Matt's Musings

It’s summer. The days are hot and long, and fantasy football players have too much idle time. We use it to pause, reflect and dream of what might be. It’s also a time to take stock of potential assets and what their value might be. Today I turn my gaze down to Jacksonville and quarterback Blake Bortles. Try to contain your enthusiasm. Bortles has never been a football fan’s dream (just ask people in Jacksonville), but at one time he was a dream fantasy football asset. At this time last year, people were planning where they’d take Bortles. He was an attractive prospect as a fantasy starter. But something happened along the way. Now, his fantasy value is starting to mirror his NFL value, and that’s not a good thing. But hope springs eternal in the summer, so is there reason for optimism for Bortles? Bortles was taken with the third pick in the 2014 draft and became a hope for the future of the Jaguars franchise. That first season he began on the bench as Chad Henne took the starters role...

Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week. Spider-Man: Homecoming Starring: Tom Holland, Marissa Tomei, Michael Keaton, Robert Downey, Jr., and Jon Favreau Synopsis:  Back in 2002 when Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire combined to bring Spider-Man to the big screen, the cinematic landscape was much different. In fact, superhero movies weren’t exactly all the rage. “Spider-Man” set the gold standard in a lot of ways, and inspired a pair of sequels. A decade later, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe was really taking off with the release of “The Avengers,” the Spider-Man franchise was trying to find itself again. In 2012, Andrew Garfield took the lead role and the franchise got and “Amazing” re-boot. But it wasn’t that amazing for audiences. The film got mixed reviews and its sequel fizzled. Then new life came. Sony, who holds the rights to Spider-Man, decided to team up with Marvel. In 2016, Spider-Man was re-born, as Tom Holland, in the MCU. He appeared alongside the other Avenger...

Over the next 7 weeks I'll be taking a look at some of my favorite TV series, broken down into three groups (Limited Run Series, Comedies, and Dramas). In my post on March 1 I laid out the ground rules for these categories and this exploration, the biggest of which is no series that are currently airing. To read the whole thing, check out the post "Best of the Small Screen" from March 1. Today I continue with another show that falls into the teen drama category. I was not, however, a teen when I watched it. Veronica Mars (2004-2007) Numbers of Seasons/Episodes: 3/64 Network: UPN/The CW Starring: Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni, Jason Dohering, Percy Daggs III, Francis Capra, Ryan Hansen, and Tina Marjorino Creator: Rob Thomas Favorite Season/Episodes: Season 1, 1.01 "Pilot," 1.18 "Weapons of Class Destruction," 1.22 "Leave It To Beaver," 2.22 "Not Pictured," 3.09 "Spit & Eggs," 3.20 "The Bitch is Back" Abou...

Now that we've begun July, a flood of new shows are debuting, hoping to grab audiences. But will they? 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. Monday Nights: Will, Mondays at 9 p.m. on TNT (Premiered July 10) About: The first two episodes of this new drama about the early life and career of William Shakespeare debuted on Monday night. The series is created by Craig Pearce, who worked on Baz Luhrman films like "Romeo and Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge!" The series is set in the late 1500s, but they've added a punk rock look, feel, and soundtrack to the proceedings. So those in the local playhouse are seen dancing to hits from The Clash, and everything looks like it's fresh out of the Capital in "The Hunger Games." That might appeal to some, but not to those who are fans of Shakespeare's work or period accuracy. TNT had previously ...

We're rapidly approaching Training Camp and, with it, the start of the 2017 season in earnest. In preparation, I'll be deep diving into each position group. Today, I continue with a unit that needs to stand tall, the defensive line. Everyone knows the Broncos have a good defense, and that's true. The team was ranked No. 4 overall defensively in 2016, which is great. But hidden in those numbers and an overall great performance was a stinging flaw. The Broncos' run defense leaves plenty to be desired. On The Roster: * Derek Wolfe * Jared Crick * Adam Gotsis * DeMarcus Walker (Rookie) * Domata Peko * Zach Kerr * Kyle Peko * Kasim Edebali * Billy Winn * Shelby Harris * Shakir Soto (R) * Tyrique Jarrett (R) A Look at 2016: The Broncos finished No. 1 against the pass in 2016, but they were a woeful against the run, finishing 28. The Broncos allowed 2,085 yards on the ground, 15 touchdowns and 4.3 yards per carry. While stopping the run is a team issue, you can place a lot of...

We're in July, about the time when people start jonesing for football. Wait, does that not happen for you? Is it just me? Well, I'm going to operate under the assumption I'm not alone. But never fear, while real football doesn't start until September, and pre-season doesn't start until August, there are still ways to get your fix. Here's three series that can help fill that football-shaped hole in your life. All Or Nothing (Amazon) Premiered Friday, June 30 Two Seasons Available on Amazon Prime About: This series from NFL films, and narrated by Jon Hamm, follows one team through an entire season, giving people all access to the life of a team during an NFL season. It debuted last summer, following the 2015 season for the Arizona Cardinals. The second season, which debuted 10 days ago, follows the 2016 season for the Los Angeles Rams. Now, the Rams had a 4-12 season, so it's not great football. But the eight episodes (which carry through the off-season and t...

It’s summer, and we’re still four weeks from training camp and two months away from the start of the season. But it’s prime time for planning draft strategies. It’s a time to dive deep into players, looking at their cost and potential to see if it’s worth it. Today I’m turning my gaze to the New York Jets. It’s without dispute that the Jets are a talent-depleted offense. They could also end up being one of the worst, if not the worst, team in the NFL this season. But even bad teams have top targets that can have fantasy relevance. The question is what’s a reasonable expectation for the team’s top target, Quincy Enunwa. Prior to week one of 2016, Enunwa probably wasn’t on a ton of people’s fantasy radars. Enunwa was a sixth round pick for the Jets in 2014, but during his rookie season he played in only one game, not recording any stats. His second season, in 2015, saw the Jets finish 10–6 and narrowly miss the playoffs. But Enunwa wasn’t a big part of the team’s success. Enunwa was susp...