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    Trade Talk: Are the Ravens Still Enticed by Julio Jones? – Yardbarker

    - May 22, 2021 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Julio Jones is reportedly on the trade market and the Ravens are one of the teams favored to land the veteran wide receiver.

    However, at this point, the move does not make much sense.

    With the addition of Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace in this year's draft, Baltimore now has seven players vying for perhaps six roster spots. Newly acquired Sammy Watkins, Marquise Brown, Miles Boykin, Devin Duvernay and James Proche all should be ready to compete when training camp opens in July.

    Adding Jones to the mix would create a bigger logjam.

    Jones is a seven-time Pro-Bowler who would be an immediate boost to Baltimore's floundering passing attack. Jones would also provide Lamar Jackson with a sure-handed target downfield and in the red zone.

    Over 10 NFL seasons, Jones has caught 848 passes for 12,896 yards (15.2 yac) with 60 touchdowns.

    Jones will earn a $15.3 million base salary, while carrying a cap hit of $23 million, according to Spotrac. The Ravens would likely need to restructure his deal.

    Jones turned 32 on Feb. 8 so that could be an issue as far as injuries. Last season, he missed seven games because of a hamstring issue, but still managed 51 receptions for 771 yards with three touchdowns.

    The rest is here:
    Trade Talk: Are the Ravens Still Enticed by Julio Jones? - Yardbarker

    PFF Quarterback Rankings: All 32 starters ahead of the 2021 NFL season | NFL News, Rankings and Statistics – Pro Football Focus

    - May 22, 2021 by Mr HomeBuilder

    PFFs quarterback rankings are based on grading every player on every play and tapping into multiple years of data to project future performance. We go beyond just last seasons performances, and the grading works to isolate each quarterbacks performance from that of his supporting cast, making for more effective projections.

    Here are the PFF QB rankings heading into the 2021 NFL season.

    The 25-year-old prodigy is PFFs highest-graded quarterback over the past three seasons. With an MVP award and a Super Bowl ring already in hand, Mahomes is already rewriting the record books. And head coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs have done a phenomenal job this offseason of trying to shore up an offensive line that held the team back in Super Bowl 55.

    Mahomes tends to get sloppy at times while drifting back in the pocket, putting pressure on his tackles, so the offensive line isn't the only culprit. The signal-caller finished second in big-time throws (50) but also ended the year in the top three in turnover-worthy plays (23). Mahomes features playmaking ability not only from the pocket but also when extending plays with his arm and legs. That makes him the biggest threat in the NFL.

    Brady capped an incredible 2020 season with his seventh Super Bowl win, and his overall performance was the catalyst for elevating the Bucs to their second championship in franchise history. Not only did he accomplish that after changing teams, but he endured a reduced offseason while having to learn a whole new offense, which makes it that much more remarkable.

    He ranked second in passing yards on 20-plus-yard throws during the regular season while taking care of the ball better than any Bruce Arians quarterback since 2006. Not to mention, Tampa Bay has re-signed every significant player from last year. Brady will be more familiar and comfortable in the Arians passing attack with even more supporting cast continuity from last year.

    The biggest question entering the season will be whether Rodgers is wearing a Packers jersey at all. He led the league in overall passing grade (94.7) and passing grade on 20-plus-yard throws (99.5) in 2020 en route to taking home the MVP award.

    Rodgers is a stud, playing with timing and rhythm we havent seen from him in years. His average time to throw was his lowest in over a decade. The most impressive thing about Rodgers in 2020 was his patience with the offense and ability to let it work for him. He managed to stay on course and operate the attack while sprinkling in his playmaking ability. There is no doubt Green Bay is primed for a Super Bowl run, but that all depends on if the team can smooth over relations with Rodgers.

    Wilson started the season on fire as the front-runner for the MVP title over the first eight games of the year, as he was PFF's top-ranked quarterback in overall grade (93.3). The wheels soon fell off, though, with Wilson taking the most sacks in the NFL through the second half of the season.

    He has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league for a long time and appears primed to bounce back from last year, particularly after the offseason drama of him wanting to be traded. He wants his value to continue to rise, and that it will. Over the past five years, Wilson has dominated the NFL to the tune of the most big-time throws (214) while tying Rodgers and Brady for the best passing grade on 20-plus-yard throws (99.9).

    Surrounded by the leagues second-least efficient running game and second-least efficient overall defense last season, Watson was arguably the best quarterback in the NFL. Couple that with the Texans trading away his top-five receiver and firing his head coach, and Watson clearly put the team on his back.

    The most impressive thing about his 2020 campaign was how rarely he made mistakes in structure and how consistently he created positive plays out of structure. He played well from a clean pocket and under pressure while also taking care of the football. Watson had 42 big-time throws to only 14 turnover-worthy plays after making 27 turnover-worthy plays in 2019.

    Josh Allen improved more in 2020 than any quarterback in recent years. The Bills have done a phenomenal job building around him on his rookie contract and also scheming the offense to fit his strengths.

    Allen led the league in play-action passing attempts last season, throwing 17 touchdowns to only three interceptions. His accuracy stuck out, too. He finished with a 79.1% adjusted completion rate the sixth-best mark in the league after ranking in the 30s last year. The only concern with Allens game now is his ability to protect the football. He had the second most turnover-worthy plays (23), trailing only Carson Wentz during the regular season.

    Dak is back. Prescott was on pace for the best season of his career before going down to a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5 last year. For the second straight season, the Cowboys' offense was moving the ball effectively through the air. But will the unit pick up where it left off before Prescott got injured?

    Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and Prescott are going on seven years together two as a player and the rest as a coach. They know what each other likes and how to make this offense roll. In Prescotts four full NFL seasons, hes had two top-10 finishes in PFF grade but also two finishes closer to the 20s. With Dallas' bevy of playmakers on the outside, I would expect this offense to again find its footing once Prescott dusts off the cobwebs.

    Regression is likely when coming off an MVP campaign, and we saw that from Jackson. The Ravens' offense was less effective in the run game and the offensive line struggled at times this past season.

    Still, Jackson continued to prove he is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL, if not the most. If the Ravens can help him out with a more efficient and effective pass game tied into their run concepts, then I would expect Jackson to get back to MVP form. Baltimore has a tough schedule ahead compared to last year, so Jackson will have to shoulder the load to prove he can take the Ravens back to the promised land.

    Matt Ryan teaming up with new head coach Arthur Smith could be a good look. The play-action pass game could elevate Ryans performance back to the days when he was with Kyle Shanahan or at least back to consistent play on a week-to-week basis.

    The addition of Kyle Pitts will be a matchup nightmare for defenses, too. Ryan is a top-10 quarterback, and the Falcons' 2021 schedule could allow them to get back to competing sooner than some may think. It will be up to Ryan to be as productive as Ryan Tannehill was in this offense, if not more.

    Give Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski a ton of credit for how he helped set up his quarterback for success. The Browns protected Mayfield early in the season, but when Stefanski opened up the playbook, Baker excelled. He was the second-highest-graded quarterback in the league from Week 7 through the playoffs. He also ranked in the top five from a clean pocket, on standard dropbacks and on early downs for the entire season all of which are important and stable metrics.

    Considering the offensive weapons Mayfield has around him and his offensive line's league-leading 84.4 pass-blocking grade last year, expect him to pick up where he left off for the 2021 season.

    Sean McVay must be the happiest coach of the offseason. He can finally dial up the deep passing game he's probably always dreamt of. The addition of Matthew Stafford makes this offense that much more dangerous.

    Stafford offers the same steady stream of passing on intermediate-level throws, but he will excel on passing plays of 20 or more yards downfield. But lets not take for granted what Tom Brady accomplished in a first-year offense; it does take some time to get new terminology down. That will be the biggest hurdle for Stafford, but if the transition is smooth, the Rams could be taking another trip to the Super Bowl.

    Tannehill has been spectacular thus far in Tennessee, so its hard not to acknowledge his recent play. He is viewed as a very good NFL starter now, but the departure of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith may impact his progression going forward.

    He is certainly a product of an offensive scheme that gave him the second-most non-RPO play-action pass attempts in the 2020 regular season, but he still grades at a very good or borderline elite level on straight dropbacks, as well. Tannehill has also done a great job utilizing his legs in key situations, which makes it hard on defenses on third downs when he takes off. With his athletic ability and consistency as a Titan, Tannehill can be counted on to continue playing at a high level.

    Derek Carr finished 2020 with the eighth-best PFF passing grade and more than doubled his big-time throws from the previous season. He also engineered the only meaningful loss the Chiefs experienced during the regular season. Carr and the Raiders finished that game with 265 yards on six explosive (15-plus yard) pass plays.

    That being said: Why are there still lingering questions every offseason about Carr and his future with the Raiders? He continues to prove himself as a pure passer from the pocket and also showed the ability to be more aggressive downfield, but the game is changing. There comes a time when a QB must tuck it and run for a first down or make a play in a key situation. Sometimes Carr gets careless with the football in the pocket, and he's prone to sack fumbles. Carr has yet to get the Raiders over the hump, and they are not a contender in the playoff picture.

    Cousins operates very well when the conditions around him are good. The Vikings hit on replacing Stefon Diggs with Justin Jefferson in the draft, and they have a top-five rushing attack and a great offensive scheme that fits what Cousins excels at.

    Minnesota has to clean up its offensive line play, though. The unit ranked 29th in combined pass-blocking grade in 2020. One of these years, Cousins will fulfill the prophecy and be the most unlikely NFL MVP of all time, but last year wasnt that year. The clock is ticking to make that happen. With the addition of Kellen Mond, the pressure rises, forcing Cousins to find a way to get the Vikings back to the playoffs.

    Herbert exploded onto the scene in 2020, setting the rookie touchdown record. He was the king of high-variance and high-leverage situations, producing a better passer rating when hurried than he did when kept clean. This is a concern because Herbert will have more opportunities to execute from a clean pocket rather than always under pressure, especially with what the Chargers did this offseason to help build up their offensive line.

