2015 NLL Pick 'Em: Week 4

Week 3 Results:
Pick (Winner)
Toronto (Toronto)
New England (Minnesota)
Toronto (Rochester)
Vancouver (Edmonton)
Calgary (Colorado)

Season to date: 3-11 (.214)

DEF. BY

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DEF. BY

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 *Home team second.

-Ricky

2015 NLL Power Rankings: Week 3

1. (1) New England – Week off could have them howling at the moon.

2. (2) Colorado – Mammoth improvement expected to continue.

3. (3) Toronto – As things warm up, team chemistry getting Rose-y again.

4. (5) Buffalo – Not making things easy.

5. (4) Vancouver – Despite close game, attendance increase.

6. (6) Calgary – Still no wins, but we saw more of the team we’re used to.

7. (7) Edmonton – Yester year merely a memory at the moment.

8. (8) Minnesota – New surroundings and new division opponent.

9. (9) Rochester – Pregame ceremony may need “medicine game dance” for luck.

See Brian Shanahan's picks here.

-Ricky

2015 NLL Pick 'Em: Week 3

Week 2 Results:
Pick (Winner)
-Rochester (New England)
-Calgary (Colorado)
-Edmonton (Minnesota)
-Toronto (Toronto)

Season to date: 2-7 (.222)

DEF.

*Home team second.

-Ricky

2015 NLL Power Rankings: Week 2

1. (2) New England – Both East Division finalist and league champions thwarted early in season.

2. (1) Colorado – Mammoth that good or Riggers starting cold?

3. (4) Toronto – Showed that week one means nothing to Stealth.

4. (3) Vancouver – Whatever they did last week, they will need to keep on doing it again.

5. (5) Buffalo – JT closing in on 300 games, would've been in Rochester.

6. (8) Calgary – signs of division final in May with the Mile High Club?

7. (6) Edmonton – Exact opposite start from last year.

8. (8) Minnesota – Good first win, but the bye will slow them down.

9. (7) Rochester – There won’t be a four-peat if this keeps up.

See Brian Shanahan's picks here.

-Ricky

2015 NLL Pick 'Em: Week 2

Week 1 Results:
Pick (Winner)
-Buffalo (New England)
-Edmonton (Buffalo)
-Rochester (Toronto)
-Colorado (Colorado)
-Calgary (Vancouver)

Season to date: 1-4 (.200)

DEF.

DEF.

DEF. BY

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*Home team second.

-Ricky

2015 NLL Power Rankings: Week 1

1. Colorado - On a mission. Will be more convinced against Calgary.

2. New England - First win in new city, let's see road play.

3. Vancouver - Playing to make a statement.

4. Toronto - One-upping a rival, like in the olden-days

5. Buffalo - Black Wolves may not be in Philly, but still chasing all-time league wins.

6. Edmonton - Did they really just lose to Buffalo at the "F'N Center"?

7. Rochester - Defending champs showed up with fire, but it was" banner raising night."

8. Calgary - Poor result for a team that normally wins their season opener.

9. Minnesota - Edmonton won't be any easier next week.

See Brian Shanahan's picks here.

-Ricky

2015 NLL Pick 'Em: Week 1

DEF.

 

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DEF. BY

 

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DEF. BY

*Home team second.

-Ricky

P.S - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Shave and a Haircut (Boom, Boom!)

Normally, I would be posting quite a bit later, but important surprising is afoot. We are officially announcing and unveiling that BNG has a new look!

At the bottom is the new blog header and the top is the new profile picture for Twitter. The middle of course is the hybrid. But best of all, it was completely hand drawn before I gave it a face lift. Below are the scanned hand drawn renderings I had put together. So really, I just enhanced the outlines and added color.

Voila, we have a gratifying new look and it's tres chic, very suave. Thanks for being a part of BNG, we hope for your continued viewership!

