2020-21 NBA Season Recap

Scroll below and enjoy
The 'Tude Dudepresents a
Shut Up And JAM! Sports Section Article
2020-21
NBA
Season Review


Headline Highlights

  • Regular season reduced down to 72 games to help compensate for the quick turnaround from last year amidst the pandemic
  • Coaching carousel sees significant offseason activity headlined by the hiring’s of Doc Rivers in PhiladelphiaSteve Nash in BrooklynTyronn Lue in Los Angeles (Clippers), Billy Donovan in Chicago and Tom Thibodeau in New York
  • Following last season’s offseason bonanza, free agency tapers back down to a much less exciting flow highlighted by Chris Paul’s trade to PhoenixHouston and Washington’s point-guard swap of Russell Westbrook/John Wall and Anthony Davis committing to the Lakers on a 5 year deal
  • The Brooklyn Nets pull off the transaction of the year acquiring offensive ace James Harden to pair with incumbent studs Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to form the league’s deadliest big 3
  • Carmelo Anthony moves up to 10th place on the all-time scoring list
  • Russell Westbrook passes Oscar Robertson for the most career triple-doubles achieved 
  • Denver Nuggets dynamic center Nikola Jokic becomes the lowest drafted player ever (2nd round 41st overall) to win the MVP award
  • New “play-in tournament” format allows for 2 additional seeds (9 and 10) in each conference to compete in a win-and-your-in elimination round against the 7 and 8 seeds to determine playoff entry 
  • The Phoenix Suns and Atlanta Hawks enjoy Cinderella postseason runs that stoke their fans flames after many years of mediocrity 
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks complete the season atop the NBA’s mountain winning the franchise its first title since 1971

Regular Season Standings

* = playoff participant

Eastern Conference
ATLANTIC DIVISION

Team W/L
Home/Away
Philadelphia 76ers 49-23*
29-7/20-16
Brooklyn Nets 48-24*
28-8/20-16
New York Knicks 41-31*
25-11/16-20
Boston Celtics 36-36*
21-15/15-21
Toronto Raptors 27-45
16-20/11-25

Eastern Conference
CENTRAL DIVISION

Team W/L
Home/Away
Milwaukee Bucks 46-26*
26-10/20-16
Indiana Pacers 34-38*
13-23/21-15
Chicago Bulls 31-41
13-23/21-15
Cleveland Cavaliers 22-50
13-23/9-27
Detroit Pistons 20-52
13-23/7-29

Eastern Conference
SOUTHEAST DIVISION

Team W/L
Home/Away
Atlanta Hawks 41-31*
25-11/16-20
Miami Heat 40-32*
21-15/19-17
Washington Wizards 34-38*
19-17/15-21
Charlotte Hornets 33-39*
18-19/15-20
Orlando Magic 21-51
11-25/10-26

Western Conference
PACIFIC DIVISION

Team W/L
Home/Away
Phoenix Suns 51-21*
27-9/24-12
Los Angeles Clippers 47-25*
26-10/21-15
Los Angeles Lakers 42-30*
21-15/21-15
Golden State Warriors 39-33*
25-11/14-22
Sacramento Kings 31-41
16-20/15-21

Western Conference
NORTHWEST DIVISION

Team W/L
Home/Away
Utah Jazz 52-20*
31-5/21-15
Denver Nuggets 47-25*
25-11/22-14
Portland Trail Blazers 42-30*
20-16/22-14
Minnesota Timberwolves 23-49
13-23/10-26
22-50
10-26/12-24

Western Conference
SOUTHWEST DIVISION

Team W/L
Home/Away
Dallas Mavericks 42-30*
21-15/21-15
Memphis Grizzlies 38-34*
18-18/20-16
San Antonio Spurs 33-39*
14-22/19-17
31-41
18-18/13-23
Houston Rockets 17-55
9-27/8-28

Notable League Leaders

SCORING

Stephen Curry
 (G)
Golden State Warriors
32.0
points per game
REBOUNDING

Clint Capela
 (C)
Atlanta Hawks
14.3
rebounds per game
ASSISTS

Russell Westbrook 
(G)
Washington Wizards
11.7 assists per game
STEALS

Jimmy Butler (G/F)
Miami Heat
2.1 steals per game
BLOCKS

Myles Turner (C)
Indiana Pacers
3.4 blocks per game

Award Winners

MVP


Nikola Jokic 
(C)
Denver Nuggets
26.4
points per game
10.8
rebounds per game
8.3
assists per game
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR


Rudy Gobert 
(C)
Utah Jazz
10.1
defensive rebounds per game
0.6
steals per game
2.7
blocks per game
6TH MAN OF THE YEAR


Jordan Clarkson
(G)
Utah Jazz
18.4 points per game
4.0 rebounds per game
0.9 steals per game
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR


Julius Randle 
(F)
New York Knicks
24.1
points per game
10.2
rebounds per game
6.0
assists per game
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR


LaMelo Ball 
(G)
Charlotte Hornets
15.7
points per game
5.9
rebounds per game
6.1
assists per game

Playoff Results

Eastern Conference
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT

#8 SEED PLAY-IN QUALIFIER

#9
Indiana Pacers
#10
Charlotte Hornets

#7 SEED PLAY-IN GAME

#7
Boston Celtics
#8
Washington Wizards
 

#8 SEED PLAY-IN GAME

LOSER OF THE #7 SEED PLAY-IN GAME WINNER OF THE #8 SEED PLAY-IN QUALIFIER

Eastern Conference
#8 SEED PLAY-IN QUALIFIER
(winner proceeds to #8 seed play-in game/loser eliminated from playoff contention)

#9

Indiana Pacers
#10

Charlotte Hornets
@Indiana
Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Indiana Pacers
144
Charlotte Hornets
117
Indiana Pacers
advance to the #8 seed play-in game

KEY PERFORMER

Domantas Sabonis (F/C)
Indiana Pacers
14 points
21 rebounds
9 assists
1 steal
1 block

Eastern Conference
#7 SEED PLAY-IN GAME
(winner proceeds to playoffs as #7 seed/loser moves on to the #8 seed play-in game)

#7

Boston Celtics
#8

Washington Wizards
@Boston
TD Garden
Boston Celtics
118
Washington Wizards
100

Boston Celtics
advance to NBA playoffs as #7 seed

Washington Wizards
will face Indiana in the #8 seed play-in game

KEY PERFORMER

Jayson Tatum (F)
Boston Celtics
50 points
8 rebounds
4 assists
1 steal
2 blocks

Eastern Conference
#8 SEED PLAY-IN GAME
(winner proceeds to playoffs as #8 seed/loser eliminated from playoff contention)

#8

Washington Wizards
#9

Indiana Pacers
@Washington
Capital One Arena
Washington Wizards
142
Indiana Pacers
115
Washington Wizards
advance to NBA playoffs as #8 seed

KEY PERFORMER

Russell Westbrook (G)
Washington Wizards
18 points
8 rebounds
15 assists
1 steal

Western Conference
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT

#8 SEED PLAY-IN QUALIFIER

#9
Memphis Grizzlies
#10
San Antonio Spurs

#7 SEED PLAY-IN GAME

#7
Los Angeles Lakers
#8
Golden State Warriors

#8 SEED PLAY-IN GAME

LOSER OF THE #7 SEED PLAY-IN GAME WINNER OF THE #8 SEED PLAY-IN QUALIFIER

Western Conference
#8 SEED PLAY-IN QUALIFIER
(winner proceeds to #8 seed play-in game/loser eliminated from playoff contention)

#9

Memphis Grizzlies
#10

San Antonio Spurs
@Memphis
FedExForum
Memphis Grizzlies
100
San Antonio Spurs
96
Memphis Grizzlies
advance to the #8 seed play-in game

KEY PERFORMER

Jonas Valanciunas (C)
Memphis Grizzlies
23 points
23 rebounds
3 blocks

Western Conference
#7 SEED PLAY-IN GAME
(winner proceeds to playoffs as #7 seed/loser moves on to the #8 seed play-in game)

#7

Los Angeles Lakers
#8

Golden State Warriors
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center
Los Angeles Lakers
103
Golden State Warriors
100

Los Angeles Lakers
advance to NBA playoffs as #7 seed

Golden State Warriors
will face Memphis in the #8 seed play-in game

KEY PERFORMER

LeBron James (F)
Los Angeles Lakers
22 points
11 rebounds
10 assists
2 steals
1 block

Western Conference
#8 SEED PLAY-IN GAME
(winner proceeds to playoffs as #8 seed/loser eliminated from playoff contention)

#8

Golden State Warriors
#9

Memphis Grizzlies
@Golden State
Chase Center
(ot.)
Golden State Warriors
112
Memphis Grizzlies
117
Memphis Grizzlies
advance to NBA playoffs as #8 seed

KEY PERFORMER

Ja Morant (G)
Memphis Grizzlies
35 points
6 rebounds
6 assists
4 steals

Eastern Conference
1ST ROUND
BRACKET

#1
Philadelphia 76ers
#8
Washington Wizards
#4
New York Knicks
#5
Atlanta Hawks
#3
Milwaukee Bucks
#6
Miami Heat
#2
Brooklyn Nets
#7
Boston Celtics

Eastern Conference
1ST ROUND SERIES
(best of 7)

#1

Philadelphia 76ers
#8

Washington Wizards
Game 1
@Philadelphia
Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia 76ers
125
Washington Wizards
118
Game 2
@Philadelphia
Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia 76ers
120
Washington Wizards
95
Game 3
@Washington
Capital One Arena
Washington Wizards
103
Philadelphia 76ers
132
Game 4
@Washington
Capital One Arena
Washington Wizards
122
Philadelphia 76ers
114
Game 5
@Philadelphia
Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia 76ers
129
Washington Wizards
112
Philadelphia 76ers
win series 4-1

KEY PERFORMER

Tobias Harris (F)
Philadelphia 76ers
25.0 points per game
10.0 rebounds per game
3.8 assists per game
1.2 steals per game

Eastern Conference
1ST ROUND SERIES
(best of 7)

#4

New York Knicks
#5

Atlanta Hawks
Game 1
@New York
Madison Square Garden
New York Knicks
105

107
Game 2
@New York
Madison Square Garden
New York Knicks
101

92
Game 3
@Atlanta
State Farm Arena

105
New York Knicks
94
Game 4
@Atlanta
State Farm Arena

113
New York Knicks
96
Game 5
@New York
Madison Square Garden
New York Knicks
89

103
Atlanta Hawks
win series 4-1

KEY PERFORMER

Trae Young (G)
Atlanta Hawks
29.2 points per game
9.8 assists per game
2.8 rebounds per game

Eastern Conference
1ST ROUND SERIES
(best of 7)

#3

Milwaukee Bucks
#6

Miami Heat
Game 1
@Milwaukee
Fiserv Forum
(ot.)
Milwaukee Bucks
109
Miami Heat
107
Game 2
@Milwaukee
Fiserv Forum
Milwaukee Bucks
132
Miami Heat
98
Game 3
@Miami
America Airlines Arena
Miami Heat
84
Milwaukee Bucks
113
Game 4
@Miami
America Airlines Arena
Miami Heat
103
Milwaukee Bucks
120
Milwaukee Bucks
win series 4-0

KEY PERFORMER

Giannis Antetokounmpo (F)
Milwaukee Bucks
23.5 points per game
15.0 rebounds per game
7.8 assists per game
1.8 steals per game
0.8 blocks per game

Eastern Conference
1ST ROUND SERIES
(best of 7)

#2

Brooklyn Nets
#7

Boston Celtics
Game 1
@Brooklyn
Barclays Center
Brooklyn Nets
104
Boston Celtics
93
Game 2
@Brooklyn
Barclays Center
Brooklyn Nets
130
Boston Celtics
108
Game 3
@Boston
TD Garden
Boston Celtics
125
Brooklyn Nets
119
Game 4
@Boston
TD Garden
Boston Celtics
126
Brooklyn Nets
141
Game 5
@Brooklyn
Barclays Center
Brooklyn Nets
123
Boston Celtics
109
Brooklyn Nets
win series 4-1

KEY PERFORMER

James Harden (G)
Brooklyn Nets
27.8 points per game
7.2 rebounds per game
10.6 assists per game
2.0 steals per game
1.0 blocks per game

