the $3M contract he received from Miami was surprisingly low given how hard it is for some teams to find a competent starting center
• Nate Ebner follows Special Teams coordinator Joe Judge to New York after carving out an 8 year career as a dedicated special-teamer. Did you know he also played rugby?
• Elandon Roberts wraps up an impressive Patriot tenure that was largely spent wanting to run through mother fuckers' faces. I've given Roberts some shit in the past for being the one player I've seen with a unique ability to fill the right hole at the right time but manage to not even touch the ball carrier, but the guy is an awesome locker room presence, willing special teamer, named team captain and just all around up for anything. Recently seen filling a need at receiver, Roberts heads out to join Patriots south where he'll go do whatever the hell they need him to
• Phillip Dorsett heads to Seattle on a minimal 1-year deal. He leaves New England much the same way he came, as a former 1st round pick with a ton of speed and not much production. He has flashed for the team at times in a 3rd/4th/5th target role but struggled when asked to do more. He'll haul in a few long bombs when things go just right though, and that's always a treat

Players signed

Player	Position	Old Team	Contract
Beau Allen	IDL		2 yrs, $7M
Adrian Phillips	S		2 yrs, $6M
Damiere Byrd	WR		1 yr, $1.6M
Dan Vitale	FB		1 yr, $1.3M
Brian Hoyer	QB		1 yr, $1M
Marquise Lee	WR		1 yr, $1M
Brandon Copeland	LB		1 yr, $1M

New England entered the 2020 Free Agency period without much cap space to speak of. After placing a franchise tag on Left Guard Joe Thuney and re-signing Free Safety Devin McCourty, the team was left without much of anything to work with. Trading away Duron Harmon turned out to be a necessary move solely for the cap ramifications.

• Beau Allen is a very large man who plays in the middle of defensive lines. He's worked as a depth IDL for the Eagles and Bucs, and would seemingly be the replacement for Shelton. Certainly not a disruptive pass rusher with just 2.5 sacks to his name across 6 seasons, he's done some good work against the run in limited snaps and appears to have an open path to a more significant role. He'll even attempt to replace Shelton in the hair game, just with his face
• Adrian Phillips has been a depth/rotational safety for the Chargers for 6 years while contributing on special teams at an all-pro level. He's the exact kind of guy Belichick loves to pick up for versatility and depth purposes, but he's also done enough on the field as a true safety to believe he can function in that capacity as well. Phillips is my favorite addition this season and given the age of the other safeties on the roster he'll have an opportunity to break into the lineup with significant snaps
• Damiere Byrd is a very fast receiver. He hasn't been able to really break out in the pros, but he's shown up with brief flashes as a returner and deep threat. He'll have an open opportunity to seize that role without many major challenges in his way
• Dan Vitale is a Fullback who has opted out of the 2020 season to put in even more work on his biceps due to conerns over COVID-19
• Brian Hoyer is the muthafuckin' destroyer
• Marquise Lee was brought in as a veteran option to compete for a receiver role. He's a talented player who has struggled significantly with injuries in recent years. He has recently opted out of the season due to concerns over COVID-19
• Brandon Copeland is a versatile linebacker who has performed mainly in a rotational role for the Jets over the past few years. He's shown an ability to play the deep hole zone coverage, which was a Jamie Collins special, and to put a hand on the ground and rush a passer or run a stunt. He's an unheralded name but those qualities might allow him to step into the giant chasm of opportunity left at linebacker in the wake of Collins and Van Noy's departures

Not much in the way of splashy names. Those signings left New England without even enough money to sign a draft class. Without even enough cap space to fit a veteran minimum contract, the team couldn't have possibly added any more players..... Wait. What?

Player	Position	Old Team	Contract
Cam Newton	QB		1 yr, $1.75M

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Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	School
2	37	Kyle Dugger	Safety	Lenoir-Rhyne
2	60	Josh Uche	LB	Michigan
3	87	Anfernee Jennings	LB	Alabama
3	91	Devin Asiasi	TE	UCLA
3	101	Dalton Keene	TE	Virginia Tech
5	159	Justin Rohrwasser	K	Marshall
6	182	Michael Onwenu	G	Michigan
6	195	Justin Herron	OT	Wake Forest
6	204	Cassh Maluia	LB	Wyoming
7	230	Dustin Woodard	C	Memphis

• Kyle Dugger became the 6th defensive back in a decade to be taken by the Patriots in round 2 of the NFL draft. I'm going to take a minute to address this elephant in the room because the track record there is, frankly, abysmal. The most successful second round DB taken by the Patriots in the last decade is Tavon Wilson, and the gap between Wilson and the second best DB the team has taken in round 2 is incomprehensibly large considering Wilson started a grand total of 4 games in New England. Ras-I Dowling was healthy for 9 games in 3 years. Jordan Richards stuck around as a special teamer while inducing panic any time he played in an actual safety role. Cyrus Jones muffed approximately one million 4 punts and fumbled another on just 14 return opportunities before being sent to Baltimore as a sleeper agent. Duke Dawson was traded for a 6th/7th round swap 1 year after being drafted, having played exactly 0 snaps. Joejuan Williams murdered twelve puppies can't be faulted for not breaking into the starting lineup in a ridiculously strong cornerback room in year 1 and isn't a lost cause yet, thankfully. This is what comes to mind when Patriot fans think about drafting DBs in the second round. It's not any player's fault that the Patriots draft them when they do, but it's such a well-known string of failures that it became a talking point when the team traded a 2nd round pick for Mo Sanu. Enter Kyle Dugger. Dugger played for Lenoir-Rhyne, a D-II school with a sports-reference page that looks like this, boasting 6 whole names of NFL players who combined to produce 16 AV. Dugger is the highest draft pick to come out of Lenoir-Rhyne by over 100 slots, and for good reason. He arguably only ended up playing D-II because of a very late growth spurt, and by the time he had it his combination of explosive athleticism and pro-size physique left him looking a man among boys. Film on Dugger is scant, and much of what exists looks like the Zapruder tape, but even in the blurry mess you simply can't miss the guy being disruptive in coverage, flying around like a missile, decleating ball carriers and running circles around - or straight through - punt coverage. Dugger is pretty raw. A few seasons flexing on physically outmatched competition in D-II is not the best way to prepare for sophisticated NFL defenses and opponents with more similar athletic profiles. That said, the physical tools are elite even when measured by NFL standards. He's a 99th percentile SPARQ athlete who reportedly smothered TEs and receivers in senior bowl week. It's hard to say too much about Dugger until we see more but he seems to have every tool he needs to become an impact safety, a box roamer, even play some nickel/dime slot coverage in the NFL. I specifically see a Tight End eraser and eventual Pat Chung replacement if he develops well. I'm more optimistic about him than I've been about any of the other 2nd round DBs since Dowling. The age in the safety group, Chung's opt out and Harmon being traded away have opened things up for someone to take over a large chunk of the snaps and whether it happens sooner or later Dugger looks like he can be the one to break a series of sadness a decade old. I'm ready to either get hurt again or watch him become the next Brian Dawkins. At least he wasn't a projected 6th rounder
• Josh Uche became the second Michigan defender drafted to New England in two years. While he played primarily on the edge he was deployed in off-ball alignment and crowding A gaps over guards, displaying the versatility New England loves in its front 7. An excellent quick-twitch athlete, Uche produced a pressure on over 22% of his pass rush snaps in 2018 and 2019, 1st in the nation per PFF and displays explosive ability as a pass rusher off the ball to blow past OTs and as a run defender with a blazing fast closing speed. The major knocks against Uche in the draft process were a general lack of reps - as he did not break out until his junior year and was still ceding snaps to Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich - a slightly undersized frame and a lack of drill numbers owing to a hamstring tweak suffered in the senior bowl then a canceled pro day due to COVID-19. He's shown great bend and reasonably polished hand fighting technique to complement the athletic gifts, and whether he ends up primarily in a pass rushing role or moving around the front, he's a welcome addition to a severely depleted front-7. Find an excellent OC film breakdown by Memokerobi in this thread
• Anfernee Jennings Anfernee Jennings mainly filled an edge role in Alabama's hybrid defense. In contrast the quick-twitch and bend we saw in Uche, Jennings provided a stout, strong, physical presence for one of the country's best defenses. Jennings was a productive pass rusher and a particularly dominant run stuffer, at times manhandling some of the best blocking TEs in college to get there. Despite playing a majority of his snaps at the edge last season, Jennings has the physical tools to line up off-ball as a downhill thumper as well. He has experience lining up everywhere from the 4-tech to wide 9, stand-up or hand in the dirt, and he's displayed a sophisticated game IQ in play diagnosis. While his game is markedly different from Uche's, he finds himself facing the same opportunity to make an immediate mark in the linebacking corps. To this point if you think I've been repetitive while talking about the draft picks, it's because I have been. The first three picks in the 2020 draft have all been versatile defensive pieces that should be able to move around the formation fluidly. As the league evolves and offenses adapt to answer the recently-popularized "big nickel" personnel grouping, the need for defenders who can fill a variety of needs has only increased. That factor and the loss of versatile defenders Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins creates a pretty clear picture of what the Patriots were working towards early in the draft
• Devin Asiasi became the first TE drafted by the Patriots inside the top 200 picks since 2010. Asiasi is a well-rounded player who has shown the ability to play in-line or split wide, albeit in limited time as he's only had one season of significant usage and production. In that year, he displayed very reliable hands and solid route-running ability while making impacts at all three levels of the passing game. He was also a competent, if raw, blocker with the frame to match many edge defenders. He's a tough runner with the ball in his hands, though he's not going to outrun most defenders and with a bit of development he should be able to fill the all-around TE role the Patriots desperately need filled
• Dalton Keene became the second TE drafted by the Patriots inside the top 200 picks since 2010. Keene is a versatile guy, the proverbial H-back type who spent a significant amount of time moving all around the formation at Virginia Tech last year. He's a tenacious blocker and is described by basically everybody as having relentless effort. The main drawbacks with Keene are his production - with just 748 yards receiving across 3 college seasons - and the fact that his route tree is more a shrub. He's a player who has predominantly gotten open by leaking out of a blocking assignment or against motion on play action. That said, George Kittle makes a significant amount of his hay running leak or counter motion routes too so it's not as if that role doesn't have value. Keene is extremely unpolished, but he's shown the skills necessary to become an impactful TE if he can prove himself with a major increase in responsibilities, volume and overall refinement
• Justin Rohrwasser's name means "pipe water" in German
• Michael Onwenu (#50) is a strong, stocky interior lineman who simply bullies people in tight spaces, but he doesn't move very well and can be stiff in his stances and footwork. New England has had success in the past with coaching up stiff or awkward movers into useful offensive linemen - Marcus Cannon is a prime example - and Onwenu should have time to work on his weaknesses as he was drafted into a very strong IOL group with established starters. With some coaching up he could end up a great value for a 6th round investment
• Justin Herron is a long Tackle with decent hands and mobility who's main criticisms are a lack of any particular strength or control in the run game. After bouncing back nicely from an ACL tear in 2018, Herron played well enough at Wake Forest to earn a late round draft selection. With the uncertainty around New England's Tackle situation, he could have a good chance to stick as a depth piece for future development
• Cassh Maluia was a solid three year starter for Wyoming with good athleticism for the position and notable closing speed. Physically he's similar in build to Elandon Roberts. The gaping void that opened up at linebacker this offseason and the loss of a few dedicated special teamers should give him a chance to make the roster and leave his mark
• Dustin Woodard was a long-time starter at Memphis. He moves pretty well but he's on the small, stocky side and will need to add strength and refine his technique if he's going to contribute in the NFL. He'll have some stiff competition for a depth role as an interior lineman

It's never easy to talk about Patriots drafts. In 2020 the team clearly wanted to add versatility on multiple levels, and they did something we've seen them do multiple times before and double dipped at positions of significant need. A number of pundits have panned the Pats 2020 draft class because it didn't include a Quarterback or receiver, while others have praised it because the team moved around a number of picks and that must be a good sign. If forced to give a grade I'd throw out a B/B-. Dugger has a ridiculous potential ceiling but his rawness is scary. I absolutely love the Uche pick. He was a favorite of mine through the process with nice tape who seemed generally undervalued due to lack of volume. He could return major upside. Jennings is a classic Patriots prototype pick who could be great for the team, and he was selected at about "expected" range. Asiasi is someone I liked in the scouting process as a competent receiver but I would have preferred Adam Trautman as the more complete package. I liked Dalton Keene for fit but I didn't expect him before the middle of day 3. Trading 2 4ths to the Jets to move up for Keene there just doesn't sit right. The Rohrwasser pick is another Belichick staple on the current rookie wage scale. Once the 5th round rolls around he starts taking his "reach" shots on special teamers or long-shot projects e.g. Punter Jake Bailey, Long Snapper Joe Cardona, Punter Zoltan Mesko or reclamation projects Byron Cowart and Marcus Cannon. Most of those picks have turned out pretty good for the team. Given that track record and the need, I expected and don't hate taking the kicker there. I know nothing about Rohrwasser except he apparently went 100% from 50+ yards and had a handful of impressive kicks in bad weather, but Belichick has been on point with specialists and the team hasn't brought in any competition so I believe in his ability. The rest of the selections are just prospective depth, which is hard to get excited about but is also something the team desperately needed. I'm glad the team didn't try to take a QB and instead focused on addressing a lack of roster depth, an aging safety group, an eviscerated LB corps and the worst TE room in the league. For the oldest roster in the NFL and for how many contributing bodies the team lost in free agency, this draft class isn't exactly sexy, but it is a necessity and very on-brand for the Patriots.

