Additional Posts From This Author
The Super Bowl is the highest level of NFL football, culminating in an entire season’s worth of greatness. Usually, to win the biggest event on the calendar, one or two players have to elevate their team above the competition and cement themselves in NFL lore. These greatest performances in Super Bowl history won their teams...
Every gamer has a Mario Party story. Someone stole a star last second to win the game, or they had the absolute worst luck. Most stories are different, but when it comes to the minigames, everyone agrees: it's absolute chaos. Mario Party solidified itself in the canon of Nintendo's multiplayer pantheon, starting with the original release on...
The excitement of opening up a new gaming console doesn’t really materialize into any tangible fun if the hardware doesn’t possess any great games to enjoy. Launch titles spur the early success and enjoyment of video games dating back to the 1980s. The best launch titles not only encouraged people to buy a game console...
When it comes to timeless comedies that elicit laughs, cries, and thought-provoking moments of silence, not many match the power of The Golden Girls. With four iconic comediennes at the helm, the 1980s sitcom allowed viewers into the homes of Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia. The mid-50s women (and one in her 80s) lived their...
People love celebrating anniversaries. Whether a wedding anniversary or a TV anniversary, remembering the landmark beginnings of life’s greatest joys never gets old. 2024 brings with it the 20th anniversary of some of the best shows ever. From historical fiction on HBO to failed spin-offs of 1990s comedies, these TV shows still air and infuse...
Nintendo garners a high reputation after releasing blockbuster titles for over 40 years. Going back to the 1980s, the Japanese company has been synonymous with success. The games that leave their headquarters sell millions of copies and change the gaming world forever. Sometimes, Nintendo will release a classic that goes under the radar, though. From...
Although Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings relied on an ensemble cast, therefore making it difficult for any one actor to stand out, the performers in the films proved their worth before and after the fantasy franchise. None of the people in the series stood out as A-listers, but that helped the audience not...
Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings films continue to inspire audiences two decades after their release because of their beauty and attention to detail. At the heart of the series, though, are the heroic Lord of the Rings characters who help destroy the One Ring. Even if the movies didn’t possess the grandeur and...
When Earl Lloyd stepped on the floor for the Washington Capitols on October 31, 1950, it opened the door for hundreds of gifted Black basketball players to show their talents to the world. Today, around 70% of NBA players are Black, a great sign of the advancement of civil rights in America and around the...
A great host knows exactly what questions to ask to create the ultimate viewing experience for the people watching or listening back home. With shorter attention spans and social media becoming the primary avenue for news in the 2020s, great talk show hosts get creative to carve out a niche and a dedicated audience. These...
The 1990s ushered in the era of highlight basketball. With cable television channels such as ESPN gaining in popularity, NBA stars were presented to a much broader range of fans than in previous decades. The 1992 Olympic Dream Team popularized the game globally, and superstars of the era added to the plethora of skills and...
Basketball can become a very personal affair. Players put everything into performing at the highest level, and someone questioning another’s toughness or skills can be insulting. Anyone who’s enjoyed street basketball or pick-up ball knows that talking trash to an opponent satisfies a desire for competition and sometimes makes the other person play worse. Some...
Not many years during the 2000s enjoyed better video game releases than 2004. The height of the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube helped usher in a whirlwind of iconic originals, incredible sequels to legendary games, and spinoff titles that spiced up their respective series. Even the indie scene started to gain traction. These 2004 video games...
TV viewers worldwide can rejoice now that the Hollywood studios have finally presented the actors and writers with a fair contract to compensate them for their work. The labor stoppage ended production on so many upcoming shows, but the light at the end of the tunnel shines bright. From network shows that will start up...
Christmas movies often have loose scripts and repetitive themes; Hollywood regurgitates the same plot lines yearly. The difference between a poor Christmas movie and a classic one often lies in the talent on-screen. These Christmas movie actors have proven to elevate the script and spread holiday joy to the masses! 1. Macaulay Culkin Macaulay Culkin...
Becoming a successful TV actor takes dedication and creativity. Many performers struggle to capture the magic of serial storytelling even once in their careers. For this reason, climbing to the ratings mountaintop and cultivating a spot in the television zeitgeist twice (or more) deserves special recognition. These actors have appeared in multiple hit shows, playing...
The Primetime Emmy Awards announced their nominations recently, and many of our favorite shows are in the running once again. The final seasons of Succession and Better Call Saul shined bright, and the voters took notice with many nominations for the two stalwarts. New shows like The Last of Us also featured strongly amongst the...
NBA players possess artistic creativity and innovative talent with the capability to drop jaws and induce “aws.” Basketball athletes conjure novel skills on a dime, with some players repeatedly turning to the same signature move when the opposition has no answers. Championships are won with bread-and-butter stylistic choices, and at other times, fans come to...
Two is always better than one. This rings especially true when discussing the best duos in NBA history. Basketball has long been inundated with the talents of two star players who overwhelm the competition, and dynamic duos help the game evolve and flow. Whether the pairing is a center-guard combo or like-minded backcourt stars, the...
The influence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe sometimes makes people forget the other great performances of the actors who have portrayed their favorite heroes. Some stars like Samuel L. Jackson and Julia Louis-Dreyfus already did career-best work before Marvel. Others like Tom Holland are just starting on their post-blockbuster journies. No matter where these MCU...