    Herbert did more than impress during his rookie campaign, but the consistency with his accuracy is going to be the big question mark going forward. Will we see a slump in Year 2, or will Herbert continue to make big plays with more protection upfront?

    Ben Roethlisberger proved his toughness by coming back at 38 years old after elbow surgery and helping the Steelers to an 11-0 start. But something just didnt seem right during that hot streak, and Pittsburgh finished the year 1-5 in its last six games.

    New offensive coordinator Matt Canada has a tall task in trying to figure out what will make this offense tick. Roethlisberger ranked last out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks on play-action attempts last season. He subsequently led the league in shotgun pass attempts (640) and pass attempts under 10 yards. He did a decent job of getting the ball out of his hand quickly, but it didnt translate into many explosive plays, as the Steelers ranked 26th in explosive pass-play percentage (11.7%).

    Murray took a nice step forward in Year 2, raising his passing grade by over 16 points and adding 822 yards on the ground. The Cardinals did well to utilize his skill set, as his rushing stats were a mix of designed quarterback runs and scrambles.

    With the NFC West being as competitive as ever, Arizona continues to do a good job building around Murray. However, the signal-caller has to show more development in the intermediate passing (10-19 yards) game, where he ranked 24th while in rhythm. It's an area where he can raise his level of play and make the players around him better.

    Burrow had the fifth-best passing grade (92.5) when targeting throws 10-19 yards downfield, but he ranked 32nd out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks on 20-plus yard throws. He had a passer rating of just 50.8 on those 20-plus yard passes. But the good news is that deep passing can fluctuate from year to year.

    The Bengals added some key weapons outside with the addition of Burrows former teammate JaMarr Chase, who should help with the downfield attack. We still need to see Burrow fully healthy, and the Bengals need to do a better job of protecting him. He showed a lot of promise as a rookie based on the number of snaps he took and the volume of the playbook he was executing.

    Fitzpatrick continues to play his best football the longer he stays in the league the veteran ranks 15th in PFF passing grade since 2018. Last year in Miami, he had the team rolling until Brian Flores took the QB room for a rollercoaster ride. It's rare for a veteran quarterback placeholder to join a solid football team, but this will be the best team Fitzpatrick has been on in quite some time. Fitzpatrick brings energy, leadership and a wealth of knowledge to a locker room, but his Achilles heel is protecting the football. If he is able to play smart and deliver on explosive plays, Washington will be a playoff contender.

    This is a big year for Daniel Jones to establish himself as a franchise quarterback, and the Giants are doing everything in their power to surround him with help. Last year, the team had the lowest pass-blocking grade in the league and the eighth-worst receiving grade, but new additions from free agency and the draft should help.

    This is the first offseason Jones will be in the same offense, which will offer more familiarity going into his third season. Jones must eliminate the boneheaded decisions and turnover-worthy plays that hold the team back. With his toughness and ability to make plays with his legs, Jones can make a big leap forward.

    Lawrence was a three-year starter at Clemson, leading them to a 34-2 record, three straight College Football Playoff appearances and one National Championship trophy. He has been the best player at every level of football he has played. The question is whether he will be able to continue that trend in the NFL.

    Lawrence is the only quarterback in the PFF College era to earn an overall grade of 90.0 as a true freshman and he repeated that the last two seasons. His skill set should fit perfectly in the Urban Meyer/ Darrell Bevell offense, which will be designed to help the young QB reach his NFL potential. Bevell used a lot of play-action pass in Detroit these concepts are easy for a young quarterback to read out with pure progressions and reliable check downs.

    Injuries have become the story for Garoppolo, as he has started less than 50% of the 49ers' games since the beginning of the 2018 season. He did manage to lead the Niners to a Super Bowl appearance the year he came back from his torn ACL. Things are different now, as he has Trey Lance waiting in the wings in case he is either injured or shows a stretch of inconsistency.

    Garoppolo has shown hes capable of executing Shanahans offense at a high level, but he tends to make a few questionable decisions or throws per game. Lance did a phenomenal job of protecting the football in college. It will be interesting to see how this plays out expect Garoppolo to have a good year even under such pressure.

    Wentz led the NFL last season in turnover-worthy plays (24) and didnt even play after week 14. Can Frank Reich work his magic and get Wentz back to his 2017 form and build his confidence back up? Wentz was on an MVP-caliber tear in 2017 when he earned an overall PFF grade of 84.9 just behind Drew Brees and 20 grading points higher than his 2020 grade. He was playing lights-out in key situations, with a91.9 grade on third and fourth downs and a passer rating of 125.0 with 16 touchdowns in those situations. Coaching plays a big role in key situations, so the Colts have some reason to think Wentz will play better under Frank Reich. A tough schedule and erratic big plays in key situations will make for an interesting year.

    Its been 15 years since Sean Payton had to really worry about who would be the Saints' starting quarterback heading into a season. Payton made the decision to go with Taysom Hill over Jameis Winston when Brees missed four games last season. It was a smart move considering that Hill plays multiple roles in the Saints offense and was already in the flow of the season. Even though Hill went 3-1 during that four-week stretch, that doesnt mean he has the leg up going into 2021.

    As a starter, Winston annually ranked among the league leaders in positively graded throws, but hes always right there near the top in turnover-worthy-play percentage as well. The Saints offense ranked 31st in deep pass attempts (38) last season Winstons aggressiveness will give this offense a facelift and the opportunity to cash in on more explosive plays in the passing game. Winston brings tremendous physical ability and was able to back up Brees a year ago and observe how he prepares on a daily basis. Sean Peyton's offensive mind and ability to call plays could revitalize Winstons career.

    Justin Fields was the only quarterback in college football to rank in the top 10 in both passing and rushing grade. While Fields' rushing ability will certainly help at the next level, it's his downfield accuracy that could make him special he had the highest accuracy rate on passes thrown 10 or more yards downfield (65%) in 2020.

    The Bears put up just 40 passing touchdowns on 10-plus-yard throws during the Trubisky era (30th in the NFL). It will be interesting to see how Matt Nagy and his staff utilize Fields skill set. The rookie will have to play quicker and more decisive at the next level because he needs space to release the ball and the pocket collapses a lot faster and tighter in the NFL.

    A fresh start does players wonders, especially at the quarterback position. It also doesnt hurt when you get a vote of confidence and your team takes Penei Sewell to protect you over some highly sought-after first-round quarterbacks. The Rams were third in the league in play-action pass attempts and tied for fifth in screen pass attempts. It will be imperative that the Lions help their QB and design an offense around what hes comfortable with. Goff has a top-five passing grade when he has a clean pocket, is in rhythm and targets intermediate throws 10-19 yards downfield. He struggled when targeting 20-plus yard throws in the same scenario, earning the 29th-ranked passing grade out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks.

    Getting the ball downfield in 2020 was a struggle, whether it was missed throws or negatively graded throws. This is probably why Goff led the league in passing yards on completions of 5 yards or less a season ago. The Lions seem to be building around Goff, and this is exactly what he needs to get his confidence back up so he can play at a high level again.

    Newton didnt join the Patriots until late in the offseason, which meant he had to learn a new offense in a shorter amount of time with no on-field work. He has another opportunity in the same system that catered to his strengths early in the season, which led to a league-high 12 rushing touchdowns. Newton's inconsistency as a passer ultimately held the offense back, as he posted sub-60.0 passing grades in eight of his 14 starts. The additions the Patriots made this offseason through free agency and the draft, coupled with another year in the system, offer Newton a good opportunity to prove he can still play. Rookie Mac Jones will be waiting in the wings for his opportunity if things sputter.

    The No. 3 overall pick in 2018 will try to resurrect his career with Carolina. Darnold had the worst passing grade last year out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks, but he also didnt get much help from the leagues second-lowest-graded receiving unit. How much changes in Carolina? He will be surrounded by a more stable organization and leadership, as well as offensive weapons that will help take the pressure off. Hes athletic, tough and able to make plays out of structure, but that is unpredictable. Lets not forget Darnold has the fourth-highest uncatchable pass rate (21.9%) since 2019, so his accuracy will have to improve to utilize his weapons on offense.

    Its hard to adjust to the speed of the game as a rookie, especially when you dont know when you're going to be pulled for a savvy veteran. Tua has an opportunity this year to take control of the offense and show he belongs. The Dolphins continue to make solid roster moves through trades, free agency and the draft to surround their young QB with weapons. Tua was exceptionally conservative last year, with only seven big-time throws all season. That's not the worst thing,but he also had 13 turnover-worthy plays.

    Wilson is as natural as it comes at throwing the football. He also brings the type of athleticism and off-platform throws we see from the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He had the highest single-season passing grade of the PFF College era (95.5). Only 13.6% of Wilsons throws beyond the line of scrimmage were deemed uncatchable this past season, the lowest rate in the FBS. The big question will be how fast he can learn the playbook and adapt to the speed of the game. The biggest adjustment for young quarterbacks is how fast the pocket collapses and making good decisions while it happens.

    Jalen Hurts will get his opportunity to showcase not only his skills but his leadership heading into 2021. Hurts provided an immediate spark last season, but the wheels started to fall off after that. Hurts must manage the game with better decision-making. He finished the season with nine turnover-worthy plays in the last four games. If Hurts wants to be the guy in Philadelphia, then he needs to protect the ball better. His leadership and poise will bring the team together, but production and winning football games must follow.

    The reason the Broncos acquired veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to compete with Lock for the starting job is because Lock had the 32nd-ranked passing grade (63.4) out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks. He must find a way to clean up his 23 turnover-worthy plays and make better decisions. Lock shows promise at times he had the eighth-best passing grade (92.3) when throwing between 15-20 yards and executing play-action pass. The leash wont be long. If given the opportunity, Lock has to play consistently and smart for Fangio to stick with his young quarterback.

    Go here to read the rest:
    PFF Quarterback Rankings: All 32 starters ahead of the 2021 NFL season | NFL News, Rankings and Statistics - Pro Football Focus

    Diablo Immortal interview: Blizzard devs talk about merging the old with the classic in newest entry – Android Central

    - May 22, 2021 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Source: Daniel Bader / Android Central

    When Diablo Immortal was initially announced in November 2018, it didn't get the greatest reception. Fans weren't happy that Blizzard was turning to the mobile market, and had fears of microtransactions and pay-to-win features bogging down the game.