Projected Depth Chart

Position Groups

Camp Battles to Watch

Schemes

Schedule Prediction

Other Offseason News that has Affected the Team

• James Develin, long time fullback, has retired from the NFL and will be sorely missed. That .gif is basically his Patriot tenure and his personality in a nutshell. He gives a relentless effort, displaying hard-nosed tenacity, and you can feel the sheer joy emanating from Legarrette Blount. Develin was a positive personality in the locker room, a versatile utility knife on the field and an all around great guy.
• The world is in the middle of a pandemic. This is very obviously affecting every team and the league as a whole. Specific to New England, the Patriots have had eight players opt out of the 2020 season. In order of 2019 snap count, the team has lost RT Marcus Cannon, LB Dont'a Hightower, safety Patrick Chung, RB Brandon Bolden and TE Matt LaCosse. On top of this, Free Agent signings Marquise Lee and Danny Vitale have opted out, as well as Guard Najee Toran, who was signed to a futures contract this past December. This is the highest number of opt-outs in the NFL. When combined with the free agent losses and the trade of Duron Harmon, the New England defense has lost 4,141 high-quality snaps and another 598 role-player snaps from 2019. That represents an absolutely staggering 45% of all defensive snaps lost from year to year. The important takeaway here isn't about football though.

Thanks for reading if indeed you have. If not, thanks for at least scrolling to the bottom. I hope it's been enjoyable and informative. Stay safe and be good to each other.
E: Of course within hours of posting this the Patriots finalized multiple roster moves. Lamar Miller was signed to a 1 year deal. While the terms are unknown at the moment, he'll be a strong candidate to come in and carry a significant workload. The signing suggests that the team is unsure of Sony Michel's availability after the foot surgery that currently has him on the PUP list and does not feel comfortable leaning on Burkhead or Harris in the event that Sony misses time. Jordan Leggett has also been signed and could push Ryan Izzo for a roster spot.

I don't want to bore you all so please take a look at my thoughts on some pretty cool films! I watched ~91 movies this year and beginning January 1 I decided to keep a list and write a review if I felt inspired or didn't write one if I was too high or lazy. The list is a combination of movies that came out in 2020, movies I had never seen before, and some movies that needed a rewatch.
I am by no means a professional critic but only an incredibly passionate fan that likes to think I have a good eye! Comment if you agree, comment if you disagree, just comment so I have something new to think about some of the films.
As a quick note, this post is essentially a rip-off of a post done by u/BunyipPouch that can be referenced here: https://www.reddit.com/movies/comments/eh71gy/i_saw_192_movies_in_theaters_in_2019_here_is_my/ . I really like the way this person outlined their list so I'm pulling a Quentin Tarantino and stealing their idea! Without further ado:
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Arrival - 10/10 Confirmed my favorite movie of all time. Watching for what might be the 7th time made me realize the strength of a feeling that movies can give you. Having a favorite movie doesn’t mean it is the best movie, but the feeling you get when watching your favorite movie has you wanting to chase that feeling in every movie you see. Certain aspects are unexplainable but all I know is there is something about this movie that gets to me every time I watch it. Maybe it’s the decision she makes to live out the life she sees in front of her even though it leads to extreme heartbreak. Maybe it’s the daring concept of alien life in what is almost such a real depiction. Maybe it’s the idea that time really is a shiftable construct that we may have the power of utilizing. Whatever it is, it leads to extreme beauty and an indescribable feeling.
Parasite - 10
Spotlight - 9.4 A near perfect 10/10. This isn’t a typical movie that should be judged by the acting or camera work, but by the ability to progress and tell a sick and twisted story. The layers are peeled back with each scene, revealing a new horrific aspect about the size of the case, the attempt to cover it up, and the sickness of the individuals involved. The scope of the story can cause an emotional reaction at multiple points and makes you see the pain that the victims have gone through without leaning too much on showing this actual pain.
2001: A Space Odyssey - 9.4
1917 - 9.3
Gone With the Wind - 9.3
Waves - 9.2 There are so many interesting aspects of this film that make it unique and almost fantastic. Firstly, it is almost equally an experience of sound as it is of color and visual (hence ending on Alabama shakes’ Sound and Color). The soundtrack uses modern rap and R&B hits in an effective way and not in the way of trying to impress the audience with good music. Secondly, the emotional scenes are so genuine and the directing style is not aggressive so you can feel the emotion with the characters. The moment of Emily seeing her bf hug her dying father, causing her to walk away bursting into tears and trying to find the words to say to her parents over text, is beyond heartbreaking and done so well. The demise of her brother is depressing and felt exaggerated but goes to show that life can take crazy turns. Loved it.
Soul - 9.2 Such a beautiful film that I did not expect to move me the way it did. The film tackles incredibly deep and metaphysical questions with such ease that it makes the directing and everything about the movie feel even more genius. At times it struggles between being a movie for kids and trying to answer life's toughest questions, but overall tells a beautiful story of just living to live.
Sound of Metal - 9.2
The Lighthouse - 9.2 Oh my god. I don’t really know what to say but this movie made me feel things and that feeling is hard to find. I don’t want to rate it.
The Social Network - 9.2
Pain and Glory - 9.1
Dear Zachary - 9 Never cried more in a movie as this is what the heaviest loss looks like. The sheer passion and commitment that Kate and David have toward honoring their son and being good people is astounding and incomprehensible at times. I’ve never hated someone so much in my life before and felt so strongly about the need to live and do good. It is easy to be broken after something like this happens to you but the awe-inspiring love and devotion that these people have for this family is one of a kind. Please watch this if you need to cry.
The Tree of Life - 9
Ferris Beuller’s Day Off - 9
Midsommar - 9 I don’t even really know what I watched but I know it was genius.
Gladiator - 8.8
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - 8.8
Steve Jobs - 8.7 Shot in 3 unique stories, this movie is able to give you the spirit of Steve Jobs without needing to explain historical information like many biopics would. Faasbender is spectacular and creates the essence of Steve Jobs perfectly as someone who is utterly devoted to better the human race no matter the cost it brings to those around him. The editing is impressive with so many quick cuts and blending the shots to feel like a singular story. You walk away impressed with the legacy jobs left behind, the heartbreak of him not being around to further the human race, and the harsh reality that he was not a flawless human.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 8.7 This film is really in a category of its own, not because it’s the greatest movie ever made, but because of how unique each of the elements are. Fincher takes his signature style of directing and combines it with a Tree of Life storytelling narrative and a Steven Spielberg/James Cameron style of creating a classic feel good drama. Overall, it’s core is designed to make you accept life for what it is, even if this is particularly a positive spin on life and its consequences.
The Grand Budapest Hotel - 8.7
Frances Ha - 8.5 It is such a realistic depiction of struggling New Yorkers without the emotional breakdown. You never really see her lose her shit even when she seems to be going crazy. I hated in the moment the separation of Greta and her best friend because of the somewhat abrupt change in Sophie’s character, but they have a nice full circle reunion. The performances are fantastic and the film has a certain air to it as if Baumbach wants you to realize that what you are watching is not real life while trying to make it seem as real as possible. Definitely a unique film that has minor flaws but overall shows a meaningful journey of a New Yorker trying to find their way.
Almost Famous - 8.5
Bridge of Spies - 8.5 Steven Spielberg has centered his masterful directing skills into telling real life stories without the need for too much artistic involvement. Movies like Vox Lux and The Lighthouse capture you with artistic involvement, but Spielberg has learned how to capture you with immaculate storytelling of historical events. If you are ever interested in learning something new, Spielberg will not disappoint.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - 8.5
The Other Guys - 8.5
Drive - 8.5
Munich - 8.4 This is an action film that takes away the historical cliches of action films and adds a layer of raw truthfulness. Spielberg uses his gift to inform people of a momentous story that affected Israel and the Jewish people without adding any propraganda-like elements to make you pity them or be completely one sided. The story is horrifically true, and Spielberg does not hold back on any of the details. The acting is solid and provides an emotional look into the consequences that come with facing terrorists both for a nation and for an individual.
Ad Astra - 8.4
Okja - 8.4 So goddamn high please don't hurt the animals.
Wedding Crashers - 8.4 You sandbagging son of a bitch
Blade Runner - 8.3
Crash - 8.3 Incredibly powerful and socially relevant, this movie was necessary during these times to artfully show the systematic racism engrained in society. The acting performances are stellar, particularly Thandie Newton, and Haggis’ directing is perfect to convey the raw emotion in each scene.
Spirited Away - 8.3
Blade Runner 2049 - 8.3
Kill Bill Vol. 1 - 8.3
Enemy - 8.2 Such an interesting and gripping movie that didn’t seem to make a lot of sense but I imagine a second watching would provide more insight. Gyllenhal is truly something else and should be treasured. Villanueva is so good at creating his own world and creating such a uniquely shot film with moods and coloring.
Good Time - 8.2
Snowpiercer - 8.2
The Town - 8.2
5 to 7 - 8.1 Luckily I was in the mood for a rom com but this had its own unique air to it as of course there were cheesy parts, but they were not delivered in a cheesy way. Once over the fact that someone essentially like me could find themselves in this sort of relationship, I could actually begin to root for them and understand how something like this could work. There are some amazing lines that I should go back and write down for when I want to pursue someone, and the holistic narrative of the film is done very well. There is nothing special from a directing standpoint, but his simple approach at least allows the story to progress without any complications from a camera perspective.
Oceans 11 - 8.1 The heist movie of all heist movies. You show me a young Brad Pitt and George Clooney and I’m not sure there’s a way to fuck that up. There are obviously cliche moments and the impossibility of actually pulling this off is sometimes too ridiculous (they throw glow sticks into a hidden elevator shaft to a vault), but overall wonderful to watch.
Jojo Rabbit - 8.1
Philadelphia - 8 Led by the incredible acting of Hanks followed by the emotionally gripping plotline, Philadelphia is able to tell the story of not just one gay man’s plight with aids and the repercussions socially and physically, but of an entire minority’s struggle with acceptance. The directing is very understated in a way that pays off considering the story development should be at the forefront of the film. Incredibly heart-wrenching and is clearly an important film to giving a voice to gay Americans.
Uncut Gems - 8 The Safdie brothers have a particular way of filming/directing that creates an environment of entertaining stress that is able to grip your attention for the whole film. I love the connection between the opal gem and Howard as the movie begins and ends with that connection through his body. Sandler was absolutely snubbed and perfectly portrays what it’s like to be an addict and constantly on the run.
Molly's Game - 8
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - 8
Jaws - 8
Love Actually - 8
Cruel Intentions - 7.9 A glorified soft-core porn featuring a young Reese Witherspoon? Yea, you could say I liked it.
Knives Out - 7.8 An all star cast and provides enough mystery to keep the plot moving seamlessly. It’s a very interesting film for a murder mystery as they reveal what would typically be the biggest piece of info quite early in the movie, but there are more layers that need to be peeled back. The reveal is very clever and was not too outlandish, but I think they could’ve done more to make it even more shocking. Aside from that it’s a fun film and is worth the watch.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - 7.8 In what was a surprisingly enjoyable movie, planet of the apes takes an Avatar approach and gets you to root against the humans. The montage of the ape growing up is done concisely but effectively and allows you to connect with him while remaining entertained. There are obviously some cheesy aspects and not a lot of character development outside of the ape, but I left feeling like I could watch a sequel.
Tenet - 7.8 I love Nolan but I struggled at times to keep up even with my eyes glued to the screen.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - 7.8
Booksmart - 7.7 In what can be assumed to be an ode to the Superbad films of the late 2000s, Booksmart successfully keeps you entertained primarily driven by strong performances from Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein. They have a clear chemistry that is never doubted and play the perfect duo of extroverted smart high school kids that are finally ready to rebel. There are scenes that are a bit predictable and slightly lazy in writing in order to move the story along that I’m choosing to nitpick over (dever creating a “diversion”, using the pizza guy as the free get out of jail card), but once the little things are accepted the greater story can be appreciated. The movie has the particular feel of Superbad in which you know you’re going to see some outlandish things on the journey that will lead to laughs, but will ultimately lead in a coming of age lesson in a heartwarming way.
Out of Africa - 7.6 "You’ve ruined it for me, being alone."
10 Things I Hate About You - 7.5
Zodiac - 7.5
Frozen - 7.5
The Interview - 7.5
Casino Royale - 7.5
Skyfall - 7.5
The Talented Mr. Ripley - 7.4
Tron Legacy - 7.4
Palm Springs - 7.3
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm - 7.2 The hype was too much to overcome but Cohen really did a nice job of bringing back the classic and presenting Borat in a 2020 world. It’s genius filmmaking to have someone like Borat show America what America is really like as you can look in the eyes of a racist foreigner.
Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far On Foot - 7
Quantum of Solace - 7
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - 6.9 The cheesiness makes it shocking that it was released as late as 2012 but overall its an interesting story clearly coming from a novel with strong themes.
Loopers - 6.9 I liked having seen Loopers, but it’s not a must see movie. The ending was creative and definitely saved my overall opinion of the movie.
Have a Good Trip - 6.9 Never forget the power of psychedelics and how these icons have had crazy trips. Carrie Fisher is your new favorite.
Coachella Documentary - 6.9
The Gentleman - 6.9
Jurassic Park - 6.9
About Time - 6.9
Spider-Man Far From Home - 6.8 Probably the worst of the new Spider-Man movies but still provides great visuals with interesting hero concepts. There is definitely a lull in the middle and there are some scenes that make you appreciate Marvel, but otherwise just another solid movie from marvel.
Oceans 13 - 6.7 While entertaining and still shows you Pitt and Clooney, there are definitely more annoying aspects and less intriguing storylines.
The Social Dilemma - 6.4 Obviously a very important topic that should have more documentaries like this one, but really overplayed some of the dangers in a dramatic/theatrical sense.
Ford Vs. Ferrari - 6.2 Not gonna lie, while the story itself is enthralling and a unique part of history, the “studio” feel of this movie took away from much of my enjoyment. I feel bad that Bale and Damon had to be in such a studio made film because they both put on great performances. Bale can do anything he wants and crush it. The way they vilify certain aspects is comical and the cliches are tough to get by, but there are some great action shots of the races and powerful scenes where bale is doing the heavy lifting.
Long Shot - 6.1 Definitely some funny and witty jokes, but overall it’s mediocre. I didn’t hate it and actually enjoyed many of the aspects, but no need to say much more.
Air Force One - 6 Patriotic in the most 90s way possible, with Harrison Ford as president, evil Russian bad guys with mustaches, and an essentially all white cast, Air Force One is a hidden American propaganda film. The movie was funnier than anticipated because of the classic Harrison Ford trope of constant survival and the dramatic set ups to make the wins look even more unbelievable. Either way, hard not to love Ford as the president of the USA and almost made me proud to be an American by the end.
Meet Joe Black - 6 With a 100% white cast and overall 90s feel to the movie, it’s hard to rate this movie “fairly” as if it had just come out in 1998. But I like the idea similarly to Tree of Life in terms of looking over your life and making sure you have lived it completely without any regrets. However, acting is mediocre and I didn’t realize how much I hate the typical 90’s businessman in movies.
Andre the Giant - 5.8
Fury - 5.5 This was definitely a disappointing letdown. Expectations were definitely high going in but the horrible special effects and mediocre acting made this tough to be invested by the end.
Armageddon - 5
Back to School - 5
Cougar Hunting - 4.9