Western Conference
1ST ROUND
BRACKET

#1
Utah Jazz
#8
Memphis Grizzlies
#4
Los Angeles Clippers
#5
Dallas Mavericks
#3
Denver Nuggets
#6
Portland Trail Blazers
#2
Phoenix Suns
#7
Los Angeles Lakers

Western Conference
1ST ROUND SERIES
(best of 7)

#1

Utah Jazz
#8

Memphis Grizzlies
Game 1
@Utah
Vivint Arena
Utah Jazz
109
Memphis Grizzlies
112
Game 2
@Utah
Vivint Arena
Utah Jazz
141
Memphis Grizzlies
129
Game 3
@Memphis
FedExForum
Memphis Grizzlies
111
Utah Jazz
121
Game 4
@Memphis
FedExForum
Memphis Grizzlies
113
Utah Jazz
120
Game 5
@Utah
Vivint Arena
Utah Jazz
126
Memphis Grizzlies
110
Utah Jazz
win series 4-1

KEY PERFORMER

Donovan Mitchell (G)
Utah Jazz
28.5 points per game
3.0 rebounds per game
5.8 assists per game
1.3 steals per game

Western Conference
1ST ROUND SERIES
(best of 7)

#4

Los Angeles Clippers
#5

Dallas Mavericks
Game 1
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center
Los Angeles Clippers
103
Dallas Mavericks
113
Game 2
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center
Los Angeles Clippers
121
Dallas Mavericks
127
Game 3
@Dallas
American Airlines Center
Dallas Mavericks
108
Los Angeles Clippers
118
Game 4
@Dallas
American Airlines Center
Dallas Mavericks
81
Los Angeles Clippers
106
Game 5
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center
Los Angeles Clippers
100
Dallas Mavericks
105
Game 6
@Dallas
American Airlines Center
Dallas Mavericks
97
Los Angeles Clippers
104
Game 7
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center
Los Angeles Clippers
126
Dallas Mavericks
111
Los Angeles Clippers
win series 4-3

KEY PERFORMER

Kawhi Leonard (F)
Los Angeles Clippers
32.1 points per game
7.9 rebounds per game
4.6 assists per game
2.3 steals per game
1.0 blocks per game

Western Conference
1ST ROUND SERIES
(best of 7)

#3

Denver Nuggets
#6

Portland Trail Blazers
Game 1
@Denver
Ball Arena
Denver Nuggets
109
Portland Trail Blazers
123
Game 2
@Denver
Ball Arena
Denver Nuggets
128
Portland Trail Blazers
109
Game 3
@Portland
Moda Center
Portland Trail Blazers
115
Denver Nuggets
120
Game 4
@Portland
Moda Center
Portland Trail Blazers
115
Denver Nuggets
95
Game 5
@Denver
Ball Arena
(2 ot.)
Denver Nuggets
147
Portland Trail Blazers
140
Game 6
@Portland
Moda Center
Portland Trail Blazers
115
Denver Nuggets
126
Denver Nuggets
win series 4-2

KEY PERFORMER

Nikola Jokic (C)
Denver Nuggets
33.0 points per game
10.5 rebounds per game
4.5 assists per game

Western Conference
1ST ROUND SERIES
(best of 7)

#2

Phoenix Suns
#7

Los Angeles Lakers
Game 1
@Phoenix
Phoenix Suns Arena
Phoenix Suns
99
Los Angeles Lakers
90
Game 2
@Phoenix
Phoenix Suns Arena
Phoenix Suns
102
Los Angeles Lakers
109
Game 3
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center
Los Angeles Lakers
109
Phoenix Suns
95
Game 4
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center
Los Angeles Lakers
92
Phoenix Suns
100
Game 5
@Phoenix
Phoenix Suns Arena
Phoenix Suns
115
Los Angeles Lakers
85
Game 6
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center
Los Angeles Lakers
100
Phoenix Suns
113
Phoenix Suns
win series 4-2

KEY PERFORMER

Devin Booker (G)
Phoenix Suns
29.7 points per game
6.2 rebounds per game
5.0 assists per game

Eastern Conference
SEMIFINAL
BRACKET

#1
Philadelphia 76ers
#5
Atlanta Hawks
#2
Brooklyn Nets
#3
Milwaukee Bucks

Eastern Conference
SEMIFINALS SERIES
(best of 7)

#1

Philadelphia 76ers
#5

Atlanta Hawks
Game 1
@Philadelphia
Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia 76ers
124
Atlanta Hawks
128
Game 2
@Philadelphia
Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia 76ers
118
Atlanta Hawks
102
Game 3
@Atlanta
State Farm Arena
Atlanta Hawks
111
Philadelphia 76ers
127
Game 4
@Atlanta
State Farm Arena
Atlanta Hawks
103
Philadelphia 76ers
100
Game 5
@Philadelphia
Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia 76ers
106
Atlanta Hawks
109
Game 6
@Atlanta
State Farm Arena
Atlanta Hawks
99
Philadelphia 76ers
104
Game 7
@Philadelphia
Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia 76ers
96
Atlanta Hawks
103
Atlanta Hawks
win series 4-3

KEY PERFORMER

Trae Young (G)
Atlanta Hawks
29.0 points per game
2.6 rebounds per game
10.9 assists per game
1.7 steals per game

Eastern Conference
SEMIFINALS SERIES
(best of 7)

#2

Brooklyn Nets
#3

Milwaukee Bucks
Game 1
@Brooklyn
Barclays Center
Brooklyn Nets
115
Milwaukee Bucks
107
Game 2
@Brooklyn
Barclays Center
Brooklyn Nets
125
Milwaukee Bucks
86
Game 3
@Milwaukee
Fiserv Forum
Milwaukee Bucks
86
Brooklyn Nets
83
Game 4
@Milwaukee
Fiserv Forum
Milwaukee Bucks
107
Brooklyn Nets
96
Game 5
@Brooklyn
Barclays Center
Brooklyn Nets
114
Milwaukee Bucks
108
Game 6
@Milwaukee
Fiserv Forum
Milwaukee Bucks
104
Brooklyn Nets
89
Game 7
@Brooklyn
Barclays Center
(ot.)
Brooklyn Nets
111
Milwaukee Bucks
115
Milwaukee Bucks
win series 4-3

KEY PERFORMER

Khris Middleton (F/G)
Milwaukee Bucks
24.3 points per game
8.7 rebounds per game
4.3 assists per game
2.0 steals per game

Western Conference
SEMIFINAL
BRACKET

#1
Utah Jazz
#4
Los Angeles Clippers
#2
Phoenix Suns
#3
Denver Nuggets

Western Conference
SEMIFINALS SERIES
(best of 7)

#1

Utah Jazz
#4

Los Angeles Clippers
Game 1
@Utah
Vivint Arena
Utah Jazz
112

109
Game 2
@Utah
Vivint Arena
Utah Jazz
117

111
Game 3
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center

132
Utah Jazz
106
Game 4
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center

118
Utah Jazz
104
Game 5
@Utah
Vivint Arena
Utah Jazz
111

119
Game 6
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center

131
Utah Jazz
119
Los Angeles Clippers
win series 4-2

KEY PERFORMER

Paul George (F/G)
Los Angeles Clippers
29.0 points per game
9.5 rebounds per game
4.8 assists per game
1.0 steals per game

Western Conference
SEMIFINALS SERIES
(best of 7)

#2

Phoenix Suns
#3

Denver Nuggets
Game 1
@Phoenix
Phoenix Suns Arena
Phoenix Suns
122
Denver Nuggets
105
Game 2
@Phoenix
Phoenix Suns Arena
Phoenix Suns
123
Denver Nuggets
98
Game 3
@Denver
Ball Arena
Denver Nuggets
102
Phoenix Suns
116
Game 4
@Denver
Ball Arena
Denver Nuggets
118
Phoenix Suns
125
Phoenix Suns
win series 4-0

KEY PERFORMER

Chris Paul (G)
Phoenix Suns
25.5 points per game
5.0 rebounds per game
10.3 assists per game
1.5 steals per game

Eastern Conference
FINALS
BRACKET

#3
Milwaukee Bucks
#5
Atlanta Hawks

Eastern Conference
FINALS SERIES
(best of 7)

#3

Milwaukee Bucks
#5

Atlanta Hawks
Game 1
@Milwaukee
Fiserv Forum
Milwaukee Bucks
113
Atlanta Hawks
116
Game 2
@Milwaukee
Fiserv Forum
Milwaukee Bucks
125
Atlanta Hawks
91
Game 3
@Atlanta
State Farm Arena
Atlanta Hawks
102
Milwaukee Bucks
113
Game 4
@Atlanta
State Farm Arena
Atlanta Hawks
110
Milwaukee Bucks
88
Game 5
@Milwaukee
Fiserv Forum
Milwaukee Bucks
123
Atlanta Hawks
112
Game 6
@Atlanta
State Farm Arena
Atlanta Hawks
107
Milwaukee Bucks
118
Milwaukee Bucks
win series 4-2

KEY PERFORMER

Jrue Holiday (G)
Milwaukee Bucks
22.0 points per game
5.0 rebounds per game
10.0 assists per game
1.7 steals per game
1.0 blocks per game

Western Conference
FINALS
BRACKET

#2
Phoenix Suns
#4
Los Angeles Clippers

Western Conference
FINALS SERIES
(best of 7)

#2

Phoenix Suns
#4

Los Angeles Clippers
Game 1
@Phoenix
Phoenix Suns Arena
Phoenix Suns
120
Los Angeles Clippers
114
Game 2
@Phoenix
Phoenix Suns Arena
Phoenix Suns
104
Los Angeles Clippers
103
Game 3
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center
Los Angeles Clippers
106
Phoenix Suns
92
Game 4
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center
Los Angeles Clippers
80
Phoenix Suns
84
Game 5
@Phoenix
Phoenix Suns Arena
Phoenix Suns
102
Los Angeles Clippers
116
Game 6
@Los Angeles
STAPLES Center
Los Angeles Clippers
103
Phoenix Suns
130
Phoenix Suns
win series 4-2

KEY PERFORMER

Deandre Ayton (C)
Phoenix Suns
17.8 points per game
13.7 rebounds per game
1.3 assists per game
1.7 blocks per game

NBA Finals
(best of 7)

Western Conference
CHAMPION


Phoenix Suns

Eastern Conference
CHAMPION


Milwaukee Bucks

Game 1
@Phoenix
Phoenix Suns Arena
Phoenix Suns
118
Milwaukee Bucks
105
Game 2
@Phoenix
Phoenix Suns Arena
Phoenix Suns
118
Milwaukee Bucks
108
Game 3
@Milwaukee
Fiserv Forum
Milwaukee Bucks
120
Phoenix Suns
100
Game 4
@Milwaukee
Fiserv Forum
Milwaukee Bucks
109
Phoenix Suns
103
Game 5
@Phoenix
Phoenix Suns Arena
Phoenix Suns
119
Milwaukee Bucks
123
Game 6
@Milwaukee
Fiserv Forum
Milwaukee Bucks
105
Phoenix Suns
98
NBA CHAMPIONS


Milwaukee Bucks

NBA FINALS MVP


Giannis Antetokounmpo 
(F)
Milwaukee Bucks
35.2 points/game
13.2 rebounds/game
5.0 assists/game
1.2 steals/game
1.8 blocks/game

Favorite Team Spotlight

W/L/: 42-30 (3rd in PACIFIC DIVISION)
Offensive Ranking: 24th
Defensive Ranking: 1st

  • Re-fitted their championship-level roster nicely acquiring G Dennis Schroder, F Montrezl Harrell and C Marc Gasol before the season started 
  • LeBron James becomes the 1st player in history to score at least 10 points in 1,000 consecutive games
  • Came close to acquiring G Kyle Lowry from Toronto at the trade deadline but opted to stay put with budding prospect Talen Horton-Tucker
  • Waited until 5/12/2021 to officially reveal their 17th championship banner so that they could celebrate while fans could be present
  • Defeated Golden State during the league’s first ever play-in tournament, ensuring a playoff berth after a disappointing season fraught with a multitude of frivolous injuries 

Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…

E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com

Follow The ‘Tude Dude
GameFAQsMoby GamesRetroAchievements
FacebookInstagramPinterestX

The 'Tude Dude
-Pushing Reviews to the EDGE!