Kids should get the opportunity to enjoy life however they choose to. Adults don’t get the benefit of innocence like children, but they do limit what their little ones have fun with. Nickelodeon’s The Fairly OddParents imagines a world where 10-year-old Timmy Turner receives fairy godparents who grant every wish he could ever dream of....
With so many sitcoms using cynical humor or dark jokes, Abbott Elementary brightens the day for viewers. The series famously follows the exotic mix of teachers at a downtrodden elementary school as they find new ways to serve the community and enhance their personal lives. Led by the happy-go-lucky Janine Teagues, the instructors at Abbott...
Perhaps no sport creates more arguments over who is the best player to have ever lived than NBA basketball. Magic or Bird. Shaq or Hakeem. Wilt or Russell. Jordan or LeBron. Despite being a wonderful team sport, the prodigious talents of a select few tilt the scales in unimaginable ways in pro hoops; therefore, the...
Believe it or not, passing might be the most important ability in basketball. Most kids and adults like to see the scoring exploits of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and they don't realize that the divine passing skills of someone like Jason Kidd or Magic Johnson are just as or even more instrumental in propelling...
The Super Bowl stands as the biggest event on the North American sporting calendar. Even casual fans who enjoy the halftime entertainment and the supersized parties with friends more than the actual game look forward to this early February tradition. Dedicated football people want a good game, though, so it’s time to celebrate the best...
Superstars date actresses, players force their coaches out the door, and owners get caught for making racist claims. Basketball’s expressive nature makes the sport easy to put on tabloids and news publications. Sometimes, these stories backfire and turn into controversy, though. 1. Tim Donaghy Betting on Games Fans often joke that referees are betting on...
Americans sometimes forget about Seattle. The weather may be gloomy, but the mountains and hiking trails definitely make up for the rain. Films and TV shows across the decades often use Seattle for its picturesque landscapes but also for its personality and plethora of businesses. 1. Frasier (1993-2004; 2023- Present) Frasier cemented the decision to...
The first movie in a series presents creative ideas and introduces the audience to characters they can love for a lifetime. Sequels can build on that, sometimes expanding on the quality of the first go-around, other times showing us the frivolous nature of gluttonous movie consumption. But what about a threequel? The third sequel in a franchise...
Most basketball coaches are judged on how well they get along with their players and whether the team wins any championships. Taking home a lot of regular season wins can bolster a coach’s reputation undeservedly, while other times, winning a single title can make a coach bulletproof. These overrated NBA coaches aren't necessarily bad at...
We know far too well how much of our lives are taken up by employment. Whether you work a nine-to-five or have capitalized on the remote working opportunities of the modern age, your money-making method is often used to define your self-worth, for better or worse. There are a lot of joys, and often even...
Succession’s vast array of dense characters lent the HBO series a literary fervor not many peers can claim to match. A relatively small main cast featuring some of the best actors in modern television history combined with guest actors and recurring side characters to fill in the gaps of the Roy family’s story. These Succession...
Siblings are often the first people our own age that we become friends with within our lifetimes. Bound by the same parents and upbringings, brothers and sisters can relate to our problems, help us through tragedy, and even have some fun playing outside. If we’re lucky, our siblings are people we stay close with our...
While crime shouldn't be entertaining, when a TV show features a criminal's story, it becomes an exciting watch. Morals are debated, motives are dissected, and re-watches allow viewers to glean new information. Here are the 27 best TV shows about organized crime and the masterminds behind it. 1. BMF (2021-Present) In the pantheon of gangsters,...
The best sitcoms not only have sharp writing and fantastic actors, but they incorporate real-life issues prescient to contemporary society. Family shows during the 1980s and 1990s were the types of programs that used “very special episodes” the most to make a point about a serious topic, but other sitcoms before and since also crossed...
Donkey Kong may have been Mario's first antagonist, but he quickly became one of Nintendo's most likable heroes. DK's games ranged from platformers in his early days to puzzle infusions and rhythm franchises. Despite a shortage of recent entries in the character's canon, he remains instantly recognizable to most gamers worldwide. Maybe looking back at...
The worst-kept secret in the TV industry is that comedians and stand-up comics are much better actors than anybody gives them credit for. Funny folks understand what it takes to deliver their lines better than anyone due to years of signature punch lines and monologues. They also significantly understand human emotions and random situations that...
The NBA All-Star Game starters were announced last week, an indicator that the league is quickly approaching the unofficial midway point of the season! Exciting upsets occurred last week while people were too busy to notice because of the NFL playoffs. This week’s rankings will wrap up the eventful end of January and look ahead...
The Emmy Awards represent the pinnacle of TV greatness, but sometimes awesome shows go under the radar. The voters get infatuated with a specific show or actor, and when they keep voting for the same series over and over again, a different deserving program gets shut out from the ceremony. The best shows without an...
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time inspired gamers and developers the second it was released in 1998, and it has continued to blaze a trail for adventure games in the ensuing quarter-century. Ocarina of Time introduced a novel sense of exploration, combat, and progression into several different genres. Nintendo continues to look back to...
College basketball maintains the essence of the game in ways the NBA often forgoes. The best college basketball players take the lessons from their coaches, elevate their teams to greatness, and prepare for the next step into the professional ranks. Some of the best college basketball stars ever turned into NBA legends, while others remained...
Video games allow humans to live vicariously through characters on the screen. Controlling a game character gives greater immersion than simply watching people on the screen, like in other formats like television or film. Pressing the buttons or moving the control stick makes a player feel connected to fiction, and sometimes game companies have tried...
