Category Archives: Transhuman News

Its always nice to hear what the head coach has to say about new players; it helps refine the discussion of those players that will occur between now and the preseason, when we will finally get to see them (and the other 82 players) on the field in Commanders uniforms for the first time.

I encourage you to watch the full interview, but Ive sketched out a few highlights and included a couple of extended quotes below.

Ron discussed each player, going through them in the order they were drafted.

There were no surprises in his comments about Dotson. Ron talked with Julie Donaldson about the decision to trade back, saying that they were confident that Dotson would be there at Pick #16. The most interesting thing to me in Rons comments (though it was not a surprise) was his comment that Dotson could be in the mix for the punt returner position. This was widely commented on by fans, but its good to have it confirmed by the head coach.

Once again, there were no surprises in the coachs comments about the big interior defensive lineman from Alabama. Hes a space eater who was described in the interview as being willing to do the dirty work. Rivera stressed that his contribution to the pass rush may not be in getting sacks himself, but in creating opportunities for others to reach the quarterback. He also stressed that Mathis occupies blockers effectively, which should result in linebackers being able to stay clean and run to the ball more effectively.

The comments here were probably more interesting for what coach said (or didnt say) about Antonio Gibson than about his comments on Robinson.

Rivera first talked about Robinsons ball security; this is the part he didnt say about Gibson. The fact that it was coachs #1 talking point when discussing the rookie running back tells me that having options will matter if Gibson starts coughing up the ball like he did last season.

The other thing that Rivera focused on with Robinson was YAC (yards after contact), saying that this is the other really attractive part of the Crimson Tide running backs game.

Riverboat Ron then harkened back to his Carolina days when he had Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams; he said that a 1-2 punch is preferred, and that he feels like thats what Robinson and Gibson will provide.

Ron talked specifically about how AG is better running in space, and that Robinsons addition will allow Scott Turner to use Gibson more effectively at what he does best. It sounds like in general Robinson will be Mr. Inside while Gibson will be Mr. Outside. Coach Rivera also commented that this will free up Gibson to take some of the pressure off of JD McKissic by getting AG on the field more often on passing downs.

Ron Rivera immediately set about raising expectations for the 4th round safety. Heres what Ron had to say:

Last year, over 53% of our defensive snaps involved 3 safeties, so, minimum, hes gonna be in there for 53% of the snaps. Hell be part of our Buffalo and nickel packages. Hell get an opportunity to play the nickel position; when we go to big nickel he could end up as the safety or he could end up as the big nickel. So, were gonna be able to continue to use our 3-safety defense a lot because of his versatility, his speed, his quickness and his play smarts. Were pretty excited about this pick.

The comments I keep hearing about Butler from every quarter make him sound more like a first-round pick than a 4th rounder, and its clear that Ron is a fan of Butlers and expecting immediate contributions to the defense. Ron even used the word starter in talking about Butler, which is at odds with his usual reticence to raise expectations about unproven players.

Julie Donaldson mentioned Butlers unreserved enthusiasm for playing special teams, and finally Ron did dampen the expectations for seeing him as a ST gunner slightly, pointing out that the coaches expect Butler to be on the field a lot for defensive snaps, and that Percy may not get the opportunity to play as much special teams as he apparently wants to.

Ron Rivera may have been trying to raise expectations for Percy Butler, but he was definitely going the other way on rookie quarterback Sam Howell, clearly throwing cold water on the idea that Howell will compete for the starting job, or that he will even compete for the backup role. Ron stressed again that Caron Wentz is the starter, Taylor Heinicke is the entrenched backup, and Howell is a developmental player who has plenty of time to develop and is not expected to see the field this season.

Weve got our two guys, right off the bat. We have Carson [Wentz], and we feel very very comfortable with him. Youve got Taylor [Heinicke], who we really like a lot. I mean, this is a guy who did some good things, and continues to do good things for us. So, were excited about that tandem right there. But you do need a depth player, and [Sam Howell] is our third; hes a developmental guy thats gonna have nothing but time. Hell get an opportunity to know the guys in front of him and learn from these guys.

