Matt's Musings

I miss football, and sports in general. I'm guessing you do, too. And in the place of actual games, we've been seeing a lot of countdowns of classic games, players, etc. And that got me thinking about my own favorite team, the Denver Broncos. I have loved the Denver Broncos since I was a little kid, more than 30 years of fandom. I started watching them in the late 1980s, and have been faithful ever since. So I thought it might be fun to take a little walk down memory lane and consider my favorite players from those teams. So this is just a personal list, that will be presented in reverse order starting at number 30. Agree, disagree, have your own stories? Share them in the comments. No. 14 Ed McCaffrey (1995-2003) About: McCaffrey was a big part of the Broncos' offense during their championship years, serving as one half of a great combination of wide receivers. McCaffrey began his career as Giant, then spent a year with the 49ers before coming to the Broncos in 1995. He...

The Emmy Nominations were announced on Tuesday and the ceremony will be held in September. The plan is for it to be virtual. There will be plenty of time to make predictions, but for now I wanted to highlight a few of the shows in the categories that I was glad to see make the list. Comedies: There were eight shows nominated for best comedy series, among them the final season of "The Good Place," which I enjoyed quite a bit and the third season of "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." It's been a while since either was on, but both were shows I enjoyed when they were on. I think either would be a worthy winner here, though I'd wager both a long shots. Among performers, I was excited to see Ted Danson among best Comedy Actor nominees and Rachel Brosnahan among the best Comedy Actress nominees. In the supporting categories, Andre Braugher is great as Capt. Raymond Holt, and it was great to see him nominated. I also really enjoyed William Jackson Harper on "The Good Pl...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. A Kid From Coney Island (Netflix) Synopsis: This documentary focuses on Stephon Marbury, the former NBA Player who found incredible success playing in China. Marbury was recognizable to basketball fans in the United States, but he's become an icon in China. This documentary explores some of that, but it mostly centers on his childhood, family and early career. Most of the interviews are with his relatives and family, and those that played with him and knew him. I thought it provided a little insight, but I would have liked to have heard more from Marbury. Rating : TV-MA Verdict: Two stars out of four. Animal Crackers (Netflix) Starring: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Danny DeVito, and Ian McKellen Synopsis: This animated featured was made in 2017, and appeared at a few festivals, but it finally got its wide release in the United States this weekend on Netflix. It features main characters voiced by Krasinski and Blunt, who make a ...

We're nearly to August and the summer is fading. So, too, is the flood of content. This is something I think is going to get worse as we careen toward the Fall. It's been months since production halted, and even if it begins in late August there will be a dead period. But this isn't a space to decry what we don't have but rather to consider what we do have. In these weekly posts I review the pilot and second episode of new scripted (and some unscripted) series this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Wednesday Nights: United We Fall, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC (Premiered July 15) About: True confession, I forgot about this show last week. I blame the travel, because I actually enjoyed this one. It's a new comedy about exhausted parents (Will Sasso and Lisa Vidal) trying to make their way through the day-to-day grind with two kids. Some familiar faces join the supporting cast as Jane Curtin plays the live-in mother and Guillermo Día...

The Broncos are set to begin training camp tomorrow, which means (hopefully) we're close to a return to football. With no pre-season games this year, it's going to be interesting to see how teams figure out which 53 to carry. The other wrinkle is the expanded, 16-man practice squad. I'll look at Practice Squad predictions next week, but below is my fearless, pre-training camp picks for the final 53-man roster. Quarterback: (2) * Drew Lock * Jeff Driskel About : The quarterback position is one of the easier ones to predict. Lock is the man, and Driskel was brought in to be a veteran backup. I think Brett Rypien stays with the team, but not on the active roster. Running Back: (4) * Melvin Gordon * Phillip Lindsay * Royce Freeman * Khalfani Muhammad About : This is an interesting group. Lavante Bellamy is there, the undrafted free agent the team likes. But I think the team carries four and the last spot goes to Muhammad, who has been with the team for a few years and shown str...

Over the next 25 weeks I'll be rolling out my favorite films of the last decade. This is, as all lists of this kind, personal selections. Agree, disagree, make a comment and share your thoughts! No. 3 Won't Be My Neighbor (2018) Director: Morgan Neville Academy Award Nominations: 0 Academy Award Wins : 0 About: Every once in a while a movie comes along that just sticks with you and inspires you. For me, two years ago, it was "Won't You Be My Neighbor?," the excellent documentary about Fred Rogers. I remembered the show from my youth, which is what made me curious. But what I got with this was so much more of a rich emotional experience. This was by far my favorite film the year it was released and easily moved into the Top 3 for the decade. It's a crime that it wasn't considered for Best Picture, but even less understandable is that it wasn't even nominated for Best Documentary the year it was released, which feels inconceivable. This was the story ...