-Ricky

2015 NLL Power Rankings: Pre-Season

NLL Preseason Rankings and Picks:
1. Calgary
2. Rochester
3. Buffalo
4. Edmonton
5. Toronto
6. Colorado
7. Vancouver
8. Minnesota
9. New England

Regular Season Champs:
West - Calgary; East - Buffalo
(Buffalo, Toronto, Rochester, Minnesota, New England; Calgary, Edmonton, Colorado, Vancouver)
Division Champs:
West - Calgary; East - Toronto
(Colorado def. Edmonton def. by Calgary; Rochester def. by Toronto def. Buffalo)
Champions Cup winner: Calgary

-Ricky

Insure-A-Jersey

Get ready to welcome a new jersey member to the closet! The bruised banana is (finally) becoming part of the family. It is expected between Christmas Eve and Epiphany Eve {5 January 2015}. It appears that it will indeed be a Christmas present to myself. For the record, if you have some sort of jersey collection, I recommend that you have them insured.


"Why should I insure jerseys," you may ask. Well many of them are certainly not cheap, so if anything should happen to them [knock on wood], then they will be covered and you would kind of have a form of compensation for them. I still haven't been able to, but it is planned. Just a word for the wise. I'll be back before you know it.


-Ricky

MLS Template Ahoy!

I finally found a template good for MLS use. I toned it down from the version on the Chicago Fire's design contest page.

A Rev's kit is on it's way. All three will be ready to round out the week. Have fun with this one!

-Ricky

The Twilight Zone

We have an announcement to make:

You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead—your next stop, the twilight zone!

BNG will have a new look as of 1 January 2015. Speaking of changes, our holiday decor is up and about. Today is only serving the purpose of general BNG news. A new jersey is expected to be on its way, one that hasn't yet been purchased but is towards the top of the BNG wishlist. You will get a sneak peek with the next few concepts that are designed by the end of the year with the signature form of the new branding. That's including the one for the MLS Eastern Conference champions by weeks end. Carry on.

-Ricky

Ducks But Don't Cover

In the event that the Ducks promoted their most recent thirds to home kits and added a corresponding road white, I used that as inspiration for a new third. This however accomplishes several things. First is that there is another orange jersey and with the "OC" patch (Stadium Series). Second is that it has wide stripes with TV numbers in them as well as the laces (last Mighty Ducks era alternate). Finally, the wordmark is used for the crest (the new old home/road kits).

This was the end result. It is simple and not overpowering though the orange is a little bold of a statement. I also added the front number to make the front look fuller. I am very happy how my envisionment of such a jersey turned out. One of my best works I think. If only some of my others were as such. I think this is a step in the right direction but not necessarily the right alternate for the Ducks to adopt.

-Ricky

Hono(u)ring Monsieur Jean Bélive4u

Last night, hockey lost a legend, one of the best to ever grace the earth both on and off the ice. Jean Béliveau was an icon after his playing days as both a man in the front office and having continued his charity work. He is likely the most decorated player in the sport and in an elite group among all sports. From playing alone, a ring for each of his fingers and both thumbs. On top of that adding seven more from his other involvement with the organization. You can only imagine the personal accolades he racked up during those ten cup years and all else. There is no need to list them - Jean wouldn't have it any other way. Just as in the community, he gave his all for the betterment of the team before his own benefit.

There's a reason Jean was inducted an unprecedented year early into Hockey's Hall of Fame and that his number was retired into the rafters of the historic Montréal Forum. He was in a league of his own: rivaled by no one, but respected by all. The above was created by me as a remembrance not of his death, but the life and legacy he leaves behind. His unparalleled level of excellence and well-roundedness surely did not go unnoticed, but that attention did grab the hearts and minds of others. Our heart goes out to the Béliveau family and friends, the Molsons and the entire Canadiens organization, their fans, the Province of Québec, and the other ambassadors of the sport as we look back at the times inspired by such a great advocate of life and hockey.