Published by Rad Writing

2020-21 NHL Season Recap

Scroll below and enjoy
 The 'Tude Dude
presents a
Shut Up And JAM! Sports Section Article
2020-21
NHL
Season Recap


Headline Highlights

  • New divisional realignment including the removal of conferences and an all-Canadien grouping 
  • Regular season begins in January after many months of uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic   
  • The next wave of 25-and-younger superstars (headlined by Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Toronto’s Auston Matthews) appear poised to take the league over from the current incumbency of veterans
  • Excitement builds for the expansion Seattle franchise which is primed to begin play in 2021-22
  • Longtime Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara jumps ship to the rival Washington Capitals after 14 seasons
  • Sidney Crosby, arguably his generation’s best player, is honored during his 1000th game played 
  • Vegas and Colorado finish the truncated season tied with the most points atop the standings
  • Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov dazzles during his rookie campaign earning the Calder Memorial Trophy 
  • The franchise with the richest history in the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens, return to prominence in the Stanley Cup Final after an unlikely postseason run
  • Tampa Bay Lightning successfully defend the cup becoming the first team to repeat as champions since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-2017

Regular Season Standings

* = playoff participant

NHL
EAST DIVISION

Team Points
W/L/OL
Pittsburgh Penguins 77*
37-16-3
Washington Capitals 77*
36-15-5
Boston Bruins 73*
33-16-7
New York Islanders 71*
32-17-7
New York Rangers 60
27-23-6
Philadelphia Flyers 58
25-23-8
New Jersey Devils 45
19-30-7
Buffalo Sabres 37
15-34-7

NHL
CENTRAL DIVISION

Team Points
W/L/OL
Carolina Hurricanes 80*
36-12-8
Florida Panthers 79*
37-14-5
Tampa Bay Lightning 75*
36-17-3
Nashville Predators 64*
31-23-2
Dallas Stars 60
23-19-14
Chicago Blackhawks 55
24-25-7
Detroit Red Wings 48
19-27-10
Columbus Blue Jackets 48
18-26-12

NHL
NORTH DIVISION

Team Points
W/L/OL
Toronto Maple Leafs 77*
35-14-7
Edmonton Oilers 72*
35-19-2
Winnipeg Jets 63*
30-23-3
Montreal Canadiens 59*
24-21-11
Calgary Flames 55
26-27-3
Ottawa Senators 51
23-28-5
Vancouver Canucks 50
23-29-4

NHL
WEST DIVISION

Team Points
W/L/OL
Colorado Avalanche 82*
39-13-4
Vegas Golden Knights 82*
40-14-2
Minnesota Wild 75*
35-16-5
St. Louis Blues 63*
27-20-9
Arizona Coyotes 54
24-26-6
Los Angeles Kings 49
21-28-7
San Jose Sharks 49
21-28-7
Anaheim Ducks 43
17-30-9

Notable League Leaders

GOALS

Auston Matthews (C)
Toronto Maple Leafs
41

ASSISTS

Connor McDavid (C)
Edmonton Oilers
72

POINTS

Connor McDavid (C)
Edmonton Oilers
105

PLUS/MINUS

Mikko Rantanen (W)
Colorado Avalanche
+30

WINS

Andrei Vasilevskiy (G)
Tampa Bay Lightning
31

SAVE PERCENTAGE

Alex Nedeljkovic (G)
Carolina Hurricanes
.932

GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE

Alex Nedeljkovic (G)
Carolina Hurricanes
1.90

SHUTOUTS

Semyon Varlamov (G)
New York Islanders
8


Philipp Grubauer (G)
Colorado Avalanche
8

Award Winners

HART MEMORIAL TROPHY
(REGULAR SEASON MVP)


Connor McDavid 
(C)
Edmonton Oilers
33 goals
72
assists
105 points
+21 plus/minus

JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY
(BEST DEFENSEMAN)


Adam Fox (D)
New York Rangers
5 goals
42 assists
47 points
+19 plus/minus

FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY
(BEST DEFENSIVE FORWARD)


Aleksander Barkov (C)
Florida Panthers
26 goals
32 assists
58 points
+12 plus/minus

VEZINA TROPHY
(BEST GOALTENDER)


Marc-Andre Fleury (G)
Vegas Golden Knights
26-10 wins/losses
.928
save percentage
1.98 goals against average
shutouts
CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY
(BEST ROOKIE)


Kirill Kaprizov (W)
Minnesota Wild
27 goals

24 assists
51 points
+10 plus/minus

Playoff Results

NHL
EAST BRACKET
1ST ROUND

#1
Pittsburgh Penguins
#4
New York Islanders
#2
Washington Capitals
#3
Boston Bruins

NHL
1ST ROUND SERIES
EAST BRACKET
(best of 7)

#1

Pittsburgh Penguins
#4

New York Islanders
Game 1
@Pittsburgh
PPG Paints Arena

(ot.)
Pittsburgh Penguins
3
New York Islanders
4
Game 2
@Pittsburgh
PPG Paints Arena

Pittsburgh Penguins
2
New York Islanders
1
Game 3
@Islanders
Nassau Coliseum
New York Islanders
4
Pittsburgh Penguins
5
Game 4
@Islanders
Nassau Coliseum
New York Islanders
4
Pittsburgh Penguins
1
Game 5
@Pittsburgh
PPG Paints Arena

(2 ot.)
Pittsburgh Penguins
2
New York Islanders
3
Game 6
@Islanders
Nassau Coliseum
New York Islanders
5
Pittsburgh Penguins
3
New York Islanders
win series 4-2

KEY PERFORMER

Ilya Sorokin 
(G)
New York Islanders
4-0 wins/losses
.943 save percentage

NHL
1ST ROUND SERIES
EAST BRACKET
(best of 7)

#2

Washington Capitals
#3

Boston Bruins
Game 1
@Washington
Capital One Arena

(ot.)
Washington Capitals
3
Boston Bruins
2
Game 2
@Washington
Capital One Arena

(ot.)
Washington Capitals
3
Boston Bruins
4
Game 3
@Boston
TD Garden

(2 ot.)
Boston Bruins
3
Washington Capitals
2
Game 4
@Boston
TD Garden

Boston Bruins
4
Washington Capitals
1
Game 5
@Washington
Capital One Arena

Washington Capitals
1
Boston Bruins
3
Boston Bruins
win series 4-1

KEY PERFORMER

David Pastrnak (W)
Boston Bruins
2 goals
4
assists
6 points
+2 plus/minus

NHL
CENTRAL BRACKET
1ST ROUND

#1
Carolina Hurricanes
#4
Nashville Predators
#2
Florida Panthers
#3
Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL
1ST ROUND SERIES
CENTRAL BRACKET
(best of 7)

#1

Carolina Hurricanes
#4

Nashville Predators
Game 1
@Carolina
PNC Arena
Carolina Hurricanes
5
Nashville Predators
2
Game 2
@Carolina
PNC Arena
Carolina Hurricanes
3
Nashville Predators
0
Game 3
@Nashville
Bridgestone Arena
(2 ot.)
Nashville Predators
5
Carolina Hurricanes
4
Game 4
@Nashville
Bridgestone Arena
(2 ot.)
Nashville Predators
4
Carolina Hurricanes
3
Game 5
@Carolina
PNC Arena
(ot.)
Carolina Hurricanes
3
Nashville Predators
2
Game 6
@Nashville
Bridgestone Arena
(ot.)
Nashville Predators
3
Carolina Hurricanes
4
Carolina Hurricanes
win series 4-2

KEY PERFORMER

Sebastian Aho 
(W)
Carolina Hurricanes
5 goals
2 assists
points
+4 plus/minus

NHL
1ST ROUND SERIES
CENTRAL BRACKET
(best of 7)

#2

Florida Panthers
#3

Tampa Bay Lightning
Game 1
@Florida
BB & T Center
Florida Panthers
4
Tampa Bay Lightning
5
Game 2
@Florida
BB & T Center
Florida Panthers
1
Tampa Bay Lightning
3
Game 3
@Tampa Bay
Amalie Arena
(ot.)
Tampa Bay Lightning
5
Florida Panthers
6
Game 4
@Tampa Bay
Amalie Arena

Tampa Bay Lightning
6
Florida Panthers
2
Game 5
@Florida
BB & T Center
Florida Panthers
4
Tampa Bay Lightning
1
Game 6
@Tampa Bay
Amalie Arena
Tampa Bay Lightning
4
Florida Panthers
0
Tampa Bay Lightning
win series 4-2

KEY PERFORMER

Nikita Kucherov (W)
Tampa Bay Lightning
3 goals
8 assists
11 points
+2 plus/minus

NHL
NORTH BRACKET
1ST ROUND

#1
Toronto Maple Leafs
#4
Montreal Canadiens
#2
Edmonton Oilers
#3
Winnipeg Jets

NHL
1ST ROUND SERIES
NORTH BRACKET
(best of 7)

#1

Toronto Maple Leafs
#4

Montreal Canadiens
Game 1
@Toronto
Scotiabank Arena
Toronto Maple Leafs
1
Montreal Canadiens
2
Game 2
@Toronto
Scotiabank Arena
Toronto Maple Leafs
5
Montreal Canadiens
1
Game 3
@Montreal
Bell Centre
Montreal Canadiens
1
Toronto Maple Leafs
2
Game 4
@Montreal
Bell Centre
Montreal Canadiens
0
Toronto Maple Leafs
4
Game 5
@Toronto
Scotiabank Arena
(ot.)
Toronto Maple Leafs
3
Montreal Canadiens
4
Game 6
@Montreal
Bell Centre
(ot.)
Montreal Canadiens
3
Toronto Maple Leafs
2
Game 7
@Toronto
Scotiabank Arena
Toronto Maple Leafs
1
Montreal Canadiens
3
Montreal Canadiens
win series 4-3

KEY PERFORMER

Tyler Toffoli (C)
Montreal Canadiens
2 goals
3 assists
points
-3 plus/minus

NHL
1ST ROUND SERIES
NORTH BRACKET
(best of 7)

#2

Edmonton Oilers
#3

Winnipeg Jets
Game 1
@Edmonton
Rogers Place
Edmonton Oilers
1
Winnipeg Jets
4
Game 2
@Edmonton
Rogers Place
(ot.)
Edmonton Oilers
0
Winnipeg Jets
1
Game 3
@Winnipeg
Bell MTS Place
(ot.)
Winnipeg Jets
5
Edmonton Oilers
4
Game 4
@Winnipeg
Bell MTS Place
(3 ot.)
Winnipeg Jets
4
Edmonton Oilers
3
Winnipeg Jets
win series 4-0

KEY PERFORMER

Connor Hellebuyck (G)
Winnipeg Jets
4-0 wins/losses
.950 save percentage
1 shutout

NHL
WEST BRACKET
1ST ROUND

#1
Colorado Avalanche
#4
St. Louis Blues
#2
Vegas Golden Knights
#3
Minnesota Wild

NHL
1ST ROUND SERIES
WEST BRACKET
(best of 7)

#1

Colorado Avalanche
#4

St. Louis Blues
Game 1
@Colorado
Ball Arena
Colorado Avalanche
4
St. Louis Blues
1
Game 2
@Colorado
Ball Arena
Colorado Avalanche
6
St. Louis Blues
3
Game 3
@St. Louis
Enterprise Center
St. Louis Blues
1
Colorado Avalanche
5
Game 4
@St. Louis
Enterprise Center
St. Louis Blues
2
Colorado Avalanche
5
Colorado Avalanche
win series 4-0

KEY PERFORMER

Nathan Mackinnon (C)
Colorado Avalanche
6 goals
3
assists
points
+6 plus/minus

NHL
1ST ROUND SERIES
WEST BRACKET
(best of 7)

#2

Vegas Golden Knights
#3

Minnesota Wild
Game 1
@Vegas
T-Mobile Arena
(ot.)
Vegas Golden Knights
0
Minnesota Wild
1
Game 2
@Vegas
T-Mobile Arena
Vegas Golden Knights
3
Minnesota Wild
1
Game 3
@Minnesota
Xcel Energy Center
Minnesota Wild
2
Vegas Golden Knights
5
Game 4
@Minnesota
Xcel Energy Center
Minnesota Wild
0
Vegas Golden Knights
4
Game 5
@Vegas
T-Mobile Arena
Vegas Golden Knights
2
Minnesota Wild
4
Game 6
@Minnesota
Xcel Energy Center
Minnesota Wild
3
Vegas Golden Knights
0
Game 7
@Vegas
T-Mobile Arena
Vegas Golden Knights
6
Minnesota Wild
2
Vegas Golden Knights
win series 4-3