When: 11/14/2020
Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
Coach: Ed Orgeron
Mascot: Mike the Tiger
2019: 15-0, SEC Champions, CFP Champions

Offense

Scoring Offense: 35.8 pts/gm (34th)
Total Offense: 458 yds/gm (25th)
Passing: 338.4 yds/gm (12th)
Rushing: 119.6 rush yds/gm (100th)
Misc. stats: 33.3% 3rd down conv. (97th), 71.43% 4th down conv. (32nd), 24.4 1st downs/gm (30th), RZ %’s – TD 25% (64th), score 87.5% (52nd), 13 sacks allowed (77th), 21 TFL allowed (47th), 50th+ in plays of 10+, 20+, and 30+ yards from scrimmage
Returning starters: 2 (plus 1 opting out of 2020 season)
The LSU offense was undoubtedly the biggest story of the 2019 season. Known for traditional ground-and-pound offenses under Les Miles, LSU ran a spread offenses with a blend of RPO and West Coast tactics. The change came with new passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Joe Brady. Brady brought a new playbook and philosophy with the goal of getting players the ball in space. This was extremely effective, with QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase setting multiple records for their respective positions.
With 2020 comes lots of replacing and rebuilding for LSU’s offense. Every draft-eligible member of the 2019 offense is now in the NFL, which simultaneously explains last year’s success and bodes poorly for 2020’s prospects. The key returners for offensive production are WR Terrace Marshall and RT Austin Deculus. LSU must replace offensive guru Joe Brady (Carolina Panthers OC), QB Joe Burrow (NFL), WR Justin Jefferson (NFL), WR Ja’Marr Chase (Opt-Out), RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (NFL), TE Thaddeus Moss (NFL), C Lloyd Cushenberry (NFL), OG Damien Lewis (NFL), LT Saahdiq Charles (NFL), WTE Stephen Sullivan (NFL), OG Adrian Magee (NFL), WR Derrick Dillon (NFL), and backup OT Badara Traore (NFL). In total, LSU returns a starting lineman and wide receiver on offense, while losing #1 and #2 WRs, #1 RB, #1 TE, and 4 offensive line starters (plus the main backup). Here is their projected depth chart at this point.

2020 Depth Chart

* returning 2019 starters in bold
· QB – RS JR Myles Brennan (injured), FR TJ Finley/FR Max Johnson
· RB – SO John Emery Jr, RS SO Chris Curry, SO Tyrion Davis-Price
· WR – SR Racey McMath, SO Trey Palmer
· WR – JR Terrace Marshall Jr, FR Koy Moore, RS SO Jaray Jenkins
· WR – FR Kayshon Boutte, SR Jontre Kirklin
· TE – FR Arik Gilbert, SR Tory Carter, FR Kole Taylor, RS SO Nick Storz
· LT – RS SO Cameron Wire, FR Xavier Hill
· LG – JR Ed Ingram, FR Marlon Martinez, RS FR Thomas Perry
· C – GR Liam Shanahan, RS FR Charles Turner
· RG – JR Chasen Hines, RS FR Anthony Bradford, RS FR Kardell Thomas
· RT – SR Austin Deculus, RS SO Cameron Wire, FR Marcus Dumervil
· Opt Out – JR WR Ja’Marr Chase
· Suspended – starting RS SO Dare Rosenthal

Passing

338.4 yds/gm (12th), 14 TD (24th), 62% completion rate (55th), 8.5 yds/att (28th)
The focus of the Tiger’s 2019 offense was their Heisman-winning QB, Joe Burrow. In his LSU-debut, Burrow completed 57.8% of his passes for 2,894 yards, 16 TD, 5 Int, and a 133.21 passer efficiency rating. With the arrival of Joe Brady, Burrow completed 76.3% of his passes for 5,671 yards, 60 TD, 6 Int, and a 201.96 passer rating (just behind Tua’s 206.93). Perhaps the single-most improved season in history, Burrow was deadly accurate through the air, and he made good decisions to minimize turnovers and get the ball to open receivers in space. We must understand Burrow’s role and impact on LSU’s success in order to know what to expect with the inauguration of their 2020 starter, Myles Brennan.
Brennan is a RS Junior and is the only quarterback on LSU’s roster with collegiate game experience. As a backup in 2019, he was 24/40 (60%) for 353 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int, and a 137.38 passer rating. Keep in mind that Burrow played far into the end of the game, even in upsets. Brennan didn’t attempt any passes unless LSU was up by 15+, and didn’t throw any passes in the first half of any games. On third downs, Brennan completed 50% of his passes and compiled a 111.60 passer rating. It is safe to say that Brennan has not seen any meaningful snaps in college, as he only attempted 15 passes against SEC opponents, completing 33% for one TD and INT each - for a 108.08 passer rating. Brennan is untested and inexperienced, and he hasn’t shown any signs that inspire confidence in his ability. Will he be the next Joe Burrow? No. But, is he capable of winning the SEC? Also no.
Brennan has been serviceable for the Tigers this year, completing only 60.3% of his passes, although he has 11 TD to 3 Int. He averaged 370.7 passing y/g in his 3 starts this year, but he has missed LSU’s last two games due to a lower body injury (some speculate the injury is related to how much LSU fans jerked him off in the offseason). On Wednesday, Nov 4, Orgeron said Brennan is “very doubtful” to be healthy to play in the Alabama game. Most experts agree this is a great business decision for Myles.
TJ Finley started LSU’s game against South Carolina and led them to a big win. Finley went 17/21 for 265 yards, 2 TD and 1 Int. Finley’s best attribute however is his size. TJ stands 6’6” tall and weighs in at 242 lbs. He looks every inch and pound as big when watching him on the field.
After LSU’s biggest win of the season against 2-4 South Carolina, Finley got the start against Auburn in their last game. He went 15/24 for 174 yards and 1 TD and a QBR of 34.0 before being replaced by FR Max Johnson. It seems that Max Johnson’s most impressive quality is his top-notch name, which is admittedly elite. His quarterback play, however, leaves a lot to be desired. He went 13/24 for 143 yards, 0 TDs, and 2 Ints, resulting in a QBR of 20.2. TJ Finley is most likely going to start against Alabama, but one thing is for sure: If the Tigers need elite QB play to challenge Alabama, they should keep looking.

Rushing

119.6 rush yds/gm (100th), 5 TD (76th), 3.5 yds/car (93rd)
By simply looking at LSU’s total rushing defense last year, you might think their main rusher was not very good. However, Edwards-Helaire averaged an impressive 6.58 y/car and 94.27 y/g. He also played a role in the receiving game with 30.2 rec y/g. So, what’s on the horizon for LSU’s 2020 rushing campaign?
LSU had four players with rushing yards outside of EH, Burrow and Brennan, and WR Ja’Marr Chase: Soph. Tyrion Davis-Prince (295 yds), Soph. Chris Curry (189 yds), Soph. John Emery Jr. (188 yds), and Lanard Fournette (36 yds). Fournette left the team after four games in 2019.
The projected starter is Tyrion Davis-Price (DP) as he was the main backup in 2019. He is a tough runner that can be difficult to bring down, and his weaknesses are his blocking and pass-catching. He only had 8 carries in the postseason, so his experience is still a bit limited.
Chris Curry’s accomplishment is that he was the leading rusher against Oklahoma in the playoffs, rushing for 90 yards on 16 carries. On the season, Curry averaged 5.03 y/c with a long of 20 yards including 3 carries in the red zone for 10 yards (3.33 y/c). Within the program, Curry shares Marshawn Lynch’s nickname “Beast Mode” because of Curry’s strength and ability to run through tackles.
John Emery Jr. is a former 5-star recruit and the most highly touted back coming into Baton Rouge. Although he is probably the fastest and most agile back on the current roster, he struggled in pass protection and dropped several passes last year. He was also legally blind in one eye and had LASIK eye surgery this offseason. Time will tell if this has truly improved his vision.
Emery and Davis-Price have led the rushing charge for the Tigers, totaling 246 and 245 yds respectively. Neither has looked particularly impressive, especially in the absence of Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Receiving

338.4 yds/gm (12th), 14 TD (24th), 62% completion rate (55th), 8.5 yds/att (28th)
One of LSU’s two offensive position groups with a returning starter is wide receiver. Ja’Marr Chase was the Tigers’ leading receiver in 2019, and he was expected to be the team’s best offensive (and possibly overall) player in 2020. Chase caught 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 TDs while averaging 21.19 y/cat and 127.1 y/g which was good for 2nd nationally. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Chase has opted out of the 2020 season and will declare for the 2021 NFL Draft, ending his time with LSU.
Marshall was third on the team with 671 receiving yards on 46 catches, behind only Chase and Justin Jefferson in receiving yards. He had 13 TD and averaged 55.9 y/g. Lots of LSU fans believe Marshall would have been just as good as Chase if he had stayed healthy. He missed games against Utah St, Florida, and Miss St with a foot fracture.
After Marshall, LSU only had one other player with more than 100 receiving yards on the season in Racey McMath. McMath is listed as a senior, though he has not started to date. He saw significant playing time last year having the sixth-most catches on the team. He only had two catches in his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Marshall has emerged as the clear #1 target this season, capturing a third of the team’s receiving yards. He has caught 9 TDs so far, which is good for 2nd in the country currently (Smitty has 8, and Waddle had 4, so expect Smitty to surpass him Saturday). Marshall also is averaging 108 receiving y/g, which is 22nd in the country (behind both Smitty and Waddle).
LSU’s #2 target is their TE, Arik Gilbert, who only has 259 yards and 2 TDs on the season. He and the rest of the receivers haven’t done enough to merit reporting.

