HappyMothers Day. For our Sports Mom of the Year feature, IndyStar high school sports Insider Kyle Neddenriep received many heartfelt nominations with compelling reasons why they had the perfect selection. And they did.

Here are their stories.

More: A freak accident took her children. How Sports Mom of Year dealt with the unimaginable.

More: Her mom died a hero. Sports Mom of the Year lives lessons learned from her.

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Your Sports Mom of the Year award is a cool tradition you have established. So, I wanted to nominate a mom in our community (Hamilton Heights) whom does a wonderful job volunteering for our local youth baseball & softball programs.

Her name is Alicia Lynch. She serves as the director of our youth baseball & softball programs, which is responsible for planning, organizing and scheduling practices and games for over 400 kids. This includes 45 teams and over 100 coaches.

In addition to her volunteer efforts in our community, she also has 3 children (4th grade, 8th grade and 10th grade), whom are all involved in various travel and recreation athletic programs. As a result of a family/medical issue, she is the sole driver in the household and is responsible for driving her kids around to their numerous practice & game commitments. All of this while she maintains a full time job as a Market Manager for a local community bank. Needless to say, she is a special woman, who is very deserving for all of her efforts to her family and the community she serves.

Appreciate your efforts in bringing some attention to the special sports moms in central Indiana. Keep up the good work.

Bob Letsinger

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Lindsay Chase volunteers her time from watching her kids play to focus on taking pictures of not only our kids, but other kids on the team so their parents have memories of their kids games. This is for school sports and travel sports as well.

Curtis Chase

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I would like to nominate my mom, Cassie Swinney, for Sports Mom of the Year.

She has been The President of our Mooresville Pioneer Touchdown Club going on her 5th year. She fundraisers and raises funds for our high school football program. To dare she has raised over $60,000. Could be more.

She is also our team photographer. She is on the sideline at every game taking pictures. She designs our senior banners too.

She designs senior banners for the softball, wrestling, and baseball teams too.

Before that she was on the board of our Jr football league where she ran and built up the concession stand. The money taken in from that helped supply the league with gear that was needed.

She also helps fundraiser for baseball.

If any of the sports need help, she jumps right in.

While doing all of this she beat breast cancer twice. And she never missed a game or fundraiser.

She has a heart of gold and considers all the players her own. Nobody goes without and she makes sure we get what we need.

She is the best sports Mom and she deserves this award.

Levi

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I would like to nominate Kasey Shade as Sports mom of the year. She is mom to Jack Shade - Noblesville High School, class of 23 (Baseball) Ashlynn Shade La Lumiere, class of 23. (Basketball) Since the time they were small they were in a gym or on the baseball field and mom was right there with them in the stands, working concession or one of the many jobs a mom does with there teams. She also was instrumental in starting IGB (Indiana Girls Basketball Club) to further girls basketball through leadership, training, coaching, scholastic achievement and devoted to girls with her husband Matt Shade and takes responsibility for all travel arrangements and uniforms for players and coaches. She is also a founding member of the IGB foundation which uses money raised for scholarships for any girl that has ever played for IGB. Kasey is always the mom organizing the other moms with travel, snacks. You name it she does it with a smile, words of encouragement and a true love of sportsShe has traveled near and far to watch her 2 athletes compete and is there for them through the great times and the hard times. There is great love of her children, a true love of sports and a firm belief that sports help a child become a better stronger adult. She does all this while working a full time job. She and Matt also started the FItLivin Thanksgiving Day run 13 years ago in their back yard with about 20 people and a couple of years ago turned the race over to Hemophilia of Indiana as one of their main fund raisers. I may be prejudiced as I am Kaseys mom but you will never find a more dedicated sports mom. She is just the best.Thank you for considering KaseyLinda Erwin

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I would like to nominate Janice Mccarroll not only as sports mother of the year but sports grandmother of the year.

Jan has raised 4 children who have all played division 1 college soccer at University North Carolina Greensboro, Clemson, Ohio State University and a son who played at Indiana University

Her oldest daughter Tara won 4 Marion county basketball titles at Brebuf and played in state finals for soccer. Her daughter Tracey was first mental attitude winner in soccer and won 2 state championships at Carmel High School. Her daughter Tammy won 2 state soccer championships at Carmel High School. Her son Tyler won 1 state soccer championship at Carmel on no 1 high school team in USA.

Grandson Cameron won HS state basketball championship at Guerin. He was on US youth national team in soccer and was 2 time all American at university of North Carolina and now plays for Indy Eleven . Granddaughter Cassidy played in state soccer finals and played soccer at Florida and Clemson

She also attends most of her other 8 under 10 yo grandchildrens soccer,baseball and basketball games.

Pretty nice record

Thank you for reading this long email

John Mccarroll

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Im a neurologist in Richmond, IN. I saw the request for the sports mom if the year award, and can confidently state that no one is more deserving than my nurse Lakeyah Carpenter.

Lakeyah is a graduate of Richmond High School. When not at the hospital, she is devoted to the basketball pursuits of her children.

Mason is a 6-2 PG for Richmond High School. Touted by the Indy Star as a top ten player in the class of 2025

Masoncurrently plays for the George Hill All Indy AAU team. No doubt you are more than aware of the travel and time commitments parents both have made and continue to make for their children to play at this level. Mason has offers from IUPUI and Miami, OH, and is looking forward to a busy summer of tournament play in front of D1 scouts.

Her twins, Kolden and Kennedy, are both in the 8th grade. Kolden is following in big brothers footsteps, and already spends every weekend playing travel basketball. He currently plays in an Ohio based travel league, and earlier this spring won the All-Ohio Grassroots Gold Championship.

Despite all the challenges Richmond has faced over the years, including the recent plastics fire which drew national new coverage, Lakeyah is proud to call Richmond home. The town rallied behind the boys varsity team this winter, who played a style of team basketball that Hoosiers want to see at the high school level. Moms like Lakeyah make it possible for the people in the area to take pride in their school, and by extension, also their community.

Sincerely,

Jordan Raynor MD

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I would like to nominate Lakeyah Carpenter for sports mom of the year.

Lakeyah is a very kind and loving person, not only to her family, but to others always. It really isnt a surprise that Lakeyah found her way into nursing. Her compassion, kindness, and willingness to see and want the best in others made nursing a career that made sense for Lakeyah. Outside of being a wonderful person and employee, Lakeyah is a very dedicated sports mother. Her son, Mason, is finishing up his sophomore year, and has accumulated a couple D1 scholarship offers. Lakeyah and her husband are very dedicated to helping her son achieve his goals and dreams. Hours are spent making sure Mason gets to where he needs to go, so that he can flourish in his passion. Lakeyah also has two other children, twins, who are just as busy as their older brother. Being a full-time working mother is not an easy feat, and being one of three children who are involved and active within their school and community, makes the job of mom even more taxing. Add in trying to provide opportunities for your child that was blessed with a gift that cant be nourished in your backyard, and that makes the job very difficult. While all these outside stressors are present, Lakeyah never complains. She is always calm, reliable, and continues to take care of others with a kind heart. Her children, have hit the mom lottery and are very blessed indeed.