    Since then, Blizzard has done a lot to quell any fears that players might have, and Diablo Immortal has gone from the black sheep to bell of the ball, with two successful closed alphas and a ton of love, both critically and from fans.

    As the game continues its second alpha test period, we got the chance to sit down with Senior Combat Designer Julian Love and Senior Narrative Designer Justin Dye of Blizzard, We spoke about Diablo Immortal's design, narrative, and how the team was excited to return to some of the biggest moments in Diablo's history for a game that may already be one of the best Android games out there.

    One of the first thing players may notice when they get the chance to jump into Diablo Immortal is that it takes place right in between Diablo 2 and 3. This wasn't by accident; Blizzard wanted to look back in the timeline and figure out how things came to be.

    "Honestly, there's this very interesting period between Diablo 2 and 3 that just doesn't have enough detail at the moment," Dye said. "It was a huge opportunity, right? There's so much ground to tell story there."

    Story isn't the only thing that features callbacks to the world of Diablo. Many of the dungeons found within Diablo Immortal are crammed with lore and locations from past games. When asked whether or not it was tough to strike a balance between bringing in new content and utilizing their vast backlog of lore, Dye noted that there wasn't a metric for these kinds of design choices, but there was never a struggle in coming up with decisions.

    It's entirely new for Diablo immortal, but it brings on themes and and world building from the past and lets you kind of be there in a new way.

    "Usually someone will pitch the idea, we'll kick it around, see how it feels," said Dye. "But in general, I don't think that there's ever been too much of an honest struggle in that kind of thing, because in truth, we sort of just follow the passions and see where they go. So in general, if anything, I feel like getting those has been easy."

    "The game right now takes place in only about 10 areas," Dye continued. "Many of them are not even from Diablo 2, and a whole bunch of them are new places we've never been to before. So in general, it's a fun challenge."

    The decision to include things from Diablo's past doesn't just extend to its narrative. Diablo Immortal features many classes from past Diablo games, fitted with entirely different movesets to help things flow better in a mobile game.

    According to Love, shifting movesets for classes was an opportunity for Blizzard to once again merge the new with the classic. "We want to bring back favorite classes that are very familiar, that people love, and so that that's sort of what informs the lineup," Love said. "And then there are some challenges that you always face when you bring a game to a different platfor. Those usually show up in the size of the screen, how far away you are from it, and then, of course, the controls and the inputs are different."

    Some examples of that can be found in the Crusader's Falling Sword skill, which is now a two-step skill that lets you place your AOE damage. "We always kind of want to do stuff like that with a PC version of Diablo, but it just never felt right with that input scheme because of all the pressure that it puts on your mouse hand to constantly dance around the screen," Love said. "But here, with this control set, it felt really natural because you're just moving your thumbs around."

    "There are some challenges that you always face when you bring a game to a different platform."

    Speaking of the Crusader, the classic Diablo character made its way into Immortal in the latest closed alpha session, and gave players the chance to experience some new mechanics. Love explained that deciding to bring back any class always stems from the excitement the team at Blizzard has, as well as how fans may receive it.

    "The first thing you want to test is, what's the team's excitement for it? And then we also look out in the world and see well, what was the temperature of the audience for it? What did they love? What do we think that they would like based on what they're doing today and the response that they had? Then, that goes to inform the decision."

    Aside from the Crusader class, one of the other major additions to the most recent alpha was the Helliquary. This system allows players to track down elite demon enemies and take them down in groups. Once you defeat a demon, you'll be rewarded with gear that can permanently buff your character and change the way you play.

    Because the mode is so new, Blizzard isn't sure if they'll implement any limits onto how much the Helliquary can be ranked up, but they're excited at what it can bring to the game.

    "This is another [way to] collect and make decisions around what you think are the buffs that play better to your playstyle or your characters kit choices," said Love.

    "Of course, as those kit choices change, you may go back and rethink some of this. So there's a lot of tension between the Helliquary buffs and your other overall kit. Then, of course, this can get tweaked again by your goals with what you're doing with respect to Challenge Rifts. So there's a lot of opportunity for depth and strategy in that system." Dye also explained that Blizzard will be watching the system carefully as players get acquainted with it, and that they'll always be looking at things and trying to figure out how to make it better based on feedback from players.

    One of the biggest challenges that Diablo Immortal faces as it grows is how to adapt a game like Diablo known for some of its co-op abilities to mobile devices. When asked if co-op gameplay is something the team is focusing on, Love mentioned that they were, but that there's two sides.

    "I think that if I'm going to paint two different sides to the equation, one is its value as a thing that players on their own are working towards," Love explained. "And that's very akin to goals that players used to assign themselves in games like Diablo 2 where there wasn't really an endgame system, and so they would make things up for themselves like 99 became the very first big goal that was obvious."

    Love went on to say that the other aspect of the design is making sure that players don't ever feel as if there's only ever one outcome for any given situation. "But the other side of it is an opportunity to group up, right? To share that moment with other people and to take that big monster down, that's a really valuable thing too. The negative that can come out of that, though, is if the answer is always group up, and nobody finds value in doing it as a single-player experience, then that that might be a reason for us to question how that works, and the way that that players are going about it.

    "We are still looking at systems throughout the entire game with a focus on how much time does something take"

    Another huge focus on Diablo Immortal is in making sure that players don't feel like moments take too long. "We are still looking at systems throughout the entire game, with a focus on how much time does something take. How are the players who are playing alpha now engaging with those things?" Love said. "For instance, are they doing things to subvert the time length that something takes because that's the problem for them, is that this takes too long? And that's an opportunity for us to make make adjustments to get it into the zone."

    Love went on to say that he knows players will always try to circumvent things regardless of what's implemented so the team is trying to find the best balance in how players play and how things are designed. "No matter how you design it, if there's a way for them to change it, they will always do that to their advantage. So we have to design with those two ideals in mind."

    One of the last things we talked about regarding Diablo Immortal is the recently announced PvP system, known in-game as the Cycle of Strife. Asked if the team faced any challenges implementing such a large system into the game, Love spoke about how bringing a system like that into Diablo Immortal was a big design challenge, but that the team was steering things to a healthier gameplay experience. Dye chimed in to discuss the thematics of the Cycle of Strife, and how Blizzard hopes to make the mode give players the feeling that they're really part of a group.

    "There's an almost endless number of dark houses that can be formed. You can build your own right now, and get your friends together and be the next Immortals, right?" Dye said. "That's the spirit of the system. So the Shadows have that renegade, get a group together, change the world kind of feeling. Meanwhile, the Immortals, while they are often separated to do things, the goal is to make them feel unified. You have 500 people, but they're at the same time together."

    Diablo Immortal may not have been announced to much fanfare, but Blizzard developers have put in the work to prove that they are more than serious about making this game something that will effortlessly slot into the world of Diablo. With a heavy focus on lore, gameplay that doesn't fall into the trap that many mobile games do, and a committment to keep the fans involved, the studio looks to have a potential hit on their hands whenever Diablo Immortal releases to the masses.

    In the meantime, you can still try out Diablo Immortal if you happen to live in Australia and are on an Android device. The game is currently going through its second round of alpha testing, so if you want to dive back into the world of Sanctuary, sign up and see if you're one of the lucky players to be invited.

    View post:
    Diablo Immortal interview: Blizzard devs talk about merging the old with the classic in newest entry - Android Central

    Chat Transcript: You had Notre Dame hoops questions – a lot of them. Here are some answers – Notre Dame Insider

    - May 22, 2021 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Tom Noie: We're back....and suddenly, it's summer around these here parts. Think it actually snowed the last time we chatted about Notre Dame hoops. None of that today in Northern Indiana, where temperatures will push toward 90. Weather aside, it's always basketball season in these parts. There's plenty to ponder and discuss when it comes to the Irish. To join, be sure to include your name and hometown. And with that, you know the drill - let's light this chat candle.

    Bob: Who are some of the top recruits ND has a realistic chance with ? Donovan Clingan a possibility ?

    Tom Noie: Bob: Buckle up, because this answer might take some time to chew through. Deep breath. OK, let's go...Notre Dame currently has around 20-25 names on its recruiting board for the Class of 2022. Topping that list are Donovan Clingan, a 6-10, 220-pound center from Bristol, Conn. and guard Rodney Rice, 6-4 from Potomac, Md. Notre Dame's immediate needs are twofold - a point guard and a big man. Who else might be on the short list? It's odd to say but it's true - it's too early to tell given that the staff has not been allowed to recruit off campus, really for the last two recruiting cycles, because of the pandemic. Recruiting finally will get back to some semblance of normalcy when college coaching staffs can get back out on the road in July. The Irish staff wants/needs that time to actually see kids in person. Recruiting solely off video and getting to know kids through Zoom is a tricky proposition. So July's going to be big to focus even more on a core group of maybe 10 guys that they feel are best fits.

    Tom Noie: But, alas, it's not that easy given where we are in college basketball. Notre Dame will have seven players - Paul Atkinson, Robby Carmody, Dane Goodwin, Prentiss Hubb, Nate Laszewski, Cormac Ryan and Trey Wertz - in line to graduate in the spring of 2022. Seven guys is a lot, but hold on. Of those seven, only Atkinson is out of eligibility. The other six have the option of returning for another year (and maybe more). That kind of muddles the recruiting crystal ball. What if Hubb returns? What if Ryan and Wertz? Do the Irish still need to find a point guard? Dane Goodwin already has indicated a desire to return for a fifth year. Then, with all that, there's also the ever-present transfer portal. This offseason, there were some 1,500 players in the portal. How will Notre Dame use that moving forward? Some schools will recruit the portal with more of an emphasis than high school kids. It will be fascinating moving forward how the Irish will construct their roster.

    Bob: What does Anthony Solomon bring that some of the other assistant coaches have lacked ?