Offensive Line

2.6 sacks allowed/gm (82nd), 7 TFL allowed/gm (33rd)
Besides QB, this is where the biggest drop-off for LSU is expected. LSU returns 2019 SR RT Austin Deculus, but must replace LT Saahdiq Charles, OG Damien Lewis, OG Adrian Magee, C Lloyd Cushenberry, and the main OL replacement Badara Traore.
Starting at LT is RS SO Cameron Wire. He is replacing Dare Rosenthall who has been suspended indefinitely from the team. Wire only played 35 snaps in 2019, so he has a lot to learn still.
JR Ed Ingram is listed as the starting LG. Ingram started 12 games at RG as a true freshman, then served a year-long suspension following his arrest for two counts of sexual assault charges and being indicted by a Texas grand jury. DeSoto Police Department would not disclose the victim’s age, but confirmed they were a minor. The case was dropped, and details are limited because the attorney general placed the case under official seal. During the suspension and court proceedings, Orgeron said “I think that maybe, maybe, if things go right, we may get him at some part of the season. I don’t know exactly when, but hopefully we get him at some part of the season…”
Starting Center is Liam Shanahan, a Harvard transfer. His backup is RS FR Charles Turner.
The starting RG is JR Chasen Hines. Hines played snaps in 10 games last year without any starts.
RT will be the only known commodity with returning SR Austin Deculus. RS FR Thomas Perry is his backup. All told, the OL starters and backups include 1 SR, 2 JR, 2 SO, and 8 FR.

Defense

Scoring Defense: 33.6 pts/g (84th)
Total Defense: 478.6 yds/g (111th)
Passing Defense: 335.2 yds/g (119th)
Rushing Defense: 143.4 yds/g (52nd)
Misc. stats: +4 turnover margin (15th), 2.8 sacks/gm (34th), 7 TFL/gm (33rd), 5 INTs (49th), 6 fum recov (10th), 6 fum forced (24th), 46.97% opp 3rd down conv. (100th), 40% opp 4th down conv. (20th), 21.2 opp 1st downs/gm (57th), opp RZ %’s – TD 57.89% (42nd), score 73.68% (22nd)
Returning starters: 4 (plus 1 opting out of 2020 season)
LSU’s 2019 defense was… not what it has been in years past. 59th is the lowest LSU’s pass defense has been ranked since 2015. They also lost several key starters from last year, most notably S Grant Delpit, OLB K’Lavon Chaisson, ILB Patrick Queen, and ILB Jacob Phillips. Projected starters DT Tyler Shelvin, and DB Kary Vincent Jr (less likely to start) have opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft. That leaves the Tiger’s defense with 4 returning starters: DL Glen Logan, LB Damone Clark, CB Derek Stingley Jr., and S JaCoby Stevens. Let’s look at the roster and specific position groups.
LSU has certainly missed Dave Aranda this year. Bo Pelini has not proved up to the challenge of stopping the modern passing offenses they have faced. Bo Nix, who is completing 57.6% of his passes and has thrown 16 TDs and 6 INTs completed 75% of his passes against LSU for 3 TDs and 0 INTs. In their debut, they gave up 600+ passing yards to a QB who has now been benched in favor of a freshman. LSU fans must continually tell themselves that 2019 was worth it while plugging their ears and looking the other way in 2020.

2020 Projected Depth Chart

· RDE – FR BJ Ojulari, RS SR Andre Anthony, FR Phillip Webb, RS FR Desmond Little
· LDE – JTR Ali Gaye, RS STR Travez Moore, RS SO Jarell Cherry
· DT – RS FR Joseph Evans, SR Neil Farrell Jr., FR Jacobian Guillory
· DT – RS SR Glen Logan, RS JTR Soni Fonua, SR Neil Farrell Jr., FR Jaquelin Roy
· OLB – JR Micah Baskerville, RS SR Ray Thornton, FR Antoine Sampah
· OLB –GR Jabril Cox, SO Devonta Lee, RS JR Jared Small
· MLB –JR Damone Clark, FR Josh White
· CB – SO Derek Stingley Jr, SO Jay Ward, GR Darren Evans, FR Dwight McGlothern
· CB – SO Cordale Flott, FR Eli Ricks, RS FR Raydarious Jones
· FS –SR JaCoby Stevens, RS SR Cameron Lewis
· SS – RS JR Todd Harris Jr, SO Maurice Hampton Jr, FR Jordan Toles
· Opt Out – SR FS Kary Vincent Jr., RS JR NT Tyler Shelvin (13), RS SO DL Nelson Jenkins III

Defensive Line

2.8 sacks/gm (34th), 7 TFL/gm (33rd)
With Bo Pelini replacing Dave Aranda as Defensive Coordinator, LSU uses a 4-3 scheme as opposed to 3-4 which was preferred by Aranda. Despite the losses of Rashard Lawrence and Breiden Fehoko, the defensive line looked to have good depth going into 2020 before Tyler Shelvin opted out of the 2020 season. Additionally, TK McLendon, who was named as the left end starter during spring camp, entered the transfer portal in August. Another blow came when Justin Thomas, the named starting right end, was announced to have left the team unexpectedly in August. Thomas was a strong contender to start at defensive end, where he started one game last year, played in five, and had a recurring role in LSU’s 3rd-down pass rush package. Shelvin was a returning starter.
That leaves former linebacker Andre Anthony as the only end with any starts. The freshman Ojulari has carved out for himself a starting role on the end ahead of Anthony. The middle of the line will feature returning starter Glen Logan. Logan is one of the leaders of the DL as the only DT with any starts.

Linebackers

46.97% opp 3rd down conv. (100th), 40% opp 4th down conv. (20th)
The linebackers are one of the most inexperienced group on LSU’s 2020 defense. After losing both OLBs and one of their two MLBs from their 4-backer scheme, only MLB Damone Clark returns to the middle of the field. Clark took over Michael Divinity’s role on the outside and provided a lot of support in that part of the field, although he was overshadowed by departures Patrick Queen, Jacob Phillips, and K’Lavon Chaisson.
Ray Thornton Jr. saw limited playing time at OLB behind Clark, Marcel Brooks, and Michael Divinity, recording only 9 total tackles on the season. He has been a regular backup on the outside.
Micah Baskerville has limited playing time, and his time in the program has earned him the start over Thornton.
Jabril Cox brings a lot of playing time and experience from NDSU, and he also played for Pelini at Youngtown State. With his playing time and experience in a winning program like NDSU, he has earned the starting job opposite Baskerville.

Secondary

5 INTs (49th), 14 PBUs (69th), 19 passes defended (68th), 54 opp passes 10+ yds (74th), 30 opp passes 20+ yds (117th), 17 opp passes 30+ yds (118th), opp passes of 40+, 50+, 60+, 70+, 80+, and 90+ (110th or worse for all), LSU is one of only 5 teams to give up a 90+ yd pass
The secondary looked to be LSU’s strongest unit on defense this year. They returned CB Derek Stingley and S JaCoby Stevens who were both regular starters last year. Todd Harris has become the starter at SS and moved Stevens to FS. Outside of Stingley, CB Cordale Flott is the only other CB with meaningful playing time. Many expected Kary Vincent to play at corner and/or safety before he opted out of the 2020 season. With Vincent’s decision to withdraw, LSU has very little depth at safety or corner.
The rushing defense has actually been average for the Tigers this year, but the passing defense has been downright abysmal. Ranking at the bottom of the NCAA in most passing defensive categories, they should not prove to be much of a challenge for Mac Jones and the Bama 10.

Special Teams

2020 Projected Depth Chart

· P – RS SR Zach Von Rosenberg (39), JR Avery Atkins
· PK – SO Cade York (15)
· KO – JR Avery Atkins
· LS – RS FR Quentin Skinner
· PKR – SO Derek Stingley Jr., SO Trey Palmer
* for kicking and punting starts, I used 1) LSU’s official game starts or 2) number of games the team played that season if the player was the primary starter for the role

Punting

Fortunately for LSU, one of the players they have utilized the most in 2020 returns plenty of experience. Punter Zach Von Rosenberg has been the primary punter since 2017. He is averaging 47.05 yards per punt in 2020.

Kicking

The Tigers also return their placekicker, Cade York. York is 8/10 on FGs and 21/21 on XPs this year. Avery Atkins returns as the kickoff specialist. Atkins has 33 KOs with 28 touchbacks (84.85%).

Returning

Stingley has been the primary punt/kick returner. He has only had to return 3 punts this year, averaging 30.67 (48 yds came on one return). Trey Palmer has returned 6 kickoffs averaging 36.5 yds/return, including a 93 yd TD return.

Coaching

Head Coach: Ed Orgeron

Orgeron’s early coaching days included coaching the defensive line for Miami beginning in 1988. He began coaching the 1992 season in which his Canes were trounced by Alabama in the national title game, but his tenure was cut short when he was arrested following a bar fight in Baton Rouge, LA, during which Orgeron admits he was intoxicated.
“Coach O” is in his fourth full year as the head coach at LSU (he was the interim coach for most of the 2016 season). As head coach, his records beginning in 2016 are 6-2, 9-4, 10-3, 15-0. He has improved each year (until 2020). Arguably his most effective coaching decision has been hiring “Passing Game Coordinators.” He hired Joe Brady for the role in 2019, and Brady hand-crafted their offensive scheme which was extremely effective.
Coach O gained national recognition in 2019 after his team beat Alabama (his first time since coming to LSU, the first LSU win vs the Tide since the 2011 season) and he made the comments “We’re going to beat [Alabama’s] ass in recruiting. We’re going to beat their ass every time they see us. You understand me? Roll Tide what? Fuck you!” The coach then promptly finished multiple spots behind Alabama in the 2020 recruiting class, and currently trails Alabama for the 2021 recruiting class by a wide margin. His head coaching record against Alabama is 1-7, and he is 1-5 coaching against Nick Saban.
Orgeron currently has the Tigers at 2-3 for the year. After 2019, some speculated Orgeron may be on the same coaching tier as Saban with the great team they fielded. 2020 has shown that Orgeron hasn’t figured out how to deal with losing talent to the NFL, including players and coaches (something Saban encounters on an annual basis).

Offensive Coordinator: Steve Ensminger

Ensminger became the offensive coordinator in 2016 under Orgeron. His style includes a hurry-up no-huddle tempo (HUNH) and using the run-pass option (RPO). He has said that no matter what formation they line up in, he wants them to be able to throw the quick pass. We saw this implemented last year with Joe Brady coordinating the passing game. Look for a similar style and scheme in 2020. The challenge will be coming up with new routes and plays to get receivers open the way that Joe Brady managed to do.

Defensive Coordinator: Bo Pelini

Former Nebraska head coach and former LSU defensive coordinator was rehired for the DC position for the 2020 season. Pelini utilizes the 4-3 defensive scheme which includes 4 down linemen and 3 linebackers. The benefit of a 4-3 defense is that you can typically get a better push against the offensive line, resulting in better run-blocking or more pass-rush. However, since each down lineman is responsible for a single line gap, it is more vulnerable to the play-action (PA) pass. Another concern for the Tigers is that with so many departures on the defensive line, they will have a lot of inexperience having to make decisions. It also forces the defense to use a defensive end instead of a linebacker for extra pass-support.

Passing Game Coordinator: Scott Linehan

Scott Linehan will replace the biggest void on the LSU coaching staff, Joe Brady. Linehan is the product of John L. Smith, who was the last college coach he worked under. He last coached for the Dallas Cowboys, leading their passing game and serving as offensive coordinator.
We won’t know what similarities or differences Linehan’s offense will share with Brady’s, but a major difference will be the personnel available. LSU loses Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase at receiver, QB Joe Burrow, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and 4/5 offensive linemen. I would expect the Tigers’ 2020 offense to look similar to 2018.

