Ranger Lothbrok

Two things: (1) JD has established himself as a premier executive in this league. He turned both the Blues and the Blue Jackets from punchlines to contenders in his time with each, and with limited resources. Neither organization ever had the appeal of being a big city, an original six team, or a Cup favorite. They were not attractive free agent destinations. While he'll never get credit for it (because he's now quite far removed from his employment with the Blues), the ripple effects of his time with each organization are still paying dividends today. He's a formidable president to have, is well-respected around the league, and knows his stuff. For these reasons alone he's the right guy for the job. Perhaps more importantly, however; (2) He will encourage staying the course and there won't be much front office upheaval for the immediate future. Jeff Gorton deserves to keep his job even if we had moved down a spot in the draft lottery. We mortgaged aging, expendable assets in to a bright, bright future. I feel as though Yzerman would've been tempted to swing for the fences prematurely, and would've certainly wanted his own stamp on the team. With JD, we won't lose anything from the current course of action (which I think everyone agrees has been superlative), but we'll still gain a tremendous asset. Welcome home, JD. You were sorely missed. I have a sneaking suspicion you'll be able to deliver that Cup in NY that you've always wanted.

I truly hope Kakko continues to dominate, because either we're getting that dominant player, or we're getting a franchise center like we've never drafted before that I was praying against all hope for three years now would end up a Ranger. We literally cannot lose here. Every day Kakko excels is better for us.

I think, for me at least (and the title of this thread says it all), after NJ got the number one pick we all assumed Kakko was our guy. He's kind of become "our thing." Like I was convinced that watching him in this tournament would be the equivalent of watching a player already in our farm system, especially after Hughes' performance over the past month. Kakko couldn't help but feel like a bit of a consolation prize, somewhat soured by NJ getting Hughes because, as we all know, we're never allowed to be truly, truly happy. That said, we all kind of had our hearts set on Kakko. Of course, Jack Hughes has had a date with destiny as the #1 overall pick since he was 15. I have legitimately been hearing his name for three years already, and anyone who monitors non-professional hockey will agree with me I'm sure. The latest CSS rankings have them firmly as #1 and #2, at least prior to this tournament. Before this season started, it was Jack Hughes and then everyone else in the draft. Even last year when we whiffed on the lottery and actually ended up moving down (I was foolishly hoping that we'd actually end up with Dahlin), I was hoping against all hope that the greatest US-born player since Patrick Kane would end up wearing a Rangers jersey. It just seemed so perfect after all the shit we've been through and our efforts to, nonetheless, play it straight and not tank. If you had told me last summer that we'd be getting Jack Hughes as long as I didn't ask any questions, I'd have become a mute. Now, however, there's a genuine question of whether he truly is the best player in this draft. Kakko is dominating against men whereas Hughes dominated against boys. Kakko has size and looks to be more NHL-ready. Honestly I go back and forth, but mainly the place I'm at mentally is where I started after the lottery happened (albeit with some obvious ups and downs based on recent developments): we quite literally cannot lose. Either we get the chance to draft a franchise center like we've NEVER drafted in almost a century, or we get a big, physical complete package winger that has done the impossible in changing the minds of many scouts regarding Hughes' unquestioned status as the best player in this draft. Truly, either way, this year's lottery was arguably the best thing to happen to this franchise since June 14, 1994.

My favorite 1st round pick of ours, TBH.

I'm potentially interested, I'd just have to see the settings and roster positions first.

True. Laid out in that fashion you're right, I can't see where she's going to get the numbers. I'm just stuck on the storytelling aspect of it where there wouldn't be this whole setup of having them about to clash and have it be totally one-sided. You can never discount the nefarious lengths Cersei will go to in order to win. That's likely what kills her in the end. Probably withdraws to the castle, lures everyone inside King's Landing and tries to blow it up King Aerys style only to have Jaime killer before she can. While I'm sad to see the show go, good for them. I like that they're valuing the story over money/ratings. Those who want it really, really fleshed out to the smallest detail can find their satisfaction in the continuation of the written series.