The Super Bowl should celebrate the two best teams in NFL football, but sometimes, one squad puts the opponent to shame. Many Super Bowls have finished with lopsided scores and disappointed fans who wasted four hours on a dull contest. Blowout margins, bad officiating, and uninspiring offensive output mar the worst Super Bowls. 1. Super...
Better Call Saul began life as an overlooked prequel to Breaking Bad in 2015. After finding its footing and figuring out how to separate from its precursor, the series ushered in a novel appreciation for the side characters from Walter White’s series. Jimmy McGill’s show carefully crafts a universe-binding plot with symbolism, rich themes, and...
Walter White starts Breaking Bad as a seemingly milquetoast science teacher who cowers in fear of stronger family members and tough life circumstances. As he begins to die of cancer, his moral decay commences quicker than his physical decline. Walter continues to falter in the face of adversity, but he uses his finite time to...
The WNBA started in 1997 and has featured incredibly skilled women’s basketball players in the quarter of a century since its inception. Just like the men in the NBA, the best women’s basketball players elevate the WNBA to new heights, increasing popularity and helping all female athletes garner respect worldwide. The 22 best WNBA players...
Since Cartoon Network premiered in the early 1990s, it’s been absolute nirvana for children and adults who can’t get enough animated entertainment. The cable network has helped create some of the best nostalgic memories from our upbringings because it has no problem with taking chances and shooting for creative stories. Cartoon Network has plenty of...
Breaking Bad chronicled the rise and fall of drug lord Walter White, but fans often were just as fascinated by the moral ambiguity of Heisenberg’s assistant, Jesse Pinkman. Aaron Paul’s character possessed a lot more potential for repentance and hope than Walter's, shining a light on the bad choices both men made and forcing viewers...
Defense doesn't look or feel as cool as scoring, especially in the NBA. When kids see a high-flying dunk artist or an exhilarating passer, they want to get on the playground and emulate their favorite stars. The important thing to remember is that no amount of highlight offensive plays can win you games and championships...
The Boston Celtics ooze basketball aura. With a record 17 championships (tied with the rival Los Angeles Lakers), the C’s often associate themselves with success more than any other team in the association. With so many banners hanging from the Boston Garden rafters, the players who hung the laundry deserve all of the recognition. 1....
Independent game development provides gamers with unique variations on tried formulas. Designers utilize favorite ideas from big companies to entertain and transform the gaming industry. Although indie video games are a major mainstream genre in 2024, the category used to fall under the cracks two decades ago. These vital indie video games forged the chance...
They say prequels are almost impossible to pull off effectively. They clearly haven’t ever watched the perfect masterpiece that is Better Call Saul. Series creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould have no business being able to take the one-dimensional comic relief character of Breaking Bad and turn him into the most tragically complex lawyer in...
The NBA starts to enter what some fans refer to as the “dog days” of the season during late January and early February. With about half of the schedule completed, many players may want the All-Star break to relieve them of the daily grind of the season. Fans who love basketball should have no issue...
Stranger Things galvanized audiences worldwide in 2016, and its renown resonates even greater almost 10 years after the premiere. With never-before-seen special effects on television and raw science fiction enemies, the show transports people to novel, yet nostalgic universes with lovable characters. The actors who bring the children and adults of Hawkins, Indiana, to life...
Professional sports sometimes feel like more of a passion than a capitalist pursuit. Fans buy jerseys and pretend they are kids again by celebrating athletes and clamoring for autographs. When the big-shot who owns a pro sports franchise makes a big blunder, that’s exactly when the rose-colored glasses come off and fans are reminded just...
Sons often look up to their fathers for guidance and a path to success in life. When it comes to the sports world, fathers and sons become even more ingrained in one another’s lives. Professional athletes raise their sons to go to the big leagues like them, and genetics and environmental factors contribute to many...
Hearing the crack of the bat, seeing the spray of the ball, and following the mad dash in the outfield after it’s been blasted makes baseball fans appreciate the art of hitting. Major league pitchers hurl the ball with inhuman velocity, making the act of getting a hit one of the most difficult tasks in...
The NBA season requires stamina and deft roster management to overcome obstacles through the marathon. Coaches need to provide their teams with strategic enhancements and off-the-court guidance to make sure everyone plays their best heading into the second half of the season. This week’s power rankings will grade every team’s head coach with a letter...
Competition drives the heartbeat of NBA basketball. With incredible talent at every position on the court, individuals push each other to greater heights than ever, and teams bond over feuds and factions that sharpen during playoff action. From player opposition like LeBron James and Steph Curry to team enmity like Philadelphia and Boston, these are...
The 2024 Australian Open kickstarts the ATP and WTA tennis seasons every new year, and fans excitedly tune in to see their favorite players attempt to claim the first Grand Slam of the Year. Rafael Nadal pulled out of the tournament with a last-minute injury, but there are plenty of other legends and upcoming talents...
The Primetime Emmy Awards for the 2022-2023 television season are finally here after being delayed by the SAG-AFTRA and WAG strikes. With the ceremony set to air on January 15 after an originally intended air date in the fall of 2023, the experts at Wealth of Geeks have weighed in on their favorites from the...
With almost half of the season completed, NBA teams are sorting themselves into three different categories. Contenders are teams with a chance to go far in the NBA playoffs and win a championship. Pretenders are teams in playoff position, but they may drop out of the running or exit the playoffs early. Lottery teams are...