Terry McLaurin was one of the bright spots for Washington in 2019. The Ohio State product was taken in Third Round of the draft, and made a big splash as a rookie. But it was something of a lost season for Washington, which finally moved on from head coach Jay Gruden and finished 3–13, second worst in the NFL. Washington made a lot of changes in the off-season, including bringing in head coach Ron Rivera and new offensive coordinator Scott Turner. But McLaurin remains the best of a thin and young receiving corps. Alongside second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins, can McLaurin continue his ascension as one of the best young receivers in the game? Let’s weigh the evidence. Year Two in the Nation’s Capital McLaurin had a huge year for Washington as a rookie. He played in only 14 games, but still led the team with 93 targets for 58 receptions, 919 yards and seven TDs . He was something of a fantasy darling early in the season with veteran Case Keenum. He had at least five receptions and...

I miss football, and sports in general. I'm guessing you do, too. And in the place of actual games, we've been seeing a lot of countdowns of classic games, players, etc. And that got me thinking about my own favorite team, the Denver Broncos. I have loved the Denver Broncos since I was a little kid, more than 30 years of fandom. I started watching them in the late 1980s, and have been faithful ever since. So I thought it might be fun to take a little walk down memory lane and consider my favorite players from those teams. So this is just a personal list, that will be presented in reverse order starting at number 30. Agree, disagree, have your own stories? Share them in the comments. No. 15 Tim Tebow (2010-2011) About: This might be the most controversial pick on this list. Tebow wasn't with the Broncos long, in fact in two seasons he only started 14 games. But the thing is, he made an impact. I was a big Tebow fan from the beginning, including when he was at the University...

On Wednesday, July 15, Peacock made it's debut. The new streaming service is the latest to enter the streaming wars, and probably the last of the big ones for a bit. It didn't come with tons of fanfare, and it doesn't seem to have a great signature piece of content. But it does have a potential library, and there are ways to get it free which is... something. At launch, it came with one original scripted show in "Brave New World" and the film "Psych 2: Lassie Come Home." It also filled out some offerings with foreign shows making their U.S. debut like "Intelligence" with David Schwimmer. If you read my TV and film reviews for the week, you'd know that none of them was a real stand out. Also part of the launch was a reunion for "30 Rock," one of NBC's most beloved sitcoms. The special was supposed to air on the network and then appear on Peacock. The thing is, as it was viewed by many affiliates as an enticement to give up TV a...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. Psych 2: Lassie Come Home (Peacock) Starring: James Roday Rodriguez, Dule Hill, Timothy Omundson, Maggie Lawson, Kirsten Nelson, and Corbin Bernsen Synopsis: For many years, "Psych" was a part of the television landscape on USA. Then, after the show officially ended, the story continued in a film. Now, a sequel to that film has emerged. While it was originally going to be part of USA, with the Peacock (the new NBC Universal Streaming Service) finally on line, the film became part of the original scripted offerings at launch. If you're a fan of the show, you flocked to this movie. It might even have swayed your decision to give Peacock a try. If you're not a fan of the show, this movie will probably not make a lot of sense. Writer/director Steve Franks ran the original show, and this one is clearly an extension of that series. It brings back the familiar faces and locations, and it has plenty of inside jokes. As a ...

July is quickly fading from view as we head toward August and an uncertain Fall TV landscape at best. But in the mean time we have streaming services launching, new shows appearing and cable outlets continuing to roll out their original scripted fare. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this Summer. Sunday Nights: P-Valley, 10 p.m. Sundays on Starz (Premiered July 12) About : This series from Katori Hall is based on her stage play of roughly the same name. It's set in the Mississippi Delta at a strip club called The Pynk. There women are trying to earn a living and deal with the complexities of their lives and situations. The greater themes made the stage production work, but I've yet to see a lot of depth in episodes that have debuted so far. The performances are fairly solid, but this isn't a story I could invest in. Pilot Grade : C- Second Episode : C- Streaming Series: A Brave New World, Now Streaming on Peacock (Premiered...