Good points all around. I forgot about the Tyrells being mentioned as a crucial alliance for purposes of power. Still, Westeros is a big realm, and they don't say "for all the gold in Casterly Rock" for nothing. I think Cersei's going to be able to rally a competitive force, especially with how bad of a taste the last Targaryen ruler left in everyone's mouths. I can't imagine the general public is going to be thrilled at the proposition of three massive dragons and a hoard of wild Dothraki tearing up the countryside. I'm guessing many are going to see it as a kill or be killed situation.

I actually didn't mind the magically teleporting Varys. We were unclear when he left Tyrion just what his purpose was. And then when he met with Olenna and the Snakes the idea became more concrete of what was about to happen. But that scene at the end with him on the ship puts a bowtie on the idea that, yet again, Varys is 10 steps ahead of everyone. You see that it was all orchestrated to bring him back to Dany's side with a shitload of allies. And as that was the last scene in the episode, we really have no idea how far down the timeline that was. I felt it was kind of necessary to hammer home the idea of the Tyrell/Targaryen/Martell/Greyjoy alliance. I mean, no offense intended against my friends, but some of them weren't bright enough to put together what was happening until they saw Varys on that ship and saw all the sails with the various house symbols on them. We all watched it together, and my "oh fuck yeah" moment was when Varys walked up to Olenna and the Snakes. Almost everyone else's "oh fuck yeah" moment was when they saw Varys on that ship. Some people just ain't that bright. See, I'm not sure this is the case. The exposition for next season was too well set up for it to be a cakewalk for Daenerys. How Cersei gets to the throne, the prophecy about her joy turning to ashes in her mouth and her being replaced by someone younger and more beautiful (which she clearly thought was Margaery), and then of course the whole epic ending with the ships on their way. It would be a little silly to have that whole layout and all that expectation just to have arguably the biggest villain in the series get knocked down in next season's opener. I'd like to see a list of the Lannister allies. I mean, discounting Riverrun, the Vale, Highgarden, Dorne and the North houses now sworn to Jon Snow, I'd imagine almost the entirety of the remainder of Westeros is sworn to the Crown. I'm pretty sure that when Cersei calls she can muster up a massive army. In fact, it likely ends up being the case that Daenerys won't be able to defeat Cersei without first obtaining an alliance with the North now too. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Also, one general discussion topic. We've seen the sort of horrific nature in which the Lord of Light brings people back to life. And we've seen the evil things that the Red Priest/Priestesses do allegedly in service of the Lord of Light. Like Melisandre giving birth to evil shadow babies, or little girls being burned alive at the stake. Yet again, the whole thing is "A Song of Ice and Fire," and any Red Priests/Priestesses we've seen in the show are aware of the problem north of the Wall and supposedly stand in direct opposition to it. Like Beric Dondarrion is riding north to join the forces against the White Walkers, and Melisandre hinted that she'd be needed in the days to come. But it's my belief that on a fundamental level, the whole R'hllor thing is evil. We even have Davos saying it in the last episode. Anyone have any guesses as to how, if at all, that plays in to things? Like if it ends up being a problem that Jon Snow was brought back by the Lord of Light? As for Arya...does she keep working down her list since a girl is clearly Arya Stark? Like has she been given free reign by Jaquen H'gar to seek out vengeance? It seems weird that she'd be allowed to avail herself of the whole changing faces thing without acting in service of the Many-Faced God. And what happens when Bran makes it to Winterfell? Or does he make it to Winterfell? Once he shows up, he's the new Lord of Winterfell by default. And speaking of that, I'm interested to see how the whole Sansa/Littlefinger vs. Jon Snow thing plays out. She clearly wasn't happy about the whole King in the North thing, and Littlefinger is an insidious motherfucker. And I can see it becoming a problem that, while he DOES have Stark blood in his veins, Jon Snow does NOT have the blood of Ned Stark, the former Lord of Winterfell, in him. His claim to the title of Warden of the North is tenuous at best. He's a bastard that wasn't even from the former Lord of Winterfell. Hmmmm....

Hell no, that's basically free money for you. I'd rather give it to Tanner Glass as a bonus for his extra effort this season.

As far as the Cersei vs. High Sparrow thing...

Too soon? http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i384/nyr199435/Screen%20Shot%202016-05-24%20at%207.44.03%20PM_zpswa3jtm9w.png

Well we got three dragons, and for some reason they saw fit to not introduce the Baby Aegon, soooooo.....