Facebook performed a study in 2016 to find out how many siblings share the same profession. The results showed that 15% of brothers and sisters choose the same job. These findings carry over to the sports world, where a large number of professional athletes share genes. Most siblings play sports together growing up, and when...
Nickelodeon has a deservedly elite reputation as one of the best children’s networks in TV history. The lack of current gems on their airwaves shouldn’t make us forget that they were once a powerhouse in innovation in three different types of programming: toddler television, bigger kid animation, and teen sitcoms. Unique characters, signature animation styles,...
It feels impossible to define what a great shooter is compared to a great scorer. Michael Jordan is perhaps the best scorer ever, but is he one of the best shooters ever? Not necessarily because of his abysmal percentages from the three-point line. A spot-up shooter who only stands in the corner and launches might...
When one incredible athlete sets a standard for the rest of the world, upcoming athletes look to hone their skills and blaze a new path. But sometimes, athletes accomplish feats so surreal they can never be surpassed. Changes in a sport and different rules across eras help legendary athletes retain records decades after they are...
The NBA often struggled to overcome Michael Jordan’s shadow in the 2000s. After Air Jordan took the game to new heights, it often felt like other players were merely grasping at his doorstep. When fans overlooked their love for MJ and appreciated the players at face value, they learned that the 2000’s NBA stars were...
The NBA struggled in the 1970s for notoriety and purpose. As stars like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain retired at the beginning of the decade, professional basketball needed a new face. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn’t possess a whole lot of charisma, and most of the flashy athletes played in the rival American Basketball Association (ABA). Diehard...
The NFL MVP award doesn’t really depict who the best player in the league is or who the most valuable athlete in football is for the year. Instead, this trophy is just given to a quarterback with nice stats and a lot of wins. Context is thrown out the window, leaving supremely talented players at...
When the middle of the NBA season arrives, star players sometimes get tired and teams look for secondary options to carry them in the meantime. The best franchises possess role players who stand out as x-factors — athletes with special skills and undervalued traits who produce extra wins during droughts. To celebrate the New Year,...
The 1980s forced the NBA into mainstream popularity like never before. After broadcasting the NBA Finals on tape delay and staying in the shadows of football and baseball, superstars like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird opened fans’ eyes to the excitement basketball could elicit if played the right way. The best players of the 1980s...
NFL games are often won with heart and grit even more than with skill. Wide receivers and quarterbacks get all of the highlights on sports television and social media, but defensive players deliver the stops that win championships. Even as the NFL has given more leeway to the offensive players, some of the best defenders...
What makes The Bear so captivating? Besides the obvious fact that the scrumptious dishes make our mouths water and require us to eat a snack while watching the show, this comedy-drama is delectable due to its characters, direction, music, and tone. What started as a series about one man’s journey to discovering his dead brother’s...
Sports are supposed to be about athletic excellence. Fans enjoy watching the best players compete at the highest level, but sometimes the opposite happens. Historic futility can take shape when a mismanaged roster of underachievers gives up on each other and onlookers make fun of the worst teams in sports history. The worst of the...
Sports may seem inconsequential in the scheme of life. After all, what's the big deal about throwing a ball or running a race around a track? Any athlete knows that the lifestyle of sports represents so much more than the mere actions of the games on the pitch, though. Teamwork and humanity combine in perfect...
With Christmas come and gone, NBA fans might have gifted their friends and family members with favorite hoops products like jerseys and basketballs. But what would you give your favorite team if you could provide them with a wrapped present? A new point guard or a taller superstar player? A coach with a willingness to...
The NBA possesses nearly 80 years of incredible basketball players who have engineered greatness on and off the court. The primitive days of the league looked a lot different from what fans enjoy today, but the pioneers of that time period often get disrespected by younger fans. Basketball wasn’t as dynamic in the 1950s and...
Most baseball fans would agree that there is something utterly enthralling about putting your hopes on the arm of a great pitcher. These players hurl the ball with inhuman speed and contort limbs in unrealistic manners all to get the ball out of reach of a star hitter. Baseball’s history owns a vast collection of...
Anytime a famous person gets arrested or accused of a crime, it makes headline news and sits in the public consciousness for a while. Even if celebrities don’t necessarily mess up more often than others, the actions of the rich and famous are under a microscope. The NBA has had its fair share of athletes...
Friends relied on the consistency of the main cast to compel fans to tune in weekly for ten years. The chemistry of those actors created a special brew of jokes and storylines, but the show also leveraged the power of guest stars to separate from other sitcoms. Famous stars from Hollywood wanted to become immortalized...
The best NBA coaches get credit for motivating their basketball players and helping them to new heights. On the opposite end of that spectrum are the worst coaches who don’t understand what it takes to communicate with athletes or teach the game at a high level. Surprisingly, some of the worst NBA coaches ever have...
The formative years of the NBA featured some of the most memorable performers in league history. Goliaths like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell patrolled the paint, while guards like Bob Cousy and Guy Rodgers penetrated the defense and dished dimes to their teammates. Young fans don’t give credit to these pioneers for their talents, but...
No feat in basketball symbolizes athleticism and creativity more than the slam dunk. Basketball players who can reach the rim at will and pound the ball through the net over their competition make the people on the floor and in the audience in awe of what they are watching. As the game evolves and NBA...
Every character on Friends possessed a unique trait that endeared them to audiences. Ross's annoying voice and pseudo-masculinity forced him into various outrageous situations. Monica's paranoia and competitive drive often put a wedge between her and the people she loved. And when it came to Chandler, everyone knew nobody could avoid one of his signature...