KEY PERFORMER

Marc-Andre Fleury (G)
Vegas Golden Knights
4-3 wins/losses
.931 save percentage
1 shutout

NHL
EAST BRACKET
2ND ROUND

#3
Boston Bruins
#4
New York Islanders

NHL
2ND ROUND SERIES
EAST BRACKET
(best of 7)

#3

Boston Bruins
#4

New York Islanders
Game 1
@Boston
TD Garden
Boston Bruins
5
New York Islanders
2
Game 2
@Boston
TD Garden
(ot.)
Boston Bruins
3
New York Islanders
4
Game 3
@Islanders
Nassau Coliseum
(ot.)
New York Islanders
1
Boston Bruins
2
Game 4
@Islanders
Nassau Coliseum
New York Islanders
4
Boston Bruins
1
Game 5
@Boston
TD Garden
Boston Bruins
4
New York Islanders
5
Game 6
@Islanders
Nassau Coliseum
New York Islanders
6
Boston Bruins
2
New York Islanders
win series 4-2

KEY PERFORMER

Semyon Varlamov (G)
New York Islanders
4-1 wins/losses
.934
save percentage

NHL
CENTRAL BRACKET
2ND ROUND

#1
Carolina Hurricanes
#3
Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL
2ND ROUND SERIES
CENTRAL BRACKET
(best of 7)

#1

Carolina Hurricanes
#3

Tampa Bay Lightning
Game 1
@Carolina
PNC Arena
Carolina Hurricanes
1
Tampa Bay Lightning
2
Game 2
@Carolina
PNC Arena
Carolina Hurricanes
1
Tampa Bay Lightning
2
Game 3
@Tampa Bay
Amalie Arena
(ot.)
Tampa Bay Lightning
2
Carolina Hurricanes
3
Game 4
@Tampa Bay
Amalie Arena
Tampa Bay Lightning
6
Carolina Hurricanes
4
Game 5
@Carolina
PNC Arena
Carolina Hurricanes
0
Tampa Bay Lightning
2
Tampa Bay Lightning
win series 4-1

KEY PERFORMER

Andrei Vasilevskiy (G)
Tampa Bay Lightning
4-1 wins/losses
.940 save percentage
shutout

NHL
NORTH BRACKET
2ND ROUND

#3
Winnipeg Jets
#4
Montreal Canadiens

NHL
2ND ROUND SERIES
NORTH BRACKET
(best of 7)

#3

Winnipeg Jets
#4

Montreal Canadiens
Game 1
@Winnipeg
Bell MTS Place
Winnipeg Jets
3
Montreal Canadiens
5
Game 2
@Winnipeg
Bell MTS Place
Winnipeg Jets
0
Montreal Canadiens
1
Game 3
@Montreal
Bell Centre
Montreal Canadiens
5
Winnipeg Jets
1
Game 4
@Montreal
Bell Centre

(ot.)
Montreal Canadiens
3
Winnipeg Jets
2
Montreal Canadiens
win series 4-0

KEY PERFORMER

Carey Price
(G)
Montreal Canadiens
4-0
wins/losses
.942
save percentage
shutout

NHL
WEST BRACKET
2ND ROUND

#1
Colorado Avalanche
#2
Vegas Golden Knights

NHL
2ND ROUND SERIES
WEST BRACKET
(best of 7)

#1

Colorado Avalanche
#2

Vegas Golden Knights
Game 1
@Colorado
Ball Arena
Colorado Avalanche
7
Vegas Golden Knights
1
Game 2
@Colorado
Ball Arena

(ot.)
Colorado Avalanche
3
Vegas Golden Knights
2
Game 3
@Vegas
T-Mobile Arena
Vegas Golden Knights
3
Colorado Avalanche
2
Game 4
@Vegas
T-Mobile Arena
Vegas Golden Knights
5
Colorado Avalanche
1
Game 5
@Colorado
Ball Arena

(ot.)
Colorado Avalanche
2
Vegas Golden Knights
3
Game 6
@Vegas
T-Mobile Arena
Vegas Golden Knights
6
Colorado Avalanche
3
Vegas Golden Knights
win series 4-2

KEY PERFORMER

Jonathan Marchessault
(C)
Vegas Golden Knights
5
goals
2
assists
7
points
+3 plus/minus

NHL
STANLEY CUP
SEMIFINAL BRACKET
(re-seeded)

#1
Vegas Golden Knights
#4
Montreal Canadiens
 
#2
Tampa Bay Lightning
#3
New York Islanders

NHL
3RD ROUND SERIES
SEMIFINAL BRACKET
(best of 7)

#1

Vegas Golden Knights
#4

Montreal Canadiens
Game 1
@Vegas
T-Mobile Arena
Vegas Golden Knights
4
Montreal Canadiens
1
Game 2
@Vegas
T-Mobile Arena
Vegas Golden Knights
2
Montreal Canadiens
3
Game 3
@Montreal
Bell Centre

(ot.)
Montreal Canadiens
3
Vegas Golden Knights
2
Game 4
@Montreal
Bell Centre

(ot.)
Montreal Canadiens
1
Vegas Golden Knights
2
Game 5
@Vegas
T-Mobile Arena
Vegas Golden Knights
1
Montreal Canadiens
4
Game 6
@Montreal
Bell Centre

(ot.)
Montreal Canadiens
3
Vegas Golden Knights
2
Montreal Canadiens
win series 4-2

KEY PERFORMER

Cole Caufield
(W)
Montreal Canadiens
4
goals
1
assists
5
points
0 plus/minus

NHL
3RD ROUND SERIES
SEMIFINAL BRACKET
(best of 7) 

2

Tampa Bay Lightning
#3

New York Islanders
Game 1
@Tampa Bay
Amalie Arena
Tampa Bay Lightning
1
New York Islanders
2
Game 2
@Tampa Bay
Amalie Arena
Tampa Bay Lightning
4
New York Islanders
2
Game 3
@Islanders
Nassau Coliseum
New York Islanders
1
Tampa Bay Lightning
2
Game 4
@Islanders
Nassau Coliseum
New York Islanders
3
Tampa Bay Lightning
2
Game 5
@Tampa Bay
Amalie Arena
Tampa Bay Lightning
8
New York Islanders
0
Game 6
@Islanders
Nassau Coliseum
(ot.)
New York Islanders
3
Tampa Bay Lightning
2
Game 7
@Tampa Bay
Amalie Arena
Tampa Bay Lightning
1
New York Islanders
0
Tampa Bay Lightning
win series 4-3

KEY PERFORMER

Brayden Point
(C)
Tampa Bay Lightning
6
goals
2
assists
8
points
+4 plus/minus

NHL
STANLEY CUP
FINAL SERIES
(best of 7)


Tampa Bay Lightning

Montreal Canadiens
Game 1
@Tampa Bay
Amalie Arena
Tampa Bay Lightning
5
Montreal Canadiens
1
Game 2
@Tampa Bay
Amalie Arena
Tampa Bay Lightning
3
Montreal Canadiens
1
Game 3
@Montreal
Bell Centre
Montreal Canadiens
3
Tampa Bay Lightning
6
Game 4
@Montreal
Bell Centre

(ot.)
Montreal Canadiens
3
Tampa Bay Lightning
2
Game 5
@Tampa Bay
Amalie Arena
Tampa Bay Lightning
1
Montreal Canadiens
0
2020-21 STANLEY CUP CHAMPION


Tampa Bay Lightning
CONN SMYTHE TROPHY
(PLAYOFF MVP)


Andrei Vasilevskiy (G)
Tampa Bay Lightning
16-7 wins/losses
.937 save percentage
1.90 goals against average
5
shutouts

Favorite Team Spotlight


W/L/OL: 21-28-7 (6th in WEST DIVISION)
Offensive Ranking: 27th
Defensive Ranking: 11th

  • Drafted talented 6-4 center Quinton Byfield #2 overall
  • Stalwart goaltender Jonathan Quick begins the season in sort of a transitional stage after multiple injuries take their toll
  • Franchise cornerstone Anze Kopitar is celebrated after reaching 1,000 points for his career
  • Rookie defenseman Mikey Anderson emerges with an impressive campaign establishing himself as a top linemate to go along with the always dependable Drew Doughty 
  • A final sad stamp on this forgettable season saw surfer-looking center Jeff Carter getting traded away to Pittsburgh after a successful 10-year stint

Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…

E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com

Follow The ‘Tude Dude
GameFAQsMoby GamesRetroAchievements
FacebookInstagramPinterestX

The 'Tude Dude
-Pushing Reviews to the EDGE!

Published by Rad Writing

2020-21 NFL Season Recap

Scroll below and enjoy
The 'Tude Dude
presents a
Shut Up And JAM! Sports Section Article
2020-21
NFL
Season Recap


Headline Highlights

  • Raiders complete move to Las Vegas after spending its entirety in California
  • Washington ditches its controversial Native American-inspired branding with a generic logo and nickname indefinitely, looks to fans for collaboration and input on new direction  
  • Notable player retirements prior to season’s onset include QB Eli Manning, LB Luke Kuechly, TE Antonio Gates, C Travis Frederick and RB Darren Sproles
  • Kansas City Chiefs open up the vault, sign QB Patrick Mahomes to an eye-popping 10-year $503 million dollar contract extension effectively locking up the most important position for the next decade
  • Cincinnati, Miami and the Los Angeles Chargers use top 10 picks on quarterbacks (CinJoe Burrow #1, Mia – Tua Tagovailoa #5 and LAC – Justin Herbert #6), ushering in new eras for their franchises
  • Houston trades superstar WR DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona for former fantasy-stud RB David Johnson causing many fans to question their decision-making process
  • No loss of games in its regular season despite Covid-19, becoming the only U.S. major sport to achieve this during the 2020 calendar year
  • New postseason format adds an additional wild card team to each conference and changes the bye-week rule so only the #1 seed on each side gains an automatic berth into the divisional round
  • Buffalo Bills win their first playoff game since 1995
  • Tom Brady relentlessly reaffirms his g.o.a.t. status, leading Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory in his first season with the team

Regular Season Standings

* = playoff participant

AFC
EAST

Team W/L/T
Buffalo Bills 13-3-0* 
H: 7-1 A: 6-2
Miami Dolphins 10-6-0 
H: 5-3 A: 5-3
New England Patriots 7-9-0 
H: 5-3 A: 2-6
New York Jets 2-14-0 
H: 1-7 A: 1-7

AFC
NORTH

Team W/L/T
Pittsburgh Steelers 12-4-0* 
H: 7-1 A: 5-3
Baltimore Ravens 11-5-0* 
H: 5-3 A: 6-2
Cleveland Browns 11-5-0* 
H: 6-2 A: 5-3
Cincinnati Bengals 4-11-1 
H: 3-5 A: 1-6

AFC
SOUTH

Team W/L/T
Tennessee Titans 11-5-0* 
H: 5-3 A: 6-2
Indianapolis Colts 11-5-0* 
H: 6-2 A: 5-3
Houston Texans 4-12-0 
H: 2-6 A: 2-6
Jacksonville Jaguars 1-15-0 
H: 1-7 A: 0-8

AFC
WEST

Team W/L/T
Kansas City Chiefs 14-2-0* 
H: 6-2 A: 8-0
Las Vegas Raiders 8-8-0 
H: 2-6 A: 6-2
Los Angeles Chargers 7-9-0 
H: 4-4 A: 3-5
5-11-0 
H: 2-6 A: 3-5

NFC
EAST

Team W/L/T
Washington Football Team 7-9-0* 
H: 3-5 A: 4-4
New York Giants 6-10-0 
H: 3-5 A: 3-5
Dallas Cowboys 6-10-0 
H: 4-4 A: 2-6
Philadelphia Eagles 4-11-1 
H: 3-4 A: 1-7

NFC
NORTH

Team W/L/T
Green Bay Packers 13-3-0* 
H: 7-1 A: 6-2
Chicago Bears 8-8-0* 
H: 3-5 A: 5-3
Minnesota Vikings 7-9-0 
H: 3-5 A: 4-4
Detroit Lions 5-11-0 
H: 1-7 A: 4-4

NFC
SOUTH

Team W/L/T
New Orleans Saints 12-4-0* 
H: 6-2 A: 6-2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11-5-0* 
H: 5-3 A: 6-2
Carolina Panthers 5-11-0 
H: 2-6 A: 3-5
Atlanta Falcons 4-12-0 
H: 2-6 A: 2-6

NFC
WEST

Team W/L/T
Seattle Seahawks 12-4-0* 
H: 7-1 A: 5-3
Los Angeles Rams 10-6-0* 
H: 6-2 A: 4-4
Arizona Cardinals 8-8-0 
H: 4-4 A: 4-4
San Francisco 49ers 6-10-0 
H: 1-7 A: 5-3

Notable League Leaders

QB RATING 

Aaron Rodgers
Green Bay Packers
121.5
(TD: 48 INT: 5)

YARDS RUSHING

Derrick Henry
Tennessee Titans2027
(5.4 avg.)