    Tom Noie: Bob: First, let's cover this base - Anthony Solomon is expected to return for his third stint as an assistant coach. He'll replace Scott Martin, who will rotate back to video/recruiting coordinator. Martin was supposed to serve in that role last year before Ryan Ayers left for personal reasons. Solomon's hiring could be official as soon as the end of the week. What does he bring that the current assistants lack? How about everything?

    Tom Noie: One reason - maybe one big reason - Notre Dame has found itself on the outside of the NCAA tournament looking in for the last four years is there was nobody on the staff that could/would really challenge Mike Brey or the players. Solomon will do that. He has an edge. He has experience. he has wisdom. He has an attitude and mentality that this program has lacked, really since he left following the 2015-16 season. If you want to say he's the "bad cop" on the staff, that fits. He just has that something that can reach guys. He's tough. He's fair. People respond to him. Notre Dame hoops hasn't been past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament under Brey without Solomon. That's not a coincidence.

    Joe /Granger: How big of an addition will Coach Slo be on the recruiting trail!!...

    Tom Noie: Joe: On a scale of 1 to 10, how about a 12? He'll go get guys that guys on the current staff haven't been able to get.

    Dwight, NC Arkansas: I believe having Anthony Solomon returning to the staff is a real positive. Given Mike Brey's age, is it conceivable that Solomon was getting valuable coaching experience elsewhere and is now returning as a viable head coach at ND at some point in the future? He certainly knows ND as well as anyone not named Brey.

    Tom Noie: Dwight: Good points on knowing this culture and this university, but it would be a hard sell to the Irish hoops fan base to bring in someone who went 24-88 in his only head coaching stint at Saint Bonaventure. And the Atlantic 10 as we know is nowhere near the Atlantic Coast Conference. No, I think Solomon's best as an assistant who can be a great resource for the head coach.

    Eddie: What is the status of Robby Carmody? How many years of eligibility does he have left?

    Tom Noie: Eddie: Robby Carmody has yet to play a full season of college basketball, which means he has at least four years of eligibility remaining - five if you count the additional year the NCAA has given student-athletes because of the pandemic, but that's sort of silly. He's not going to be in college - be it at Notre Dame or somewhere else if he chooses to reset his college experience - for eight years. Carmody was close enough health-wise to contribute last season, but it got too late in the season where there was little benefit to bring him into the mix. He's expected to be full go certainly for preseason camp in fall. Maybe for summer pickup sessions.

    ND Hoops Addict, South Bend: Any news or rumblings on crowd expectations for football or basketball games? Will I get to use my season tickets this year?

    Tom Noie: ND Hoops: look around at what's happening elsewhere in college football. And even, NFL or Major League Baseball. News that Pro Team A, B and C or college D, E and F are slowly upping attendance capacities or opening them up to 100 percent is a really good sign for Notre Dame. I'd be shocked if Notre Dame wasn't close to 100 percent by the Sept. 11 home opener against Toledo and at capacity for all sports for the 2021-22 school year. That's where all this is trending. If - and that's a big IF - there are no setbacks from coronavirus numbers, it should be business as usual from a fan experience at Notre Dame this season. In all sports.

    Guest: Do you expect notre dame to make the tournament next year. Bill Tinley park

    Tom Noie: Bill: The baseline expectation for this program should be to make the NCAA Tournament. Will they in 2021-22? I want to say yes, but the core of this group is going to have to show something and do something that it has yet to do the last three years. Maybe the additions of Paul Atkinson at center and Anthony Solomon on the coaching staff should be enough to push this program back to Selection Sunday. Unless there's marked improvement from the core, it's going to be difficult to get there.

    Jim from Berlin, CT: Tom it's great to hear from you after a long pause following the end of the basketball season. In your opinion has Mike Brey basically worn out his welcome in South Bend? I worry that mediocrity has now become the norm for Irish men's basketball and reaching the Big Dance is now nothing more than a pipe dream. How many more losing seasons do we have to put up with before Brey finally calls it quits?

    Tom Noie: Jim: Good to hear from you. Let's get a "normal" season to really drill down on where this is all headed for Mike Brey and the future of the Notre Dame men's basketball program. Missing four straight NCAA Tournaments is inexcusable and unacceptable, and everything else, but rewind to each of those seasons - Notre Dame lost Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell to injury in 2017-18 yet still was the first team out of the Field of 68. Lose those two guys, and it's a tough sell to get back to the NCAA. Next year, lose Rex Pflueger and turn the program over to freshmen who weren't ready. Yeah, they weren't getting in that year, or the following. You just don't go from 3-15 in the ACC to tournament team in one year. 2019-20, pandemic aside, that team should've done more to get in with seniors T.J. Gibbs and John Mooney and Rex Pflueger. Last year? Too many unknowns in a pandemic to point to the NCAA and say gotta get there. Let's have a "normal" season when everyone stays healthy (on and off the court).

    Real Rob in Dallas: Tom, now that Coach Solomon has been brought back for the 3rd time and this time as an Associate Head Coach, it sure looks like Balanis is the odd man out. Do u see him moving into an ops role so we don't have too many cooks in the kitchen?

    Tom Noie: Rob: This feels like an answer I'd give about the starting lineup, but if the season started tonight, Rod Balanis would be the associate head coach, Anthony Solomon and Ryan Humphrey would be the assistants and Mike Brey would be the head coach. Still think there has to be one more move - if they could create a different role (non-coaching) for Balanis and bring in another veteran assistant coach as another voice/recruiter that would align nicely I believe there's value in having Rod Balanis on this staff, but maybe in a different kind of role at this stage of his career.

    mike: I.U gets a new coach and there recruiting goes wild. So is it that Brey is not able to recruit or is it the higher ups just will not allow it. Attendance at most games is real bad but why would you expect people to go to games if the school will not allow the team to be competitive. I have season tickets for thirty years thinking ever year it will be different but I think I am done.

    Tom Noie: Mike: Indiana is Indiana, one of the top five or six blueblood programs in college basketball. Are we really comparing what happens down in Bloomington to what happens in South Bend as apples to apples? Because it's way different than apples to oranges or anything else. Attendance at Notre Dame games has been average at best (even in the best of years). And Notre Dame believes it can and will be competitive in the ACC, but it's going to do it on its terms. It's not a one-and-done destination. It's not going to take recruiting risks that other schools in the ACC can take. It's going to do it its way. Look at Notre Dame for what it is and not what others are doing and the frustration level might fade. Might.

    Nick Ventura: How is Robby Carmody progressing and is there hope that he can contribute this year and if so in what role?

    Tom Noie: Nick: Touched a little earlier in the chat about Robby Carmody's health. His role remains a blank slate. Notre Dame went out and added two more guards to an already crowded perimeter with J.R. Konieczny and Blake Wesley. That right there tells you that the window of opportunity may have closed a bit on Carmody. It's up to him to push it back open and carve out a role for himself. Stay healthy and figure it out.

    Tony: Tom, coach Brey talked about getting a defensive asst coach. I dont see any movement. Have you heard anything? Bringing back Slo is good if it happens but soon this staff will be able to hit the road to recruit.

    Tom Noie: Tony: Anthony Solomon will be hired as an assistant coach and will be in charge of overhauling the Irish defense. He's going to earn his salary, because that end of the court is a complete teardown/start over. If anybody can do better, it's Slo. He'll get those guys' attention and get them to compete. That right there is a start on that end.

    Tony: Tom, how come it seems Brey puts out fewer offers and is always later than other coaches. I understand the academics need to be good. But, shouldnt this be checked on a head of time. Any rumblings that he leads for any recruits?

    Tom Noie: Tony: Academics is a BIG reason for that. Like, everything has to be right and up to date on the transcript before the Irish proceed. And for anyone to hang their hat on getting offer A before offer B is kind of silly. Like, this kid's going to go to this school because they offered first? But what if the other school is a better fit? Don't get so hung up on offers. In journalism, it's often better to be right than to be first. Same can be said for hoops recruiting. Be right instead of first. What does first really mean? Not a whole lot. And it's too early in the recruiting cycle for reasons explained above to think Notre Dame leads for any given recruit. Recruiting has been on ice since the pandemic. It will get back to some sort of normalcy in July where coaches can actually get out and see kids. That's huge.

    Dan - Chicago: I assume that there will be no more additional players (specifically, transfers) added to this year's team besides Atkinson and the freshmen?

    Tom Noie: Dan: Given what the transfer portal looks like (currently about 1,500 kids) I'd not assume anything. Cormac Ryan was a late portal addition (June 2019). As of now, Notre Dame has no plans to utilize that last scholarship, but if a perfect guard jumps into the portal this afternoon or next week or next month, the Irish certainly will have interest.

    Dan - Chicago: Will anyone sit out this year to preserve eligibility. I assume only the freshman would be potential candidates for this.

    Tom Noie: Dan: Good question - and it may not be open only to freshmen. The plan last year was to play the long game with Tony Sanders, who in a normal year would've gone the five-year route. What if the perimeter is too crowded for him this year? What if power forward Elijah Taylor struggles to get up to ACC speed? I don't see one of the two freshmen going on the five-year plan. At least, not now. What if the returning guys are lights-out good and efficient and operating as one? Might be a consideration down the line. Would be a good problem to have.

    Joe Asbury Pk Nj: Why does Coach Brey believe not carrying a full roster of scholarship players is a good strategy ? It seems we are constantly down to under 10 healthy players . This has to effect practice along with games no ?

    Tom Noie: Joe: Personal preference for Brey, who would rather have 10-11 guys all relatively happy with their roles than carry 13 guys and have two leave after season's end. Brey comes from the Mike Krzyzewski way of thinking that a shorter bench is a better bench. Brey also believes that the law of injury averages that have crippled this program since 2017-18 HAVE to eventually turn. The Irish were under 10 healthy guys last year because Elijah Taylor underwent ankle surgery and Robby Carmody cracked his kneecap. Brey still believed nine was enough - if he didn't, he wouldn't have sat Carmody the entire year. The injury thing's gotta swing back the Irish way this year, doesn't it?