With most teams having played 25 games or so, fans have an apparent picture of who is contending and who needs some help. Most teams don’t have dramatic turnarounds at this stage of the year (although the Boston Celtics did start 20-21 and still went to the NBA Finals in 2022.) This week’s rankings will...
NBA players come in a lot of different talents and skill sets, but the main component of a superstar remains their clutch gene. Having the ability to take over a game at the most vital time in the season, or with the entire weight of the franchise on their shoulders, allows certain athletes to create...
Fans expect their favorite athletes to turn up their performance when the lights are the brightest. The NBA playoffs give basketball stars the chance to elevate their legacies and bring eternal glory to their name and their cities. Some of the best players ever end up falling short of the ultimate goal of winning a...
Nobody knows how they’d react in the event of a zombie apocalypse. The end of the world breaks the human spirit and rearranges moral principles. The hit AMC series The Walking Dead presented more than a fair share of ethical quandaries in its decade-plus run. While most survivors make selfish decisions and think without regard...
Fans and critics dubbed Seinfeld “the show about nothing” due to the program’s tendency to give airtime to stories that seemingly mean diddly in the scheme of life. Everyday occurrences that should only take up a fleeting moment in time encapsulated the entire 22 minutes of an episode of Seinfeld. Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld’s...
Watching Breaking Bad for the first time delivers thrills and heart-stopping surprises unlike anything else on television. The story of a downtrodden chemistry teacher with a fragile ego and a hunger for excitement transforms from a small-scale tale into a seismic journey of character evolution. Creator Vince Gilligan revolutionized binge-watching television, as many episodes of...
Most of the past week was dedicated to the In-Season Tournament. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers in the inaugural championship game in Las Vegas, and Adam Silver deserves his flowers for coming up with an idea many people thought was a gimmick. Now, the focus of the regular season can return to...
Basketball requires athleticism, skill, and creativity. Some of the best athletes in the world can’t compete in the NBA unless they possess all these traits and more. Good health may be the most overlooked requirement to acquire long-term success in the league. Superstars from every decade have seen their careers careen into the gutter because...
Driving a motor vehicle requires the utmost attention to ensure everyone is safe. When distractions occur on the road, people can get hurt. The drivers and passengers in the distracted driver’s car are just as at risk as other potential victims of the distracted driver. Even animals can get hit by a bad driver who...
Do you know what's even more fun than being the hero? Portraying the evil, conniving force that opposes the protagonist! Movie villains are some of the best characters ever put to screen, but the actors who play them are often typecast as the bad guy after a couple of appearances in that role. We want...
Teachers are often misunderstood. They aren't just robots who live in their classroom and obsess over lesson plans and extracurricular activities. Teachers are just as well-rounded as any other professionals. Our favorite TV shows sometimes understand this concept, and other times they employ teachers in one-dimensional ways to support the main cast of characters. Whatever...
If the Super Mario Bros. Movie proved anything in the spring of 2023, it’s that Mario is the biggest draw in gaming! Kids and adults alike are entranced in the whimsical, carefree world of the Mushroom Kingdom. Its colors, characters, and themes of heroism are universally adored. Since the 1980s, Mario has been like a...
The wonderful world toys. More than just a diversion for young children, action figures and dolls are some of the best characters in entertainment because they create an entire universe of fun for people to get lost in. Kids can dream their most outlandish ideas, and adults can look back with nostalgia at a time...
Everything seemed to change once the Nintendo GameCube launched in 2001. The success of the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Nintendo 64 would no longer cut it for a company that had massive competition from Sony and Microsoft. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox started to solidify themselves as the systems for hardcore...
TV shows love to religate characters to a specific trope or personality type. Like the TV genius. Many of our favorite shows have characters who can solve problems, invent devices, or calculate answers at a higher level than everyone else. Meet the top 22 TV geniuses of all time! 1. Walter White (Bryan Cranston) –...
Only Murders in the Building returned for a third season earlier this year, and murder mystery fans all over the world watched the newest exploits of Charles, Oliver, Mabel, and the rest of the crazies in the Arconia. The trio of podcasters try to absolve their personal troubles by solving crimes in their residence and...
While some may view diversity on TV as unnecessary or “woke,” no one can deny that showing people from all different walks of life helps progress civil rights and human dignity around the world. TV allows characters to grow and represent often-ignored demographics. With LGBTQ+ acceptance on the rise (we hope), we can thank the...
Breaking Bad doesn’t get enough credit for the little things that make it truly one of the best TV series ever. The crime drama is acclaimed for the acting of Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, alongside its incredible moments of thrilling action and violent shock. Its filmmaking techniques, however, set it apart from other series....
Unlike a two-hour movie, a TV series supplies hours upon hours of storytelling. The added freedom of the format helps to give writers and actors time to flesh out their characters and give more depth to what's happening on the screen. The drawback of this extended screen time also means that even the best shows...
In real life, our dreams can be enthralling, thrilling, frightening, and even comforting. Dreams are the mind's best tool because they transport us to an entirely different reality using an assortment of visions, senses, and memories, all mashed up into one entity. Dream sequences give predictions for a character's future, and they supply commentary on...
Sports provide fans with some of their best and worst memories. Not only are sports entertaining on the field, but the scandals that occur can make it even more compelling to follow. Here are the 15 worst scandals in sports history, from players using performance-enhancing drugs to cheating on their spouse with a teammate's partner....