YARDS RECEIVING

Stefon Diggs
Buffalo Bills
1535
(127 rec.)

SACKS

T.J. Watt
Pittsburgh Steelers
15.0
(53 tkl.)

INTERCEPTIONS

Xavien Howard
Miami Dolphins
10.0
(pd 20)

Award Winners

MVP


Aaron Rodgers
(QB)
Green Bay Packers121.5 QB rating
4299
passing yards
51 TD’s (pass: 48 run: 3)

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR


Derrick Henry (RB)
Tennessee Titans2027 rushing yards
5.4 yards per carry
17 TD’s

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR


Xavien Howard (CB)
Miami Dolphins10 interceptions
20 passes defended
51 Tackles

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR


Justin Herbert (QB)
Los Angeles Chargers
98.3 QB rating
4336
passing yards
36 TD’s (pass: 31 run: 5)
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR


Chase Young (DE)
Washington Football Team44 tackles

7.5 sacks
4 forced fumbles
3 fumble recoveries

Playoff Results

AFC
WILDCARD BRACKET

#7
Indianapolis Colts
#2
Buffalo Bills
#6
Cleveland Browns
#3
Pittsburgh Steelers
#5
Baltimore Ravens
#4
Tennessee Titans
#1
Kansas City Chiefs(Bye – Will face lowest remaining seed in Divisional round)

AFC
WILDCARD
@Buffalo
(Bills Stadium)

#7

Indianapolis Colts
#2

Buffalo Bills

24

27

KEY PERFORMER

Josh Allen 
(QB)
26/35
324 
passing yards
passing TD’s
54 rushing yards
1 rushing TD

AFC
WILDCARD
@Pittsburgh
(Heinz Field)

#6

Cleveland Browns
#3

Pittsburgh Steelers

48

37

KEY PERFORMER

Baker Mayfield (QB)
Cleveland Browns21/34
263
passing yards
3 passing TD’s

AFC
WILDCARD
@Tennessee
(Nissan Stadium)

#5

Baltimore Ravens
#4

Tennessee Titans

20

13

KEY PERFORMER

Lamar Jackson
(QB)
Baltimore Ravens17/24
179
passing yards
136 rushing yards
1 rushing TD

NFC
WILDCARD BRACKET

#7
Chicago Bears
#2
New Orleans Saints
#6
Los Angeles Rams
#3
Seattle Seahawks
#5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
#4
Washington Football Team
#1
Green Bay Packers
(Bye – Will face lowest remaining seed in Divisional round)

NFC
WILDCARD
@New Orleans
(Mercedes-Benz Superdome)

#7

Chicago Bears
#2

New Orleans Saints

9
#2 New Orleans Saints
21

KEY PERFORMER

Alvin Kamara 
(RB)
New Orleans Saints
99 rushing yards
1 rushing TD

NFC
WILDCARD
@Seattle
(Lumen Field)

#6

Los Angeles Rams
#3

Seattle Seahawks

30

20

KEY PERFORMER

Cam Akers (RB)
Los Angeles Rams
131 rushing yards
1 rushing TD
45 receiving yards

NFC
WILDCARD
@Washington
(FedExField)

#5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
#4

Washington Football Team

31

23

KEY PERFORMER

Tom Brady (QB)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers22/40
381
passing yards
2 passing TD’s

AFC
DIVISIONAL BRACKET

#6
Cleveland Browns
#1Kansas City Chiefs
#5
Baltimore Ravens
#2Buffalo Bills

AFC
DIVISIONAL ROUND
@Kansas City
(Arrowhead Stadium)

#6

Cleveland Browns
#1

Kansas City Chiefs

17

22

KEY PERFORMER

Travis Kelce (TE)
Kansas City Chiefs
8 receptions
109 receiving yards
1 receiving TD

AFC
DIVISIONAL ROUND
@Buffalo
(Bills Stadium)

#5

Baltimore Ravens
#2

Buffalo Bills

3

17

KEY PERFORMER

Taron Johnson (CB)
Buffalo Bills
6 tackles
1 interception
1 defensive TD

NFC
DIVISIONAL BRACKET

#6
Los Angeles Rams
#1
Green Bay Packers
#5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
#2
New Orleans Saints

NFC
DIVISIONAL ROUND
@Green Bay
(Lambeau Field)

#6

Los Angeles Rams
#1

Green Bay Packers

18

32

KEY PERFORMER

Aaron Rodgers (QB)
Green Bay Packers23/36
296
passing yards
2 passing TD’s
rushing TD

NFC
DIVISIONAL ROUND
@New Orleans
(Mercedes-Benz Superdome)

#5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
#2

New Orleans Saints

30
#2 New Orleans Saints
20

KEY PERFORMER

Devin White (LB)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10 tackles
1 fumble recovery
1 interception

AFC
CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

#2
Buffalo Bills
#1Kansas City Chiefs

AFC
CHAMPIONSHIP
@Kansas City
(Arrowhead Stadium)

#2

Buffalo Bills
#1

Kansas City Chiefs

24

38

KEY PERFORMER

Patrick Mahomes (QB)
Kansas City Chiefs29/38
325
passing yards
3 passing TD’s

NFC
CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

#5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
#1
Green Bay Packers

NFC
CHAMPIONSHIP
@Green Bay
(Lambeau Field)

#5

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
#1

Green Bay Packers

31

26

KEY PERFORMER

Shaquil Barrett (LB)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5 tackles
3 sacks

Super Bowl LV
@Tampa Bay
(Raymond James Stadium)

AFC
CHAMPION

NFC
CHAMPION


Kansas City Chiefs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

9

31
Super Bowl LV Champion


Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl LV MVP


Tom Brady (QB)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers21/29
201
passing yards
3 passing TD’s

Favorite Team Spotlight


W/L: 6-10 (3rd in NFC East)
Offensive Ranking: 23rd
Defensive Ranking: 28th
Special Teams Ranking: 14th

  • New head coach Mike McCarthy felt the growing pains during his inaugural season in Dallas, struggling mightily to integrate his philosophy into new surroundings 
  • Perhaps sensing the impending shipwreck, stalwart TE Jason Witten (who had returned to his longtime vestiges the previous season after a brief retirement) ditched the Boys for the black and silver pastures of the newly minted Las Vegas Raiders
  • Franchise QB Dak Prescott suffered a devastating ankle injury in week 5 crippling both him and the team for the rest of the season
  • Defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-28 during week 11’s semi-annual ‘Tude Dude/Indigo Gamer Bowl featuring our 2 favorite squads
  • Somehow remained in contention for the pathetic NFC “Least” after a late-season 3 game winning-streak ultimately falling 1 game behind the Washington Football Team at the conclusion

Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…

E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com

Follow The ‘Tude Dude
GameFAQsMoby GamesRetroAchievements
FacebookInstagramPinterestX

The 'Tude Dude
-Pushing Reviews to the EDGE!

Published by Rad Writing

2020 MLB Season Recap

Scroll below and enjoy
The 'Tude Dude
presents a
Shut Up And JAM! Sports Section Article
2020
MLB
Season Recap


Headline Highlights

  • Condensed schedule due to Covid-19 including an 8-team playoff for each league
  • L.A. Dodgers win their first World Series title since 1988
  • Rule changes including DH in the National League, 7-inning double-headers, starting out extra innings with a runner in scoring position for the offensive team, etc. 
  • The “sign-stealing scandal” from previous seasons loses relevance amidst the pandemic
  • Minor League games shut down for the first time in over 100 years
  • Games played in empty stadiums with artificial sound and cardboard cutout fans to prevent large gatherings
  • Cleveland moves forward with rebrand, looks to change nickname following the 2021 season
  • Toronto Blue Jays and San Diego Padres live up to their billing as the most exciting teams in their respected leagues with impressive regular season finishes
  • Boston Red Sox meanwhile, fall off the face of the Earth finishing dead last in their division despite a quality roster
  • SP Shane Bieber dazzles throughout the regular season leading the league in most relevant pitching categories before eventually claiming the AL Cy Young Award

Regular Season Standings

* = playoff participant

American LeagueEAST
Team W/L
Tampa Bay Rays 40-20* 
H: 20-9 A: 20-11
New York Yankees 33-27*
H: 22-9 A: 11-18
Toronto Blue Jays 32-28*
H: 17-9 A: 15-19
Baltimore Orioles 25-35
H: 13-20 A: 12-15
Boston Red Sox 24-36
H: 11-20 A: 13-16

 

American LeagueCENTRAL
Team W/L
Minnesota Twins 36-24*
H: 24-7 A: 12-17
Cleveland Indians 35-25*
H: 18-12 A: 17-13
Chicago White Sox 35-25*
H: 18-12 A: 17-13
Kansas City Royals 26-34
H: 15-15 A: 11-19
Detroit Tigers 23-35
H: 12-15 A: 11-20

 

American LeagueWEST
Team W/L
Oakland Athletics 36-24*
H: 22-10 A: 14-14
Houston Astros 29-31*
H: 20-9 A: 9-22
Seattle Mariners 27-33
H: 14-10 A: 13-23
Los Angeles Angels 26-34
H: 16-15 A: 10-19
Texas Rangers 22-38
H: 16-14 A: 6-24

 

National LeagueEAST
Team W/L
Atlanta Braves 35-25*
H: 19-11 A: 16-14
Miami Marlins 31-29*
H: 11-15 A: 20-14
Philadelphia Phillies 28-32
H: 19-13 A: 9-19
Washington Nationals 26-34
H: 15-18 A: 11-16
New York Mets 26-34
H: 12-17 A: 14-17

 

National LeagueCENTRAL
Team W/L
Chicago Cubs 34-26*
H: 19-14 A: 15-12
St. Louis Cardinals 30-28*
H: 14-13 A: 16-15
Cincinnati Reds 31-29*
H: 16-13 A: 15-16
Milwaukee Brewers 29-31*
H: 15-14 A: 14-17
Pittsburgh Pirates 19-41
H: 13-19 A: 6-22

 

National LeagueWEST
Team W/L
Los Angeles Dodgers 43-17*
H: 21-9 A: 22-8
San Diego Padres 37-23*
H: 21-11 A: 16-12
San Francisco Giants 29-31
H: 19-14 A: 10-17
Colorado Rockies 26-34
H: 12-18 A: 14-16
Arizona Diamondbacks 25-35
H: 16-14 A: 9-21

Notable League Leaders

BATTING AVERAGE

DJ LeMahieu
(2B)
New York Yankees
.364 Avg.
HOME RUNS

Luke Voit
(1B)
New York Yankees
22 HR
RUNS BATTED IN

Jose Abreu
(1B)
Chicago White Sox
60 RBI
STOLEN BASES

Adalberto Mondesi
(SS)
Kansas City Royals
24 SB
WINS

Shane Bieber
(SP)
Cleveland Indians
8 W

Yu Darvish (SP)
Chicago Cubs
8 W
EARNED RUN AVERAGE

Shane Bieber
(SP)
Cleveland Indians
1.63 ERA
STRIKEOUTS

Shane Bieber (SP)
Cleveland Indians
122 SO
SAVES

Brad Hand
(RP)
Cleveland Indians
16 S

Award Winners

American League
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR


Kyle Lewis
(OF)
Seattle Mariners
.262
Avg.
11 HR
28 RBI
National League
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR


Devin Williams
(RP)
Milwaukee Brewers
4-1 W/L
0.33 ERA
53 SO
American League
CY YOUNG


Shane Bieber (SP)
Cleveland Indians
8-1
W/L
1.63 ERA
122 SO
National League
CY YOUNG