    Bruce, Centralia, IL: Tom, I doubt that anyone doubts Coach Breys ability or his fit with the program. That said, I have observed a distinct drop off in energy from him over the last few seasons, on the sidelines and especially in the postgame. Have you observed the same thing, and if so, do you ascribe it to age, to this group of players being frustrating to coach, or to some other factor that might not be visible to the rest of us? Thanks very much.

    Tom Noie: Bruce: Welcome to the grind that is college basketball. It's hard enough to be up and energetic all the time when your team is winning and all is going good. When it's not - and that's certainly been the last four years - everything about it is hard. Last season, especially because of COVID and the uncertainty staffs operated sometimes not day to day but hour to hour. Losing takes a toll on every head coach, especially someone like Brey who always seemingly had the right answer or button he could push. That's been draining since this core group were freshmen - he hasn't been able to reach them to the point where they can produce. There's something missing, and still might be this season. I thought two years ago that Mike Brey would contemplate leaving. He didn't. Same this year. Didn't happen. When you talk to him away from the coach-media setting, he's got all the same energy and juice he did in 2015-16. He believes he can get back to that. That's half the battle. Now actually go do it.

    Andrew from Plymouth, IN: Do you anticipate a transfer sometime between the end of summer workouts and the beginning of the season? There aren't enough minutes for everyone so atleast one player is going to be frustrated with their lack of expected minutes. Someone like Tony Sanders is also probably headed for a redshirt season, which will be difficult to swallow coming off a season in which he actually got minutes on the court. I don't imagine Brey changes his philosophy and starts rotating in the way a team like Florida State does in that up to 10 players get significant minutes. How do you think this shakes out?

    Tom Noie: Andrew: Whatever rotation writing that might be on the wall in summer and preseason already is there. It's no secret who the main guys are and will be. The returning guys know that, so it's not going to reach a point in August or September where someone says, whoa, didn't see that coming. That includes Tony Sanders. He played a total of 79 minutes last season, so that might be a reach to say it will be difficult for him to be handed a lesser role - especially if a bigger role awaits down the road. That's the kind of guy Notre Dame gets. They know what the current picture looks like and what the bigger picture will look like.

    Tom Noie: And Florida State? Funny you brought up that program. What the Seminoles have done the last few seasons in-season has been remarkably consistent, but man, what happens in the NCAA? Too many guys who don't really look like they know their roles. There is a such a thing of having TOO many guys. That's an example. Regular season, it works in their advantage. Post-season, it works to their disadvantage.

    xmustico: Do you think Elijah Taylor could be an underrated part of next year's team? Could he be the Colson (as a freshman) that comes off the bench and provides good minutes while guys like Atkinson and Laz get some rest. Big fan of Philly players and think they could use more of that toughness on this team.

    Tom Noie: X: That would be a great story in a program really void of great stories the last few years. For too long, it's been we get what we see and we haven't seen anything close to what we need to see for this program to be considered among the top half of the ACC. Maybe Elijah Taylor hits the college basketball ground running with his surgically-repaired left ankle and becomes that junkyard-dog type of guy that Bonzie Colson was early in his career. That would be a wrinkle we haven't seen from the Irish in too long. I've tired of seeing the same old guys do the same old stuff. Some new energy is a must.

    P. Rose: The starting five is pretty set, we assume, with some possible fluctuation on number 5 and first off the bench. Who do you anticipate being the 7th and 8th man of 2021-22 season?

    Tom Noie: P: Your standard late-spring answer is coming....ready. Too early to tell. We just have no idea about the 7-8-9-10 spots in the rotation. As mentioned in the previous question, can Elijah Taylor take a role and run with it? If so, he's a main guy. What can Robby Carmody provide? If anything, given his age, he's going to have a case for bench minutes. How about Matt Zona? Then you have the two freshmen. Where/How do they fit? I'm anxious to see this team play in summer (if we're allowed). We usually get a really good indication on how all the pieces fit in June and July.

    Andy from Bryan,Ohio: Thanks for taking my question...Mike Brey has been a God send for ND hoops and very few coaches could do what he has done.But everything eventually comes to an end...in your estimation/opinion,what does Mike Brey's successor look like?..What is that snapshot?..Not necessarily asking for possible names as much as strengths to build on the last 20 years?

    Tom Noie: Andy: A young guy with a pedigree of success - either as an assistant coach (like the NBA) or a head coach at a mid-major who has the potential to make that leap to the elite that is the ACC. What I don't see is a coach who's been around the block and we're doing this same possible coaching dance four or five years later. Brey took this job 21 Julys ago with the belief of making it his own. There's someone out there that has the same dream - and potential. Who's going to find him? Can they find him?

    Pat, Springfield, IL: Thanks for offering this opportunity. Any idea what the non-conference schedule will look like? Will the season start around the usual time, mid-November?

    Tom Noie: Pat: Good question, and from every indication in this pandemic world, college basketball is going to look a whole lot more like college basketball in 2021-22. That means fans in the stands. That means closer to 30 games. That also means the return of the November MTEs (multi-team events). Notre Dame is part of one and will go back to Maui for the first time since winning it in 2017 (and Brey going shirtless with the lei). The Maui field is Butler, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Oregon, Houston, Chaminade, Saint Mary's and Notre Dame. I'd think a first-round game between Notre Dame and Wisconsin or Notre Dame and Butler might be in the works. Notre Dame also will play a non-league road game at Howard (MLK Day) while it looks like the game against Kentucky will be at home (Dec. 11) instead of Madison Square Garden. There's the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge where Notre Dame is on the road (maybe Ohio State???) and the Crossroads against Indiana. That's seven non-league guarantees to go with a 20-game ACC schedule.

    Steve Duff: Thanks for your great work on Irish hoops Tom. Two questions for you. In my view, player development has stagnated for several years. Do you think there will be marked improvement from the old guys on the roster or have they hit their ceilings and this is who they are? Also, how much impact will Atkinson and the two South Bend freshmen have this season? Thanks and keep doing your thing!

    Tom Noie: Steve: Great to hear from you and really great stuff. You nailed it. Player development has stagnated. Guys that are supposed to get better or are expected to get better haven't gotten better (outside of John Mooney who became a backboard beast). Maybe some of that is coaching. I don't know if Ryan Ayers ever reached any of the guards in his time. Let's see if Anthony Solomon can take a run at elevating Prentiss Hubb's game or Dane Goodwin's game. My concern about this season is that this core is what it is - an average outfit. I'd love to be wrong about that and would be pleasantly stunned to see this core chase an NCAA bid. Atkinson's going to be a main guy the minute he arrives on campus - just plug him in and let him play. Konieczny and Wesley, I'll go the wait-and-see route. Both are talents whose talents are nowhere near ACC ready. Yet.

    Mike,New Jersey: Hey Tom, Any chance we see an ND alumni team in the TBT this summer? Bonzie, Mooney,Auguste,Farrell,Abro etc. all having solid careers overseas. It would be a shame it they never got together to compete.

    Tom Noie: Mike: Good call. Maybe throw in there V.J. Beachem and Demetrius Jackson and Steve Vasturia and Martin Geben as well. Jerian Grant too. I know there have been early discussions about getting a team together (my source is pretty connected....lol), but haven't heard anything lately. May reach out to my guy and see where that sits. John Mooney likely wouldn't be an option - he's got NBA options coming after his season in Australia. A lot of the Notre Dame alums have discussed a team last year. It didn't materialize because of COVID. Hopefully it does this year.

    Guest: Gary From Elkhart; I read where Hunter Dickinson went to Michigan because his girlfriend was going there.Sounds like a last minute package deal to me what say you?

    Tom Noie: Gary: That and Cost of Attendance (where student-athletes are offered a financial stipend on top of their scholarship) was better than what Cost of Attendance student-athletes get at Notre Dame. The girlfriend angle was only part of the story, but why let that ruin the narrative? Mike Brey walked out of his last meeting with Hunter Dickinson convinced he was coming to Notre Dame. Like, he he had a verbal commitment. And then he didn't. Ahhhhh.....recruiting!

    joe from the south side: Tom: First question on FB, then strictly hoops. Recently, you had the chance to meet with or talk to Marcus Freeman. I forget which. Seems like you were extremely impressed. What about him made you so effusive with praise?

    Tom Noie: Joe: Wasn't me. None of his have actually done anything face-to-face with anybody with Notre Dame football (or any athletics) since March 2020. I have listened in on some of the Zoom pressers that Marcus Freeman has participated in. Extremely well spoken. Grounded. Measured. Gets it. You can tell why kids want to play for him.

    joe from the south side: Tom: Your thoughts on Solomon returning. Remember, you laughed at me for suggesting Grant and Solomon as a package.

    Tom Noie: Joe: And I'm still laughing. Anthony Grant's a UD guy with really strong connection/relationship with Don Donoher. He's not going anywhere. I'm surprised it will be third time around with Anthony Solomon. He was really good the first two stints, but this one will be tougher for myriad reasons. Let's see how it plays out. I'd be stunned if it didn't work.

    joe from the south side: Tom: Let's assume the first 6 are set (Atkinson, Hubb, Ryan, Nate, Dane, Wertz). IYO, who are the next in line candidates to contribute? Two guys with at least some experience---Sanders and Zona? Or, the second coming of Vasturia, (JRK) or arguably the best athlete on the roster but a pretty big ego (Wesley)? I am assuming that the injuries to Carmody and Taylor remove them from the discussion, at least for today. Pretty hard to see Carmody coming back from all of those injuries, and Taylor missing a whole year puts him in a hole, I think.

    Tom Noie: Joe: Too many unknowns up and down and all around the next-in-line guys after the first six. All have potential, but all have red flags that say, no, not happening right away. I'm not aboard the Sanders-Zona experience train. They barely got a taste last year - certainly not enough to say yeah, they're ready. And then, like you said, have the two injured guys and the two freshmen. Summer workouts/pickups will offer a better idea how these pieces fit.