Matchups

Alabama

Alabama leads the all-time series with LSU 53-26-5, boasting a 66.1% win percentage. The largest victory belongs to Alabama, 47-3 in 1922. The longest streak also belongs to the Tide, with 11 consecutive wins from 1971-1981. Alabama recently won 8 consecutive games against LSU despite LSU being ranked in each loss, including being ranked in the top-10 five times and in the top-5 four times. LSU was shut out in three of the eight games (37.5%) including the January 9, 2012 matchup in the national championship game held in New Orleans, LA, a short 90-minute drive from Baton Rouge.
LSU’s win over Alabama last season marked the fourth victory for the Tigers over Alabama since Nick Saban came to Tuscaloosa. The Tide have enjoyed ten wins over the last fourteen seasons. The four Alabama losses had a total point difference of 18, including three of them being five points or fewer. In the same time span, Alabama has outscored LSU by 135 in the remaining games, resulting in a 117-point advantage for Alabama since 2007.
Since Nick Saban’s arrival in 2007, the early-November matchups between the Tigers and the Tide have often been competitive and tension-filled. Of the 14 Saban vs. LSU games, half have been decided by 7 points or fewer. Another 4 games were decided by 14 pts or fewer, leaving only 3 of the 14 games being won (all by Alabama) by more than two scores. The 4 LSU wins in this time span were all by 7 points or fewer. The teams have gone to overtime thrice, and surprisingly the visiting team has won all three times (Alabama 2, LSU 1). On a related note, Alabama has been dominant in the supposedly-daunting “Death Valley” holding an all-time 28-9-2 record in Baton Rouge, as well as winning 5 of the last 6 games there, including the last 4.
Although Alabama and LSU have not been rivals historically, the series has been split since 2000, with Alabama holding a close 11-10 series lead. Also, since Bear Bryant retired, Alabama has controlled the series 22-15-1. Despite the recent competitiveness of the “rivalry,” a 2009 poll of SEC fans revealed that Alabama fans mostly did not consider LSU to be a rival, while over 60% of LSU fans singled out Alabama as their most bitter rival. This no doubt stems from the fact that Nick Saban previously coached at LSU from 2000-2004. Saban compiled a 48-16 record at LSU while winning LSU’s second ever national championship, and their first in 45 years. Saban left LSU to try his hand at head coaching in the NFL. He found success hard to come by, and decided to return to coaching college. LSU did not want Saban back, instead preferring to keep then-coach Les Miles, so Saban took the best job on the table- Alabama. For some reason, LSU took this as a personal insult of the highest order and have hated Saban and Alabama ever since. The Tigers have only managed to beat Saban’s Alabama in Baton Rouge once.

Ole Miss

Ole Miss is undoubtedly LSU’s longest-standing and most significant rival. The Tigers lead the Landsharks all-time 63-40-4, but recent history is even more lopsided as Ole Miss has only managed to beat LSU five times since 2000.
In the “Magnolia Bowl,” LSU and Ole Miss have produced some exciting rivalry games. Probably the most famous was 1959’s “Cannon’s Halloween Run” in which #1 LSU’s Billy Cannon had an 89-yard punt return TD late in the game, breaking 7 tackles en route to what would be the game winning score. On Ole Miss’s ensuing drive, they made it all the way to LSU’s 1 yard line, but were stopped as time expired. The teams would have a rematch in the Sugar Bowl (effectively the national championship that year) and Ole Miss routed the Tigers 21-0. This would not be the last time LSU would lose a national championship 21-0 in the Sugar Bowl in a rematch to a team they narrowly beat in the regular season.

Arkansas

Arkansas has been a traditional rival for LSU. The two first played in 1901 in Baton Rouge, with LSU winning 15-0. They played until 1936, but the series stopped until 1991 when Arkansas joined the SEC and defeated LSU in Fayetteville 30-6. Overall, LSU holds a 41-22-2 lead in the series.
The LSU-Arkansas winner takes home “The Golden Boot” trophy, or just “The Boot.” This is because the trophy, which outlines the states of Louisiana and Arkansas, forms what looks like a boot. The 175 lb, 4” tall trophy is made of 24-karat gold.

Tulane

LSU’s oldest rival is found in New Orleans, LA. The Tulane Green Wave first played LSU in 1892. LSU and Tulane were each members of the SIAA from 1899, the Southern Conference from 1922 to 1932, and charter members of the SEC from 1932 to 1966. The matchup is known as the “Battle for the Rag,” with LSU referring to it as the Tiger Rag, and Tulane calling it the Victory Flag. The flag shows each school’s logos divided diagonally with the Seal of Louisiana in the center.
While the series was somewhat competitive to begin with LSU leading 23-18-5, the Tigers have gone 45-4-2 since, including winning the last 18 matchups. LSU leads the all-time series 69-23-7. The teams met on the field once from 1997 to 2005, but they renewed the series in 2006. After their 2009 matchup, LSU offered Tulane to either play the remaining games in Baton Rouge or end the series early for a small payout. Tulane took the buyout deal and the teams have not met since.

Mascot

Perhaps one of the most famous college mascots is LSU’s Mike the Tiger. Traditionally, Mike is a Bengal tiger, although the last three iterations have been mixed-breeds. Mike VII is a Bengal-Serbian mix. LSU adopted the tiger as mascot referencing the Louisiana-native troops in Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia in the civil war, as they were known as “the Tigers.” LSU’s may be the only SEC mascot to pay homage to confederate nostalgia since Ole Miss rebranded themselves as the Admiral Ackbars Landsharks.
Each Mike has generally been in good hands in Baton Rouge, as LSU’s vet school is exceptional. A new, 15,000 square foot habitat was created for Mike in 2005 for $3 million. . He can be seen eating, sleeping, roaming, or playing on any given day in his home on campus.
According to legend, LSU will score a touchdown for every one of Mike’s roars on game day. Mike VI and Mike VII have come under scrutiny for not roaring enough on Alabama game days.

Lagniappe

Misc. program stats

· 812-415-47 (.656) all-time record (13th)
· 812 all-time wins (12th)
· 4 national championships (16th)
· 16 conference championships (31st)
· 52 bowl game appearances (8th)
· 28-23-1 (.548) bowl record (27th)
· 39 consensus all-Americans (14th)
· 2 Heisman winners (11th)
· 352 NFL Draft picks (10th)
· 635 weeks in AP poll (10th)
· Conference foes Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee hold series leads over LSU
· LSU’s last two head coaches each left the program with one national championship
· Current head coach Ed Orgeron has one national championship
· LSU has not scored against Alabama in Death Valley since 2014
· In LSU’s last five games in Louisiana against Alabama, they have scored a total of 30 points (includes 3 shutouts)

Jerseys

The current style of jerseys were introduced by head coach Paul Dietzel in 1957. While it is customary for the home football team to wear their primary color and the visitor to wear white, LSU also prefers to wear white jerseys for both home and away games. From 1983 to 1994, the NCAA mandated visiting teams to wear white. From 1994-1999, LSU often wore gold in lieu of purple due to then-head coach Gerry DiNardo’s understandable dislike of the color purple. In 1995, the NCAA changed the rule to allow the home team to wear white with visitor’s prior approval. In 1997, the SEC ruled that the home team can wear their color of choice without consent of SEC visiting teams. While LSU wears white to home games, they occasionally wear purple or gold similarly to how other teams have a white-out or black-out game.
Nick Saban and Matt Mauck led the Tigers to a national title in 2003 with Mauck wearing No. 18. The No. 18 jersey “became synonymous with success on and off the field as well as having a selfless attitude.” Each season, a player is chosen by the coaching staff to wear the No. 18 jersey.

Other traditions

Tiger stadium has two defining characteristics on the field that contrast from most other colleges. First, the field displays all 5-yard line numbers on the field instead of just the 10-yard line numbers. Only the 10-yard lines have directional arrows, however. Second, Tiger stadium features “H”-style goal posts instead of the more popular “Y” style. This is allegedly to double players’ chances of injury due to impact with the posts.
About an hour before kickoff, the players, coaches, band, and cheerleaders march down a hill to the North of the Stadium. Ironically, this is called Victory Hill despite the tradition preceding many, many losses.
Night games in Tiger Stadium have become iconic in Baton Rouge. Statistically, LSU has performed better at home during night games. According to LSU’s 2016 Media Guide, LSU was 320-105-13 (.745) in night games through the 2015 season. Unfortunately for the Tigers, LSU is 0-4 in night games in Tiger Stadium against Saban’s Crimson Tide.

Free Reddit Online Tennis 2020: Get the dates, news coverage, analysis, live scores, TV schedule and results for the 2020 French Open tennis tournament. Watch French Open Tennis 2020 Live Streaming. The 2020 French Open is a Grand Slam tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It is held at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. In another way because there is a lot of people suffering in the world. At least when we are fighting and we are creating a good show for the people who are at home is a good entertainment, no?”The faves: For all the upsets and anticipated match-ups that collapsed like souffles, the faves remain. Simone Halep, Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem have been COVID-tested, but not match-tested. Sebastian Korda: The last American man standing has won six matches, including three to qualify. Good clay genes, this guy has. Alas for him, Nadal looms on middle Sunday.The underarm serve: It’s here. It’s buccaneer. So deal with it. Hugo Gaston: Just when you are ready to decry wild cards—antithetical to fairness as they are—here comes a 5-foot-8 20-year-old who takes down former champ Stan Wawrinka. The hoi polloi: Nineteen unseeded players on the women’s side reach the round of 32, the most outsiders crashing the velvet ropes since we went to 32 seeds in 2001. World No.1 Novak Djokovic produced another scintillating performance at the French Open 2020. Djokovic destroyed his third-round opponent Daniel Elahi Galan in straight sets, handling Galan a bagel in the opening set. The Serbian improved his win-loss record to an unbelievable 34-1 this year. During the post-match conference, No.1 seed talked about there being an absence of the coronavirus bubble and observed that people were going on with their lives as usual. The 17-time Grand Slam champion will face No.15 seed Karen Khachanov in the fourth round. Khachanov defeated Cristian Garin in the third round in a tough match and has never gone beyond the quarterfinal stage at Roland Garros. Djokovic leads 3-1 in his rivalry against Khachanov. The duo last played against each other in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, and Djokovic won that match convincingly. Although, it will be the duo’s first encounter on the clay surface. The Serbian is aiming to become the first man in the Open Era to win each Grand Slam twice and needs to triumph at the French Open to achieve it. Meanwhile, Djokovic voiced his opinion for electronic line calling at the Grand Slam similar to the technology being used at the US Open.Fully aware of the health hazards and committed to exercising great caution, the Querreys decided to travel as a family with their 7-month-old son, Ford, to Paris so Sam could compete in the 2020 French Open. "It's not fun being in the bubble. It's Paris, but not Paris," Sam Querrey said Tuesday at Roland Garros, referring to the health and safety restrictions that have ruled out dining out or sightseeing along the River Seine. "You're either at the courts or in your small European hotel room with a ton of bags." Like almost all of his peers, Querrey qualifies his complaints about the restrictions with the rider that, first and foremost, he's thrilled to be able to play again. But a host of concerns underlies the general sense of gratitude felt by most of the pros, and their obvious willingness to make the best of the challenges posed by the health crisis. Those challenges led to the USTA hosting the US Open (along with the Western & Southern Open) with no fans inside a bio-secure "bubble" created at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The French Open, postponed from its customary late-May start, adopted similar measures. But the approach in Paris has created some anxiety, along with some tenable claims that the French Open has no real "bubble" at all. Comparisons between the two events and the protocols they adopted were inevitable and not entirely fair to the French Open, where officials have avoided using the word "bubble" in favor of "safe zones." "To make a true bubble, either at the US Open or here, would need a hotel with 10,000 rooms," Querrey said. "You would need everyone who's on-site, from cleaning crews to chefs and anyone else in contact with players to stay there. You would need the MGM Grand [an enormous hotel in Las Vegas] or something like that, But either way, they did a good job here and in New York." Others haven't been as charitable, expressing reservations or outright criticism of the French approach. Some have challenged just how protected the "safe zones" are, and how comfortable the players have been made to feel. The players have been subject to recurring testing for COVID-19 at both majors, but that is where the similarities end. Much of the worry among players has centered on the tournament organizers' insistence on allowing fans, a number that was whittled down in increments from the original projected 20,000 to just 1,000 due to a local spike in the coronavirus. "I feel like, as all players, [we] are a little bit nervous about the health situation ... [and] having these circumstances," US Open runner-up Victoria Azarenka said during her pre-tournament press conference in Paris, referring to the tournament's insistence on allowing fans. "In my opinion the US Open was a little better," Japan's Misaki Doi said Wednesday. "There were no [untested] spectators and also less people and more social distancing."