Trevor Bauer
(SP)
Cincinnati Reds
5-4 W/L
1.73 ERA
100 SO
American League
MVP


Jose Abreu
(1B)
Chicago White Sox
.317
Avg.
19 HR
60 RBI
National League
MVP


Freddie Freeman
(1B)
Atlanta Braves
.341 Avg.
13 HR
53 RBI

Playoff Results

American LeagueWILDCARD BRACKET
#1
Tampa Bay Rays
#8
Toronto Blue Jays
#4
Cleveland Indians
#5
New York Yankees
#3
Minnesota Twins
#6
Houston Astros
#2
Oakland Athletics
#7
Chicago White Sox

 

American LeagueWILDCARD SERIES
(best of 3)
#1
Tampa Bay Rays
#8
Toronto Blue Jays
Game 1

Tampa Bay Rays
3

Toronto Blue Jays1
Game 2 Tampa Bay Rays
8
Toronto Blue Jays2
Tampa Bay Rayswin series 2-0

 

American LeagueWILDCARD SERIES
(best of 3)

#4
Cleveland Indians
#5
New York Yankees
Game 1 Cleveland Indians
3
New York Yankees12
Game 2 Cleveland Indians9 New York Yankees10
New York Yankeeswin series 2-0

 

American LeagueWILDCARD SERIES
(best of 3)

#3
Minnesota Twins
#6
Houston Astros
Game 1 Minnesota Twins1 Houston Astros4
Game 2 Minnesota Twins1 Houston Astros3
Houston Astros
win series 2-0

 

American LeagueWILDCARD SERIES
(best of 3)

#2
Oakland Athletics
#7
Chicago White Sox
Game 1 Oakland Athletics
1
Chicago White Sox4
Game 2 Oakland Athletics5 Chicago White Sox3
Game 3 Oakland Athletics6 Chicago White Sox4
Oakland Athleticswin series 2-1

 

National LeagueWILDCARD BRACKET
#1
Los Angeles Dodgers
#8
Milwaukee Brewers
#4
San Diego Padres
#5
St. Louis Cardinals
#3
Chicago Cubs
#6
Miami Marlins
#2
Atlanta Braves
#7
Cincinnati Reds

 

National LeagueWILDCARD SERIES
(best of 3)

#1
Los Angeles Dodgers
#8
Milwaukee Brewers
Game 1 Los Angeles Dodgers4 Milwaukee Brewers2
Game 2 Los Angeles Dodgers3 Milwaukee Brewers0
Los Angeles Dodgerswin series 2-0

 

National LeagueWILDCARD SERIES
(best of 3)

#4
San Diego Padres
#5
St. Louis Cardinals
Game 1 San Diego Padres
4
St. Louis Cardinals7
Game 2 San Diego Padres
11
St. Louis Cardinals9
Game 3 San Diego Padres
4
St. Louis Cardinals0
San Diego Padreswin series 2-1 

 

National LeagueWILDCARD SERIES
(best of 3)

#3
Chicago Cubs
#6
Miami Marlins
Game 1 Chicago Cubs
1
Miami Marlins5
Game 2 Chicago Cubs0 Miami Marlins2
Miami Marlinswin series 2-0

 

National LeagueWILDCARD SERIES
(best of 3)

#2
Atlanta Braves
#7
Cincinnati Reds
Game 1 Atlanta Braves1 Cincinnati Reds0
Game 2 Atlanta Braves5 Cincinnati Reds0
Atlanta Braveswin series 2-0

 

American LeagueDIVISIONAL BRACKET
#1
Tampa Bay Rays
#5
New York Yankees
#2
Oakland Athletics
#6
Houston Astros

 

American LeagueDIVISIONAL SERIES
(best of 5)

#1
Tampa Bay Rays
#5
New York Yankees
Game 1 Tampa Bay Rays3 New York Yankees9
Game 2 Tampa Bay Rays7 New York Yankees5
Game 3 Tampa Bay Rays8 New York Yankees4
Game 4 Tampa Bay Rays1 New York Yankees5
Game 5
Tampa Bay Rays2
New York Yankees1
Tampa Bay Rayswin series 3-2

 

American LeagueDIVISIONAL SERIES
(best of 5)

#2
Oakland Athletics
#6
Houston Astros
Game 1 Oakland Athletics
5
Houston Astros10
Game 2 Oakland Athletics2 Houston Astros5
Game 3 Oakland Athletics9 Houston Astros7
Game 4 Oakland Athletics6 Houston Astros11
Houston Astroswin series 3-1

 

National LeagueDIVISIONAL BRACKET
#1
Los Angeles Dodgers
#4
San Diego Padres
#2
Atlanta Braves
#6
Miami Marlins

 

National LeagueDIVISIONAL SERIES
(best of 5)

#1
Los Angeles Dodgers
#4
San Diego Padres
Game 1 Los Angeles Dodgers5 San Diego Padres1
Game 2 Los Angeles Dodgers6 San Diego Padres5
Game 3 Los Angeles Dodgers12 San Diego Padres3
Los Angeles Dodgerswin series 3-0

 

National LeagueDIVISIONAL SERIES
(best of 5)

#2
Atlanta Braves
#6
Miami Marlins
Game 1 Atlanta Braves9 Miami Marlins5
Game 2 Atlanta Braves2 Miami Marlins0
Game 3 Atlanta Braves7 Miami Marlins0
Atlanta Braveswin series 3-0

 

American LeagueCHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET
#1
Tampa Bay Rays
#6
Houston Astros

 

American LeagueCHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(best of 7)

#1
Tampa Bay Rays
#6
Houston Astros
Game 1 Tampa Bay Rays2 Houston Astros1
Game 2 Tampa Bay Rays4 Houston Astros2
Game 3 Tampa Bay Rays5 Houston Astros2
Game 4 Tampa Bay Rays3 Houston Astros4
Game 5 Tampa Bay Rays3 Houston Astros4
Game 6 Tampa Bay Rays4 Houston Astros7
Game 7 Tampa Bay Rays4 Houston Astros2
Tampa Bay Rayswin series 4-3

 

National LeagueCHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

#1
Los Angeles Dodgers
#2
Atlanta Braves

 

National LeagueCHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
(best of 7)

#1
Los Angeles Dodgers
#2
Atlanta Braves
Game 1 Los Angeles Dodgers1 Atlanta Braves5
Game 2 Los Angeles Dodgers7 Atlanta Braves8
Game 3 Los Angeles Dodgers15 Atlanta Braves3
Game 4 Los Angeles Dodgers2 Atlanta Braves10
Game 5 Los Angeles Dodgers7 Atlanta Braves3
Game 6 Los Angeles Dodgers3 Atlanta Braves1
Game 7 Los Angeles Dodgers4 Atlanta Braves3
Los Angeles Dodgerswin series 4-3

 

 

2020 MLB World Series
American League
CHAMPION
Tampa Bay Rays
National League
CHAMPION
Los Angeles Dodgers
Game 1 Tampa Bay Rays3 Los Angeles Dodgers8
Game 2 Tampa Bay Rays6 Los Angeles Dodgers4
Game 3 Tampa Bay Rays2 Los Angeles Dodgers6
Game 4 Tampa Bay Rays8 Los Angeles Dodgers7
Game 5 Tampa Bay Rays2 Los Angeles Dodgers4
Game 6 Tampa Bay Rays1 Los Angeles Dodgers3

Los Angeles Dodgerswin series 4-2

WORLD SERIES MVP


Corey Seager
(SS)
.400 Avg.
2 HR
5 RBI

Favorite Team Spotlight

Los Angeles Dodgers2020 World Series Champion
W/L: 43-17 (1st in NL West)
Offensive Ranking: 10th
Pitching Ranking: 1st
Defensive Ranking: 12th

  • FINALLY got the elusive “World Series monkey” off their back after a decade+ of viable contention
  • Clayton Kershaw dusts the previously crippling “postseason curse” with key performances, anchoring L.A.’s rotation throughout the entire playoffs 
  • Signed Mookie Betts to a ridiculous 12-year $365 million dollar contract prior to the season, effectively ensuring his foothold in Dodger Stadium’s right field for the rest of his career (hopefully)
  • Cody Bellinger continued to look like a Ken Griffey Jr. clone, clobbering home runs from the left side of the plate while making plays in center with his crafty glove, speedster legs and bazooka arm
  • The “25 and under club” (including Bellinger, Walker Buehler, Gavin Lux, Will Smith, Julio Urias and Dustin May) all played fabulously adding tons of depth to the superstar pilings at the top

Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…

E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com

Follow The ‘Tude Dude
GameFAQsMoby GamesRetroAchievements
FacebookInstagramPinterestX

The 'Tude Dude
-Pushing Reviews to the EDGE!

Published by Rad Writing

2019-2020 NBA Season Review

Scroll below and enjoy
The 'Tude Dude
presents a
Shut Up And JAM! Sports Section Article
2019-2020
NBA
Season Review


Regular Season Retrospective

Starting off with perhaps the most wildly active player-personnel shaping summer in league history, the 2019-2020 NBA season felt like the dawning of a new era after a purely dominant (and probably still not entirely done) 5 year run by the Golden State Warriors  came to a screeching halt following a string of unfortunate injuries and free-agent losses which put them outside of the championship bubble (at least for now) for the first time in what felt like forever. Couple that with the fact that the defending champion Toronto Raptors  (unlikely title-hoisting beneficiaries of Golden State’s unfortunate injury luck in last season’s playoffs) lost Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to his hometown Los Angeles Clippers  (who also traded for Paul George) in another stunning free agent transaction which erased Canada’s only NBA squad from the minds of basketball pundits thinking about a repeat. Oh yeah… plus the Lakers traded (finally) for Anthony Davis , Kemba Walker signed with the Celtics replacing Kyrie Irving who joined his buddy Kevin Durant with the Brooklyn Nets , the Rockets swapped point guards with the Thunder sending OKC Chris Paul in exchange for Russell Westbrook Jimmy Butler took his talents to South Beach Zion Williamson looked to begin the most-hyped rookie campaign since LeBron James took his first professional dribbles after being drafted #1 overall by the Pelicans , plus a boatload more league-altering roster moves ! These shocking developments flipped the NBA on its head as for the first time in as long as I can remember, no true favorite stood above the pack as the power vacuum left by last season’s Finals representatives looked to be filled by a slew of hungry franchises all eager to burst through the newly-weakened championship blockade. Well this should certainly be interesting…

Right away, disappointment hit as we’d have to wait on Zion’s debut until sometime later in the year after undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus . Luckily, Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic was there to soften the blow after entering his name into “young phenom” status, displaying an all-around game that looked to be a perfect blend of Magic Johnson’s passing and Larry Bird’s shooting with impressive averages that forced the second-year player into the MVP discussion. Stephen Curry broke his hand early in the year which further cemented his Warriors into the outhouse for this season after a half-decade stay in the top-floor penthouse. Meanwhile, Golden State’s counterpart in last season’s Finals, the Toronto Raptors , surprised everyone by continuing to compete at a championship level despite the loss of Kawhi Leonard which was impressive. Speaking of Leonard, his new-look Clippers lived up to hype right away and looked to spearhead a campaign of excellence that had never been enjoyed by the once moribund franchise, all-but ensuring a proxy-war for the ages with the same-town juggernaut Lakers who also started the season off by living up to their lofty preseason goals after racing to the top spot in the loaded Western Conference.

As the season rolled on, the Milwaukee Bucks separated themselves from the rest of the league as they blasted their way to the best record in basketball led by reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (easily the most annoyingly named superstar in sports history) and a deep cast of 3-point snipers. James Harden continued to score at a near 40-point per game clip which kept his Rockets around near the top of the conference (and him in a heated dogfight at the top of the MVP race) even as they integrated new pieces to a hopeful championship recipe. The Boston Celtics appeared somewhat rejuvenated by the exile of Kyrie Irving as budding young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were given more room to blossom under the tutelage of coaching phenom Brad Stevens . The Denver Nuggets appeared poised to break up the L.A. glamour party at the top of the Western Conference as they entrenched themselves firmly between the two stalwarts led by 7-foot dynamo Nikola Jokic and a deep roster which sustained their inclusion in the championship discussion. Meanwhile, another championship contender, the Philadelphia 76ers , played with an inconsistent schizophrenia that reflected in their disparaging excellent at home/terrible on the road record as budding stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons struggled to find cohesion with each other amidst a fluid roster of quality players.