    Greg in Chicago: Do you see ND starting an annual series with one or two schools (say Marquette or DePaul) now that the IU/PU/ND/Butler classic will appear to go away?

    Tom Noie: Greg: And not a moment too soon for the Crossroads, which long wore out its welcome as a hoops doubleheader destination, at least for Notre Dame, which runs a very distant fourth (or fifth) in terms of fan support at Bankers Life. Anyway, I digress. Notre Dame and Marquette will renew its rivalry beginning in 2022-23 with a home and home (one game in Fiserv, one game in Purcell). Then it would be time to jump back and do something with UCLA. DePaul's got to get a little better (OK, a whole lot) to make that series worthwhile. But anything in late December would be better than Indianapolis. There's only so much IU a guy can take.

    Greg in Chicago: What do you see as the 1 thing that absolutely must happen with this team to make it back to the NCAA tournament and conversely, what do you think is the biggest hurdle the program currently faces?

    Tom Noie: Greg: This core has to show SOMETHING from a competitive/cruel standpoint where they just go and beat people. They play as one. They move the ball and get rolling confidence-wise and just run through with wins for long stretches. That's a big ask because we've seen next to nothing in that department the first three years. The biggest hurdle will be the confidence game - last time these guys were on a court together, they trailed an ACC opponent by 50. FIFTY! That's hard to do. The Irish did it. Can't do it again.

    Erik (Granger, IN): Thanks for being here! What makes UVAs packline defense so good, why dont other teams (ND) try something similar, and what does it take to defeat it?

    Tom Noie: Erik: Tony Bennett recruits to it - getting smart guys who embrace defense and aren't enamored with stats. You want to play 35 minutes and score a lot of points and showcase your skills, Virginia's not going to be for you. It's a greater good type of approach. Come to Virginia, embrace defense, frustrate opponents and win a lot of games and the personal accolades will come. Too many kids today don't want to play that way, which is why it hasn't caught on. To beat it? Think one and two and three plays ahead. Be so decisive in the post that you don't give them time for the double team to come. I covered Baylor's second-round tournament game against Wisconsin at Hinkle in March. You could just feel that the Bears were thinking a play or two ahead AS a play was unfolding. Be quick, be decisive, be sure and it eliminates the effectiveness of the packline. Oh, and shot-makers also don't hurt!

    Erik (Granger, IN): Has Anthony Solomon had success at the coaching stops between ND stints? If not, why do you think hes been more successful here at ND?

    Tom Noie: Erik: Only at Dayton, where the Flyers were Final Four caliber before the pandemic wiped clean that season. He's had success at Notre Dame because he understands the type of kid who chooses that place. He can reach them. He can relate to them. That's why he's headed back for stint No. 3.

    mschleet: Will Notre Dame hire another new coach? If so, any names that may be considered?

    Tom Noie: Eventually. A few. How's that for to the point? LOL

    Dwight, NC Arkansas: IU has in recent weeks picked up 2 apparent quality portal transfers which may help them greatly. Does ND have needs that a transfer could help fill? I understand there are a LOT of transfers out there. I realize the 'proper fit' is of prime importance/

    Tom Noie: Dwight: Not really. Not yet. Here comes the standard Mike Brey loyalty response in a chat. The perimeter's packed. The low post will be Paul Atkinson's to man. Notre Dame could go out and get another veteran transfer big or veteran swing guy but Brey wants to see what he has in Elijah Taylor and Matt Zona, and Tony Sanders and Robby Carmody to an extent. There's no shortage of possible rotation guys on the current roster. How that shakes out, that's going to the be $64,000 (and more) question.

    GEorge from El Segundo, CA: HI Tom; hope you and yours remain safe and well. Monty Williams appears to be on his way to NBA Coach of the Year. Just wondering if there Is there any current relationship between Irish basketball and Coach Williams? Thank you.

    Tom Noie: George: Notre Dame hoops held a Zoom call during the pandemic (want to say early or mid summer last year) with Monty Williams and the members of the basketball team, which was cool to see. Outside of a quick conversation or text, there hasn't been much between Mike Brey and Monty - mainly because their seasons overlap. Monty hasn't been able to get back and be around the program and the program's a little far away from PHX.

    Bruce, Centralia, IL: Tom, Im excited about Atkinson coming in as a grad transfer. Can you give us a profile of his game please - strengths and limitations, and what his ceiling might be in the ACC? Thanks very much.

    Tom Noie: Bruce: Start with the fact that the last time he played a college basketball season (he sat out 2020-21 after the Ivy League shut down because of COVID) he was the league player of the year. Ivy League or not, that's pretty impressive. He's been a double-digit scorer and rebounder at Yale. That should translate to the ACC. And he's older, which means a more mature body to absorb the pounding bigs take in this league. At one point, he was the most sought-after transfer before the portal blew up. He had his share of suitors. He'll be a consistent presence in the post. Right there is a good start. There's a lot to like, but also a lot we don't know.

    Guest: Why do we struggle to recruit big physical skilled players?

    Tom Noie: Outside of North Carolina, which seems to grow guys who are 6-11 and rebound and are athletic on trees down there in Chapel Hill, it's become a guard/perimeter game. It's hard to find a 6-11 guy with the skills that are needed in today's game. Though Notre Dame's run of bigs - Jack Cooley, Zach Auguste, Martin Geben - was pretty good, and pretty underrated. Those guys were big and physical, but also understood that to become skilled was a process and it was going to take time. Bigs today - like many elite prospects - want to play right away and get their NBA clocks started. Notre Dame's more developmental when it comes to that area. Might always be.

    John from Orlando: Will Monty Williams be the next Head Basketball Coach at the University of Notre Dame? And does Jack Swarbrick have a mediocrity fetish, as express by the long tenures of Mike Brey and Brian Kelly?

    Tom Noie: John: Might be out in the sun too long down there. Why would someone just named NBA Coach of the Year give up the paycheck and the lifestyle at the game's highest level to go coach in college? Not seeing it. Also funny that you can go 43-8 in the last four years as Brian Kelly has and be considered mediocre. Been reading too many internet message boards. Get out of the dark ages my man!

    Lee from Lancaster, SC: Hi Tom, which player must have a MVP type season if the Irish are to get back into the NCAA tournament?

    Tom Noie: Lee: Prentiss Hubb. Not from a stats standpoint, but from a leadership standpoint. An Alpha standpoint. From a jump on my back and I'll carry us where we need to go standpoint. Here's the rub - I don't know if that's in his nature - or anybody else's on the roster - to be that needed Alpha like a Pat Connaughton or Jerian Grant or Ben Hansbrough or Troy Murphy. You can add all the guys you want and shuffle the staff all you want, but if you don't have that one guy who others will run through a wall with, it's going to be really hard to go where you need to go.

    Guest: Hi Tom. Been a follower for years & appreciate your work & dedication to the ND program. Just quick question: is it difficult to follow the baskelball program right now, as closly and passionately you do, without having or sharing a gut feeling that we're all just waitung for a change, whether warranted or not? Thanks, Tom.

    Tom Noie: Guest: Great name, by the way. To your question, it's absolutely not difficult because that change that seemingly everybody wants or expects or hopes for just isn't happening anytime soon. The season is going to be the season, just like the previous 23 for me as the Notre Dame beat writer. Each one is a journey with so many twists and turns and storylines. There haven't been many where you're like, ugh, I can't muster the energy to cover this team. Hey, I've been there as the last couple seasons have wound down, but if this season started tomorrow, I'd be ready to roll. There's a lot of intrigue, both for the immediate and distant future for the program. Let's go!

    Harold Cox: Why cant ND get the big shouldered rebounders other teams seem to have in endless supply? ND relies on three point shots. When those shots miss and become 1 and done plays. ND then doesnt get rebounds? Other teams always seem to have four or five but not the Irish?

    Tom Noie: Harold: It's not the big-shouldered rebounders that hurts the Irish efforts on the backboard as much as it is want-to. That will change with Anthony Solomon. Trust me. He'll get guys who haven't rebounded to rebounded.

    jimwdi1996@gmail.com: What is the status of ND Men's Basketball going into 21-22, good or middle of the pack??

    Tom Noie: Jim: Gotta be middle of the pack, right? For a team that was down by 50 last time out, that's as good as it gets for now.

    Tom - South Bend: I'm very unhappy with NDs new ticket policy. Since I do not have a mobile phone, and do not plan to get one, I guess that leave me out in the cold when it comes to renewing my season tickets for all ND sports.

    Tom Noie: Tom: Gotta get going and join 2021 or be left out in the cold. It's the way of the technological world. Adapt or get left behind. Kind of like newspapers, so I can relate.

    Guest: Steve Diebold, Louisville KY Who is going to be a difference maker for the team next season? Do we have any players with enough talent to carry the Irish to something more than a .500 record with a middle of the ACC pack finish?

    Tom Noie: Steve: We've waited three years on this senior class that collectively was ranked among the nation's Top 15 when they signed. We're still waiting. When does that waiting end? There are pieces here and key guys there, but for anything good to happen for this program, it sits on the shoulders of Prentiss Hubb and Dane Goodwin and Nate Laszewski. Like, let's go. If you can't or don't show us this season, then when? They're not the overwhelmed freshmen or uncertain sophomores or want-to-be-good juniors. They're seniors, which means it's their time. Is there enough there to breakaway from the middle of the pack in the ACC? There simply has to be.

    Mark from Roswell, GA: Hi Tom. Why hasn't Brey signed a backup point guard behind Hubb. He usually brings a freshman in behind a senior. I know we have a plethora of shooting guards, but no true backup point guard. What if Hubb goes down, we are in big trouble. I know Cormac can play point, but he is too slow to keep up with the ACC point guards.

    Tom Noie: Mark: Good to hear from you, but a question first - how do you go about finding a "backup" point guard? Most point guards believe they're good enough to be lead guards, right? There's just not a specific market for a "backup" point guard. You recruit a guard at a school like Notre Dame and in a league like the Atlantic Coast Conference, that guy's going to want the ball in HIS hands. Not wait for someone else to hand it to him. As a result, it's backup point guard by committee. Brey pushed Trey Wertz into that role last year. He'll be better in it this year. So will Cormac Ryan. Keep an eye on Blake Wesley. There are enough handlers to be handlers, even in the ACC.