What makes a great NFL quarterback? Having great arm talent and a strong football IQ is obviously at the top of the list, but some intangibles separate the good from the special players on the field. With many of the legends of the position from the last two decades retired now (Tom Brady, Drew Brees,...
Some things just go together. Cereal and milk. Cake and ice cream. Puzzle games and platformer titles. The third combo may not be as well known to non-gamer audiences, but that's all about to change. On any console, puzzle platformers offer a high degree of entertainment and satisfaction to players. The two genres match because...
Nintendo enters every new gamer's heart and never lets go, creating a lifelong relationship between its customers and characters based on nostalgia and incredible experiences. The company has a roster of heroes recognized in countries around the world, from Mario's red and blue plumbing overalls to Donkey Kong's titular necktie. Villains, of course, play a...
The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular video game systems ever made. Owing its success to the ingenuity of its portability amongst other features, kids and adults alike are still enjoying the boundless console over six years after release. Nintendo has a plethora of iconic brands that have appeared on the Switch through...
Women's tennis is not only a bedrock of progressivism in the world of female sports, with equal pay and gender rights at the forefront of the game's importance, but it also possesses some absolutely jaw-dropping athletes. These ladies are skilled, poised, and determined. They can beat you at the net or with strong groundstrokes. Whether...
Rare Limited produced some of the best games of the 1990s for Nintendo consoles. The British games company instilled a unique sense of humor into already-established characters like Donkey Kong, and they imagined entirely new worlds like the fantastical universe of Banjo-Kazooie. When Microsoft purchased Rare in the early 2000s, the Xbox became the new...
Some TV shows use their airtime to entertain with simple tactics. A laugh here and there, a distracting storyline in another episode. Whatever helps maintain an audience week after week to make the network executives happy, right? Some shows go above and beyond this quest, the type of programs that display literary and thematic scope...
The best JRPGs (Japanese role-playing games) captivate gamers in ways other genres cannot. The top-down aesthetic transports players to a simpler time when life and video games occupied only a few mere pixels on the screen. The games feature well-written, almost novelistic characters with something to say about the world. These games often utilize turn-based...
The NBA is rich with talent, arguably more so than at any other time in its history. Centers can shoot three-pointers, and guards deliver ankle breakers and lightning passes every other play. With the superteam era seemingly over and talent distributed all over the outskirts of the league, basketball fans are truly living in a...
The NFL players on the field throw the ball, make miraculous catches, and tackle the quickest speed demons in the world. But even if the athletes are making the action happen, the coaches on the sidelines are the masterminds behind the curtain. NFL head coaches are tasked with utilizing a large roster of players with...
When discussing great supporting performances that sometimes exceeded even the lead actor's work, Aaron Paul certainly comes to mind for his portrayal of Jesse Pinkman in AMC's legendary crime drama Breaking Bad. Paul infused Jesse with heart, tenderness, toughness, and confusion amidst a crazy, drug-infested New Mexico. Paul's willingness to get emotionally raw was second...
NBA coaches are often the scapegoat for their team's failures. Every missed opportunity or playoff loss immediately puts a coach on the chopping block. The other side of the coin that should be brought to fans' attention is when a coach instills the culture or creates the playbook that leads to championship success. Juggling egos...
Kirby epitomizes the Nintendo way as well as any other character the Japanese gaming giant owns. The pink ball of energy with a multitude of facial expressions fights bad guys without a drop of bloodshed. The non-violent nature of Kirby's universe (besides the fact he eats his competition alive) makes the franchise one of gaming's...
The Sopranos pioneered the concept of TV as prestige entertainment. Superior acting, ambitious plot devices, and strong thematic storytelling elevated the medium to a place it hadn't gone before and cemented HBO's name as a powerhouse. Even though The Sopranos used the mafia as a backdrop for the show, fans of the series know they...
SpongeBob SquarePants helped build Nickelodeon's reputation more than any other program in the network's history. With iconic characters, unforgettable writing, and talented voice actors littering the cast, the series remains culturally relevant even during the lean years that have started to inundate the public's consciousness of the show. To celebrate the brilliance of the affable...
Another NBA season is upon us, which means we get another eight months of incredible basketball players dunking, shooting, and dribbling their teams to victory! The athletes in the NBA exhibit some of the most jaw-dropping skills in any sports league. The association seems to be at its peak right now, as centers can play...
Friends transports people of all ages to a place of comfort and cozy simplicity. No matter what goes wrong in a day, snuggling up on the couch and watching NBC's mega-hit from the 1990s cures ails and makes life seem okay. The chemistry of the six lead actors and actresses, combined with the stellar writing...
Dexter brought a different type of energy to prestige TV in the late 2000s. Breaking Bad and The Sopranos grappled with a variety of literary themes, but the Showtime series starring Michael C. Hall cared about one thing only: what makes Dexter Morgan tick? Through eight seasons of sublime acting by Hall and mostly excellent writing...
Many companies have used mini-games to create a satisfying party experience for gaming fans, but only one series invented an entirely different bite-sized bit of fun: WarioWare! The spin-off franchise has held strong for two decades on the back of what Nintendo calls a “microgame.” These eight-second activities within the WarioWare series make gamers think,...
The regular season always provides great entertainment value in the NBA because power rankings are abundant! Placing all of the best and worst teams in a row and shifting them around to please basketball fans is an exercise in frustration; some teams are always going to feel too high or too low. Here's Wealth of...