Okay, first for everyone's enjoyment: Next, this

With regard to Arya's learning to "see":

Well...dammit. So they may as well have called the second half Season 5, because if they're filming now (or haven't even started yet), it's gonna be a year until we see it again anyway.

It was fucking awesome. I see that for this season, if you look on IMDB, it's split in to two 10 episode halves. Have you heard anything about that Rome? There's no release date for Episode 11 yet.

Did anyone else get the sensation that that episode just FLEW by? I was just getting in to it and then the credits pop up. Although I guess as AmericanJesus said, it was a shortened episode. But seriously, when the credits came up I thought a half hour had gone by.

At first I was so excited all those years ago when I found out the show was coming out. Now it's starting to wear on my nerves a bit. Aside from some obvious deviations from the books, I HATE the idea of the show spoiling the ending for me because George RR Martin is too busy writing some bullshit sci-fi thing that nobody gives a flying fuck about. And no, it's not because I want to be that guy and know what's going on when nobody else I'm watching it with does. It's because up until this point, Martin has done an absolutely MASTERFUL job crafting a backdrop of intrigue and mystique. There are so many little, continual references throughout the series that haven't been specifically addressed at any point, but still continue to pop up like tires in a landfill. And much of the fun has been, for me at least, in brooding over the meaning of these references and trying to anticipate where the next novel installment will go. I would argue that not since the Bible has any one literary series sparked so much spirited debate and informed speculation. When asked if the show would "spoil" the books for anyone, George RR Martin remarked "yes and no." The difficulty here is that something like the ending of the entire series CANNOT be different and still be true to Martin's vision. Like, go ahead and change Asha Greyjoy's name to Yara for all I care, but a major plot point like how the series closes would almost have to be consistent across both the books and the series. Part of what bothers me too is how much the TV series has actually cut out. Maybe they were right to do it, and some of the other stuff would've been boring. But there are entire parallel storylines going on that just plainly weren't addressed. THAT'S why the series has sped right past the books. And so I find myself with two options: quit being a bitch and just go with the flow and watch the series and try not to let it ruin the magic and mystery of ASOIAF, or try to remain in media blackout until Martin finishes releasing the books. I think the latter is nigh impossible, especially since he's taking his dear sweet time writing them. I don't know, maybe it's for the best. He's not exactly young, nor is he in great health. There's every chance in the world that he never actually finishes the written series. I remember reading/hearing once upon a time that the series was originally intended to be a trilogy, and that where we are now with the books is only about where he originally intended Book 2 of the trilogy to get to. That means, at minimum, probably at least another 2-3 books. Maybe it's better that we'll at least get SOME ending/closure, unsatisfying though it may be.

Thank you kindly gents. And don't be so sure Rome. Not only are jobs scarce, but I don't think you ever truly leave the life of remorseless, recalcitrant pillaging behind.

So just saw this in my inbox: http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i384/nyr199435/Screen%20Shot%202015-11-05%20at%204.25.00%20PM_zpsciaug25o.png I failed my first go at it, but I'm fucking pumped. Let the career begin!!

I've become numb to the zombies in the regular show. Like, they're just part of the scenery now. For some reason though, this concept gave me chills. Looking forward to it. The concept of the fall to zombiedom is a lot more creepy to me than the regular one. The regular one's barely a horror show to me anymore.

The book I've heard on Lindberg is Jeff Halpern with offense and an ability to perform in the clutch. Size, wins a lot of face-offs, excels in the defensive end, but is capable of more than 20 points.

Thanks fellas. I hate that they make you wait so long. I don't find out until mid-May. The only good news is by that point, if you fail the next one is only two months away anyway. I'm hoping that won't be a problem. I feel pretty good about the Multistate portion, which is the same for everyone in the country and is required by the National Conference of Bar Examiners, and I feel okay about the NJ local portion which was today and is all essays. New Jersey weights them 50/50, and they combine the two scores and then bell curve it versus what everyone else did. I know missed a few things that I didn't realize until afterward, but I'm sure that's the case with everyone. At least I hope it is. And I hope they're ultimately not the difference maker.

Last day of testing. In approximately 9 hours I'll be a free man. I am going to be able to actually enjoy the game tonight, provided I don't fall asleep through it. Can't wait though.