Hey, I was serious when I said I wanted to finish this by the time 2019 is over. Thanks for all of the responses, criticism or not. I know you can understand that you can't everything right the first time and I'm trying my best. We're reaching, and passing, the Top 25. The real core of the best of the best is coming up, and it's getting exciting for sure. Many of these guys have been the best in whatever game they played in their prime, and many of these have had decade spanning careers. I don't know why I have such unnecessarily long intros. Let's just get into it.
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30. Otori
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(Meta Knight)
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Even before I started researching the Brawl years for the first Top 100, I was at least a little bit familiar with Otori, the Japanese player that ruled the international Brawl scene in early 2012. Well, here he is, "Big Bird" himself. A name familiar to the readers of my Brawl work but not much to modern competitive fans, Otori was one of the world's best Brawl players in his prime, usually regarded as one of the greatest players of the game. Although he played the game since its release, he only started competing in 2010, to understandably limited success. However, through hard work and constant practicing, he had established himself as one of the best players in the East by the next year, but never one to consistently compete with the best in his region. For example, in 2011, despite having attendance much better than the average Japanese player at the time, he never made it past Losers Finals, always falling to some roadblock like 9B or Nietono en route to claiming a title. Otori's first trip to North America signaled a change in the times, and, at Apex 2012, he won the whole tournament in a massive upset over the best in Japan and the Americas, interestingly the first Brawl tournament he ever won, regional, local, or national. Now a Top 5 player in the world and frequently placing well in both Japanese and American tournaments, Otori became in some ways, the precursor to the Japanese players of today, traveling to American tourneys several times a year. You can’t talk about Otori without mentioning his twin brother Kakera who’s made his spot on the Top 100 as well. As well as their history of traveling together across the world for tournaments, the duo was one of the best doubles teams in the world, winning the Apex 2012 doubles event over Mew2King and Anti in two sets. In singles, Kakera and Otori were consistent names to tear up tournaments. At Apex 2012, Otori's best tournament victory, his twin placed a respectable 5th, tying with another Apex victor, Ally. With just a glance at his results, anyone can tell that Otori has clearly been one of the most important Japanese smash players ever. Unfortunately, his vibrant career stopped after Brawl, citing disinterest in Smash 4 and its successor in Ultimate. Nevertheless, he’s become an inspiration and rival to plenty as he evolved and redefined not only Meta Knight, but the way international players have been viewed worldwide.
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29. Rain
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(Meta Knight) (Falco) (Cloud) (Diddy Kong) (Wolf) (Joker) (Fox)
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You know a player's career is impressive when two of their best placings in tournament are 13 years apart. Let's take a look. Rain's breakout performance was at the Jack Garden Tournament, where he placed 5th with his Fox, and beating Melee legend Bombsoldier, one of two to do it ever, along with the legendary Ken. After a hiatus from the game, he debuted his Brawl career at Apex 2010, where he placed an impressive 7th place. Rain continued achieving great results throughout Brawl, dominating most Japanese tournaments he attended, even over players like Otori and a young Ranai. After a 13th place at Apex 2013, he went through another hiatus before his Smash 4 career, where he consistently placed Top 16 in every Japanese local and regional and placing well at American tournaments as well, like 9th at Apex 2016. After a brief respite from the spotlight of dominant Japanese players, he achieved a 5th place at Umebura Smash Final, Smash 4’s last major. Rain has had a prolific and lengthy career, sure, but what was his peak? Well damn, did Rain have a peak. 2012 Brawl was a time of volatility, when Mew2King's handle on the game was in a bleak decline and several players struggled to snatch the throne. But who ended out on top? You guessed it: Rain. In the beginning of the year, Otori and Nairo were often favored as the best player, but, through consistent firsts, a feat that neither or the two previous players could achieve, Rain solidified his position as the world's best player, highlighted by a victory at the Sun Rise Tournament in August. From sparce yet impressive results in Melee to dominance in Brawl to an underwhelming yet consistent career in Smash 4, Rain's lengthy smash career is definitely one to note.
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28. PC Chris
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(Falco (Fox) (Peach)
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I remember a few Melee Summits ago when BTS ran a skit titled [“The History of Smash.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5LZywnZhAk) . Besides the unnecessarily mocking depictions of Brawl and Smash 4, the skit was a riot, especially for its retelling of early smash as we all saw it through the documentary. In their satirical zeal, BTS made PC Chris to be what pretty much everyone thought of him who didn’t know him after watching the documentary: emo skateboarder Falco main. Was he really that much of an emo skateboarder? Yes Well I never got to meet him, so I don’t know, but it’s pretty impressive for any player to make it onto any “history of smash” video, satire or not. Before the days of the incredibly popular Fox-Falco combination, PC Chris rocked the spacie dual main placing incredibly in tournaments throughout the world by hard work and adaptation. Ever since Melee released, he was always a good player, appearing in crew battles and playing at regionals before his claim to fame, but, when it was PC’s time to shine, he really made it count. In Melee’s arguably first ever esports moments at MLG New York, he eliminated Ken and became a hero in the eyes of the whole smash community. Over time, he came to travel the world to compete and became one of the faces of the younger generation of Melee’s greats and Falco's first top level. In the documentary, PC said that a big reason he really got big into Melee was because of an injury he received while skateboarding. Injuries suck, yeah, but we can only wonder where Melee, and smash as a whole, would’ve been without it.
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27. Tweek
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(Cloud) (Bayonetta) (Wario) (Pokemon Trainer) (Wolf) (Donkey Kong)
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From Bowser Jr. to DK to Cloud to Bayonetta in Smash 4, then hopping between Wario, Wolf, Young Link, Pokemon Trainer, and Joker, Tweek is one of the most infamous main switchers and just one of the most successful Smash 4 and Ultimate players ever. Aside from MkLeo, many call Tweek the most successful Smash 4 player that never played Brawl at a high level, and it certainly rings true. Tweek started as the stereotypical player that was always consistent and scored high placements, but could never break into the highly coveted Top 10. He tried everything. He switched mains from Bowser Jr. to DK and Cloud, yet he still couldn't reach his goal. He moved from New Jersey to Ohio to live in a smash house, and that didn't work. But with a little bit of hard work and some use of everyone's favorite witch, Tweek finally prevailed in mid 2017 starting with a 4th at EVO, followed by great placings such as winning MkLeo Saga and being the runner-up at Shine. Tweek finished Smash 4 as the 7th greatest of all time, and 2nd best for 2018, but he never truly reached international and out of game recognition until the release of Ultimate. From his first win at Glitch 6 to his most recent at Return to Yoshi's Island, Tweek has been heralded along with MkLeo and Samsora as one of the three gods of Ultimate, and one of the four most successful players so far.
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I could go on and on about his dozen or so tourney wins, exceptional set records, and his unique explosive, yet reserved playstyle. However, I want to highlight his relationship with his opposite and antithesis, MkLeo. Both players made a name for themselves starting in Smash 4, yet the Mexican champ had the headstart with his plethora of national wins starting any impressing the community at Smash Factor to blowing their minds at Zero Saga. Tweek took longer to break into the Top 5 then Leo did, but even then, he still had the number so to speak on MkLeo even when the Marth main was considered more skilled. Tweek’s big break and blowup moment ironically came at the tournament dedicated to Leo: MkLeo Saga. Leo struck back by winning the 2GG Championship, then Tweek did at Momocon, and they’ve been trading national victories ever since. One half of a riveting rivalry, and an incredible player with years of success under his belt, Tweek is one of the most skilled players to play smash, and one of the most skilled to ever play.
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26. Alvin
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(Pikachu) (Captain Falcon)
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Although he's a legendary player in Smash 64 circles, many smashers aren't familiar with the undebatable greatest Smash player from Peru. In the early 2010s, many 64 players heralded the almost legendary skill of the Peruvian scene, mostly from the stories of SuperBoomFan when he traveled there in 2014. However, most were skeptical since no Peruvian player had attended an American tournament. All that changed once Alvin, after a shaky 13th at Super Smash Con 2016, started a reign of terror in the states, winning Superboomed, CEO Dreamland, and, most impressively, Genesis 4, eventually scoring a 2nd place finish on the 64 League Rankings at the end of 2017. After ruling the scene in Peru and reaching the caliber of top American players, Alvin demonstrated that South America had more talent to give after ZeRo's dominance in the West.
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25. ADHD
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(Diddy Kong)
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While being estranged from most of Brawl's veterans for not being successful in Smash 4, ADHD is definitely one of the most skilled and consistent players that have ever played any smash game. Until the sudden rise of his Tristate contemporaries, ADHD was constantly in Brawl's Top 3, along with Ally and Mew2King. He first made a name for himself at the original Genesis, where he placed 5th, with a relatively easy bracket. Most considered that a fluke, and that Diddy Kong, a character then considered to be a mid tier, couldn't compete with Brawl's elite. However, the Tristate Diddy shocked everyone with a first place finish at Pound 4 the next year, defeating Mew2King twice in Winners and Grand Finals. From there, he proved that his signature technical style and strong fundamentals could triumph in the Meta Knight and Snake saturated meta. Four years in Brawl's Top Ten proved more than Diddy's potential at a high level; it showed that ADHD's input intense gameplay is rewarded in Smash's black sheep of a competitive scene.
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24. Plup
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(Sheik) (Samus) (Fox) (Mega Man)
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When it came to godslaying, Leffen led the way. Then, Plup made it popular. A master of characters and platforms, Plup has been one of the most adaptable, and likeable players of Melee’s recent years. The only player to place Top 8 playing 4 different characters in Melee, the Florida native has also been one of the biggest masters of diversity in recent years. He started competing in Melee in 2010 with Samus. Where the common grain of the time was for Samuses, and generally everyone, to play campy and defensive, Plup gave the space warrior a whole new spin with a balls to the wall attitude and slick new platform tech. He even reached the distinction as the 16th best Melee player in the world in 2014. The Floridian still had much more to accomplish. After switching to Sheik and placing in numerous Top 8s, he was ranked 7th in 2015. Then 6th in 2016. Before being ranked 5th in 2017, Plup made history to be the second non-god player to take a legitimate set from Armada since 2010. Then, just a mere two months later, he made history again to be the second player to win a Melee major since the age of the gods. The unorthodox Sheik main has been a mainstay Top 10 player for half a decade, meta shifter, tournament winner, and the face of too many memes to count. Especially with his recent success into Ultimate with wins over respected players like Salem and MVD, Plup has easily solidified his position among the greatest players of all time. We can't wait to see what heights our favorite jorts are going to reach in the future.
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23. Salem
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(Bayonetta) (ZeroSuitSamus) (Snake) (Hero)
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Dammit. I wrote this long ass clever blurb on Salem mixing in all of his various memes, iconic tweets and all, but now, a year later "Years of research" doesn't hit as hard as it used to. Huh. Either way, smash's least favorite smasher until July 4th 2019 more than earns his way into the list? Even over Tweek and Plup? Yeah, even over Tweek and Plup. Salem's string of great performances was kickstarted by one of the most ridiculous tournament runs of all time at Apex 2013. Really, I could write a good 5 pages on it's ridiculousness and iconicity. In short, I ranked Salem as the 29th best Brawl player in the world in 2012. At Apex 2013, the first and by far biggest tournament of the following year, Salem won. Imagine if Stroder, the 29th ranked Ultimate player at the time, won EVO? Aside from the controversy that would stir because of Stroder’s, uh, past transgressions, you can imagine the excitement and hype that would’ve surrounded an event like that. And Salem did all of this with Zero Suit Samus, sure, a high tier character, but absolutely unheard of to receive success at that level, especially at a time when 40% of player used Meta Knight and 75% were in favor of a ban.
As much as we criticize Salem’s cynicism of the Melee and, really, just the general community as a whole, you could say that it had an origin. After his miraculous Apex run, many out of region foes were, you could say, skeptic of Salem’s actual skill. A simple glance at his results following the tournament can say enough. I’ll just say that while Brawl’s scene was active, Salem only won a single tournament, being Apex, and his results prior and following have much to be desired, a fact that many loved to point out in any smashboards thread for a tournament that he competed in. Light derision soon turned to harsh criticism and even scorn at tournaments, especially by Texas TO Xyro. His fellow Tristaters were unenthusiastic in defense. Combine this with the general hatred that the growing Melee community had with the Brawl scene (a game that Salem continues to play even after two sequels), and you can probably see where Salem is coming from. Die a hero or live long enough to be the villain, eh?
But what did Salem do in response? Not much, honestly. He slowly faded out of the Top 10 in the following year, and, with a character crisis and general lack of attendance, he was largely written off in the first years of Smash 4. Then, the Empire Struck Back. Or should I say Bayonetta struck back. I don't think any character really embodies Salem's style as much as Smash 4 Bayonetta. Years of an outsider status had hardened Salem's already defensive ZSS play to a focused, well honed turtling machine in Bayonetta. And did he succeed. When everyone wrote him off, said that his character carried him, and wailed at his incredibly campy gameplay, he finished his transformation into the ultimate villain by winning EVO, sparking another worldwide debate on the character's legality. Fire Emblem Saga and Dreamhack Atlanta were two more titles that Salem put in his back pocket just in the second half of 2017.
Now, heading into 2020, what’s next for Salem? He’s been on a steady decline since his legendary dominance in late 2017, sure, but winning Shine 2018 and becoming one of the best Snakes isn’t that bad. One of Salem’s coolest, and I’d argue most iconic moments, was, well, at Smash Con, against his rival Leffen. If there’s ever been an anime moment in a tournament, it’s this. The villain that became the hero vs the hero that became a villain. We can only hold our breath to see what the Frieza of our smash community will accomplish next.
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22. SuPeRbOoMfAn
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(Captain Falcon) (Pikachu) (Kirby)
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You can interpret Smash 64 storylines a myriad of different ways. One (albeit American centric) perspective is the North American defense of Japan as they sweep Western tournaments frequently. The most famous success story of this narrative is definitely Super Boom Fan, who not only proved that Western players could not only compete, but thrive against their Japanese counterparts, but also that the era of the old guard of Isai and Sensei was over. His name may be hard to spell, but it's one that should never be looked over. With a deadly combination of Captain Falcon and Pikachu, he's won tournaments the world over, especially within the North American scene in which he’s had almost complete control over. One of Boom's most notable accomplishments was his winning streak in 2017, 2018, and 2019. From Boss Battle 3 in September 2017 to Smash N Splash 5 in June 2019, Boom won 18 consecutive tournaments, very reminiscint of Armada’s 2011 to 2013 run or ZeRo’s legendary 2015 streak. And when I say 18 tournaments, these aren’t just locals. He won nationals and regionals alike even defeating powerful international foes already mentioned on this list like Alvin, Fukurou, and kysk. Super Smash Con 2018, Genesis 5, Smash N Splash 3, Big House 8, and, of course, Super Smash Con 2016, the largest Smash 64 tournament of all time only just start to complete the Canadian’s full list of victories. Through his various accomplishments and sheer consistency over the tough competition of post-2014 Smash 64,Bboom has been the most active and one of the greatest professionals to ever play the N64 favorite.
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21. Chudat
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(Ice Climbers) (Kirby)
A wobbler since 2002, Chudat is one of the longest, if not the longest continuously competing Melee players in the scene at the moment. Since his career start, he’s been the source of countless memes, salt, and tournament losses for a good reason, He’s a fucking good at pressing the a button at a rythym. For real though, the face of Ice Climbers in competitive play since the MLG days, Chudat’s sheer volume of accomplishments is impressive. By the time the competitive scene was in its infancy, he was immediately one of the best in the East Coast. By the time tournaments were held regularly, he was a mainstage in the Top 4, and he rarely dropped out of Top 8. In 2005, his most dominant year, the Virginia native was consistently outplacing the highest echelon of players, like Azen, Isai, and Chillin, only falling short of the immortal Ken. In addition to his almost multiple decade career, Chudat also had a brief Brawl career playing Kirby, and was a Top 25 player at his peak. I could go on and on about each year he played in and how he performed in each. I could say how he was consistently Top 5 in the old era of Melee and is consistently ranked in the Top 30 after the Dark Ages. I elaborate that he’s the only player to enter a reasonably big tournament in every year of Melee’s competitive history. I could talk about how he’s considered the greatest Ice Climbers player of all time and how every Icies player since him has echoed his style. Just trust that Chu is one of the greatest Melee and smash in general players of all time.
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Twenty players left. Until then~