Stephanie Allen

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I would love to nominate Lakeyah Carpenter for this award! She is one of the most hardworking and deserving people I know!

Haley Defibaugh

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I was writing to make a nomination for sports mom of the year. This year I would like to nominate Lakeyah Carpenter. I work with Lakeyah who is a full time nurse in the Reid Neurology office at Reid Hospital. Lakeyah has 2 sons that are heavily involved in basketball. Her son Mason plays for Richmond High School throughout the school year. He played varsity ball as a freshman and has already been offered a scholarship at IUPUI in Indianapolis. Her son Kolden also plays elementary school basketball and Dirt Road basketball through the year. Both boys also play AAU basketball as well. At this time Lakeyah and her husband drive their sons 3 times weekly for AAU practice; Kolden to Dayton and Mason to Indianapolis. She is also gone each weekend to attend each boys' basketball games. Their daughter Kennedy also in on the track team and throws shotput and discus, so they have that obligation as well. All of her children are honor roll students and great examples for their peers. Lakeyah has a kind heart and would help anyone in need. She is very worthy of this "sports mom of the year" nomination.

Suzanne McCurdy MSN, RN

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I would like to nominate my sister Becky Collier as Sports Mom of the Year. Becky has been a dedicated sports mother ever since her first child started playing sports and has continued through her next four. Her children have played basketball since they were old enough to pick the ball up, dribble and shoot baskets. All five have played high school basketball at Danville High School where Becky teaches. Ella, her youngest daughter is currently playing at Marian University and the youngest son, Owen, has just completed his Junior year of high school. She has been there supporting her children through untold hours of practices, endless miles of travel for home and away games. Always there for them picking them with words of encouragement, and coaching through their careers. Most importantly raising five outstanding children while supporting them academically and athletically.

Wayne Hammons

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I am emailing you to nominate my wife for the Moms in sports Sports Mom of the Year.

My wife is Alyssa Dillard. She is currently the assistant softball coach at New PalestineHigh School under the head coach her Father, Ed Marcum. She played at New Palestine for her dad and then later at Indiana State University. She has been the high school varsity assistant for the past 11 years and has won the NFCA National Assistant Coach of the Year award. We have two boys Brayden (age 7) and Bryson (age 6) who both play sports. Currently they both play baseball at NPYL and Brayden is also on the NPYL 7U Dragons team. We together coach those three baseball teams. Our schedule is always full and choices of which game to go to happen quite frequently. Alyssa has put the boys first and makes most of their practices and all of their games. Sometimes going from softball to baseball and then back to softball. Im not sure how she does this to be honest. On top of that she is a 5th grade ELA teacher at Raymond Park Intermediate and Middle School and was nominated for teacher of the year there. She does an amazing job of balancing the work of a teacher with being a coach on 4 teams this spring as well as being an amazing Mother and Wife. Im sure there are a lot of great Moms in sports out there but not sure any of them have the schedule she does and somehow finds a way to be great at all her roles (Wife, Mom, Teacher, and Coach).

Thank you,

Jeremy Dillard

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Rhonda Swartz. Just read the story about Luke Swartz published by Indystar in the fall. That family has been through a hell of a lot and she has been nothing but an anchor for her family.

Andrew Charboneau

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I would like to nominate Julia Edey for SMOTY. Absolute dedication to her son Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers over the last 3 years. She raised a young man to a mature man in many respects. He won the National player of the year, because of love and support of Zach.

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I would like to nominate Caroline and Sonya Cork for Sports Moms of the Year. Caroline and Sonya are the two saints who married my brothers.

My family is full of athletes and competitors. My parents participated in high school sports and again at Butler. Following their lead, my siblings (2 brothers & 1 sister) and I were all 3-sport participants in high school. Three of us continued sports at Ball State University, and one continued professionally. Obviously, sports are a HUGE part of my family and life.

Understandably, my sister and I married sports people. My brothers did not

While Caroline and Sonya did not participate in sports growing up, I am nominating them for Sports Moms of the Year because of their never-ending support and their love of being spectators of all sports. Caroline, Sonya, and all moms like them deserve recognition as the unsung heros behind sports.

As my niece and nephews have continued our familys year-round sport participation legacy, Caroline and Sonya have not missed a game/match/meet/competition. Indiana weather does not deter these two. Whether it is snowing, sleeting or 110% humidity, they are on the sidelines cheering. This is after they stay up late the night prior making treats, posters, packing coolers, chairs, blankets, water bottles etc. And lets not forget the chauffeuring to a zillion practices.

In addition to attending EVERY sporting event, they both have full time careers. Caroline, the preschool program manager at Speedway Christian Church, is the organizer, manager, and accountant for the school. She is hands on with the 13 teachers and 80 kidsencouraging, teaching, supporting, and hugging. You might even catch her on clean up duty when a kid gets sick. In other words, she makes a difference.

Sonya is a program manager and social worker at The Concord Center. Like Caroline, Sonya manages her program (that serves those in the community living with HIV) while also serving clients directly as their care coordinator. When she is not writing grants and performing administrative functions, you can find her directly helping her clients with items as simple as securing transportation to medical appointments to avoiding homelessness. In other words, she makes a difference.

I have no clue how my brothers and my entire family got so lucky with these two additions. Perhaps sports drew them in? Regardless, I am thankful for the opportunity to recognize Caroline and Sonya.

Cheers to all the behind the scenes sports moms!!!

