Tag Archives: Balladeer’s Blog

MORE COLLEGE BASKETBALL POSTSEASON RESULTS

NAIA

Mayville State Comets SQUARENORTH STAR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The 3 seeds – the MAYVILLE STATE COMETS – played the 2nd seeded BELLEVUE (NE) BRUINS. The 1st Half ended with the Comets leading the Bruins by a score of 33-26. After the break Mayville State completed the Upset, offing Bellevue 66-55. Daniel Lindgren tossed in 18 points to lead the Comets. * THE COMETS ARE NSAA CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS * 

Voorhees College TigersASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The 3rd seeded VOORHEES COLLEGE TIGERS squared off against the 4 seeds – the COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS BOBCATS – for the AII title. The Tigers were on top 44-36 at Halftime but the Bobcats pulled off a 72-72 tie to end Regulation. The 1st Overtime wound up in an 82-82 deadlock but in the 2nd Voorhees College slashed their way to a 91-89 win led by Alex Brooks’ 24 points. * THE TIGERS ARE AII CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS *

NJCAA

Richland College Thunder ducksDISTRICT 303: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – Familiar rivals clashed in this District Tournament title tilt: The top seeds – the RICHLAND COLLEGE THUNDERDUCKS – and the 3rd seeded EASTFIELD COLLEGE HARVESTERS. The Thunderducks had eked out a 42-41 edge by the break then mustered 1 more point of separation from the Harvesters for an 82-80 victory. Caleb Williams led the way for Richland College with THIRTY-FOUR points. * THE THUNDERDUCKS ARE CHAMPIONS OF DISTRICT 303 * Continue reading →

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPS CROWNED

Tickets punched for the 2019 NAIA national tournament, the country’s OLDEST college basketball tournament … Yes, even older than the NCAA Tournament!

APPALACHIAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Union tn Bulldogs logoCHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The top seeded UNION COLLEGE BULLDOGS took the court against the team in the 2 spot – the MONTREAT COLLEGE CAVALIERS. The Bulldogs were on top 33-29 at Halftime but the Cavaliers came roaring back to force Overtime with a 79-79 tie to end Regulation. In the extra session Union College outscored Montreat 16-6 for a 95-85 triumph. K.J. Duronslett led UC with a Double Double of 22 points and 10 rebounds. * THE BULLDOGS ARE CHAMPIONS OF THE AAC TOURNAMENT *

CHICAGOLAND COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Saint Francis (il) Fighting Saints biggerCHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The 8 seeds – the UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS – completed their incredible run through the CCAC tourney yesterday against the 3rd seeded GOVERNORS STATE JAGUARS. The Fighting Saints were chasing the Jaguars 28-27 at the break but came from behind for a 59-54 victory in this defense-heavy affair. Terrion Howard’s 18 points led USF. * THE FIGHTING SAINTS ARE CHAMPIONS OF THE CCAC TOURNAMANT * Continue reading →

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SMASH MOUTH: I’M A BELIEVER

Give Them A Shoutout Before They’re Dead is back and the shoutout this time goes to Smash Mouth with their cover of I’m A Believer.

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JUSTICE SOCIETY 21: THE PSYCHO-PIRATE

SpectreBalladeer’s Blog’s examination of the Justice Society’s World War Two-era stories continues. FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE 

I will review the original issue and then detail how I would “script-doctor” the story for modern audiences.

All Star 23ALL STAR COMICS #23 (Winter 1944)

Title: PLUNDER OF THE PSYCHO-PIRATE

Heroes: HAWKMAN (Original), DOCTOR MIDNITE, THE ATOM (Original), STARMAN, THE SPECTRE, JOHNNY THUNDER

Villain: THE PSYCHO-PIRATE, whose name and power to affect emotions seem to have inspired Marvel’s much-later villain Psycho-Man. 

Psycho-PirateSynopsis: The Courier newspaper has been covering the crime-spree of a supervillain calling himself the Psycho-Pirate because of his power over emotions. The Psycho-Pirate contacts the Courier to issue a challenge to the Justice Society of America to try to stop his crimes.  

The villain preys on the emotions of his victims AND our heroes as he continues his criminal activities. Continue reading →

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS: MORE ACTION

ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS

Indiana University Northwest RedhawksROUND ONE, GAME ONE – The top seeds – the INDIANA UNIVERSITY NORTHWEST REDHAWKS – got a wake-up call from the 8th seeded LINCOLN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY RED LIONS. The Redhawks seemed to have everything under control and led 57-40 come Halftime. After the break the Red Lions came storming back, with IUN holding on by their fingernails for a 96-91 win. Rashad Richardson’s 22 points led the Redhawks.

Washington Adventist University ShockROUND ONE, GAME TWO – In this contest the 2nd ranked WASHINGTON ADVENTIST UNIVERSITY SHOCK likewise got almost more than they could handle from the 7 seeds – the GREEN MOUNTAIN COLLEGE EAGLES (Should be the Verdant Eagles). The Shock were on top 37-30 at the midpoint but barely eked out a 75-74 victory in the face of a furious Green Mountain College rally. Desmond Stanback led the Shock with 19 points. Continue reading →

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THE NEW MONKEES (1987): PETER TORK IS DEAD

Peter TorkMonkees member Peter Tork is dead. Not since the infamous Day The Music Died has the rock world suffered such a loss. I’m kidding! Still, though, here’s a Balladeer’s Blog goodbye to the one and only member of the Monkees whose name always puts me in mind of the measure of a force’s tendency to produce torsion equal to the product of the force vector and the radius vector from the axis of rotation to the point of application of the force.