The league carried on through to the new year as normal until the tragic loss of Kobe Bryant (along with his daughter Gianna and 7 others) in a helicopter crash in January prompted a new kind of reflection as the pain resounded globally with the magnitude of an Earth-sized quake . Andre Drummond was moved from Detroit to Cleveland at the trade deadline which could be best described as going from one fast-food job to another, D’Angelo Russell was flipped for Andrew Wiggins and Andre Igoudala  was pried loose from Memphis by Miami in a move that would surely solidify their playoff stance in the coming weeks. The All-Star game was played under a new format for the first time in as long as I can remember (using a system which counts the first 3 quarters as their own individual games with the winner of each quarter securing $100,000 for that team’s chosen charity: If tied, the total was carried over to the pot for the next quarter: The 4th quarter accumulates all of the previous quarters points for each squad and the two teams play to a final target score) which resulted in a resounding success as Team LeBron edged out Team Giannis 157-155 in one of the most competitively-fueled exhibition’s that I’ve ever witnessed (shout out to that impressive Slam Dunk Contest as well )! As March rolled around, the excitement ramped up as the playoffs could be felt drawing near however, as of this writing, the Coronavirus Pandemic (a mass-viral outbreak) has officially suspended the NBA season until further notice as the government has banned large gatherings of people due to the high-contagion rate. I guess for now, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens for a final outcome on this season as this unprecedented event unfolds before us. 

*UPDATE* After many months of inactivity due to the new changes brought upon by the global pandemic, the NBA has formulated a plan to complete the season inside a quarantined environment at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex located within Walt Disney World. Prioritizing health and safety above all else, the NBA will commission a strict protocol to those that choose to continue the season under these new guidelines (players will of course have the right to “opt out” if they desire) including regular temperature checks, social distancing as often as possible, not being able to leave the complex unless for emergency situations, etc. to hopefully better regulate the situation for the benefit of all of us who cherish the awesome game of basketball. One of the major drawbacks to this will be the exclusion of fans within this NBA “bubble” as the league will keep to a strict capacity of personnel and players to monitor any potential new outbreaks of the highly contagious virus. While this will obviously be a grandiose and unfortunate new change in the terms of physical fan interaction, I think it’s safe to say that the majority of us will just be happy to have sports back as a superficial distraction after all that has transpired. 

With a renewed hope and vigor for the future, the NBA took its first paddles into uncharted waters as the plan was set to resume the season on July 30th, 2020 within the confines of a structured environment. Though several teams had already locked in as postseason contenders since the shutdown occurred so late in the year (BucksLakers, Raptors, Clippers, etc.), many “on-the-cusp” squads (like PortlandNew Orleans and Washington) still deserved the right to challenge for a playoff spot in addition to seeds being finalized for the teams that were already in which resulted in the NBA deciding that 8 more regular season games would ultimately need to be played before the playoffs started. Unfortunately, any team that wasn’t deemed to be in contention were kept out of the bubble for capacity purposes which effectively jettisoned 8 squads instantly (AtlantaCharlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Golden State, Minnesota and New York) from the festivities. With all of these head-spinning events transpiring, it was safe to say that no one had any true idea what to expect from any of this in terms of presentation and the questions arose in cascading fashion – “How is this going to work without fans?” “Is this fair to the teams that aren’t here?” “Should they just cancel the season?”  …Guess we’ll just have to find out.

As July rolled around I realized just how desperate I was for NBA action when I found myself getting excited about watching scrimmages leading up to the real contests. The stadium certainly felt odd without thousands of fans cackling back and forth but it definitely didn’t show from the players who performed with a renewed energy befitting of the top-shelf entertainment that we’ve come to expect from the NBA. Softening the blow though was the inclusion of a brand-new (and very cool) concept known as “virtual fans” which simulated a live crowd experience by allowing people to show their support for their favorite squad using a simple capture device. Despite the “new normal”, it was evident right away that while these games would not be anything like what we’ve seen in the NBA before, this new experience was certainly not watered down in any way ensuring hungry fans around the world a quality result to the regular season that was so unexpectedly halted many months prior. 

Immediately, several teams separated themselves in this new environment utilizing the final 8 regular season “seeding” games to appropriate themselves back into playing shape while others certainly looked rusty after an unusually long layoff. Both the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers (the teams with the best records in each conference pretty much all season-long) struggled a bit in the bubble for example which brought some concern from pundits after so much dominance had been displayed from the both of them leading up to this point. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns (led by rising star Devin Booker ) went on a tear, becoming the only squad to go undefeated during this stretch (8-0) though they did fall short of reaching the final playoff spot which ultimately ended up with the Portland Trail Blazers and bubble MVP Damian Lillard who defeated the Memphis Grizzlies (another team who played poorly during these proceedings acquiescing to everyone below them in the standings) in a final “play-in” game. Additionally, the final positions for the 2019-20 NBA playoffs had been realized as the last touches were placed on one of the strangest seasons that I will ever remember being a part of. Overall, most of the chalk held from when everything got suspended but it was nice to have both a fair entrance to the postseason for all contending teams as well as a warm-up period for everyone to get back into the swing of things. To the playoffs…    


Favorite Team Spotlight

As a lifelong Laker fan (technically since 1994), there hasn’t been a season that I can ever remember looking forward to more than this one (2019-2020). Much of the reason for this is the fact that the franchise has been mired in its worst run of repugnant mediocrity dating back to 2012 which for those of us spoiled by the usual status-quo of the purple and gold is worth two lifetimes at least! Even though Magic and LeBron arrived a year ago to help free us out of the pathetic basement-dwelling predicament that we were in, most of us in La-La-Laker Land had our eyes set on this season as the first time we’d be back in true championship contention as the team would be able to better construct a winning roster around the King while he integrated into his new surroundings. …And how right that was !

The acquisition of Anthony Davis (after a tumultuously long back-and-forth with New Orleans) paired LeBron with another superstar fit to help carry a team to a championship right now while at the same time serving as a perfect receiver of the mantle during the King’s twilight years (fingers crossed he signs long-term). This single transaction catapulted the Lakers back to the top of the NBA championship hyperbole discussion without the team even having a coach (Luke Walton  was fired after a 3rd consecutive losing season) or a full squad around them yet which let me know my beloved beloviated hometown Showtime basketball squad was BACK! Even Kawhi Leonard flirted with the idea of signing with the Lakers (a move which would have formed the gnarliest big 3 superteam EVER in the history of the game before he signed with the Clippers who traded for Paul George the same night) which was enough to incite my old gluttonous super-fan imagination of multiple seasons ending with popped champagne bottles and parades – a sentimental happy place I hadn’t been able to enjoy since the old Kobe and Phil days. Despite losing out on the Klaw, GM Rob Pelinka assembled a quality roster around LeBron, Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma (including Danny Green , Dwight Howard , Avery Bradley and head coach Frank Vogel ) which certainly put the Lakers square in the championship thought process as the season began.

Right away, the Lakers blasted off to a fast start as LeBron and AD played up to their billing (and then some) which eased the transition for all the new components and sped up the gelling process as the team appeared to have a familiarity with each other that was far beyond what one would expect for a first-year-together basketball squad. Plenty of intrigue was placed on the superstar pairing of the King and the Brow (and rightfully so) but the overall depth turned out to be more than I expected as dudes likes Rajon Rondo , Javale McGee Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope integrated beautifully with the 2 alpha dogs at the top of the food chain. Better yet, first year coach Frank Vogel appeared to be a good fit both politically and strategically as his generally laid-back approach combined with a high defensive-acumen meshed well with the veteran-heavy Lakers roster. Even Dwight Howard (former superstar and locker-room nuisance) bought in to the new system by accepting a backup center/bench energy role with humility which reinvigorated his nearly-dead career and gave the Lakers more options down low to ease the burden off of Anthony Davis. With 2 superstars on the same page, a solid coaching staff, big-man depth and a slew of outside shooters, all the ingredients were already in place as the team shot out of a cannon to start the year and spearhead the wild Western Conference for the best record. 

As the year rolled on, the Lakers continued to fend off conference rivals thanks in large part to the ascending play of LeBron James who dazzled in his 17th season averaging a career best 10.6 assists per game while clearly turning up his effort on the defensive end of the court (something Anthony Davis challenged him on when joining the team). Brilliantly orchestrating the offense as well as any point guard that’s EVER played the game, “King” James proved to be the ultimate catalyst leading the charge with an insanely dynamic combination of physical and mental prowess which no opponent could stop especially when paired with the accommodating talents of the “Brow. Still, despite maintaining the best record in the west for most of the season, many “experts” continued to pick other teams as a bigger threat to win the title (most notably the L.A. Clippers) which was both frustrating and galvanizing. “Are we destined to fall short of winning a title with this great team?” Only time would tell.

Then, 2 events occurred which rocked the franchise on its head and drastically altered the direction of the season – Covid-19 and the subsequent cancellation of the season that followed. For weeks, no one knew if the season was even going to finish out let alone what the state of the world was going to be during this ominous pandemic which was certainly disappointing from a superficial perspective to say the least! Just had to happen when the Lakers are FINALLY good again after their most lackadaisical decade of terrible basketball ever but that’s the way it goes I suppose. During this time, I played many runs of NBA 2K20 to cope with my nervousness about the real-life resolution that hung in the balance and just like it always has, video games provided the necessary escape which was GREATLY appreciated! Still, I awaited anxiously to hear anything positive about the outcome of this super-fun basketball year which was starting to feel like it was ours for the taking. 

Luckily, news did arrive later of the NBA’s decision to indeed play out the season in a quarantined environment (more details about this in the previous segment) which made me BEYOND ecstatic! Not only would basketball be returning to help bring a peripheral distraction to the increasingly-stirring events that were shaping our “new normal”, but the Lakers could get back to the business at hand of claiming the title and thwarting the efforts of the rest of the league (ESPECIALLY Kawhi and the stowaway Clippers). Though the schedule was truncated and the site was neutral, it still felt RIGHT to see all the guys again and the competition was instantly compelling which instantly put the previous weeks of blankness out of my mind. What an undertaking also when you consider the machinations of an ENTIRE league operating in such a confined way but kudos to everyone involved from Adam Silver down to the water boys !!!

Though there was a brief “8 game restart” (see above for more general results of this) played before the postseason’s proceedings acting as a primer and final standing-decider, the Lakers had basically already wrapped up the #1 seed ensuring there addition into the championship tournament as this new dynamic duo of LeBron and AD looked to make their mark and bring shine back to the purple and gold. As round 1 started, L.A. drew the RED-HOT Portland Trail Blazers and the fearless Damian Lillard who shocked the Lakers in a game 1 upset which rallied all their haters to bark LOUDLY about a possible #8 seed upset… which was snuffed out RESOUNDINGLY during the next 4 wins for LeBron and co.! Though the Blazers played well and certainly got the Lakers attention during the series overall, you could tell that this team was starting to grasp a true understanding of their identity and potential which seems to be a common thread of collaborative mindset for a squad flirting with greatness – a welcome site indeed!   

Round 2 brought one of the scariest back courts that’s ever been assembled in James HardenRussell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets who, just like the previous opponent, won game 1 which immediately perked up the pundits back to their “sky is falling” dribble. However, in the exact same fashion as before, LeBron and his running mates turned up the intensity which was just too overwhelming as they easily dispatched a Houston squad who just simply had a too-soft defense to contend with the Lakers. This set up the Western Conference Finals and the proposed matchup that we were ALL looking forward to – the battle of Los Angeles between the Lakers and the Clippers! Similar to my favorite season ever (1999-2000), it seemed like destiny for this round to be the absolute battle that would determine the champion as everyone looked forward to an epic series to kick-start a budding proximity rivalry. But of course right on schedule, the Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead against Denver to continue their allergic perpetuation to winning as they fell short… AGAIN of reaching their first-ever conference final which has got to be demoralizing to their fans.

Despite an unpredictable opponent that prevented the glamorous marquee event that would have been LeBron and the Lakers vs. Kawhi and the Clippers, the Denver Nuggets certainly looked like a game opponent led by their prosperous duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray who both had played like monsters up to this round. Unfortunately for them though, the Lakers had reached their stride as they won the first 2 games before eventually winning the series in 5 just like they had in the previous 2 rounds before against Houston and Portland. 3 straight “gentlemen sweeps” and they’re in the Finals which was both sudden and exhilarating after such an unusual season full of “first-evers” but HELL YEAH!!! After such a long and questionable season, how SATISFYING it was to see them sitting on the perch as they awaited their Eastern Conference adversary. 