***

The date was September 8, 2022. It was a chilly, late summer evening as the Speedway Sparkplugs (HS enrollment 543) were taking the field against the Ben Davis Giants (HS enrollment over 4,000) in a highly anticipated IHSAA soccer match. The date had been circled for months on our family calendar a chance for our Sparkplugs to show they could compete against their much larger westside rival. The bleachers were full of all the usual spectators except one was absent that night. My wife Sonya, mother of the Sparkplugs center midfielder and one of Speedways team moms, would be missing a soccer game involving our son Toby for the first time in his high school career. Sonya had been making plans around September 8th for quite some time. Not only was it the day of the big game, but also the day of her surgery. Diagnosed with breast cancer a few months prior, Sonya worked diligently to ensure all her team mom duties were handled properly in advance of her upcoming surgery. Snacks needed to be prepared, game day locker treats needed to be delivered, senior night gifts needed to be made. Despite her diagnosis, nothing had changed with Sonyas commitment to the team nor did things change with her commitment to her job. Sonya has spent the last 25+ years working full time in the social work field for a local community center. Serving the needs of those in our community struggling with HIV (oftentimes coupled with poverty) is challenging by itself. Balancing this career with driving her son to countless practices and events throughout his childhood is an amazing feat. Add in multiple seasons as travel soccer team manager, high school team mom, as well as other volunteer positions, and her daily schedule can become overwhelming at times. Then cancer happens. When I suggested to Sonya that she consider scaling back her duties while going through all the appointments, tests, surgery, and daily radiation treatments related to her diagnosis, she was not interested in the discussion. Not only would she tackle this new challenge with grace and courage, but she would also do it without sharing her health news publicly (as she feared it would make other moms feel obligated to pick up her slack). With only one child compared to other moms with multiple children, Sonya surely could handle her duties without bothering others. To no surprise, she was right. Fast forward to the morning of September 8th I wake up to find Sonya packing her Speedway gear in a bag to take to the hospital. Her planned schedule for the day: cook breakfast for Toby, surgery to remove breast cancer, attend the Sparkplugs v. Giants game that night. Sonya completed 2 of her 3 goals that day, failing to realize that major surgery may require a longer recovery time. By 7:00 that evening, Sonya and I return home from the hospital. Nauseous from pain medication and sore from surgery, Sonya begins demanding that I leave her alone at the house to attend the game. As I prepare to argue about staying home to assist her, I see the look in her eyes and know this argument is already over before it starts. In her mind, at least one of us must be at this important game to support our son and his team. There would be no debate. Later that night after the game was over, Toby and I arrived back home to find Sonya sobbing. Yes, she was still sore and nauseous, but that was not the cause of her tears. As it turns out, she had been watching the video that I had texted to her 30 minutes before our arrival the one showing the final seconds of Speedways 2-1 victory over Ben Davis. At the end of her long day, Sonya was crying tears of joy. I would like to nominate my wife and my hero, Sonya Cork, for the 2023 IndyStar Sports Mom of the Year.

Scott Cork

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Hello, I was reaching out to nominate my mother, Julie Ferrucci for the "Sports Mom of the Year" award.

My mom has always been there for my brothers and I, supporting us through wins and losses, going to every game, making sure we had the proper equipment for practice, etc. We are very blessed to have her as a mother and without her, we certainly would not be where we are today.

But what makes our mom so special is the fact that she is a "Mom" to so many other athletes at Guerin Catholic. Dating all the way back to my older brother's Junior year of High School in 2015, she served as "Team Mom" for the GC football team. Since then she has gone on to hold a similar role for both the baseball and basketball teams as I progressed through high school, graduating in 2020, and through my younger brother's years, who will graduate this upcoming May. I know that the job takes a lotout of her, especially in a year like this one when GC made the state finals in basketball and there was seemingly no time before baseball was in full swing. Not to mention that my brother got hurt during football and she accepted therole knowing that he would not be playing all year! Her job never ends. Whether it is planning food for road games, coordinatingsenior nights, sending weekly updates for the team's practice and game schedule, organizing teamdinners, she is constantly facilitating, helping to ensure that all the coaches have to worry about is coaching and all the players have to worry about is playing.

I know that her role takes dedication. For one, she has never had more than two children on the team at the same time. Effectivelyshe is playing the role of mother to the rest of the team members in her efforts. There have been many nights when, for whatever reason, the food catering does not work out and she is forced to put together a pre-game meal. You would never believe the number of PB&Js she has made in one evening.

And when the season is over, her work does not stop. Right now, for example, she is putting together the basketball end of season banquet - ordering coaches gifts, planning out the food. She has mastered Sign-Up Genius at this point!

She does all of this selflessly, without getting paid and while teaching at our local grade school St. Louis de Montfort full time. My mom has a servant heart and I would love for her to see just how much her work means to us and to the entire Guerin Catholic community.

I realize that there are so many Moms out there that deserve this award and I just wanted to say that your mission to highlight them is commendable. I have always loved your coverage of Indiana high school athletics and you have made it easy to follow from afar - I now attend Boston College and your coverage has been great to read. Please know how much your work means to people like me that move away from Indiana but still have a connection to the state. It is journalists like you that make a real impact. So thank you. Wishing you a fantastic month of May!

Dominic Ferrucci

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Let me first say that once my wife, Kim, the mother of my three sons, Cale, Creighton, and Camden, finds out that I have nominated her for this award, I may be sleeping outside in the boys' treehouse!

While this is certainly an award that would be for 2023, this award would reflect what she has done for the last 29 years. I say that becausewhen we were married in 1994, because I coached, she became the mom to all the student-athletes I coached. From day one she was providing team meals, team snacks, helping with laundry, and becauseI had this great idea to have several team overnights with my JRHS teams, she had several sleepless nights.

Over the years, she has cooked for as many as 20 young men. She has attended weddings of former players. She has even to attend a funeral, that of Sgt. John K. Rankel.

I say all this because as I describe what has encompassed her time in this past year, it is nothing that she has not done for the last 29 with her own sons or the sons of the teams I have coached.

For her, this is also kind of ironic, as when we were married, she didn't have a liking for sports nor probably could have cared less for them. She was more into the finer things in life like shopping and the show or acapella choir. But over the years she has become knowledgeable and FIERCE FAN for her boys!

Of course she still has a hard time finding her boys on the football field, or understanding why someone might want to go after a goalie for making a save, or why the shot/discus could not be done closer to the 1600 m relay, or what the difference is between an eagle, birdie, and bogey.

Thank goodness for map quest as she is directionally challenged even if she has been to that school many times before. Although, she does know where a lot of good out of the way restaurants are.

In terms of the 2022-23 school year, having three sons in different sports can always present a challenge. First, is family dinners are pretty much out the window except for Sundays. In fact, she would prepare a week's worth of dinner and put it in the fridge so the boys could warm it up during the week. Secondis something she might do on a 24 hour a day basis and seven days a week = laundry. Try keeping enough socks, shorts, t-shirts, and school clothes washed for three young men. The phrase, "We live in a frat house" has been uttered numerous times due to the laundry and the fact the boys don't always clean their bathroom real well.

During the fall, it was extremely busy as our youngest son, Camden, sophomore, was playing JV football. Those games were on Monday nights. Creighton, senior, played varsity football so Friday was taken up. Camden also dressed and by the end of the year, we were fortunate that he moved up which made the last half of the year better. Our other son, Cale, senior, played soccer which meant that during most weeks there were games on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. If not three, then at least two. So for pretty much all fall, six days a week she was in the stands supporting her sons.

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Happy Mother's Day! Here are some amazing women you ... - IndyStar

Brian WindhorstESPN Senior WriterMay 9, 2023, 11:00 PM ET6 Minute Read

BOSTON -- As fans started leaving TD Garden midway through the fourth quarter of a stunning Boston Celtics loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night, the words they were murmuring in the aisles and the concourses were "last year."

As in the 2022 NBA playoffs -- in this same second round, against a potent Milwaukee Bucks team -- when the Celtics dropped a very disappointing Game 5 at home in a 2-2 series and were facing a daunting task of going on the road to avoid elimination in Game 6.