I think you’ll agree.

Anyway, I considered reviewing the Monkees’ movie Head or maybe even the motorcycle flick Torque but instead I’m going with this look at the NEW Monkees show from 1987. 

New MonkeesThe New Monkees are remembered as the most pointless re-launch of a band in history AND as one of the worst television shows in history. I’ve never listened to their one and only album so I can’t say if they make it a Hat Trick with one of the worst albums in history, too. 

The premise sounds like a comedy sketch from the glory days of SCTV but unfortunately this thoroughly bizarre attempt to recapture the flukish charm of the original Monkees was 100% real.

Let’s look at the debut episode of The New Monkees‘ 13 episode run in 1987. Everything you’ve heard is true: We get Rocky Horror Picture Show lips voiced by a black lady, a weird sci-fi mansion home for the title foursome, a built-in diner and their annoying butler, Manford.

The laugh track does NOT go off during the few things that seemed funny, like a couple of apparently ad-libbed jokes by the New Monkees during their screen test footage, but instead goes off during lame, obvious jokes that not even small children would laugh at. Continue reading →

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Filed under Bad and weird movies, Forgotten Television, humor

COLLEGE BASKETBALL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS CONTINUE

THE SUN CONFERENCE

ave maria university gyrenesROUND ONE, GAME ONE – (The top 2 seeds in the Sun Conference get a bye in the 1st round.) The 3rd seeded AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY GYRENES took the court against the 6 seeds – the SAINT THOMAS UNIVERSITY BOBCATS. The Gyrenes parlayed a 39-29 Halftime lead into an 80-69 triumph. Ave Maria University was led by Leo Behrend with 23 points. 

Coastal Georgia MarinersROUND ONE, GAME TWO – The 5 seeds – the COLLEGE OF COASTAL GEORGIA MARINERS – visited the 4th seeded KEISER UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS. At the break the Seahawks held a 39-34 advantage over the Mariners. The College of Coastal Georgia came back to force Overtime with a 76-76 tie to end Regulation. In the extra session the Mariners won it 86-85. Jaylen Smallwood’s 23 points led CCG.

NORTH STAR ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

Mayville State Comets SQUAREROUND ONE, GAME ONE – The 3 seeds – the MAYVILLE STATE COMETS – faced the 6th seeded VITERBO UNIVERSITY V-HAWKS in this game. The Comets had mustered a 43-40 edge by the Half and from there they got more and more separation from the V-Hawks, ultimately winning the game by a score of 88-75. Gorg Alhag led the way for Mayville State with his 28 points. Continue reading →

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MAN FROM ATLANTIS (1977) ON BLU-RAY

Man from AtlantisYes, in a not-so-subtle attempt to exploit Aquaman‘s suprising success it’s a Warner Archives Blu-ray of the telefilm Man From Atlantis. Patrick Duffy stars as Marcarus, the (seemingly) last survivor of Atlantis with Victor “King Tut” Buono as his evil archenemy Mr. Schubert.

Belinda Montgomery and Alan Fudge co-star as marine scientists who ally themselves with Duffy and name him “Mark Harris.” I’m just weird enough to love the fact that when Duffy’s son joined him in the cast of Dallas years later the son’s character was also named Mark Harris. Cute.

This is the telefilm that led to the series which featured “undersea time portals” and bad model sub work and midgets called Moxie and giants named Thark.     Continue reading →

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2019 COLLEGE BASKETBALL POSTSEASON IS UNDERWAY!

Chicagoland CollegiateThe 2019 College Basketball postseason is underway in the divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog! As usual the NAIA’s Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tipped things off with Round One of their Conference Tournament last night.

Saint Francis (il) Fighting Saints biggerTOP SEED FALLS – The 8th seeded UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS (IL) FIGHTING SAINTS took on the CCAC’s top seeded OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY TIGERS. The Fighting Saints showed they were in it for the win, playing hard enough for a 34-33 edge at Halftime. The teams put up 47 points each in the explosive 2nd Half as USF emerged with an 81-80 Upset. Cole Micek led the victors with 24 points.

Roosevelt U LakersFOUR OVER FIVE – In the 4 spot the ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY LAKERS (shoutout to a regular reader of Balladeer’s Blog who went there) welcomed the 5th seeded ROBERT MORRIS (IL) UNIVERSITY EAGLES. The Eagles put the Lakers on Upset Alert at the break with a 31-28 advantage but Roosevelt U came roaring back for a 79-70 victory. Kevin Day’s 23 points led the Lakers and his teammate Grant Gibson notched a Double Double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Continue reading →

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JUSTICE SOCIETY 20: A CURE FOR THE WORLD

superman golden ageBalladeer’s Blog’s examination of the Justice Society’s World War Two-era stories continues. FOR PART ONE CLICK HERE 

I will review the original issue and then detail how I would “script-doctor” the story for modern audiences.

All Star 22ALL STAR COMICS #22 (Fall 1944)

Title: A CURE FOR THE WORLD

Heroes: DOCTOR MIDNITE, WONDER WOMAN (Original), THE SPECTRE, HAWKMAN (Original), STARMAN, THE ATOM (Original), JOHNNY THUNDER

Villains: CAVEMEN, WITCH-HUNTERS, BLUE-BLOODED OPPRESSORS, LUDDITES AND CENSORS

Wonder WomanSynopsis: A mystical female figure who embodies “The Conscience of Man” summons the Justice Society of America.

She sends them forth to battle the forces of intolerance no matter what form those forces take. Continue reading →

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