The King of Queens didn't revolutionize TV comedy in any way. The sitcom about a bickering mid-30s couple in New York, accompanied by extended family and friends, relied on tropes seen before and since in the genre. The longevity and hilarity of the show lie in the chemistry of Kevin James and Leah Remini and...
No matter how many 3D games Mario stars in, there will always be something genuine about seeing the portly platforming man jumping around in 2D. Mario serves as the portrait of perfection in the genre, demonstrating the fun, innate qualities that can still be seen in everything from big-studio releases to indie imitators. In anticipation of...
NFL Quarterbacks operate within a different framework than any other position on the football field. The QBs must use their intelligence to scan the field for open receivers, flexibility to change the play when a hitch in the plan comes up, and leadership to calm the others in the huddle. However, the best quarterbacks are...
Playing point guard takes more skills than any other position on the basketball court. Despite being small, they are often the most innovative and agile athletes in the game. Point guards manage their teammates, take over the scoring load when necessary, and serve as an extension of the coach. As the decades have passed, point...
While many video games challenge players' ability to react, other genres focus on the more thoughtful side of entertainment. Tactics games blend storytelling and puzzle solving, creating an immersive experience, oftentimes resembling a board game. Unlike real-time strategy games, tactics titles allow players to breathe and think through the process of battling the opposition. These...
The small forward position carries more responsibilities than any other on an NBA floor. A small forward's size, skill, and speed allow the best ones to handle the ball when needed, pick up the slack on the boards, and typically guard the other team's best player, even if they are out of position. Small forwards...
The way a basketball player handles the rock says a lot about their style and creativity. Ballhandling not only allows someone to get wherever they want on the court, but dribbling moves open up lanes for passes, and they help players get their shots off when they otherwise may have trouble. While point guards are...
Power forwards are difficult to differentiate between small forwards and centers. Many power forwards play as the biggest guys on the floor, other times they need a center alongside them to get the most out of their special skill set. Power forwards bruise and batter their way through the defense, rebounding and punishing the opposition...
HBO's shows often hit differently than any other TV. The premium cable network utilizes higher budgets and more outstanding actors to create shows that immerse the audience into the world on the screen. Theme songs have become part of the experience of watching HBO before the start of each episode. After the iconic black and...
For most of NBA history, having a great center was the number one factor in whether your team was going to be a contender. Basketball is a giant's game. Height and size matter more than anything else, and when you combine physical traits with otherworldly skill, you have the best centers in the history of...
Actors shouldn't measure their career success based on the amount of Emmy Awards they win, but they probably appreciate the respect and admiration of the Television Academy. With so many talented performers gracing the screen, some incredible actors miss out on winning a trophy for their prized work. Time to countdown the best TV performances...
Everybody Loves Raymond received critical acclaim and fan adoration for its slice-of-life humor, relatable family interactions, and superb acting by leads such as Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, and Doris Roberts. The show employed a focused, central plot in each episode that didn't include B-plotlines, which helped the characters' conversations feel much more fleshed out than on...
Home Improvement carved out a wide audience in the 1990s with the charisma of Tim Allen and the wealth of supporting talent in the rest of the cast. Animated transitions, unique running gags, and supreme holiday episodes made the show feel different from competitors like Full House and Family Matters. Allen's willingness to poke fun...
Platformers come in various shapes and sizes, but one franchise pioneered the genre and produced most of its best games: Super Mario. The Nintendo mascot brought jumping and falling into living rooms worldwide in the 1980s, rendered into 3D easily, and revolutionized open-world platforming on the Switch with Super Mario Odyssey. Leave some success for...
Shooting guards in the NBA adhere to their namesake more than any other position. The shooting guard position hasn't changed much through history, making this positional ranking one of the easier ones to list. Here are the 22 best shooting guards ever to take the floor. 1. Michael Jordan Michael Jordan's portfolio of accomplishments dwarfs...
The best time of the year has returned! The NBA season begins this month with its 78th edition, and the most dramatic league in the world has plenty in store for the hoop heads around the globe. The Denver Nuggets will rely on Nikola Jokić's greatness to become the first team to repeat since the...
Mario typically graces screens with incredible platforming action or even satisfying RPG fun. But the richness of the Mushroom Kingdom and the versatility of Mario's world and characters quickly became a hotbed for sports games, and Nintendo's capitalized on the popularity of the genre for over 20 years. Tennis, golf, Olympic sports, and more allow...
The first week of the 2023-2024 NBA season is in the books! Basketball-starved fans surely have enjoyed seeing their favorite teams back in action, but is there really that much to glean from the first three or four games of an 82-game journey? Denver still looks dominant, and everyone is obsessed with Victor Wembanyama. Can...
Drake & Josh accomplishes the number one goal of a comedy: make the audience laugh veraciously. Drake Bell and Josh Peck form an impeccable duo as two step-brothers who slowly become closer than most biological siblings. The show served as a notice of Nickelodeon's ensuing success in the live-action sphere in the late 2000s and early...
This post has been republished in honor of Stranger Things Day. Watching Netflix's Stranger Things doesn't feel like consuming any other type of TV show. The Duffer Brothers hone in on the best parts of the horror, sci-fi, and coming-of-age genres to create a potpourri of storytelling techniques that resonate long after the episodes end....
Most NBA teams have played at least five or six games by now, meaning fans have a pulse on how their squad might look in the first half of the season. Contenders like Milwaukee and Phoenix have struggled more than expected, while other playoff hopefuls like Golden State and Philadelphia have skewed more toward the...