-Richard F. Mazella II

Batting 1.000

Notice the time 12:15? 12 (December): 1 (date+)(20)14 (year) I tried, anyway... I've done a lot of writing and I'm sure, I've doubled for at least the equivalent in designing things. Because of that, I'm celebrating by not only not doing anything but also indulging in unhealthy food as I'm generally good to my health when it comes to that (Five Guys, here I come). But seriously, some of the time has breezed by and some dragged on forever. I cannot fathom how well BNG has been received. Thank you to all of you, new or old readers contributors and followers. To those that came before me, Ryan Haslett at HJC in particular (having begun my blogging career having this as a medium to host my personal concepts that were submitted for HJC,) but also Alan J. Herbert. Caden Patafie, Jake Miller, and William Butala, it is with great respect that you have trusted us with your contributions here. That said, enjoy the rest of your day!

Regards,
-Richard F. Mazella II

A Logo's Tale

It doesn't take a lot of anything for a logo to be selected. It just needs to be nominated and the process works baseball style. The top twenty-five that are submitted by August 31 of a given year will be on the final ballot. From there, voters can select up to 10 nominees. The only difference is that there are always ten spots in except for specific ties. In the event of a tie resulting in more than ten teams, none will enter (eg: three teams tied for ninth, only eight teams enter - and so on). That said, may we introduce this years entrants!

For the very first time, an event logo has been inducted in addition to a basketball team logo as well as roller hockey and lacrosse logos. The two baseball logos are the first from Major League Baseball's American League. The Rattlers logo in addition to the ArenaBowl XXII logo are the second year from that respective sport.

-Ricky

Intramural Quidditch, Anyone?

Years ago, just before my arrival at Springfield College, quidditch was an intramural sport. I would've had my hands full trying to referee it. We tried to get it together again my freshman year but due to lack of participation, it was foiled. I did create a uniform for a potential club team however.

We haven't sported gold in a long time, but you may have noticed I try to include it in a lot of my designs regarding the college. The big thing is that this would be all for not next year with the reported changes that are supposed to come about. But while it is still what it currently is, this would be what I would think is the uniform for this fictitious club.

-Ricky

P.S. - The travel ban in my town was lifted, but there are other who aren't yet as fortunate. So I am all clear to resume BNG duties.

Quidditch, Anyone?

It appears that the snow in the Southtowns has (finally) stopped. There is still a travel ban in most of that area. Being directly south of the city, my town was one of the hardest hit, so it makes sense. I have been very pleased with the mayor Cuomo and his constant updates of the situation and its progress and his staying here this whole time. He just got re-elected to another term at the beginning of the month, I didn't vote for him but consider his work on this as brownie points.

The other day as I was catching up on my HJC fix, I was going through concepts, and a quidditch crossover caught my eye. I know what you're thinking - "did he say QUIDDITCH?!" Yeas, said quidditch. now I saw it but instead of asking for a template, I decided to realistically trace a template on top of the original then use just the template.

Voila! You will see it in good use tomorrow, by the way. This template will be available on the templates page for you to use! Of course the original showed where the Nimbus logo was to be placed, so I decided to leave those be. Now without further adoo, "up!"

-Ricky

"Shame on the NFL!"

"Shame on the NFL," for trying to get the Jets at Bills game Sunday to be played in Orchard Park was the message Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said. There are several choices for this but only Two make sense Detroit and Syracuse. While Detroiit hosts an NFL team, it has hosted a neutral site game before (I don't recall who plyed, but it was within five seasons ago) and it would be good for the area to see new teams for the last time until 2018 when the Jets or the rest of the AFC East come to Ford Field (8-12 seasons pending re-approval of the scheduling grid system. But my option is the Carrier Dome as it is still Bills country and far away enough from New Jersey, the real home of the Jets (yes, I went there). So I will keep updates on this as time passes.

*-*-* 21NOV14 8:30PM EST *-*-*

The game will be held Monday night at 7PM EST in Detroit.

*-*-* 22NOV3:15PM EST *-*-*

Tickets to the game will be free.

I'll be back!

-Ricky

Cabin Fever: Who's Got It?

Who's got it? I know I don't.  I can handle being in the same place for extended periods of time - you can thank my living on the relatively small campus of Springfield College for that. In any event, I'm still snowed in as the driveway is shoveled but the street is not plowed. My dad can't go to work (mom works from home) and classes cancelled at my college in the city (for the second day in a row). The first round of snow has passed us, but the second now is on its way. That means i have to stay and get tid of more things from the DVR and keep at least the downstairs of our house spotless for our annual Thanksgiving feast in a week. so that has been consuming much of my time in light of the storm. I'll continue to it as you continue to carry on.