Theres no pressure on him; to me, I think Its a really good thing. I like [Howells] tape from 2020 and 2021, once things settled down for them. The 2020 season was phenomenal. Now he did have some other guys around him; he had two running backs, two receivers, a tight end and 3 offensive linemen that ended up in the NFL. And so, in 2021, he was kind of starting all over, and they were trying to figure out who they were gonna be. He threw for over 3,000 yards, and rushed for over 1,000. I think he accounted for over 30 touchdowns on their offense. Thats a pretty impactful season. So, hes got some skillsets to him. Hes a guy that can be a future guy for us, which is gonna help us eventually. But right now, I like who our quarterback is, and I like our primary backup.

The discussion about Washingtons drafted tight end acknowledged that he is a developed pass catcher and an undeveloped blocker. Rivera talked about Logan Thomas as an all-round tight end, Bates as a blocker, Turner as a pass catcher, and Reyes as a developmental player who is still learning the game.

The coach focused on two aspects of Turners skillset. He mentioned Turners catch radius repeatedly, and agreed with Julie Donaldsons description of him as being like a bigger wide receiver and posing a red zone threat. Ron also mentioned that the coaches would work with him to develop his blocking skills.

Much like he did with Sam Howell, Ron Rivera talked about the fact that offensive lineman Chris Paul would face no pressure to start, and that he would get plenty of time to develop. Rivera praised Pauls versatility due to his experience playing both left and right guard along with some experience at tackle, and described him as very bright. Perhaps remembering the frequent injuries that plagued the offensive line last season, Ron predicted that Paul would see the playing field at some point during the 22 season, but repeated that he is primarily a developmental prospect.

The coach didnt have a lot to say about the 7th round cornerback. Reading between the lines, the message seemed to be that Holmes might struggle to make the 53-man roster, and that he might be a candidate for the practice squad; in fact, Rons most immediate comment about Holmes was that he definitely faced no pressure.

Coach described Holmes as raw, discussed the fact that his background is primarily in a man-to-man scheme while Washington tends to play a lot of zone, and ended by saying that, this offseason, the rookie defensive back would get a chance to show what he can do.

See the rest here:
Ron Rivera had a lot to say this week about the Commanders draft class - Hogs Haven

Jazz bassist Ron Carter, who will perform at Carnegie Hall on May 10 to mark his 85th birthday.

In his 1989 autobiography, the legendary jazz trumpeter and composer Miles Davis recalled meeting an aspiring bassist named Ron Carter in 1958 in Rochester, New York, where Carter was studying at the Eastman School of Music. Both jazz musicians had a mutual acquaintance in Paul Chambers, who played bass for Davis' first great quintet at the time. Paul had already told me Ron was a [expletive] of a bass player, Davis wrote. So when Paul was about to leave and I heard Ron was playing, I went to check him out and loved what he was doing. So I asked him if he would join the band.

Carter became a member of Davis' famed second great quintet during the 1960s along with pianist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter and drummer Tony Williams. But Carter's esteemed tenure with that group is just one chapter of an extraordinary career that has lasted now for over 60 years. During that time, he has collaborated with many music figures both in jazz (among them Chick Corea, Horace Silver, Jim Hall, McCoy Tyner and Chet Baker) and non-jazz (including Billy Joel, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack and Paul Simon). The National Endowment of the Arts said that Carter's dexterity and harmonic sophistication on the bass have few rivals in the history of jazzwhile AllMusics Ron Wynn described the bassist as a brilliant rhythmic and melodic player who uses everything in his bass and cello arsenal: walking lines; thick, full, prominent notes and tones; drones and strumming effects; and melody snippets.