Training Camp is slated to begin a week from tomorrow, and hopefully it will go off as planned. In anticipation, I'm going to look at a trio of Camp Battles to watch as we prepare for the 2020 Season. Running Back : Melvin Gordon joined the squad, and Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman are there. Some thing Gordon is going to be the bell cow in this system, but I'm not counting out Lindsay. Since joining the team as an undrafted free agent, Lindsay has beaten every challenger. He's run for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, he's an under-rated receiver and he was a Pro Bowler in 2018. I think he is going to have a good 2020 and a good role. The odd man out is likely Freeman, and without pre-season games to show out he's not likely to get great trade value. I think he ends up a depth piece while Gordon and Lindsay split the main load. Receiver : Courtland Sutton should be set as the top receiver for the Broncos, but who is the No. 2 and No. 3 rece...

Over the next 25 weeks I'll be rolling out my favorite films of the last decade. This is, as all lists of this kind, personal selections. Agree, disagree, make a comment and share your thoughts! No. 4 Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert de Niro, Chris Tucker, and Jacki Weaver Director : David O. Russell Academy Award Nominations : 8 Academy Award Wins : 1 (Best Actress (Lawrence) About : This was a movie that I just fell in love with. After seeing it, I quickly got the novel from Matthew Quick and read that as well. Cooper was great in this movie, and so was the rest of the cast. Lawrence was incredible, too, and got the Academy Award she deserved. Russell did a great job putting together this film, which was a fascinating blend of drama and comedy. It was quirky, but it worked for me and is one that I continue to adore, which is why it made it to this list. I was pulling hard for it to win Best Picture, but it didn't happen. The ...

For those that regularly follow me in this space, you know I went off the books with my pre-season prediction for Fantasy MVP in 2019. With Melvin Gordon looking to potentially hold out all season, I thought Justin Jackson was a steal, and would be a league winner. I still believe in the talent, but that call didn’t work out great. Jackson didn’t get a ton of touches early in the season, then missed a chunk of the year with injury. Meanwhile Gordon returned after a few weeks and quickly claimed his spot alongside Austin Ekeler in leading the Chargers’ backfield. But now Gordon is gone to Denver, and I’m returning to Jackson. Can he flourish this year for the Chargers? Let’s consider the evidence. A Talented Addition Jackson was taken in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and showed some flashes in his rookie year. He only got 50 carries, but turned that into 206 yards and two TDs, catching 15 passes for 135 yards . Jackson was a four-year starter for Northwestern, where he fi...

I miss football, and sports in general. I'm guessing you do, too. And in the place of actual games, we've been seeing a lot of countdowns of classic games, players, etc. And that got me thinking about my own favorite team, the Denver Broncos. I have loved the Denver Broncos since I was a little kid, more than 30 years of fandom. I started watching them in the late 1980s, and have been faithful ever since. So I thought it might be fun to take a little walk down memory lane and consider my favorite players from those teams. So this is just a personal list, that will be presented in reverse order starting at number 30. Agree, disagree, have your own stories? Share them in the comments. No. 16 Karl Mecklenburg (1983-1994) About : Just before we hit the Top 15 we get to Mecklenburg, who probably isn't incredibly famous outside of Denver. But during my formative years watching as I was growing up, he was a fixture on the field for the Broncos. He came in during the 1983, same as ...

Wednesday was the deadline for those with a Franchise Tag to get a long-term deal. For the Broncos, that meant the deadline for a long-term deal with Safety Justin Simmons. Simmons is one of the best young safeties in the game. Last season he had 93 tackles, including 65 solo tackles, four interceptions and 15 passes defensed . That was part of the reason the Broncos decided to Franchise Tag Simmons, and they did offer him a long-term deal. But the player and team couldn't agree on terms and Simmons passed on the deal, and will play on the tag. This feels like a tough and risky proposition for the Broncos. The team can tag Simmons again next year, and might well do that. They could also work on a long-term offer to make at the end of the season that might get them closer. Simmons is betting on himself, and likely is looking for long-term security that reflects he's one of the best safeties in the game. It would be a huge disappointment to think of the Broncos losing out on Simm...

Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week. #Anne Frank Parallel Stories (Netflix) Synopsis: This documentary, led by Helen Mirren, features history and diary passages from Frank along with interviews and stories of real survivors who were close to Frank's age. It's meant to help broaden the experience of those who suffered during World War II. The stories aren't easy to hear, but seeing the survivors offers its own kind of hope. That being said, there are so many of these stories, that this doesn't feel as much like the new wrinkle that it's supposed to be. It's an interesting concept and executed well, but it's just OK as a film. Rating: TV-MA Verdict: Two stars out of four. Greyhound (Apple TV+) Starring: Tom Hanks and Stephen Graham Synopsis : This World War II drama, based on the novel "The Good Shepherd" from C.S. Forester, features a script written by star Tom Hanks. It's set on a destroyer guarding a convoy of supplies cross...

We're making our way through July, and there are a number of new streaming series to choose from. That will only grow next week as the latest streaming site, Peacock, comes online tomorrow. In these weekly posts I look at the pilot and second episode of new scripted series this summer. Don't see a new show listed below? Check previous weeks. Sunday Nights: P-Valley, 10 p.m. Sundays on Starz (Premiered July 12) About: This series, based on the play of the same name, is set at a strip club in the south. Like many other Starz series, this one has a lot of adult content that helps it earn its premium cable position. It has some interesting potential stories, though some of it felt, to me, a bit similar to the plot of some of the characters in "Hustlers." It has some decent performances, but I wasn't really taken with the stories or content here. I'd like to see more of a window into the lives of these folks away from the club, and the pilot teased that out but di...

The Broncos announced that for the 2020 Season former head coach Mike Shanahan will be added to the Ring of Fame. It's about darn time. Mike was the coach for the Broncos for 14 seasons and brought the team a ton of respect and its first two Super Bowl titles. I think he should be in the Hall-of-Fame as well, but for now let's celebrate that he's going into the Ring of Fame. Shanahan had a few stints with the Broncos. He was the offensive coordinator from 1985-1987, then left to coach the Raiders. He returned as OC for one season following that job only to be the OC for the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons, including the 1994 Championship Team led by Steve Young. It was following that Shanahan returned to the Broncos, this time as head coach. He came to build a championship for John Elway, the Hall-of-Fame quarterback who'd been three times and lost them all. Elway, my favorite Bronco of all time (sorry to spoil the ongoing countdown, but if you know me there was n...

Over the next 25 weeks I'll be rolling out my favorite films of the last decade. This is, as all lists of this kind, personal selections. Agree, disagree, make a comment and share your thoughts! No. 5 Star Wars, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017) Starring : Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher Director : Rian Johnson Academy Award Nominations : 4 Academy Award Wins : 0 About : This was a controversial movie when it came out, and no doubt is one of the surprises on this list. This was the middle part of the new trilogy, coming from Johnson. And this was a different kind of film. It felt like this was completely polarizing, you either loved it or hated it. I, clearly, loved it. I was incredibly moved by the characters and the stories. This was a fantastic theater experience, too. I saw it four times in the theater, and continued to be moved each time. In fact, I was so taken with it that I was surprised that people had such a negative re...

Heading into the 2019 season, there was some optimism around the New York Jets. The team had a strong off-season, including bringing in Pro Bowl running back Le’Veon Bell, and it seemed like there was a chance to make a playoff push. A lot of that also centered on expecting quarterback Sam Darnold to take a step forward in his second year under new head coach Adam Gase. It didn’t really happen. Between getting Mono , seeing Ghosts and generally struggling to find any sort of rhythm, the Jets fell out of contention quickly. Quietly, the Jets went 6–2 in the back half of the season, including seeing Darnold go 7–6 as a starter and improve his stats. So should that finish provide some optimism moving to year three? Let’s consider the evidence. Small Growth Darnold was taken in the first round of the 2018 draft, at No. 3, and expected to be the franchise quarterback for the Jets. In his rookie season, he came out on fire in the opener and got a win in Detroit. But it wasn’t a sign of thin...

I miss football, and sports in general. I'm guessing you do, too. And in the place of actual games, we've been seeing a lot of countdowns of classic games, players, etc. And that got me thinking about my own favorite team, the Denver Broncos. I have loved the Denver Broncos since I was a little kid, more than 30 years of fandom. I started watching them in the late 1980s, and have been faithful ever since. So I thought it might be fun to take a little walk down memory lane and consider my favorite players from those teams. So this is just a personal list, that will be presented in reverse order starting at number 30. Agree, disagree, have your own stories? Share them in the comments. No. 17 Jason Elam (1993-2007) About: We're nearing the Top 15, and that means I'm hitting a lot of different positions, but also hitting on a lot of players that were part of the Broncos' first title run. Elam was the team's kicker for 15 seasons, including during the first two Supe...