Trip Report
Yosemite Ultra Light Backpack Trip An Overview, 7 Days
TLDR: 4,383 words
Where:
Start TrailHead: Lake Eleanor
End Trail Head: Happy Island Yosemite National Park
Permit information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/stanislaus/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5361242&width=full
When:
Start Date: Saturday, July 25th, 2020
End Date: Friday, July 31st, 2020
Total Days = 7
Conditions: Weather conditions during the trip were great overall. Highs in the 80s at ~7,000-10,000ft elevation and lows in the 60s. Highs around 95 degrees in the lower elevations 6,000ft-4,000ft and lows in the mid 60s and lower 70s.
Lighterpack: I prefer google sheets software for pack items. A link to the sheet I used is here.
Start pack weight was ~30lbs for myself and ~ 25lbs for my wife.
Total Distance: 97.9 mi
+26,739 ft / -27,673 ft
Link to route overview. https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=8.9/-119.6664/37.8920&pubLink=5AjjuJuA20CMxOcC1KyhmFjS&trackId=f9f65777-1ee1-449e-b4cd-f195010af0fe&popupLoc=-119.54172/37.71693
Photo Album:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AZbmRTupPr8LEiUH6
Shuttle: We paid our roommate $300 to drive us to the start location from San Jose, CA and pick us up at El Portal Post Office right outside YNSP. We took YARTS for $15 out of the park. This way our roommate did not have to deal with entering the park to pick us up and we did not have to pay an entrance fee to the park.
Day 1: 10 Miles
https://www.strava.com/activities/3840258802
https://www.gaiagps.com/public/rnxmp33RCYGOjPCCymj865RM
https://www.inaturalist.org/calendabuck7/2020/7/25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss5Q3NYlbD4&list=PLLqJNy9pEtFkFgIq0ID4opsayRrirKmq1&index=1
Day One Lake Eleanor to Beehive 10 mi
Started at about noon. It was very hot probably in the mid 80s low 90s. Karly had a very bad headache and low energy. We made it through this pain and saw a mama bear and two cubs about half a mile from Beehive camp! There was a good spring with cold water right at Beehive that made collecting water easy. A thunderstorm came in as we arrived at camp near 6 pm, however it did not drop any rain, just thunder.
Day 2: 17 Miles
https://www.strava.com/activities/3843582731
https://www.gaiagps.com/public/bjT2dfYxfVl3zxhHohHlx5M0
https://www.inaturalist.org/calendabuck7/2020/7/26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss5Q3NYlbD4&list=PLLqJNy9pEtFkFgIq0ID4opsayRrirKmq1&index=2
Beehive to Stubblefield Canyon along the PCT. We woke up at 4:00 and were on the trail by 4:30 a.m., hiked in the dark to beat the heat. This made the first 10 mi pretty easy and we finished them by about 10:00 a.m. The next 7 miles took a long time with lots of ups and downs, southbound, over canyons carved by rivers and glaciers over eons, which run east to west. There is no crest for the PCT to follow in this section.
We saw a ranger “Karen” who put on a COVID mask and checked our permit and my bear canister. We also saw a YNPS employee with four mules and two riders doing trail work along with two other backpackers. More YNPS employees than visitors on this day in the backcountry!
Day 3: 25 Miles 4,658ft Gained!
https://www.strava.com/activities/3843593099
https://www.gaiagps.com/public/RjhBofB3tStqbSY4vpMR67Ni
https://www.inaturalist.org/calendabuck7/2020/7/27
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgbuehSPb9c&list=PLLqJNy9pEtFkFgIq0ID4opsayRrirKmq1&index=3
Day three: 25 mi, 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., hiking with lots of breaks and good weather. We hiked from Stubble Creek to the Tuolumne River. Not as much water as I was hoping for in the last 10 miles, so luckily it was all downhill.
This was my favorite day of the trip! I love long days on the trail.
Day 4: 16 Miles 4,173ft Gained in the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne
https://www.strava.com/activities/3843598001
https://www.gaiagps.com/public/ojQraZL5QR40rZid6Glc9jYL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgbuehSPb9c&list=PLLqJNy9pEtFkFgIq0ID4opsayRrirKmq1&index=4
16 mi Payette Valley to Glen Aulin
We slept in and started about 7:30AM. Karly was very tired from the long day yesterday. It was very hot in this low elevation canyon, which made for really hard miles due to the heat and uphill. Lots of hydration and salty snacks. The Muir Gorge was spectacular! So was Waterwheel Falls. I have wanted to hike this canyon for a long time and it was great to finally do it!
Day 5: 20 Miles
https://www.strava.com/activities/3843601960
https://www.gaiagps.com/public/GCOyhUWJH1ov6KAvYwolucnG
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/54999241
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guB1rzqzRVE&feature=youtu.be
Day five 20 miles Glen Aulin to Sunrise Creek and JMT junction
Clouds Rest was very cool with stunning views of the valley to the west and backcountry to the north, south, and east. Tonga Lake was turquoise blue and made for a great late breakfast spot. We got lost approaching Glen Aulin in the morning darkness. We entered the campground and missed the fork at the bridge, which added maybe an hour to our day and that was frustrating. Nonetheless, we made it to Sunrise Creek at the JMT junction, which set us up perfectly for half dome summit in the morning!
Day 6: 14 Miles
https://www.strava.com/activities/3843606839
https://www.gaiagps.com/public/TOBuiRLakxQW73slyXgQXsKg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O322XzBxMvM&list=PLLqJNy9pEtFkFgIq0ID4opsayRrirKmq1&index=6
Sunrise Creek and JMT intersection to Curry Village
14 miles when adding the valley floor hiking we did.
Woke up at 4:00 a.m., sprinted up half-dome and made it to the top in about 2 hours and 15 minutes. The cables were very scary. Need to bring a harness next time. I have not rock climbed much in the last few years and my headspace for exposure is not what it used to be. After summiting, we hiked quickly down to the valley floor.
Also, for the morning we each had only 1 liter of water for the first 7.5 miles of the day. We did not filter more water before half dome and wanted to eat breakfast at Nevada Falls. We rationed our water and dry hiked the last 2.5 miles to the falls. In the cool morning air, it was worth it!
Day 7: ~5 miles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXS3ZaiWc6M&list=PLLqJNy9pEtFkFgIq0ID4opsayRrirKmq1&index=7
Took it easy in Yosemite valley, had ~$7 biscuits and gravy breakfast at the cafe, and watched the sunrise above half dome. Then we walked around the park; it was beautiful and less crowded than normal with the COVID restrictions.
Gear Notes:
My gear notes for this trip are extensive and hopefully will drive some meaningful ultralight gear discussion in the comments. In the section below I write about my thoughts on our headlights, power bricks, smartphone, navigation methods, a hand made bug net, sleeping pads, backpack optimization, bear canisters, water treatment methods, gear for climbing the cables on Half Dome, glasses, pants, socks and shoes, cooking food via cold soaking, rain gear and sun hats. Lastly, I close with my thoughts for a future ultralight trip.
Headlight:
On our last trip, we never used our headlamps except to pee at night. So for this trip, we brought 1 headlight, and with all the early morning hiking, this pre-trip choice of carrying only one headlight was a mistake. We made the best of it though. I would give Karly the headlight and she would walk in front and I would stay close to be in the light bubble. I was also using a relatively heavy headlamp and will likely switch to a Petzl Zipka instead of the black diamond spot. That will save 30 grams.
https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/CLASSIC-headlamps/ZIPKA
Power Bricks:
Another gear learning experience was with my new power brick. The Portable Charger RAVPower 32000mAh, which weighs 603 grams! It packs a lot of power: 32,000mAH capacity. In short, the grams per mAh came out to 32,000mAh / 603 grams = 53mAh of power capacity per every one gram of battery bank weight.
In contrast, my older Ravpower Turbo Series Model RP-Pb042 Capacity 13,400 mAh weighs 271 grams so 13,400mAh / 271 g = 49 mAh per every one gram of battery bank.
Plus my 2017 model Anker PowerCore 20,100mAh - Ultra High Capacity Power Bank weighs 352 grams. So 20,100mAh / 352 = 57 mAh of power per every one gram of battery. Thus it would have been better for me to buy a new one of these and take two for a total of 40,200mAh of storage at 704gs of weight. That extra hundred grams would have netted me 8,000mAhs of additional power!
The one takeaway was that the largest battery banks are not necessarily lighter per mAh-gram. And doing the math would have helped me know this before buying this new expensive battery bank. The equation to use is: the total capacity of the battery bank in mAh / total weight of bank = mAh per gram of the device.
We could also do a cost of mAh per gram of device equation. I do not have the pricing for my 13,400mAh model.
However, Anker PowerCore 20,100mAh model cost $39.99 in 2017. So if we take the cost of the device $39.99 and divide that by 49 mAh per every one gram output, the result equals $0.82 per 49mAh Gram of power.
If we run the same equation on the RAVPower 32000mAh, which costs $69.99 ($69.99 divided by 57mAh of power capacity per every one gram) there is a cost of $1.23 per every 57 mAh gram.
We can see that 57mAh grams - 49mAh grams is equal to 8 mAh grams. That is an 8 unit increase in energy density per gram for the RAVPower 32000mAh device that weighs more and costs $30 more than the older cheaper model.
These equations demonstrate some important information for the ultralight hiker in terms of potential energy fundamentals and battery bank consumer pricing:

1. Higher capacity in mAh does not mean a lighter battery
2. Higher total capacity in mAh does not mean a cheaper battery
3. The most optional scenario might be to take multiple mid-grade battery banks to meet the total capacity requirements of the trip while also reducing total weight overall.