Then Jayson Tatum had one of the best games of his life, scoring 46 points with unstoppable force to lead the Celtics to a punch-back win against the Bucks that changed the course of the series.

After the 76ers finished off their 115-103 Game 5 victory -- in which they were never seriously threatened in Tuesday's second half -- Boston fans naturally drifted toward the positive thoughts of last year's team-defining win in Milwaukee.

As for the prospect of needing to win a Game 7 to get out of this series now that Boston is down 3-2, that isn't uncharted, either. Go right back to those words, "last year." The 2022 Celtics won two Game 7s to get through the Eastern Conference playoffs, including grabbing the rarest of gems, a Game 7 road victory at the Miami Heat.

So that, naturally, is what Celtics fans in coping with disappointment were clinging to. Except ...

"Last year," said Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, "is over with."

Simple and profound.

This series has laid bare just how different the Celtics are from last year's team that came two wins shy of winning its 18th championship. Almost all of the faces are the same. The ones that are different, namely Malcolm Brogdon, have been terrific additions; all Brogdon did was win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.

But they are not the same.

It would be unfair and unwise to believe the Celtics could not run it back and win the next two games. It is also a mistake to make the assumption the 2023 playoff Celtics are mirrors of the 2022 version.

This year's Celtics have different priorities, much of it coming from the styles of their coaches.

Last season, Ime Udoka generally focused on defense first and made lineup and strategy decisions to back it up.

For example, Udoka often played defensive specialist big men Al Horford and Robert Williams III together. Horford is a strong on-ball big man defender. Williams is one of the best weakside shot-blockers the league has seen in the past decade and is especially dangerous when he is allowed to roam free as a safety-style protector.

Udoka also had an affinity for hard-nosed wing defender Grant Williams, who played nearly 30 minutes a game in the playoffs last season and was often a primary defender for great opposing scorers.

The Celtics had the second-best defense of all the playoff teams last year. Sure, Tatum was the difference in that season-saving Game 6 in Milwaukee. But the Celtics held the Bucks to just 88 points per game on 40% shooting in winning Games 6 and 7. When they beat Miami in Game 7 to reach the Finals, the Celtics allowed 96 points on 42% shooting.

That was then.

Celtics first-year coach Joe Mazzulla was on Udoka's coaching staff, but Mazzulla has a different view. He tends to focus on offense and makes decisions that lean that way.

For example, the Robert Williams-Horford pairing is largely a thing of the past and hasn't been seen against Joel Embiid and the 76ers. Grant Williams' minutes have been reduced in half, as Mazzulla prefers to play more offense-first players like Brogdon.

The Celtics have three players who got votes for the NBA's All-Defensive team that was released Tuesday, and Derrick White made the second team.

But the Celtics rank 10th among playoff teams in defense this year, a big drop from last season.

They also rank first in offense.

When Mazzulla analyzes his team's performance, it is often offense-focused.

"We shot more free throws [in Game 5]; we shot more 3s," Mazzulla said. "I thought we were getting relatively good looks. We missed 10 wide-open 3s in the first half, and if a few went in, we would've felt a little different about ourselves."

All season long, Mazzulla has focused on the math around 3-pointers. Shoot and make more than your opponent and you win. And he aligns his strategy to match.

The 2022-23 Celtics are a product of this world view. They are 34-2 this season when they make more than 40% of their 3-pointers, a remarkable and reductive statistic. In Game 5, when they needed it most, they were 9-of-33 from beyond the arc (27%) before a couple in garbage time boosted it to 32% for the night.

When they shoot below that magic 40% number, they are 29-28 -- quite average. To win Games 6 and 7 again, average won't do.

Mazzulla was asked after Tuesday's loss about Joel Embiid's 33 points and 11 trips to the foul line. He responded to a defensive question with an offensive answer.

"A lot of that has to do with how you're playing offense," Mazzulla said. "If you're not playing offense and getting out and running and those [Embiid post-ups] are hard to stop, because then you're deciding what you're willing to give away."

Let's be clear: A lot of times the Celtics do make a ton of 3-pointers and crush their opponents with it. In Game 2 of this series, when they won by 34 points, they made 20 3s to Philadelphia's six.

That could happen again. They have big-time scorers and streaky shooters, from Tatum to Brown to Brogdon to White. The Celtics are a very potent team that had been the favorite at Caesars Sportsbook to win the title as of tipoff for Game 5. (They are now fourth, behind the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers and 76ers.)

But if the Celtics are going to come back and win this time, it must be acknowledged that it won't be like last year.

Go here to read the rest:
'Last year is over with' - How the Celtics can save their season - ESPN - ESPN

Our family had an awesome time taking our son Bry-man and his friends to see Guardians of the Galaxy 3 for his birthday party! The theater was packed with Marvel fans of all ages, and the excitement in the air was palpable. The kids were thrilled to see their favorite characters from the previous movies back in action, and the new additions to the team did not disappoint.

In 2014, Marvel Studios introduced the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie and followed up with Vol. 2 in 2017. The Brymax Brothers have seen both films and were looking forward to the newest release. Unfortunately Director James Gunns unique Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy has come to an end, and the final chapter, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, is here. I decided to make our birthday party a parent guide review which will break down the visuals, the story, and a full PG-13 age rating explanation for violence, adult themes, and language to help determine whether this film is safe for kids to watch.Marvel Studios has always delivered stunning visuals, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is no exception. This film is grounded in out-of-this-galaxy CGI combined with professional camera work, making it a visual masterpiece. The landscapes, creatures, detailed costumes, and makeup are visually stunning. For the ultimate experience, it is recommended to watch this movie in an upgraded IMAX/3D format. This was one regret I had because for the party time we could only book a Standard Definition theater.

It is important to note that this film contains scenes with bright flashing guns, lighting/electrocution effects, and fast-moving action scenes that may be triggering for those with children that have photosensitivity and seizures.

The Story: Spoilers AheadJames Gunn returns to direct the final Guardians of the Galaxy film, and the all-star cast returns with Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary, Will Poulter as Adam Warlock, and Maria Bakalova as Cosmo.

In this film, Peter Quill must rally his team to defend the universe and protect one of their own. If they don't succeed, it could mean the end of the Guardians as we know them. This final chapter is Rocket's time to shine, and we get to see more of his backstory, trauma, and healing. The film has a new soundtrack, but the same unconventional superhero action with a side of humor and heart.

We also get to here Groot say some other words than "I am Groot!" Vin Diesel is finally earning that paycheck.

"My favorite part was when Groot got all Buff at the end!," - Nugget

Is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Safe for Kids?While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is visually stunning and has an all-star cast, it is important to note that it is rated PG-13 for violence, adult themes, and language. James Gunn has said that this film is his love letter to Rocket, and he turns all the dials up to the next level. The changes made may be welcomed by some of the more mature Marvel fans who think these superheroes are beyond the understanding of families and young kids.