    Adam: Tom: When Slo was on staff during the Elite 8 run, was he doing a lot of defense then?

    Tom Noie: Adam: Probably, because it seldom was an issue those two seasons the way it was last year. There may have been only a game or two along the way where you thought, sheesh, they're not guarding anybody in 2015-16. Last year, it was an every-day issue. That has to change.

    Guest: Is Robby Carmody expected to be 100% by fall? Any other injury updates?

    Tom Noie: Easiest answer of the day - yes and no. Thanks for stopping by! LOL

    Bill from Orlando: Tom, Thanks for holding these chats. They are an interesting and welcome diversion from the daily tedium. I have an opinion and a question to offer.

    Bill from Orlando: oops. First to the opinion: Looking over the roster of returning players, I see a team with a NIT ceiling; to return to the NCAA I think Paul Atkinson will have to be better than Durham was, and at least one of the two freshman will have to consistently provide quality minutes. Now the question: Do you think Anthony Solomon will make that much of a difference for ND's defense? I know they performed better in that area in his previous stints, but that is relative (they have never been great on D during Brey's tenure). When I saw the announcement of Solomon's return, it struck me as a comfort-level hire. Best.

    View original post here:
    Chat Transcript: You had Notre Dame hoops questions - a lot of them. Here are some answers - Notre Dame Insider

    The Worlds First Sky Pool Is Suspended 115 Feet Above the Streets of London – Robb Report

    - May 22, 2021 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Lots of luxury residential buildings have pools. In order to differentiate themselves in this increasingly crowded aquatic landscape, some developers are getting creative. The latest entry in that out-of-the-box thinking is in London, where the apartments at Embassy Gardens today unveiled the worlds largest floating acrylic pool.

    The structure is rather aptly dubbed Sky Pool, as its suspended about 115 feet in the air. It connects the two Embassy Gardens towers at their roofs, and is about 82 feet long46 of those feet are suspended in mid-air, although residents who are a bit afraid of heights can paddle in the water at either the end of the structure, where the structure is docked on the rooftops and more closely resembles two ordinary outdoor swimming pools.

    The pool connects the two luxury residential towers at Embassy Gardens.EcoWorld Ballymore

    Naturally, it took quite a bit of planning to suspend so much water in mid-air. The project represents a collaboration between architecture firm Arup, engineers Eckersley OCallaghan and acrylic fabricator Reynolds Polymer Technologies. Arups lengthy resume includes work on Singapores jaw-dropping Jewel Changi Airport and Denmarks spiraling Camp Adventure tower; Eckersley has worked on everything from a Mars concept home for astronauts to a revamp of the TWA Flight Center in New York.

    The high-flying Embassy Gardens structure was first built at Reynolds facility in Colorado before it was eventually shipped to London. To prevent the 10-foot pool from cracking under the immense weight of all the water (plus people), it was made with a bottom thats nearly 12 inches thick. For those who are still a bit squeamish about swimming so high up, rest assured that the project has also been tested by its manufacturers many, many times for safety.

    The pool wont obstruct the sky for passerby, meanwhile, residents paddling through it will enjoy views of the nearby Thames and beyond.EcoWorld Ballymore

    Of course, youll need a membership to take a dip. All residents are automatically enrolled in Embassy Gardens Eg:Le Club, which grants access not just to the futuristic water feature, but a slew of other amenities as well, including a gym, movie theater, lounge and a more by-the-book indoor pool. For those interested in buying in, prices start at about $1.4 million at current exchange.

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    The Worlds First Sky Pool Is Suspended 115 Feet Above the Streets of London - Robb Report

    Trinidad and Tobago National Teamer Delroy Tyrrell Commits to Lindsey Wilson – SwimSwam

    - May 22, 2021 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwams College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

    Delroy Tyrrell from Trincity, Trinidad has announced his commitment to Lindsey Wilson College for the 2021-22 school year and beyond.

    I chose Lindsey Wilson because of the incredible family atmosphere! And very amazing staff members and of course swim team!

    Tyrrell is a backstroker who has represented Trinidad and Tobago internationally at the Carifta Swimming Championships (2017, 2019) and the CCCAN Swimming Championships (2017).

    Outside of the pool, Tyrrell plays chess professionally and does debating and public speaking. He speaks three languages (and is currently learning two more) and provides translating services in his country. Academically, Tyrrell is an aspiring virologist.

    Best SCM times (converted to SCY):

    Best LCM times (converted to SCY):

    Lindsey Wilson recently placed second at the Mid-South Conference Championships. Tyrrells best converted times would have scored for the Blue Raiders in the A finals of the 100 Back and 200 back.

    The NAIA National Championships were canceled this year due to COVID-19.

    It is with great pleasure that I give my official commitment to Lindsey Wilson College. All glory to God first and foremost. To describe the journey to this point as rough would be an understatement. Only my close friends would know how long I spoke about going to college and continuing swimming. For years I sat and listened to the closest people to me tell me Ill never go and I should just do what everyone else is doing and stop or just stop swimming altogether. For a while I actually considered stopping and just thinking that it was all pointless. I thought that I had failed for yearsssss because I couldnt get this one simple dream. I stand here 5 long years later to tell you all that I told you I would do it. Going from being in an immensely dark place to now being able to say that I am a recipient of LWCs full tuition Wesley Scholarship award, being the first international student to receive this award, and being the first athlete to be awarded this award. I can confidently tell you, if you want something and you want it that badly. I dont care how long it takes. Go get your dreams. I cant wait to be a part of the Blue Raiders family. God bless you all, keep working hard. If you want to hear my full story feel free to message me. Thanks again to God and here I come LWC!! #GoRaiders #LWCisfamily

    If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [emailprotected].

    About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour

    Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visitfitterandfaster.comto find or request a swim camp near you.

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    Trinidad and Tobago National Teamer Delroy Tyrrell Commits to Lindsey Wilson - SwimSwam

    THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME – Landscape Architecture Magazine

    - May 22, 2021 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Carley Rickles came to a realization thats unfamiliar to most landscape architects when she was beginning the landscape plan for an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). There was, strictly speaking, no site. As part of Los Angeless ambitious program to alleviate its housing crisis by dropping ADUs across the citys legendary single-family-home horizon, each structure would sit in a backyard that could contain different dimensions, constraints, and contexts.

    Rickless landscape design would be paired with a crisp and angular garden shed-like unit designed by Jennifer Bonners MALL, a creative practice that stands for Mass Architectural Loopty Loops, Miniature Angles & Little Lines, or Maximum Arches with Limited Liability. It felt like all we had to draw from was the architecture, Rickles says.

    So, the Atlanta-based Martin Rickles Studio (composed of Rickles and the artist and architect Jennifer Martin) extrapolated the abstract geometry of Bonners design and put together a planter-based graphic kit of parts, Rickles says, that could weave around and through whatever might be behind the back doorbirdbath, pool, or actual garden shed. Every house is going to be different with different conditions, and we need to be able to respond to that, she says.

    Lean-to ADU, the name of the 515-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bath collaboration between Bonner and Martin Rickles Studio, is part of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safetys catalogue of preapproved ADU designs, with entries from local and national firms, both new and established. With over two-dozen templates, city officials are looking to elevate ADU design while also offering an expedited over-the-counter approval process, as the former Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne and current Los Angeles chief design officer told Carolina A. Miranda,his successor at the Los Angeles Times.

    Bonners ADU riffs on Los Angeless regional vernacular housing types, as well as the omnipresent backyard shed. And Rickless landscape uses this same geometric palette of circles, rectangles, parallelograms, and very acute triangles, she says, an echo of the front facade roof line. These shapes are defined by wavy metal edger planting bedsand arrayed in any pattern thats pleasing. Sketched and rendered with an Instagram collage aesthetic, with hearty helpings of millennial pink and teal, it looks like a ready-made boutique Airbnb offering.

    Absent site-specific context and guidance, Rickles was able to draw on the history of Los Angeles landscape design from the late Ruth Shellhorn. Born in 1909, Shellhorn was a native Angeleno and pioneer in the design of Southern California landscapes at a time when there were few women practicing. She was best known for her work at Disneyland, where, in just a handful of months, she designed the parks pedestrian circulation system, planned landscapes, and selected plantings. Rickles took inspiration from Shellhorns horizontal beds of geometric plantings that depict Mickey Mouse. I thought that this idea of literally having pop culture embedded in the landscape would be something interesting to bring forward, especially in California, by this heroine of landscape architecture, she says.

    Shellhorn was important for the way she used landscape to frame retail experiences, designing courtyard-like landscapes that presented shopping as a lifestyle, with intense sun-dappled plant textures and colors to evoke a subtropical aesthetican approach that became synonymous with Southern California landscape design. She was also attracted to narrative and theatrical applications of plants, like the brambled melaleuca trees planted at the Sleeping Beauty Castle, which are sinister and twisted in the way of a fairy tales second act.

    For Lean-to ADU, Martin Rickles Studio includes native plants such as desert marigold, blue fescue, red buckwheat, and desert globemallow. Surrounding the geometric planters, Rickles says the remaining yard will be green gravel, a satirical take on the still-aspirational environmental dead-end of standard single-family-home turf lawns. Rickles sees this as a corrective thats meeting a social and ecological need, she says.

    By flexibly nesting a new design typology within the suburban residential pattern, Martin Rickles Studios landscape promises to assert just enough of its own identity to be a good neighbor.

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    THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME - Landscape Architecture Magazine

    Not everyone gets along at the pool – Kankakee Daily Journal

    - May 22, 2021 by Mr HomeBuilder

    If you build it, they will come. The Field of Dreams tagline certainly applies to the three-part PBS docu-series Life at the Waterhole (7 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings).

    Filmed in Tanzania with the cooperation and literal blessings of local tribes, Waterhole brings a bit of reality TV surveillance to the parched African landscape.