Today, Carter turns 85. In marking that milestone, New York City's Carnegie Hall will host a birthday concert in his honor on May 10 with the award-winning bassist himself performing with and leading a trio, quartet and octet. On being the subject of this celebration, the maestro says self-deprecatingly with a chuckle during a recent phone conversation in April: I'm trying to get used to it right now.

Among the announced guest speakers for the evening include fellow jazz bass luminaries Stanley Clarke and Buster Williams, both of whom Carter had previously worked with. Buster was in my first quartet band, he says. I met Buster in Europe. He was with Sarah Vaughan and I had just joined Miles, so we're talking about the spring of '63-'64 or so. He was the bass player of choice when I was trying to put it to put together the piccolo band, and he's been my friend down through the years and we stayed in contact. We have a great time. He's a wonderful player.

CTI Records had a big hit [with Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)] by Deodato many years ago, and Stanley and I shared the bass [on the Prelude album]. That's my connection with Stanley. Other than that, I've always admired his playing. I was always amazed at how he does what he does, and knowing what it took to get to that stage of his life. He's an amazing player. Very, very good writer.

The concert is a tribute to the life and career of a prolific musician who, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, has racked up a record-setting total of over 2,200 recording credits, the most ever for a bass player. I just took the dates as they came in, Carter says. I wasn't aware of how many there were until my friend decided that he was going to get me famous. I said, 'What do you mean by that? He said, I'm going to sit down with my other friend, who has a lot of patience, and just figure out how many records you're on. I said, Why do you want to do that? He said because it's an important thing to have. So I said, Okay, just don't call me too many times at night. I'm busy working. He worked it out. I'm just kind of amazed at that kind of work history.

Hailing from Ferndale, Michigan, Carter started out on cello when he was 10 years old and then later switched to the bass while in high school. I thought that for as long as I was playing the cello, I wasn't getting the kind of calls that I thought I was supposed to get. I guess back in the day African Americans weren't thought of as having a great chance or a future in playing classical music. I looked around one day and the bass player was graduating [from school]. So if he was gone, there would be no bass player. I said, Well, let me [sell] my cello, get some teachers, and I'll be the bass player in the band.' So that's why I'm still playing bass.

Carter has been cited as an influential artist to subsequent generations of musicians. But he says he didn't have role models for that instrument when he started. My parents raised eight kids. And given the tenor of the times, it was not a productive time for African Americans. [My parents] gave me the sense of moral values, a sense of discipline, to become a productive person in society. They were my models, not bass players.

In the early 1960s, prior to working with Miles Davis, Carter had already been collaborating and recording with such jazz musicians as Eric Dolphy, Bobby Timmons and Randy Weston. I don't know what his listening experience was at the time, Carter says of Davis. I guess he did some homework, but I'm not so sure that my previous history was that well-known to him because we never talked about that stuff when we were in the band. But again, I was active. I was really getting involved in the recording scene in New York. I'm sure he may have heard some of those records I was on and wanted to give me a shot.

From 1964 to 1968, the Miles Davis Quintet recorded several groundbreaking albums, including E.S.P., Miles in the Sky, Milestones, Sorcerer and Nefertiti. I know I had great fun playing with them, Carter reflects on the legendary quintet. I thought that every night I'm going to work with Miles, Wayne, Herbie and Tony, I have a chance to play some good music. And the more I think about that, the more that was important to me is to have that kind of concept that every night is a chance to learn more about the bass, learn more about band leading, learn more about being productive in a group of people who are like-minded. I'm not sure if any of us had the vision that this band would hold that ranking of musical groups. No one thought about that until the band went somewhere else.

Though he was the leader of the quintet, Davis allowed the members to bring something to the table and contribute ideas. He understood that there was something going on in the band, Carter says. I'm not sure if he could define it, and I'm not sure if he understood what it was going to do. He thought, I'm in the right place at the right time. Let these guys do what they do and see what happens. He was always surprised as we were. Our capacity to experiment every night and not lose to structure of the piece, maintain the integrity of the songwe loved doing that stuff and we were pretty good at it.