However, it is important to remember that Guardians of the Galaxy is like a family and is loved by many. The finale teeters on the PG-13 line, and some may feel that this farewell party is not one for kids. Some of the language was a little rough, especially for the under 13 crowd. An F-Bomb even made it through which was a little shocking and event the audience was stunned. There was some grotesque scenes as well, such as when the main villains face is removed. This may be too scary for young kids.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3 was one of the better Marvel movies we've seen in the last few years. Bryman and all his friends had nothing but good things to say about the film.

The storyline was engaging and well-written, the characters were lovable as always, and the action scenes were thrilling. We highly recommend it to any Marvel fan, but just be aware of the foul language and violence if you plan to bring younger kids.

How many Post Credits Scenes are there in Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3?

SUPER SPOILER!

There are two post-credits scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The first one appears midway through the credits and shows a new version of the Guardians of the Galaxy led by Rocket embarking on a new mission. The second scene appears at the very end of the credits and features Starlord starting a new chapter in his life after giving Rocket permission to lead the new team.

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Movie Review: Is It Safe for Kids? Parents Guide - The City Pulse

The Wicked film is currently in production, and there are already numerous things it's getting right in adapting the hit musical. Wicked: Part One will be released in theaters on November 27, 2024, with the second part due to be released the following year. The film adaptation has been in development for almost 15 years, but finally began filming with stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in late 2022. The Wicked film is one of the most-anticipated films of 2024 and while theres a lot of pressure to get the adaptation right, it's already delivering on multiple fronts.

The Wicked film will come from a long line of adaptations. Wicked opened on Broadway in 2003, based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel, which in turn was based on L. Frank Baums 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Wicked tells the story of the friendship between Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, giving a twist to the story many became familiar with through The Wizard of Oz. Wicked is the fourth-longest-running musical in Broadway history and has garnered a large fanbase who should be delighted to know that the Wicked movie is already getting so many things right.

The original Elphaba (Idina Menzel) and Glinda (Kristin Chenoweth) left big shoes to fill for their roles in the Wicked film. On top of finding people who could live up to their performances, it was just as, if not more important to ensure that the roles in the Wicked film were also cast appropriately for the story. A central point of the story revolves around Elphaba being discriminated against for being born with a green skin color. Elphabas father even made her mother chew milk flowers while pregnant with Elphabas younger sister, Nessarose, so she would be born white. It worked, but it also disabled her.

Despite skin color being a central point of the story and a clear allegory for racism, a Black woman has never starred full-time as Elphaba on Broadway. In casting Cynthia Erivo, the Wicked movie is already on the right track and fixing mistakes made by the stage show. While it might seem obvious for the Wicked film to cast a wheelchair user as Nessarose, newcomer Marissa Bode will be the first wheelchair user to play the role in the history of Wicked, marking another important improvement from the stage production.

The Wicked movie is currently filming in Buckinghamshire, England where a set video of Ariana Grande as Glinda performing Wickeds opening number recently went viral on social media. The roles of Elphaba and Glinda are some of musical theater's most vocally demanding, with Elphaba having to belt throughout and Glinda needing the range to hit notes both low and extremely high. Grande has proven her vocal talent with her own music, but Glinda is still a challenging role. The opening number, No One Mourns The Wicked, sets the tone for the entire show and introduces Glindas character, and the footage shows Grande nailing the big soprano notes.

Along with the Wicked set video of Grandes performance, pictures from the Munchkinland set on a farm in Ivinghoe reveal a beautiful, colorful village fit for Oz. This is where the musical opens and ends, with Glinda addressing the citizens of Oz after the supposed death of Elphaba. At CinemaCon, Screen Rant even got some insider information as to how the magical set was created. While set photos of Shiz University, where Glinda and Elphaba meet and become roommates, and the Emerald City, where they meet the Wizard, have yet to be revealed, the Munchkinland set suggests they will be just as stunning.

Part of Wickeds success has come from its score, which includes instant classics like Popular, For Good, and Defying Gravity. In total, Wicked features 21 songs, and all 21 will be included in the Wicked films. When adapting a musical from stage to screen, it's common to see songs cut to fit the new medium, but the Wicked films will not be doing that, with Wicked's two-movie split allowing for every song to be performed. Defying Gravity is one of the most beloved Act I finales in musical history and will be the ending point for Wicked: Part One to help recreate the stage shows magic.

The original 21 songs in Wicked were written by Stephen Schwartz, the composer-lyricist of Pippin, Godspell, Enchanted, The Prince of Egypt, Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. For his work for the stage and screen, Schwartz has received multiple Tony Award nominations and has won Grammys and Academy Awards. For the Wicked films, he has confirmed that he has written three new songs and will be including one cut song from the show. Having Schwartzs songwriting talent offers high hopes for Wickeds new additions, which can likely only improve the show given his history with the material.

Schwartz isnt the only person involved with the creation of the original Wicked musical to return for the Wicked film. The screenplay is also being written by Winnie Holzman, who wrote the book for the musical, adapting it from Maguires novel. Hozlman is also the creator of the 1990s show, My So-Called Life, which earned her an Emmy Award nomination for screenwriting. Keeping the creators of the original musical involved is yet another good sign for the success of the Wicked films.

While the Wicked films will be based on the 2003 musical, they will also be taking aspects from the 1995 novel that inspired it. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West is just over 400 pages and outside of characters and setting, the musical is incredibly different from it, just as the Wicked book is different from the 1900 novel and 1939 film. In splitting the film up into two parts, the Wicked films have the opportunity to include more supporting characters than the musical did, particularly Glindas friends, Pfannnee and Shenshen, who will be played by Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James respectively.

Director Jon M. Chus biggest film to date has been 2018s Crazy Rich Asians, but he also gained experience directing musical adaptations with the movie version of Lin Manuel Mirandas In The Heights. Chu is also set to direct a new Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat movie adaptation, further proving his prowess as a movie musical director. Chu shared on social media that hes been a longtime fan of Wicked, having first seen it when it was being workshopped in San Francisco in 2003 ahead of its Broadway run. Musical adaptations can be hit or miss, but having an experienced director at the helm gives Wicked a leg up.

Related: Every Lin-Manuel Miranda Movie Musical Ranked, Worst To Best

It has yet to be announced if any of the original Wicked Broadway cast members will be appearing in the film, but it will feature multiple actors with theater experience. Grande made her Broadway debut back in 2008 in 13, and Erivo won a Tony Award for her star turn in the 2015 revival of The Color Purple. They will be joined by West End actor Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, and Tony nominees Ethan Slater and Keala Settle as Boq and Miss Coddle, respectively. Casting theater actors is another indication that the Wicked movie is not just adapting the stage musical but honoring it as well.

The biggest reason that the Wicked movie is being split into two parts is to avoid cutting anything, but in doing that, it also leaves them room to add what might have been missing in the musical. This will perhaps best be shown in the characterization of the main characters as well as the supporting characters who had much smaller parts or were nonexistent in the original. The characters and stories in Wicked are incredibly interesting and offer a lot more that can be explored because of the two-movie split. Though it might seem like a strange decision, Wicked being two movies can better the source material.