    Host and renowned conservation scientist Dr. M. Sanjayan visits with a local Maasai leader to discuss the effects of rising temperatures on both humans and animals. Surveying a village with many hand-dug wells, he learns just how precious water can become during the dry seasons that are increasing in length and severity. These wells draw the attention of local wildlife, including elephants that can drink up an entire well in one sitting.

    Sanjayan and his team then decide to create an artificial watering hole. This will keep animals from bothering the Maasai and offer a unique vantage point for studying wildlife behavior.

    Next to the waterhole, they create a concrete structure large enough to house a kind of ad hoc TV studio. It also is rigged with dozens of minicameras, similar to the house on Big Brother and the restaurants on Real Housewives. Just dont go looking for these beasts to throw chardonnay at each other.

    It takes less than 45 minutes for local warthogs to discover the pool, where they cool themselves with rambunctious mud baths. Thermal cameras show how the mud lowers the warthogs temperatures some 7 degrees, a lifesaver in the severe heat. The arrival of elephants really advertises this resort. As they trample the rough brush, elephants create a highway for other creatures, including impalas, leopards and hyenas. And not everyone gets along.

    During three Wednesday episodes, Waterhole will follow the pool scene by day and night, in the dry season and after the rains arrive, making the makeshift hangout less necessary and popular.

    The theme of being spied upon continues on the finale of Home Economics (7:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG), wrapping up its freshman season after seven episodes. At a get-together for the folks anniversary, suspicions spread about the real plot to Toms novel and his mining his relationship with his siblings for material.

    Also concluding their seasons tonight, The Goldbergs (7 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) cliffhangs with talk of engagement rings; Jackie comes down to earth after her Jeopardy! appearance on The Conners (8 p.m., ABC, TV-14); and the kids imagine the worst about Danny just as he embarks on a road trip with Jean on Call Your Mother (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).

    If she could turn back time. Seen earlier on Paramount+, Cher and the Loneliest Elephant (7 p.m., Smithsonian) follows the singer to Pakistan, where she uses her considerable influence to help relocate a 4,000-pound pachyderm to an animal preserve. I got you, babe.

    TONIGHTS OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

    A transplant procedure goes South on Chicago Med (7 p.m., NBC, TV-14).

    A place for Kidd on Chicago Fire (8 p.m., NBC, TV-14).

    NOVA (8 p.m., PBS) sifts through new evidence about the cause of the explosion of the Hindenburg in 1937, an aviation disaster covered live on radio, broadcast to a horrified audience.

    A crime ring makes things personal on Chicago P.D. (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).

    Tyrell seethes on A Million Little Things (9 p.m., ABC, TV-14).

    Human: The World Within (9 p.m., PBS, TV-PG, check local listings) explores the immune system and the ways the body defends itself.

    CULT CHOICE

    A movie star (Ellen Burstyn) calls on some unusual experts after her daughters (Linda Blair) condition begins to turn heads in the 1973 shocker The Exorcist (9 p.m., Sho2).

    SERIES NOTES

    Kids Say the Darndest Things (7 p.m., CBS, TV-PG) ... The Masked Singer (7 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) ... A rude homecoming on Kung Fu (7 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) ... A Nigerian pipeline faces attack on SEAL Team (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) ... Game of Talents (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) ... The Drew crew targets Everett on Nancy Drew (8 p.m., CW, TV-14) ... Hondo stews on S.W.A.T. (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14).

    LATE NIGHT

    Charles Barkley is booked on Conan (10 p.m., TBS) ... Lisa Kudrow and Tamika Mallory are booked on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (10:35 p.m., CBS) ... Jimmy Fallon welcomes Blake Shelton, Horatio Sanz and musical guests Regard, Troye Sivan and Tate McRae on The Tonight Show (10:34 p.m., NBC) ... Sen. Bernie Sanders, Action Bronson and Brian Frasier-Moore visit Late Night With Seth Meyers (11:37 p.m., NBC).

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    Not everyone gets along at the pool - Kankakee Daily Journal

    A Newly Renovated Mansion Outside of Nashville With a Pub and a Wine Vault – Mansion Global

    - May 22, 2021 by Mr HomeBuilder

    LISTING OF THE DAY

    Location: Brentwood, Tennessee

    Price: $2.95 million

    This five-bedroom house in a celebrity-favored suburb of Nashville has just emerged from a total makeover.

    The owners completely renovated the house from top to bottom, said listing agent Kim Brannon, of Zeitlin Sothebys International Realty. This was going to be their forever home, but now they need to move to Florida.

    She described the renovation as very sophisticated with a number of high-end finishes. The home is in the city of Brentwoods Annandale neighborhood, which is just south of Nashville.

    Whats great about this neighborhood is that its as far north as you can go in Brentwood and still be in Williamson County, which is known for its excellent schools and lower property taxes, compared to adjoining Davidson County, where Nashville is located, she said. Its also just 15 minutes from downtown and the airport, which makes it very attractive.

    More: Tennessee Estate With a Full Recording Studio

    The main floor of the home has formal living and dining rooms, a large mudroom with cubbies and a fully updated kitchen with new quartzite counters, stainless-steel appliances and an island. The kitchen opens to the hearth, or family room, which has a custom entertainment center and a vaulted ceiling with wood beams.

    The primary bedroom suite, which features a new bathroom with Carrara marble, floating cabinets, a standalone tub, an oversized shower and a separate water closet, is also on the first floor.

    The second floor holds a new massive executive office with maple judges paneling and a coffered ceiling, Ms. Brannon said. There is also an attached smaller office for an assistant, or it can be used as a second office.

    More: Nashville, Tennessee, May See Major Hike in Property Taxes

    In addition, the floor has three en-suite bedrooms with walk-in closets, and a media room with a wet bar and a small refrigerator.

    The lower level has a pub room with brick floors and a walk-in wine vault with a cork floor and iron gates. Other architectural and design features in the home include nine- to 12-foot ceilings, hardwood floors throughout (except in the carpeted media room), new light fixtures and multiple fireplaces.

    The backyard looks like a park and is very private, Ms. Brannon said. The fenced yard features a covered brick patio, a plunge pool with two waterfalls, a spa and all new landscaping, including tall evergreens for screening.

    It also has room for a full pool, which the owners were planning to install, she said.

    From Penta: Basquiat Skull Painting Sells for US$93.1 Million at Christies

    Stats

    The 7,302-square-foot house has five bedrooms, six full bathrooms and two partial bathrooms. It sits on a 0.96-acre lot.

    Amenities

    Amenities include two two-car garages, a separate guest or in-law suite, a bar, a plunge pool, an oversized spa, a pub room and a walk-in wine vault that can hold about 1,000 bottles.

    Neighborhood Notes

    Annandale is probably one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Brentwood because its really, really well groomed, Ms. Brannon said. It features 14 acres of linear parkland with walking trails, lakes and fountains.

    Brentwood as a whole is known for its parks system, she said.

    More: Country Singer Carrie Underwood Lists Tennessee Home for $1.45 Million

    Agents: Kim Brannon and Ami Kase, Zeitlin Sothebys International Realty

    View the original listing

    Write to Listing of the Day

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    A Newly Renovated Mansion Outside of Nashville With a Pub and a Wine Vault - Mansion Global

    Global Swimming Apparel Market 2021 Industry Development, Analysis of Driving Factors and Growth Forecast to 2026 KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper – KSU…

    - May 22, 2021 by Mr HomeBuilder

    The market research report entitled Global Swimming Apparel Market 2021 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2026 was recently released by MarketsandResearch.biz contains systematic details in terms of market valuation, market size, revenue estimation, and geographical spectrum of the business vertical. The report reviews global Swimming Apparel industry by-products or services offered, downstream fields, end using customers, historic data figures regarding revenue and sales, market context, and more. It collectively studies the current state of affairs of the market rate, share, demand, development patterns, and forecast within the coming back years.

    Market Landscape:

    The report investigates the global Swimming Apparel market and delivers in-depth market information based on the data related to export and import along with the ongoing industry trends in the global market. The report deeply observes the competitive structure of the market worldwide. The report comprises a detailed summary of the various firms, manufacturers, organizations, and other competitive players in this market. It then highlights a comprehensive market evaluation that reveals patterns in market size by sales & volume, existing growth drivers, information, and market progress validated by the industry.

    NOTE: Our analysts monitoring the situation across the globe explains that the market will generate remunerative prospects for producers post COVID-19 crisis. The report aims to provide an additional illustration of the latest scenario, economic slowdown, and COVID-19 impact on the overall industry.

    DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT: https://www.marketsandresearch.biz/sample-request/182199

    The major players in the global market are:

    Key Pointers Covered in the Market Industry Trends and Forecast:

    The report also sheds light on the key player actively participating and contributing to the growth of the global Swimming Apparel market including insights given by the analysts and experts about the financial statements as well as the company profiles, products, and services of all the key market players. The market report provides exclusive coverage which has been provided for market drivers and challenges & opportunities for a country-level market in the respective regional segments.

    Market segmentation by type:

    Market segmentation by applications:

    The report comprises a competitive analysis of the key players functioning in the global Swimming Apparel market and covers in-depth data related to the competitive landscape of the market and the recent strategies & products that will assist or affect the market in the coming years. A deep study of factors including various dynamics of the industry, the regional markets, value chain analysis, consumption, demand, key application areas has been considered in the report. This study provides a conclusive study about the growth plot of the market for forthcoming years.

    ACCESS FULL REPORT: https://www.marketsandresearch.biz/report/182199/global-swimming-apparel-market-2021-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2026

    Promising regions & countries mentioned in the market report:

    What The Report Features:

    Customization of the Report:

    This report can be customized to meet the clients requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@marketsandresearch.biz), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +1-201-465-4211 to share your research requirements.

    Contact UsMark StoneHead of Business DevelopmentPhone: +1-201-465-4211Email: sales@marketsandresearch.bizWeb: http://www.marketsandresearch.biz

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    Global Swimming Apparel Market 2021 Industry Development, Analysis of Driving Factors and Growth Forecast to 2026 KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper - KSU...

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