After his tenure with Davis, Carter went on to become a bandleader and composer in his own right as well as a sideman for others. His albums for CTI Records in the 1970sBlues Farm, All Blues and Spanish Bluefurther broadened his musical vocabulary by incorporating pop and R&B elements. We were doing records Creed [Taylor, the founder of CTI] thought was the best way to get the label more visibility and of course increase the sales. I never knew what song we were gonna play until I got to the studio with Grady Tate, Herbie Hancock, Billy Cobham. Those guys were always into the current sounds of the day, and my homework was to put the radio onthe AM stationsto find out what was going on because I would probably see that same kind of tune at the next CTI date. And I was right most of the time.

Over time, Carter has embraced other genres in his discography, including classical music (Ron Carter Meets Bach), Latin (Orfeu), big band (Ron Carters Great Big Band), and rapespecially with his appearance on hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest's 1991 classic album The Low End Theory. He [Tribe member Q-Tip] called me one and said he was doing a project. And not knowing who he was, I said, 'Well, I'm busy right now. Call me back in about a half-hour.' So it gave me time to call my son, who was much more aware of that scene. I asked him, 'Who's this guy Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest.' He said, 'Well, they're right now the most musical of all the rap groups. If you get a chance to play with them, you should take advantage of it.' So Q-Tip called back, and we worked out a deal. I had a great time playing with those kids.

Most recently, Carter's collaborative album Skyline, with drummer Jack DeJohnette and pianist Gonsalvo Rubalcaba, won a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. Gonzalo was doing a different kind of project with his mentors, the bassist says. He had done some things with Jack and he had done some things with me and decided if we were available, Let's meet in the studio and see what kind of stew we could cook up the three of us with originals. He's a wonderful piano player.

Further heightening his profile and engagement with his fans, especially during the period of the pandemic lockdown, Carter has been active on social media such as on Facebook and Twitter. In addition to sharing posts about his musical career and bass playing, he has recorded online videos and conducted interviews with fellow artists like Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheney. I have some people who work with me who are really on top of that social game, Carter explains. Without [them], I would not be so visible on the social media platform. It was a way to kind of stay visible, to stay on the scene.

A longtime jazz instructor and faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music who has written instructional books on bass playing, Carter gives this basic advice to aspiring students: Get a good teacher. Play as often as you can. And when you get these gigs, leave your ego at home and take a spare pair of ears to understand the environment that you are walking into. That's probably what I tell them all.

With the 85th birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall approaching, Carter was asked what still motivates him to perform music. His response was indicative of someone who is still learning and dedicated to the craft: I always thought of going to a gig as a free class: What can these musicians offer me that I don't already know? And every gig that I'm there, I'm never surprised at what I pick up. And these people I work with trust me to help share this thing that we discovered together. I've always been amazed that I get these calls from non-jazz people to help their projects. I think [it] is a testament to my open ear and open mind about music with a capital M.

For the Love of RonRon Carter and Friends: 85th Birthday Celebration will take place at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday May 10. For information on Ron Carter, visit his website.

Read more from the original source:
Jazz Bassist Ron Carter On His Iconic Career Ahead Of 85th Birthday Concert At Carnegie Hall - Forbes

Draft day is finally here and Washington has made their pick, Tulsa OG Chris Paul. Washington waited until the 7th round to draft some depth for their offensive line. They lost All-Pro, franchise G Brandon Scherff in free agency, and also released Ereck Flowers during the offseason. They only signed Andrew Norwell, and are expected to make Wes Schweitzer the other starting guard. Paul joins a group or practice squaders and future contract guys that will compete with Saahdiq Charles for a backup role on the team.

Chris Paul has played both tackle and both guard spots during his time at Tulsa. The Commanders love positional versatility, and are probably hoping Paul can develop into a valuable backup like Schweitzer.