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10 Wonderful Things The Wicked Movie Is Already Getting Right - Screen Rant

Dune, the film that conquered 2021 with the good work of Denis Villeneuve, is back with a sequel that will serve to encompass the entire original novel by Frank Herbert. The sequel will arrive next November 3, 2023, and will bring back Timothe Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Zendaya as Chani.

Both in the official trailer and the poster of the film, we have been able to realize that Chani will have a much more important role in the story. While in the first film she barely appeared in small glimpses that resembled advertisements of colonies, in this second part it will be her moment and that of her tribe: the Fremen.

But its not Zendaya who has grabbed all the attention of viewers, but the two new characters who were unknown to most but are played by two of the actors of the moment: Florence Pugh and Austin Butler. Who are these two new characters and what weight will they have in Villeneuves new story? We explain below.

We have already dedicated an entire topic to explain who is Princess Irulan Corrino, the character played by Florence Pugh in the sequel to Villeneuves film. But it is important that you memorize this name, because it is one of the most important in Dune and who marks the fate of the character at any given time.

Irulan is the eldest of the five daughters of Shaddam IV, the 81st Emperor Padishah. The character does not appear until the final stretch of Frank Herberts book, but her appearance is essential to the plot. Irulan is raised from birth to have very little influence in her own life, and trains in the ways of the Bene Gesserit to one day be a Reverend Mother. Being the daughter of the emperor, she is highly valued, and her goal is nothing more than to be the wife of the head of a great house in order to make a political alliance.

In Dune, as Paul Atreides gradually takes over the Fremen and begins to fight against the Harkonnen government, his actions attract the attention of Emperor Shaddam, whose forces are sent to Arrakis to impose order. The ensuing battle between the Fremen and the Emperors Sardaukar heavily favors Pauls armies, and leaves the Emperor with no choice but to forge a truce in which Paul becomes the new Emperor and marries Princess Irulan. She is thus the future wife of Chalamets character.

Just as happened with Little Women, a film in which Chalamet and Pugh ended up together despite not seeming destined, this same thing is what we may end up seeing in Dune. In the original story, his real love is Chani, but after a series of events and realizing that he must accept his destiny, Paul Atreides ends up accepting the engagement.

Despite being essential to the ending of the film, it is true that it seems that we will see very little of Pugh in the film; something like Zendaya in the first one. Be that as it may, it will be a delight to have a new relationship between these two actors we already know so well.

The character played by Austin Butler is just as important as that of Florence Pugh, and is vital for this second part in which we will see a Paul Atreides reconquering what was taken from him by force. The protagonist of Elvis will play this time Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, a character we knew very well in David Lynchs film -he was played by Sting- but now appears very changed.

Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is the younger nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, who we already knew very well in the first film. Feyd-Rautha is appointed successor of the House Harkonnen, so he is their representative in the final fight against Paul Atreides to keep Arrakis.

In the film, we will probably see how the Baron names this character his successor, despising his other eldest nephew, known as The Beast for his sadistic character. Thus, he will be his successor and will have to take the crown of his house to the top, but in front of him he will have Paul Atreides and a war for which he will not be prepared.

Feyd-Rautha is also the product of a genetic program developed hundreds of generations ago by the Bene Gesserit, and his legend is imprinted. Both he and Paul Atrides are doomed to face each other, but their conclusion is unclear. We will have to wait until the films release to find out.

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AUBURN Before coach Bruce Pearl took over Auburn basketball in 2014, the Tigers had made eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament since March Madness first debuted in 1939.

Since Pearl's arrival, Auburn has reached the tournament four times, and it would've made it during the 2019-20 season, too, if the COVID-19 pandemic didn't shut the sports world down in March 2020. Other accomplishments Pearl boasts include leading the Tigers to at least 21 wins in five of their past six seasons, a No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll during the 2021-22 season and the program's first appearance in the Final Four in 2019.

A hallmark of Pearl's success has been his adaptability. He didn't fear overhauling the roster when he came to the Plains in 2014 he added four recruits and three transfers in his first offseason and he didn't fear letting some later additions Bryce Brown and Jared Harper are among some of the more notable improve together.

LOOKING AHEAD: What Auburn basketball's roster could look like next season, where Tigers can still improve

NEW ASSISTANT: One big reason Auburn basketball's Bruce Pearl hired Corey Williams? His Texas ties

The Final Four team was all built on freshmen, sophomores (and) juniors all growing up and all going together, and I still would prefer to do it that way," Pearl said at an AMBUSH event in Atlanta last month. "But thats just not the way (it is anymore)."

Pearl is right on both fronts. The Tigers had a 10-man rotation during their run to the Final Four that consisted of three players in their fourth years with the program (Brown, Horace Spencer and Danjel Purifoy), three in their third years (Harper, Austin Wiley and Anfernee McLemore), three in their second years (Chuma Okeke, Malik Dunbar and Samir Doughty) and one in his first season at Auburn in J'Von McCormick, who joined the Tigers after spending two seasons in junior college.

But Pearl is also right that things have changed. In the age of the transfer portal, coming to grips with the reality that some players may leave and throw off the layering of classes is needed.

"If you look at the teams that have gone and advanced to the (NCAA) tournament, they're older," Pearl said. "And it's really, really hard it's hard for freshmen to come in and play a lot and play early. So, sometimes freshmen come in and they're very promising, but they're not willing to wait around with the sophomores and juniors, where they can actually have impact.

"So, we're going to have and you'll see this in Power Five there are going to be Power Five schools (that) are going to take one or two freshmen every year, instead of three or four. ... Half the freshmen are going to have to go somewhere else, and then get re-recruited out of the portal. I don't make the rules, but I've got to play with them."

Pearl's change in philosophy and ability to adapt is best shown in the offseason before the 2021-22 campaign. The Tigers added Jabari Smith Jr as their lone freshman and went on to retool the roster with four transfers: Zep Jasper, KD Johnson, Wendell Green Jr. and Walker Kessler.

Kessler went on to be a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and Green received second team All-SEC honors last season, along with Johni Broome, who transferred in from Morehead State last offseason. And since getting knocked out in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in March, Pearl has already brought in Denver Jones from Florida International and Chaney Johnson from Alabama-Huntsville.

"Weve got, on average, about 3.5 (players) per team, per year, entering the transfer portal nationally," Pearl said. "... It forces us to have to continue really hard in the months of April and May to not only work with your players and help them finish up their spring conditioning and basketball and academics ... (but to also) then recruit to replace guys you didnt think you were going to have to replace. And didnt want to replace. ...

"Were just going to bring in really good guys that we think can help us continue to be competitive. It just forces us to work a little differently."

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

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How Auburn basketball's Bruce Pearl continues to adapt in recruiting - Montgomery Advertiser

This article contains spoilers for Xenoblade Chronicles 1, 2, and 3 and all of their expansions, especially Future Redeemed.

