2015 NLL Pick 'Em: Week 5

Week 4 Results:
Pick (Winner)
Buffalo (Buffalo)

Season to date: 4-11 (.267)

DEF. BY

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*Home team second.

-Ricky

2015 NLL Power Rankings: Week 4

1. (2) Colorado – This could be for real.

2. (1) New England – Not quite as rested as the visiting team.

3. (3) Toronto – Everyone’s free GO tickets probably for next QEW home game vs. Bandits

4. (5) Buffalo – Buffalo 1-1 in previous back-to-back

5. (4) Vancouver – Doubled up in the high elevation city and then some.

6. (7) Edmonton – Enjoying beating up provincial rivals.

7. (6) Calgary – Battle of Alberta more one sided to Rush lately.

8. (8) Minnesota – Buffalo is not all bad news for Swarm road game.

9. (9) Rochester – Gotta get more of this action.

See Brian Shanahan's picks here.

-Ricky

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)

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*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

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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