NFL.com bio:

As a redshirt freshman, Paul started eight games at right guard while playing in all 12 of the teams games. The Houston product then started all 12 games at left guard in 2019 before moving to the right tackle spot as a junior. Paul was a second-team All-AAC pick in 2020, though he missed the teams bowl game due to injury. Known for his leadership and community service, Paul was named to NCAA Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity in February 2021. His play again received all-conference notice as a senior, garnering honorable mention accolades for his play in 10 starts (one at left tackle and nine at right tackle) even though a knee injury cost him the final three games.

Round 1(#16): Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State

Round 2(#47): Phidarian Mathis, DL, Alabama

Round 3(#98): Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Alabama

Round 4(#113): Percy Butler, S, Louisiana

Round 5(#144): Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina

Round 5(#149): Cole Turner, TE, Nevada

Round 7(#230): Chris Paul, OG, Tulsa

Round 7(#240):

Read the original:
Redskins 2018 draft results: DaRon Payne is Washingtons first round pick - Hogs Haven

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

EXCLUSIVE: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is launching his first ad reservation in his 2022 re-election campaign that's directed towards Spanish-speaking voters.

The popular first-term governor with a strong national conservative following announced on Wednesday that hell spend a massive $5.3 million to reserve ad time on Spanish language broadcast, cable, radio and digital to run campaign ads.

The governors political team, which shared their announcement first with Fox News, said their statewide ad reservations have a focus in the Orlando and Miami media markets. And the campaign noted that media reservation reflects DeSantis "commitment to communicating his "Keeping Florida Free" policy agenda to Spanish-speaking voters.

FLORIDAS RON DESANTIS IS THE $100 MILLION MAN

DeSantis, a former congressman who was narrowly elected Floridagovernor in 2018, isnt expected to face as challenging a re-election fight. Florida used to be the nations biggest general election battleground, but it has increasingly trended red over the past couple of cycles. And DeSantis has seen his political stature dramatically soar over the past two years.

U.S. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S. February 24, 2022. (Reuters)

An average of recent public opinion polling indicated DeSantis holding a nine-point lead over former governor and current Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist in a hypothetical general election showdown, with the governor up by double digits over two other leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and state Sen. Annette Taddeo, in potential November matchups.

And DeSantis has a huge fundraising advantage over his potential Democratic challengers. The governor through his re-election campaign and Friends of Ron DeSantis, his political committee by the end of March had hauled in over $100 million so far in the 2022 cycle.

DESANTIS VOWS HES ONLY BEGUN TO FIGHT

The DeSantis campaign appears to be using their new ad reservation to signal their strategy to further court Floridas important and growing pool of Spanish-speaking voters.

Republicans have made gains with Spanish-speaking voters in recent elections cycles and are optimistic about making further gains this year. DeSantis won 44% of the Latino or Hispanic vote in his 2018 gubernatorial election victory, according to a Fox News Voter Analysis, which also indicated DeSantis narrowly edging Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum 50%-48% among Latino men.

And recent polling indicates DeSantis favorability among Hispanic voters in Florida on the rise while President Bidens numbers have declined.

TRUMP WINS CPAC 2024 STRAW POLL, WITH DESANTIS SECOND

"As Joe Biden and the Democrat Party continue to lose their footing with the Hispanic community, Republicans are gaining and growing, the DeSantis campaign touted in an exclusive statement to Fox News.

"Spanish-speaking Hispanics in Florida and across the country are moving towards Governor Ron DeSantis because of his emphasis on economic opportunity, education, publicsafety, and other family-focused policies," the campaign argued. "This is our first media investment of the campaign, proving the importance we are placing on sharing our freedom agenda with Spanish-speaking voters across the state of Florida."