The best part of TV for many people remains the ability to track a character's life journey, from their home all the way to their jobs. Going to work takes up a lot of time in real life and in a show, so the occupation of a person preoccupies the audience's minds. Cooking differentiates itself...
Mario Party solidified itself in the canon of Nintendo's multiplayer pantheon, starting with the original release on the Nintendo 64 nearly 25 years ago. Many of the best aspects of a board game mingle with the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario's friends to blend a party mix kids and adults alike love. The meat of the...
The NBA has existed for over 75 years now. Three-quarters of a century of beautiful basketball orchestrated by some of the best athletes on the face of the planet. With so much talent on the court, there's nothing quite like professional hoops. But what makes the game such a marvelous, mind-blowing amalgamation of skills is...
The NBA in-season tournament remains unclear and more than a little confusing in its purpose, but the games have been much more competitive than typical regular season affairs. LeBron James mentioned the Lakers were motivated to win against the Suns due to $500,000 being on the line. If more money motivates the athletes to play...
The Boys and Gen V have injected life into the superhero genre with crass humor, exciting plot lines, and a plethora of creative, novel superpowers. While Vought has injected plenty of supers, not every power is cut from the same cloth. It's time to rank the most extraordinary superpowers in the two shows, regardless of...
Full House combined dysfunction with charm in eight seasons of sappy, uber-popular family television. The concept of three mismatched male friends trying to raise three rambunctious daughters in the aftermath of their mother’s death always seemed to strike the right cord with audiences of all ages. With over eight seasons to choose from, picking the...
The social dynamics of the characters often define sitcoms. Programs like All in the Family and I Love Lucy emphasized marriage and familial units. Once Cheers debuted, friend ensembles became massively popular within the comedy genre. While others followed in its path, like Friends and The Big Bang Theory, New Girl carved its place into...
With almost a month of the NBA season in the books, fans can really start to dig into the strengths and weaknesses of their squads. MVP debates are starting to take shape (although it’s still too early for that) and stringing together wins or losses can really affect the entire season at this point. Here...
Kids who grew up in the 2000s love SpongeBob, Timmy Turner, and Tommy Pickles, but true Nickelodeon fans of the era also dedicate their devotion to Jimmy Neutron. This lovable elementary school child with a gigantic brain and a penchant for overthinking schemes starred for three seasons in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius....
There's nothing like the exuberance and youth of an under-25 athlete. Still too inexperienced to know better but gifted with the creativity and hunger that older players no longer possess, these basketball players are lighting up the scoreboard around the NBA and pushing the league to new heights. These are the top 25 NBA players...
The Los Angeles Lakers represent absolute basketball greatness. With 17 NBA championships and a rainbow of superstars to have appeared in the purple and gold, the Lakers are the envy of most professional sports teams. With so many Hall of Famers, picking just 22 feels impossible. Nevertheless, the hard work of ranking the best Lakers...
The NBA In-Season Tournament has certainly added some flair to the slog of the regular season after the first month of action. Teams are starting to enter the elimination stages of the draw, and players and teams grapple for position by increasing point margins at the end of games. Some players don’t understand the rules...
Indie gaming delivers experiences to gamers that large studios sometimes struggle to articulate. Homages to classic titles, little details that AAA developers miss, and unique graphics often lend a special ingredient to indie gaming. With so many years of independent game development behind us, the world’s best small development teams honed their craft to a...
The best athletes who have ever lived are like artists. They paint a clear picture of greatness every time they step on the field or court. Acrobatic feats of strength, creative jumps, flexible defensive plays, and intelligent collaborations with teammates all build an outstanding athlete's reputation into that of someone truly legendary. It's very difficult...
The purpose of watching a Christmas movie goes far beyond just getting into the holiday spirit. Some people want to laugh with their friends and family. Other folks want to reminisce about the days of their youth by watching a childhood favorite. Sub-genres like horror Christmas movies and raunch comedies bring alternative flavoring to festivities....
Not many games have built the type of cult following ripe for indie copycats like Paper Mario. The crafted RPG Nintendo made nearly 25 years ago hugs gamers in its artsy arms and never lets go. The sequel, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, carried on the first game’s legacy, but the ensuing releases in...
We have reached the quarter mark of the 2024 NBA season. With most teams playing 20 games from their schedule, fans really have a great idea of what type of team they’re going to be watching from here on out. Franchises will start buying or selling as the trade deadline approaches, and going all in...
When the most wonderful time of the year comes around, TV shows love to get in on the holiday cheer. Christmas episodes of sitcoms range from silly to serious, but almost every half-hour program dabbles in eggnog and mistletoe. Watching light-hearted Christmas sitcom episodes can brighten the mood and help cure winter blues. From I...
For most of the NFL’s history, quarterbacks have been white. Racial discrimination and stereotypes about what positions on the field Black people should play often led to coaches overlooking talented athletes who would have excelled commanding an offense. As draft scouts realized how ignorant it was to take racial makeup into consideration when evaluating college...
People often talk about the artistry of NBA basketball, but the best teams possess players who do the non-glorified hard work. From flying in to get a rebound over the towers in the paint, to diving on the floor for a loose ball, these types of plays contribute to what team wins the NBA title...
First-year players in sports often struggle to acclimate to the high-pressure environment of professional competition. The game moves faster, and the intelligence level required often involves a learning curve. Some lucky franchises draft star players who are ready for the spotlight right out of the gate. From MVP winners to championship qualifiers, these rookies are...