Monolith Softs Xenoblade series has, over the course of a decade, become Nintendos flagship RPG franchise. Back in 2011 it was uncertain if the original Xenoblade Chronicles would be localized in the West, but after fan campaigns that I was actively a part of, the game released in April of 2012 and I devoured it. I remember picking it up at a GameStop and playing it nonstop through spring break. I fell in love with the franchise, and Ive always found something to love with each new entry.

With Xenoblade Chronicles 3, after some distance from when I first played it, I find I adored its themes, the expert world-building, and the ridiculously in-depth combat system. And now with the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Connected, I can definitely say that the DLC was sloppy at several points, but it still managed to provide a decent endpoint to one of the best RPG trilogies of the past decade.

Future Redeemed serves as a prequel to the main game set centuries before and features an almost entirely original cast, save for Xenoblade 1 and 2 protagonists Shulk and Rex. Their presence is only the tip of the iceberg for longtime players, with Shulk and Rex making references to their previous adventures and the people they encountered, commenting on the fused nature of Aionios, and interacting with characters that are aware of their respective worlds.

In the beginning, I was excited to see what these original characters would do with Rex and Shulk and how they would factor into the story. However, their presence ultimately raised questions that superseded my enthusiasm to play as them again. I kept wondering how they were present in this world, how they were the parents to two other party members, Nikol and Glimmer, and why they retained their memories of their original worlds in the first place, among many others. What made these two special over everyone else we encountered? From a narrative perspective, I ultimately just settled on them being in there to provide some type of metatextual symbolic closure for the series. If this is the end of one era of the franchise, Monolith Soft might as well bring back some fan-favorite characters despite how little logical sense it makes.

While Shulk and Rexs appearance feels like hamfisted fan service with a murky explanation, I much preferred the other methods Future Redeemed took to satisfying longtime players. Exploring Colony 9 again as your main hub was a wonderful callback, as well as the climax of the game having you return to Prison Island, a major location from Xenoblade Chronicles. Plus, the game was able to wrap up one of the major lingering threads in the series: Where was Alvis?

In Xenoblade Chronicles, Alvis was a character who flip-flopped between being an ally and an enemy, but his role was greatly expanded in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 despite not formally being present within the game. You inadvertently learn about who he really is and his role in the games cosmology, something that was further referenced in the 2020 Switch remaster of 1. He wasnt present in the base game for Xenoblade Chronicles 3, but his appearance here in Future Redeemed offers resolution for a character that I desperately wanted to know more about. Plus, making him both the main antagonist and your closest ally as Alpha and A respectively was a brilliant little touch that kept me interested in learning more about what happened to them between the events of the first, second, and third games.

Though like with Shulk and Rex, Alvis return is predicated on a lot of questions that dont really have any clear answer. This is in line with Xenoblade Chronicles 3 as a whole, a game that had these huge lofty ideas and concepts but never really was able to flesh them out or have them make any logical sense. Its a game about making you feel a feeling, but due to Future Redeemeds smaller scale and shorter length, it just brought into focus how much of the DLCs story is irrelevant.

None of what happens in the DLC impacts the base game in any meaningful way. It really only serves to flesh out a section of a late-game area that only aroused mild curiosity when you encountered it and nothing more. Future Redeemed is not as essential to understanding or even complementing the base game in the same way that Torna: The Golden Kingdom was for Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

And yet, this is the first Xenoblade game I 100% completed. It took me about 30 hours and is significantly smaller than any main entry, but I still did it. The game is fun and exemplifies what the Xenoblade franchise does best, offering up compelling worlds to explore with highly engaging combat. While I loved just how much you could customize your party in the base game, I equally enjoyed how limited your party and their abilities were, emphasizing both move synergies and teaming up with party members in order to best utilize a characters inherent strengths.

While narratively the plot of Future Redeemed leaves something to be desired, it still serves as a fitting conclusion to the series. This feels like a perfected version of the franchises combat, taking the best of what worked in every installment and refining it to a mirror shine. The ending sees Shulk, Rex, and A all join together to preserve Aionios from Alphas machinations, claiming that someday a new set of heroes will be able to set the world right again and restore the world to what it should be. The credits roll, we see cutscenes from every game in the trilogy, and we reflect back on all the adventures we went on, closing with the world being restored to how it was supposed to be, free from all of the chaos and interference by each entrys villains.

What makes Xenoblade such a good franchise is that, by the end of each game, for all of their strengths and weaknesses, you feel like you actually went on an adventure. You explored a fully realized world and fixed its myriad problems. You gave its residents a future again ending a never-ending war, solving an energy crisis, brokering peace between two hostile races, killing wannabe gods and corrupted despots. These were RPGs that made you feel like you were a part of their worlds, and despite how little some parts of Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Futured Redeemed made sense, it still captured that feeling perfectly. And sometimes, just sitting back and thinking about the past decade of experiences is enough to make you feel like you were a part of something special, something that almost didnt exist.

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Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed Is a Messy, but ... - The Escapist

Provided by Mercury News PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 11: Manager Gabe Kapler #19 of the San Francisco Giants looks on from the bench during the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 11, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. Giants won 6-2. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

By the end of this weekends series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the San Francisco Giants will have a quarter of the season in the books. Quickly as the 40-game mark approaches, it provides a large enough sample for trends to emerge and to sort through the noise.

The Giants have gotten the breakout performances and solid starting pitching they knew they would need to contend Thairo Estrada, J.D. Davis and LaMonte Wade Jr. have been revelations, while Alex Cobb owns the best ERA in the National League, with Anthony DeSclafani not far behind him but underperforming offseason additions and an unreliable bullpen have them stuck under .500.

Allow the numbers to tell the story:

4: Outs Above Average for J.D. Davis at third base, the fourth-best third baseman (tied for ninth overall) in the majors. By transforming into a Gold Glove-caliber defender and keeping up his strong performance at the plate, Davis has more than helped the Giants weather David Villars slow start, cementing himself as the everyday third baseman.

19.7%: Walk rate for LaMonte Wade Jr., the third-highest in the majors. At an average of 4.53 per at-bat, only two other players in the majors are seeing more pitches than Wade. He has such a command of the strike zone, Gabe Kapler said recently in a rare umpiring complaint that he believed Wade should be getting even more calls. Hes so good at determining balls versus strikes. Its just really important that when a guy is as disciplined as LaMonte is that he gets rewarded for his discipline, Kapler said. Its really frustrating thats not happening right now. While he is batting only .260, Wades .431 on-base percentage ranks third in the majors, and his .951 OPS and 165 wRC+ lead the Giants. But Davis explained why his patience is just as valuable: To have a leadoff guy who draws walks, to see those pitches on video and just get a clear idea and approach of how to attack that pitcher, its the best thing that we can have.

11: Stolen bases for Thairo Estrada, the first Giants player to reach that number in his first 37 games of a season since Barry Bonds (1996). Combined with a .326 batting average and six home runs, Estrada has been the Giants most valuable position player (1.7 fWAR).

