They're Making a Sonic Movie

And they "revamped" Sonic's look in their latest trailer.

At left was their first effort, and I die laughing every time I look at it. Enjoy.

2019 NoJR Season Revue - A Reav-ent to Remember

The 2019 season of NoJR is officially in the books, and our 9th edition was the biggest and baddest yet. Fourteen teams and numerous records set, including total transactions, trades, and home runs.

We also witnessed quite a degree of league parity - you basically had one team firmly atop the standings (St. Hubert), one team firmly in the cellar (Bats R Us), and everyone else fighting for a playoff spot.

In the end, after a long and fiercely competitive season, the defending champion Reavers were able to get hot at the right time and keep the NoJR trophy in Rip City. The Reavers are now 5-time champions, going back-to-back for the second time in franchise history.

Reavers!

Of course, there were many other notable happenings on the winding journey to October, and TDZ's got your season-ending synopsis for all things 2019 NoJR.  As usual, we'll review the draft way back in March, and the key transactions and moments that made this year one for the record books.

When You Had a Bad Draft...

UMassBallers... Burning Questions for 2019

It's crazy to think that the league is entering its 12th year, and while I'd like to think we've seen it all over that time frame, every season seems to have its own set of unique circumstances and new wrinkles.

Here's what I see as the burning questions for the Ballers in 2019:

1. Above all else, just how neat will Neat Team be this year? Will we know on draft day? Or will we have to wait til midseason for peak neatness?

2. Will this fantasy league consume Tribe's attention to an extent that he only watches Red Zone and can avoid the blindness induced from watching Redskins games?

3. Will we have the first 3-time league champion this year? Chicago Ferrets, Nickel Blitz, and smackycat have all won 2 titles, meaning there's roughly a 30% chance that we see this feat accomplished.

4. In 2017, Sweaty Sac set a league record with 133 transactions. Last year, he had a disappointing 99. Will he return to triple-digits... or perhaps set an all-new record in 2019?

5. Will Cash4Gould get the cash he demands every year?

• Answered: Robbie Gould got a 4-year, $19 million contract - just not with the Bears. Also, he's not actually Cash4Gould. (Or is he?)

6. How can smackycat be smacky if he's stuffed into that cardboard tube like a purrito?

7. Will mangenius deploy an auto-draft strategy again after ending up with an absolutely loaded lineup in 2018 that included Melvin Gordon, Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill, Mike Evans, and 3 QB1's (Russell Wilson, Big Ben, and Cam Newton)?

8. Are ferrets just land otters? (Important otter footage)

9. Will anyone be able to out-bid Nickel Blitz when it comes to Tom Brady?

• Plot twist: Nickel Blitz has drafted Tom Brady each of the past 3 years. The last time he didn't draft Tom Brady was the last time he won a championship.

10. What are the odds that Adam's Expert Team gets asked by my young nephew what a Sweaty Sac is?

11. Will Doge Flutie repeat?

12. Is there a word for a rhetorical question where the answer is not "yes," but rather a very obvious "no"?

NoJR 2k19 Mid-way Musings

It's half-time for the 2019 season, and it's been fascinating to watch it unfold. Every playoff spot is very much up-for-grabs - as important players get injured, new stars emerge, and rookies join The Show, there's truly no way of telling who will emerge on top. What I do know is that this has been the most competitive seasons of NoJR in league history, and it's been incredibly fun to see teams slugging it out each week.

Cody Bellinger is leading St. Hubert in homers and fans rushing the field.

In this article, I recap some storylines shaping the 2019 season, and do a quick roster-by-roster summary to celebrate stars and disparage duds for each team.

NoJR Season IX Roll-out *REPOST*

Do you feel it? The weather's getting warmer. The sun is up longer. Bartolo Colon has emerged from his hibernation slumber in search of a new team. It's time for baseball. It's time for... the Nephews of Jody Reed!

It's called packing on the pounds for winter, guys. He just had a head start.

Welcome one and all to the 9th year of NoJR. It looks like we've got a great group of active GMs returning, and we're adding a couple new friends to the fold, so 2019 is shaping up to be a fun year of baseball.

Below are some FAQs about the league that I copypasta'd from prior seasons - take a look if you want the 4-1-1 on all things NoJR.

Doge Flutie History

TBT to a special night receiving the Heisman...

2018 UMassBallers Season Revue: Doged Determination

This is truly a special time of year. A season of hope. A season of good cheer. A season of miracles. And the greatest miracle of all? Doge Flutie has finally won the UMassBallers!!!

The league has existed for 11 seasons, 10 of which I have participated in. It wasn't til my 9th season that I even placed in the top 3, and in #10 I finally reached the summit! You have witnessed a fantasy football fanatic finally reach peak performance luck!

Houston, we have touchdown.

This year was unique for a variety of reasons: only 8 teams in the league, but also more roster spots (including 2 QBs), and it was winner-takes-all. Does this mean, after a decade of contributing to other GM's checking accounts that I finally managed to break even? Let's do the math:

• 2009-2013: $20 per season ($100 total)
• 2014-2018: $100 per season ($500 total)
• 2018 winnings: $800
• Net result: +$200

It's like Frank Drebin said in The Naked Gun: "Well, well, it looks like the cows have come home to roost." All that futility managed to amount to something!

There were many other interesting events and storylines from the fantasy season though, so let's revel in all of the moments that made the 2018 UMassBallers season weird special. Click below to take a look at all the hindsight analysis of the draft, recaps of game-changing transactions, and other rando happenings in TDZ's annual UMassBallers season synopsis!