That said, our trip was successful in only taking the heavy 603 gram RAVPower 32000mAh battery bank. It kept my pixel XL phone (3450 mAh) battery charged daily while tracking with Strava and about 30 hours of audiobooks on audible with wired headphones and two recharges of the GoPro 8 battery (1,220mAh) as well as two recharges of my wife’s phone.
Total recharges on the trip were:

1. 7 cycles for Pixel XL phones, my wife and mine, combined = 24150mAh
2. 2 cycles for the GoPro Battery = 2440mAh

Total power needed was 26,590mAh. If energy transfer was perfect that would leave about 32,00mAh- 26,590mAh = 5,410 mAh extra.
If you're reading this and know an easy way to calculate how much energy is lost during recharge cycles to heat, please let me know via direct message.
Thus, the RAVPower 32000mAh battery bank worked for us perfectly on our 6 days on trial before accessing a grid-connected power outlet regarding our batteries the morning day 7 in curry village.
The last thing I will say about this battery bank before moving on is a final illustration of a recharge cycle comparison to a more modern smartphone such as the Galaxy Note 20 Plus/Note 20 Ultra, which is set to have a 5,000mAh battery on its release date of 08/05/2020. This phone will only be able to recharge 6 times with the RAVPower 32000mAh power pack and the battery will drain faster when using it with Bluetooth headphones, which will also need to be charged. These are both indicators that the premium smartphones of the 2020s will not bode well for the ultra-light hikers that struggle with gram anxiety.
Navigation:
Another thing we forgot to do was download the nat geo topo layer and USGS topo layers for the park on our Gaia GPS app. I do not know how we both forgot this obvious detail. After researching the error further, it seems that running a pre-trip app update removed our large on-device data cache of California topos on both our phones. However, I will add a digital map software action item to our pre-trip checklist in bold next time.
Luckily my wife purchased the National Geographic Yosemite National Park #206 Trails Illustrated Topographic Map, the Tear-Resistant waterproof model. This map made daytime navigation easy within the park and saved us a lot of battery power. We used Gaia GPS for elevation tracking via the altimeter and waypoint tracking. * We changed the setting in Gaia to display coordinates in Degrees minutes seconds on the app so that they matched the standard of our paper map. If you use Gaia GPS and paper maps, consider making sure the units are the same format before your trip for each waypoint tracking.
The only time we got lost and needed Gaia to reduce the time it took to find out where we were was the morning of day 5 when we missed the southern turn at the PCT - GCT junction and walked due east into the Glen Aulin campground. With Gaia GPS and the right topo layers, we could have quickly pinpointed our location in the dark and fixed it. Instead, we climbed a high hill in the morning twilight and found a trail in the twilight going east to west; we hiked to that trail, realized it was the PCT, and took it back to the GCT junction and found McGee Lake heading southwest toward Tenaya Lake. I was pretty frustrated by this experience. It was a good exercise in mental strength in managing my anger in the moment and accepting the outcome of the situation. Put simply we woke up early to beat the heat and lost about 1 hour of our cool morning air hiking window to this navigational error. After a few miles back on the correct trail soon I was able to let my anger and frustration subside as I took in the beauty of the forest in the morning light.
New bug net!
For this trip, I looked for a bug net online for our tarp 207g shelter. The net we were using was a rectangle and did not fit well into the upside-down v shape of the tarp. After some research, I found that there was nothing on the market that was in stock and would meet my needs. However, I did find the fabric from rainy pass repair and ordered 0.9 oz Noseeum mesh - Black × 6 yards from ripstopbytheroll.com. My rough measurements, mostly mental, lead me to believe this would be enough fabric for my A-frame design. Ripstop has very fast shipping and I was able to cut and sew my A-frame bug net after work the day the fabric came. Total weight 238grams! Almost 45g lighter than my other net! The fabric only cost $22.93! We used this bug net 4 of the 7 nights on the trail and it works so much better than my last one! This was my biggest new gear success of the trip in terms of cost, weight, and increased performance.
H&H Bag:
Another thought on gear is regarding our use of zip locks for stuff storage. We were using a ziplock bag for our health and hygiene (H&H) items such as sunscreen, soap, Neosporin, gold bond, etc. The ziplock ripped day one when pulling it out of my wife’s pack. The H&H bag fits tightly in the outside zipper pocket of her pack to allow for easy removal without ripping the plastic. I plan to replace this with a cuben fiber bag for the next trip.
Sleeping pads:
Other gear upgrades in the pipeline for the 2021 backpacking season: (I used up all my precious vacation for the year so it will be next year before I can take a week to act on the call of the wild again.)
Currently, I have been using the Thermarest Pro Light Small which weighs 450 grams. I plan to upgrade to a medium-size NeoAir® UberLite™ Sleeping Pad at 249 grams + a Thinlight Foam Pad - 1/8 https://www.gossamergear.com/products/thinlight-foam-pad at 70grams =.249 + 70 = 320g so 450 - 320= 130 grams in savings!
Backpack optimization:
I ordered a new pack, the Vargo Ti-Arc CF Backpack UL Dyneema pack Titanium Frame off ebay. I hoped to use it on this trip but the shipping time was too slow and the pack was still in transport by the start date of our trip.
The Vargo Ti-ARc comes in at a heavy 875 grams. However, I am excited to use the external frame to better mount the bear canister and hopefully increase the airflow in my lower back and therefore reduce the chafing and skin rashing I experience in that area when carrying my 451 gram GoLite Sil nylon backpack for long days on the trail in summer temps in the Sierra region. I also think I will be able to cut about 100-200 grams off the pack by modifying the heavy hip belt and perhaps the shoulder straps. We will see.
I also would like to get my wife the Hyperlite mountain gear 2400 junction at 854g, which will add weight in contrast to her (golite jam2) backpack that weighs 625 grams. I will have to think more on this though. I am not sure if the extra 225 grams will be worth it for a premium cuben Dyneema product. Textbook gram anxiety.
Bear Canisters:
Lastly, I would like to upgrade from the $80 950g BearVault BV500 Food Container with 700 cubic inches of volume to the 936g Bearikade Blazer $333.00 with 750 cubic inches of space. 14 grams savings! I will also need to think about this one more over time. The Bearikade cost $330/936g = $2.83 per gram, in contrast to the BearVault cost of $80/950g = $0.084 per gram. Perhaps I will stay with the BearVault and find another way to cope with my gram anxiety. The financial cost of a product that costs $00.27 per gram, and weighs almost 1,000 grams is hard to justify as a fairly frugal budget-conscious ultralight backpacker. If you have a bear vault I would be interested in hearing your perspective on the project. Does the cost justify the overall value of the product?
Water Treatment Drama:
We had some water filter problems on this trip. Typically we use a Sawyer Squeeze, 161.592g. However, on our last trip we found a Katadyn BeFree, 59.534g. We were so impressed by the flow rate of the Katadyn BeFree in contrast to the Sawyer Squeeze: at 2 liters per min, it felt like there was no restriction from the filter. It was incredible on our previous 8 days Sierra High Crest Trail backpacking trip. Dry hiking was never so easy!
However, by day one on this trip, the filter flow rate dropped by about 75%. It took a lot of suction to drink from this filter. We were getting at most 250ml per min of flow. Having left the Sawyer Squeeze at home, we just went back to our default of using a small 30ml plastic dropper full of bleach, 46.25g, and bleaching our water at a ratio of 1 drop per liter. We only used the Katadyn after sections of dry hiking where we were very thirsty at the water source and where our newly bleached bottles needed more time to purify. Overall I think bleach is the simplest method for treating water. However, having a filter is so nice because the water you drink doesn't taste like chlorine, which can happen after bleaching. It also creates a redundant option for a critical life support system.
Climbing the cables:
Another gear item to consider for this trip would be a climbing harness and safety tether for Half Dome. While this may add 1 kilogram of weight, the peace of mind of not falling to one's death while climbing the cables in my opinion is worth it for all folks with even a slight fear of heights and not a lot of granite climbing experience.
Additionally, climbing the cables took a lot more upper body strength than I thought, both on the way up and down. Weekly climbing gym workouts two to three months before the trip or just lots of pull-ups would be a good method for preparing for a positive athletic experience on this section of trail.
Glasses:
The next gear item to talk about is my glow in the dark glasses, weighing in at 19.33 grams. The frames cost $16 from Zenni optical and provide great illumination of the glasses at night. Perfect for quickly restoring sight in the event of a bear attack, which admittedly does not happen in Yosemite. However, you can never be too prepared if one were to happen.
Pants and Ventilation:
Moving further down the body, my pants, while light at 317g, do not vent well in my groin area. This was a problem in temps over 80 degrees where my perspiration would increase to a level that would cause chaffing even with Gold Bond application directly to my scrotum. To remedy this problem on the trip, I just walked with the fly unzipped and top button undone on my pants. This increased ventilation sufficiently to allow the talc powder to do its job.
However, I am in the market for a better pair of pants for walking in higher temps that provide better ventilation and an equal amount of sun coverage. If you're reading this and have a recommendation, please let me know in the comments or through a direct message.
Socks, shoes, and foot health:
For this trip, I incorporated a three sock system. 1 pair of darn tough socks 65.2039g and 1 extra darn tough sock at 32.1g. Using this three sock system I was able to wash 1 sock each day at lunch and dry it on my pack. As a result, I would have one clean sock each day. For washing I would use Dr. Bronner's soap on the sock and then rinse the sock in water until the water squeezed out of the sock was clean. I plan on using this system again in the future. It is an easy way to have clean socks and save 31 grams while taking care of one's feet on a backpacking trip, which is always a top priority. Clean dry socks on clean dry feet are a great way to maintain the skin health of one's feet.
Trail runners, I have found that the Salomon Men's Xa Pro 3D Trail Running shoes work great for me! I plan on purchasing a new pair for next season. My wife is on her second set of La Sportiva trail runners with a light cushion and small toe cap. Her feet are small size 6. The first pair worked well in the 2019 backpacking year. This pair is the same, but the next year's model of the same shoe does not work as well, and she has large arches. Her feet had blisters on long mile days on our last two trips. She is thinking of testing a heavy model with more cushion and perhaps a larger toe cap. This is an area where I have less gram anxiety because I know a slightly heavier shoe that allows for less blisters and foot pain will increase the trip fun factor. On the last trip she also experimented with toe sock + thin sock companions and liner sock + think darn tough sock, and only thin socks and only thick socks. Nothing worked well enough to prevent blisters.If you have a recommendation for a trail runner she should try please let me/us know in the comments.
Food Prep via Cold Soaking:
Cold soaking worked well for us on this trip. This practice of mostly stoveless meals is fantastic in the summer! We only used the stove for heating dinner and sometimes tea at night. I packed about 15oz of alcohol fuel. Ethanol has a density of 0.785 g mL−1 and I packed about 120ml of excess fuel, which comes out an additional 94.2 grams. In the future, I will try to fully commit to less stove use and only bring one 175ml fuel container.
Rain Gear:
Frog togs worked great on this trip! It basically never rains hard in the dry season of a California summer. On a rainy trip, my wife will carry a 487g Arc’teryx rain shell. It is bommer and great for heavy rain. In contrast, Frog togs weigh 83 grams! 404grams lighter. The women's XL model costs $8 on Amazon! I can see why so many folks in the ultralight community choose Frog togs rain gear for low or no precipitation trips. The price to weight ratio is exceptional.
Additionally, my polycro window film rain skirt ripped in half sometime during the trip. I will make another one and perhaps tape the cut edges to add life to the skirt. Polycro is simple, cheap and worth using for a rain skirt in my opinion.
Sun Hat:
My baseball hat is a black microfleece lined REI model that is 80 grams in weight and a bit too hot for summer hiking. I plan to buy something used on eBay. I am currently watching some lightweight running models. If you have a recommendation for a lightweight ball cap, please send it my way.
Future trips ideas:
My next step is to try my gear revisions on a few smaller weekend style backpack trips. Then maybe next summer go for something a bit more bold like a 9-day JMT self-support trip.
Thanks for reading about my last Yosemite backpacking trip and my musings on ultralight backpacking!