25.4%: Strikeout rate for Joey Bart, still slightly higher than league average but substantially lower than last season. With increased command of the strike zone, plus the third-best framing numbers of any catcher in the majors, Bart has seized hold of the starting duties behind the plate.

109: wRC+ for Blake Sabol, tied for 10th-best among qualified rookies. One of four rookies in the San Francisco era with five home runs in their first 20 games, joining Orlando Cepeda (1958), Willie McCovey (1959) and Jarrett Parker (2015), the Rule 5 pick has given the Giants reason to keep him on the roster. While there are areas to improve defensively (four catchers interference calls, already tied for an SF-era single-season record) and at the plate (a 40.5% strikeout rate, third-highest in the majors among players with as many plate appearances), Sabol seems to have done enough to earn his spot. If the Giants parting ways with Gary Snchez wasnt evidence enough, take Farhan Zaidis word for it. Were really committed, at this point, to keeping him all year, Zaidi said a couple weeks ago on KNBR. He has done a lot of good things, and hopefully, that continues.

14: Number of different players to homer for the Giants, tied for second-most in the majors. Led by J.D. Davis (7) and LaMonte Wade Jr. (7), seven players have at least five, and 10 already have four. The only teams that can claim as much evenly distributed power are the Dodgers (10 players with four) and Rays (10 players with four, nine with six). The Giants 59 home runs rank fourth in the majors; however, few teams have been as reliant on the long ball, with 60% of San Franciscos runs coming on homers.

.620: Combined OPS from the Giants two free-agent position player additions, Michael Conforto and Mitch Haniger.

7.07: Combined ERA from the Giants three free-agent pitching additions, Sean Manaea, Ross Stripling and Taylor Rogers.

137: Strikeouts by the bottom third of the Giants order, easily the most in the majors. Its a good thing the Giants are hitting home runs because they are struggling to turn the lineup over: Their 7-9 hitters have struck out 14 more times than any other team, drawn fewer walks (27) than all but one team, with the third-lowest batting average (.199) and second-lowest on-base percentage (.260) of any group in MLB.

29.3%: Giants pitchers fly ball rate, the lowest in the majors; and 16.2%: the percentage of fly balls allowed that turn into home runs, the highest in the majors. While the Giants sinker-heavy group has succeeded at keeping the ball on the ground, they have been hammered by hard contact: 44.4% of balls in play hit at 95 mph or harder, the highest rate in the majors. The Giants, who have led the league in homer suppression the past two seasons, believe the first number suggests there will be some regression to the mean in regards to keeping balls in the ballpark. But the amount of hard contact is more troubling.

5.77: Giants pitchers ERA in the seventh inning and later, the highest in the National League and third-worst in the majors. Meanwhile, in innings 1-6, their 3.69 ERA ranks ninth in MLB and fourth in the NL. Despite failing to preserve the shutout bid started by Alex Cobb on Thursday, the bullpen has been better of late, with a 3.95 ERA in May (16th in MLB), converting all five save opportunities, after posting a 6.15 mark in March/April (28th) with six blown saves in 11 chances.

2:41: Average time of game, 27 minutes shorter than their average game last season (3:08). Of the new rules, none has been more noticeable or as welcomed as the pitch clock.

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SF Giants: 12 numbers that matter from the first quarter of the season - msnNOW

Five years after the original "Resident Evil" film series concluded with "The Final Chapter," filmmaker Johannes Roberts rebooted the cinematic franchise with 2021's "Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City." Roberts stuck closer to the games, specifically the first two mainline installments, chronicling a police squad investigating an ominous mansion on the outskirts of town while zombies swarm Raccoon City. Also, rather than rely on a brand-new protagonist like the movies before his, Roberts focused on classic characters from the games, who have all been recast for his adaptation.

"Welcome to Raccoon City" certainly feels familiar to any fans of the games and is loaded with Easter eggs related to the franchise, but it just tries to accomplish too much in its 107-minute runtime. The new cast is earnest enough, with Kaya Scodelario's Claire Redfield being the highlight, and it's the first "Resident Evil" movie in a whilethat feels scary at times, but the whole thing is a noticeably rushed affair. With such a solid cast and fidelity to the source material, hopefully, these sensibilities will be retained in potential follow-ups because, for all its flaws, "Welcome to Raccoon City" feels more like a franchise love letter than prior adaptations.

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Every Resident Evil Movie, Ranked Worst To Best - /Film

IOWA CITY, IA--Tight End University is off to a running start in the 2023 NFL offseason. The Detroit Lions rookie camp has just gotten started and former Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta is already making a good impression on his new team. The No. 34 overall pick was catching everything during his first day of the minicamp.

"Sam LaPorta was the best player on the field at Lions rookie minicamp and it wasnt particularly close," Detroit Lions reporter Colton Pouncey tweeted. "Very impressive day."

LaPorta was the second tight end drafted in the 2023 Draft. Despite playing in one of the worst offenses in America, he was one of the constant forces for the Hawkeyes.

LaPorta finished his career ranking 14th in career receiving yards with 1,786 yards on 153 receptions. The 153 receptions are most among Iowa tight ends all-time. His 1,786 yards rank second among tight ends.

The record-setting prospect out of Illinois surprised a lot of outsiders when he went at No. 34 overall, but his consistency in a Hawkeye uniform and demeanor are a perfect fit for what Dan Campbell wants to do with his Lions squad. It's a lot of training for only a season's worth of games, but LaPorta is excited about the professional grind that he's going through.

Its nice to get acclimated for sure. Its great to be playing football again. All these guys are out here, theyre here because they love football and were trying to get better, trying to make the team and trying to add value, LaPorta said via the Detroit News. Its been great these last couple of days, getting to know faces, getting to know the system.

Playing in Iowa's offense does prepare its players for the NFL based on the style they play. LaPorta's focusing on every detail he can and is prioritizing 'asking questions' and not 'feeling stupid' for asking them.

They demand a lot, LaPorta said. Very small details. Im learning all the real intricate details of the system right now. Of course, Ive messed them up a couple times already. You probably heard them yelling at me. Those details are really what separates youin the National Football League.

One of the highlights of Saturday was when fellow Hawkeye and Lion Jack Campbell got the chance to square off in a 1-on-1 special teams drill. LaPorta got the best of his teammate during that rep.

Competition brings out the best in both people, Campbell said of LaPorta. Hats off to him. Hes a hell of a player. You guys know that. All you can do is keep going every rep, give it your all, focus, fundamentally sound. Obviously, Ill look back on it, theres probably somethingtheres definitely somethingbetter I could have done, but it was a hell of a play by him.

LaPorta and Campbell will begin their NFL season on September 7 when they travel to Kansas City to take on the Super Bowl champion Chiefs.

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Iowa Football: Ten Hawkeyes with game-changing ability in 2023 - 247Sports