-Ricky

Sixty Four Inches

I am quite literally up to my armpits in snow when I am shoveling my driveway with my dad. My town was one of the worst hit. the record snowfall in one sitting is somewhere in Colorado from the time of the roaring twenties. This type of storm is not uncommon or a highly accumulative for Buffalo, however this has already totaled three-quarters of what we normally average per winter. In the mean time, State, county, and other officials have come to tend to our situation. All I know is that the plows did not come overnight at all. This storm unlike others we did not. I think that is why the amount of snow is such a big deal. You can only prepare so much, but patrolling neighborhoods with thruway department plows would be helpful. If I continue ranting, you won't hear the end, so I will let you enjoy your day.

-Ricky

A Storm Approacheth

Just a heads up, my posting will likely be limited the next few days as the Western New York area is expected to be blasted with two individual rounds of snow. More details will follow in the coming days. Pleas be advised that as the snow has begun to fall, I expect the plowing situation in my neightborhood to be normally poor as we are last to be plowed given I live right behind town hall.

In more pleasant news, I am now the landlord of a property in South Buffalo. It is a four unite apartment with a storefront. Two apartments are rented out currently and the other two are to be rented. The storefront is also not currently leased out, but first requires some repairs. It has a flat roof, the storefront, but was recently double coated with the appropriate material. If things don't go well, I have plans to use the store as the official headquarters of BNG and turn it into an internet cafe.

Speaking of headquartering BNG physically, I am also planning on purchasing a bookmobile (preferrably from the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, which I have seen go for $20-25K USD) to use as a portable sports memorabilia shop - jerseys included. But that is all just a plan for now. With luck forward.

-Ricky

The Glimmer Up the River

As my designs for the Victoria River have been approved, I have begun working on my promotional campaign. While I'm on the subject, the approving commissioner is "loving the ochre" color scheme. The team song will be next, but first, the initial teaser.

I wanted to remind everyone that eagles gather in a convocation as well as that we we'll be the boss in this league (good propaganda, eh?). Because we don't know anything about the start date of the league and assuming we'll be announced the day after being due - a week from tomorrow - I decided that that would be more appropriate that the first game anyway. There you have it and keep an eagle eye on that club song!

-Ricky

More Jumble in Jabiru

I was remiss to include a heritage jumper for the Victoria River Eagles submission I posted recently. But the entire thing will be submitted by tomorrow, a week and a half before the deadline. Here's the updated version:

Okay - I know the lace-up is questionable near the collar, but keep in mind, this is not an actual lace-up and is merely screen printed as appears to be how uniforms are made (given the one that recently came in from my favorite pro team's store seems to be just that). This edition also includes the required sponsor logos that I intentionally with-held from you in addition to not having yet decided on a sponsor at that point. So here it is. Bask in its glory?

-Ricky

Thank You, Destroyers!

A little while back, I found somebody selling Buffalo Destroyers helmets on Ebay. I may have actually bought one except for the fact the charge was $300. I think it was game worn. Anyway, here's another peek into some of my childhood as arena football was just being introduced to Western New York in 1999.

I can't tell you how great it feels to see such memorabilia. I still miss them, (and the Blizzard) ever so dearly.

-Ricky

Disney Hits HJC

I wasn't a particularly happy camper when only my laptop was available to me at that moment when I was going to submit this into HJC's most recent contest. Then, it failed to send after repeated attempts. I actually had several ideas, only two of which survived, a Mickie Mouse themed one and the one you see below.

A lot of my younger cousins watch their fair share of Disney Channel shows and original movies. Then I thought of how high schools make up a good amount of the identities in their content. The series Liv & Maddie (Ridgewood High) along with the movie Hatching Pete (Brewster High) seem to have the most presence in recent years as far as their basketball programs are concerned. I then took it upon me to give them both hockey teams for the purpose of this competition. Well, these programs might be on the rise . . .

-Ricky