DeSantis has seen his popularity surge among Republican voters in his state and around the nation over the past two years, thanks in large part to his combative pushback against COVID-19 restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic as well as his aggressive actions in the culture wars.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

While pundits see DeSantis as a likely 2024 GOP presidential contender, the governor has repeatedly deflected talk of a 2024 run, saying hes concentrating on his gubernatorial re-election and telling Fox News that the next White House race is "way down the road. Its not anything that Im planning for."

But the governors massive campaign war chest sends a signal to the rest of the potential 2024 Republican presidential field of DeSantis popularity, influence, and strength should he launch a White House campaign. And he consistently polls second to former President Donald Trump who repeatedly flirts with making other White House run in early 2024 GOP presidential nomination polls.

View original post here:
Florida's DeSantis announces massive initial ad reservation with focus on Hispanic voters, in re-election run - Fox News

When Ron Rivera addressed the media following the conclusion of the 2022 NFL Draft, he explained that he and his coaching staff would get together Monday to evaluate if there were any other parts of the roster to "fill in."

Apparently, the group felt like more work indeed needed to be done, as evidenced by a signing Washington made to begin the week.

The Commanders and veteran offensive lineman Trai Turner have agreed to terms on a one-year, $3 million contract, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. NBC Sports Washington's JP Finlay confirmed the move.

Turner spent last season with the Steelers, and in 2020, he played for the Chargers. Before those stints, he yep, you already know where this is headed blocked for the Panthers from 2014 to 2019, where he overlapped with Rivera.

Washington Football Talk | Listen and Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

In Carolina, Turner was voted to five consecutive Pro Bowls, beginning in 2015 and ending in 2019. He'll be 29 by Week 1 and was a third-round pick out of LSU. He's started 106 games in his professional career.

Turner joins Andrew Norwell as ex-Panther guards to sign with Washington this offseason. Efe Obada, the team's only other outside free agent acquisition of 2022, is also someone Rivera knows from his previous head coaching stop.

Turner, Norwell and Wes Schweitzer give the Commanders three quality options for the pair of starting guard spots on offense. Saahdiq Charles and recent seventh-round choice Chris Paul, meanwhile, represent depth pieces behind that trio.

As it stands now, it appears that Norwell will be the left guard come September while Turner and Schweitzer will compete on the right side.

After losing Brandon Scherff and releasing Ereck Flowers in March, Washington's offensive line seems to be whole again, with Charles Leno Jr. and Sam Cosmi projected as the top tackles, Chase Roullier rehabbing at center and the above guys set to patrol the interior. There may not be any elite names in the bunch yet, overall, it figures to be a sound front.

See original here:
The Commanders are signing yet another lineman with ties to Ron Rivera - NBC Sports

If youve kept up with ESPNs advanced metrics in recent years, youd know how much they seem to love Wisconsin football. Once again, ESPN FPI is high on the Badgers as we enter the 2022 season.

The metric recently predicted the outcome of the 2022 Big Ten season, and the rest of the Big Ten West expectations may surprise some Badger fans.

Out east, the usual suspects lead the way in the projections. While we are still a few months away from the 2022 college football season, its never too early to project how the Big Ten looks when the dust settles.

Beginning with the Big Ten East, here is what ESPN FPI sees as the most likely scenario in 2022:

4-8 (4.0-8.0)

No. 83

4-8 (4.3-7.7)

No. 66

6-6 (6.3-5.7)

No. 43

8-4 (8.0-4.1)

No. 16

8-4 (8.3-3.8)

No. 12

9-3 (9.5-2.6)

No. 7

11-1 (11.8-1.0)

No. 2

NEXT UP: Big Ten West

4-8 (4.3-7.7)

No. 82

5-7 (4.5-7.5)

No. 73

7-5 (6.9-5.3)

No. 38

7-5 (7.0-5.2)

No. 44

7-5 (7.5-4.6)

No. 40

8-4 (7.7-4.6)

No. 35

8-4 (8.2-4.1)

No. 21

Original post:
ESPN FPI predicts the Big Ten football 2022 standings - Badgers Wire