Well, I don’t think anyone could have predicted that Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat would have made the run they did beating higher-seeded squads in every bracket on their way to the Finals but here we are. Much like in rounds previous, the Lakers truly seemed better in just about every way though Miami was stricken with some pretty unfortunate injuries early on in the series to cornerstones Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo which didn’t help their cause. Still, all I got to say… CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONSHIP and CHAMPPPPPPPPPPPIONSHIP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a year, what a franchise… LONG LIVE the LOS ANGELES LAKERS!


Regular Season Standings

(Includes 8 NBA restart games added to standings for those that participated)

Western Conference PACIFIC

#1

Los Angeles Lakers
W/L: 52-19
Home: 25-10 Away: 27-9

#2

Los Angeles Clippers

W/L: 49-23
Home: 27-9 Away: 22-14

#3

Phoenix Suns
W/L: 34-39
Home: 17-22 Away: 17-17

#4

Sacramento Kings
W/L: 31-41
Home: 16-19 Away: 15-22

#5

Golden State Warriors
W/L: 15-50
Home: 8-26 Away 7-24
*Did not participate in NBA restart

Western Conference NORTHWEST

#1

Denver Nuggets
W/L: 46-27
Home: 26-11 Away: 20-16

#2


W/L: 44-28
Home: 23-14 Away: 21-14

#3

Utah Jazz
W/L: 44-28
Home: 23-12 Away: 21-16

#4

Portland Trail Blazers
W/L: 35-39
Home: 21-15 Away: 14-24

#5

Minnesota Timberwolves
W/L: 19-45
Home: 8-24 Away: 11-21
*Did not participate in NBA restart

 

Western Conference SOUTHWEST

#1

Houston Rockets
W/L: 44-28
Home: 24-12 Away: 20-16

#2

Dallas Mavericks
W/L: 43-32
Home: 20-18 Away: 23-14

#3

Memphis Grizzlies
W/L: 34-39
Home: 20-17 Away: 14-22

#4

San Antonio Spurs
W/L: 32-39
Home: 19-15 Away: 13-24

#5


W/L: 30-42
Home: 15-21 Away: 15-21

 

Eastern Conference CENTRAL

#1

Milwaukee Bucks
W/L: 56-17
Home: 30-5 Away: 26-12

#2

Indiana Pacers
W/L: 45-28
Home: 25-11 Away: 20-17

#3

Chicago Bulls
W/L: 22-43 
Home: 14-20 Away: 8-23
*Did not participate in NBA restart

#4

Detroit Pistons
W/L: 20-46
Home: 11-22 Away: 9-24
*Did not participate in NBA restart

#5

Cleveland Cavaliers
W/L: 19-46
Home: 11-25 Away: 8-21
*Did not participate in NBA restart

 

Eastern Conference SOUTHEAST

#1

Miami Heat
W/L: 44-29
Home: 29-7 Away: 15-22

#2

Orlando Magic
W/L: 33-40
Home: 18-17 Away: 15-23

#3

Washington Wizards
W/L: 25-47
Home: 16-20 Away: 9-27

#4

Charlotte Hornets
W/L: 23-42
Home: 10-21 Away: 13-21
*Did not participate in NBA restart

#5

Atlanta Hawks
W/L: 20-47
Home: 14-20 Away: 6-27
*Did not participate in NBA restart

 

Eastern Conference ATLANTIC

#1

Toronto Raptors
W/L: 53-19
Home: 26-10 Away: 27-9

#2

Boston Celtics
W/L: 48-24
Home: 26-10 Away: 22-14

#3

Philadelphia 76ers
W/L: 43-30
Home: 31-4 Away: 12-26

#4

Brooklyn Nets
W/L: 35-37
Home: 20-16 Away: 15-21

#5

New York Knicks
W/L: 21-45
Home: 11-22 Away: 10-23
*Did not participate in NBA restart


Notable League Leaders

Scoring

James Harden
Houston Rockets
34.4 points/game

Rebounding

Andre Drummond
Cleveland Cavaliers
15.2 rebounds/game

Assists

LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers
10.6 assists/game

Steals

Ben Simmons
Philadelphia 76ers
2.1 steals/game

Blocks

Hassan Whiteside
Portland Trail Blazers
3.1 blocks/game


Award Winners

MVP


Giannis Antetokounmpo (F)
Milwaukee Bucks
29.5
points/game
13.6 rebounds/game
5.6 assists/game

Defensive Player Of The Year


Giannis Antetokounmpo
(F)
Milwaukee Bucks
11.4
defensive rebounds/game
1.0 steals/game
1.0 blocks/game

6th Man Of The Year


Montrezl Harrell (F/C)
Los Angeles Clippers
18.6
points/game
7.1 rebounds/game
1.1 blocks/game

Most Improved Player Of The Year


Brandon Ingram (G/F)

23.8
points/game
4.2 assists/game
6.1 rebounds/game

Rookie Of The Year


Ja Morant (G)
Memphis Grizzlies
17.8
points/game
7.3 assists/game
3.9 rebounds/game


Playoff Results

Western ConferenceRound 1
vs.
#8 Portland Trail Blazers @ #1 Los Angeles Lakers
Game 1:Portland Trail Blazers100 Los Angeles Lakers93
Game 2:Portland Trail Blazers88 Los Angeles Lakers111
Game 3:Los Angeles Lakers116 Portland Trail Blazers108
Game 4:Los Angeles Lakers135 Portland Trail Blazers115
Game 5:Portland Trail Blazers122 Los Angeles Lakers131
(Los Angeles Lakers wins series 41)

Western ConferenceRound 1
vs.
#5Oklahoma City Thunder
@ #4Houston Rockets
Game 1: Oklahoma City Thunder108 Houston Rockets123
Game 2: Oklahoma City Thunder98 Houston Rockets111
Game 3: Houston Rockets107 Oklahoma City Thunder119 (ot.)
Game 4: Houston Rockets114 Oklahoma City Thunder117
Game 5: Oklahoma City Thunder80 Houston Rockets114
Game 6: Houston Rockets100 Oklahoma City Thunder104
Game 7: Oklahoma City Thunder102 Houston Rockets104
(Houston Rockets wins series 43)

Western ConferenceRound 1
vs.
#6Utah Jazz
 @ #3Denver Nuggets
Game 1: Utah Jazz125 Denver Nuggets135 (ot.)
Game 2: Utah Jazz124 Denver Nuggets105
Game 3: Denver Nuggets87 Utah Jazz124
Game 4: Denver Nuggets127 Utah Jazz129
Game 5: Utah Jazz107 Denver Nuggets117
Game 6: Denver Nuggets119 Utah Jazz107
Game 7: Utah Jazz78 Denver Nuggets80
(Denver Nuggets wins series 43)

Western ConferenceRound 1
vs.
#7Dallas Mavericks
 @ #2Los Angeles Clippers
Game 1: Dallas Mavericks110 Los Angeles Clippers118
Game 2: Dallas Mavericks127 Los Angeles Clippers114
Game 3: Los Angeles Clippers130 Dallas Mavericks122
Game 4: Los Angeles Clippers133 Dallas Mavericks135 (ot.)
Game 5: Dallas Mavericks111 Los Angeles Clippers154
Game 6: Los Angeles Clippers111 Dallas Mavericks97
(Los Angeles Clippers wins series 42)

Eastern ConferenceRound 1
vs.
#8Orlando Magic
 @ #1Milwaukee Bucks
Game 1: Orlando Magic122 Milwaukee Bucks110
Game 2: Orlando Magic96 Milwaukee Bucks111
Game 3: Milwaukee Bucks121 Orlando Magic107
Game 4: Milwaukee Bucks121 Orlando Magic106
Game 5: Orlando Magic104 Milwaukee Bucks118
(Milwaukee Bucks wins series 41)

Eastern ConferenceRound 1
vs.
#5Miami Heat
 @ #4Indiana Pacers
Game 1: Miami Heat113 Indiana Pacers101
Game 2: Miami Heat109 Indiana Pacers100
Game 3: Indiana Pacers115 Miami Heat124
Game 4: Indiana Pacers87 Miami Heat99
(Miami Heat wins series 40)

Eastern ConferenceRound 1
vs. 
#6Philadelphia 76ers @ #3Boston Celtics
Game 1: Philadelphia 76ers101 Boston Celtics109
Game 2: Philadelphia 76ers101 Boston Celtics128
Game 3: Boston Celtics102 Philadelphia 76ers94
Game 4: Boston Celtics110 Philadelphia 76ers106
(Boston Celtics wins series 40)

Eastern ConferenceRound 1
vs.
#7Brooklyn Nets @ #2Toronto Raptors
Game 1: Brooklyn Nets110 Toronto Raptors134
Game 2: Brooklyn Nets99 Toronto Raptors104
Game 3: Toronto Raptors117 Brooklyn Nets92
Game 4: Toronto Raptors150 Brooklyn Nets122
(Toronto Raptors wins series 40)

Western ConferenceRound 2
vs.
#4Houston Rockets
@ #1Los Angeles Lakers
Game 1: Houston Rockets112 Los Angeles Lakers97
Game 2: Houston Rockets109 Los Angeles Lakers117
Game 3: Los Angeles Lakers112 Houston Rockets102
Game 4: Los Angeles Lakers110 Houston Rockets100
Game 5: Houston Rockets96 Los Angeles Lakers119
(Los Angeles Lakers wins series 41)

Western ConferenceRound 2
vs.
#3Denver Nuggets
 @ #2Los Angeles Clippers
Game 1: Denver Nuggets97 Los Angeles Clippers120
Game 2: Denver Nuggets110 Los Angeles Clippers101
Game 3: Los Angeles Clippers113 Denver Nuggets107
Game 4: Los Angeles Clippers96 Denver Nuggets85
Game 5: Denver Nuggets111 Los Angeles Clippers105
Game 6: Los Angeles Clippers98 Denver Nuggets111
Game 7: Denver Nuggets104 Los Angeles Clippers89
(Denver Nuggets wins series 43)

Eastern ConferenceRound 2
vs.
#5Miami Heat @ #1Milwaukee Bucks
Game 1: Miami Heat115 Milwaukee Bucks104
Game 2: Miami Heat116 Milwaukee Bucks114
Game 3: Milwaukee Bucks100 Miami Heat115
Game 4: Milwaukee Bucks118 Miami Heat115 (ot.)
Game 5: Miami Heat103 Milwaukee Bucks94
(Miami Heat wins series 41)

Eastern ConferenceRound 2
vs.
#3Boston Celtics @ #2Toronto Raptors 
Game 1: Boston Celtics112 Toronto Raptors94
Game 2: Boston Celtics102 Toronto Raptors99
Game 3: Toronto Raptors104 Boston Celtics103
Game 4: Toronto Raptors100 Boston Celtics93
Game 5: Boston Celtics111 Toronto Raptors89
Game 6: Toronto Raptors125 Boston Celtics122 (ot.)
Game 7: Boston Celtics92 Toronto Raptors87
(Boston Celtics wins series 43)

Western ConferenceFinals
vs.
#3Denver Nuggets
 @ #1Los Angeles Lakers
Game 1: Denver Nuggets114 Los Angeles Lakers126
Game 2: Denver Nuggets103 Los Angeles Lakers105
Game 3: Los Angeles Lakers106 Denver Nuggets114
Game 4: Los Angeles Lakers114 Denver Nuggets108
Game 5: Denver Nuggets107 Los Angeles Lakers117
(Los Angeles Lakers wins series 41)

Eastern ConferenceFinals
vs.
#5Miami Heat @ #3Boston Celtics 
Game 1: Miami Heat117 Boston Celtics114 (ot.)
Game 2: Miami Heat106 Boston Celtics101
Game 3: Boston Celtics117 Miami Heat106
Game 4: Boston Celtics109 Miami Heat112
Game 5: Miami Heat108 Boston Celtics121
Game 6: Boston Celtics113 Miami Heat125
(Miami Heat wins series 4-2)

NBA Finals
vs. 
Miami Heat @ Los Angeles Lakers
Game 1: Miami Heat98 Los Angeles Lakers116
Game 2Miami Heat114 Los Angeles Lakers124
Game 3Los Angeles Lakers104 Miami Heat115
Game 4: Los Angeles Lakers102 Miami Heat96
Game 5Miami Heat111 Los Angeles Lakers108
Game 6Los Angeles Lakers106 Miami Heat93
(Los Angeles Lakers wins series 4-2)

 

NBA Champions


Los Angeles Lakers

NBA Finals MVP


LeBron James (F)

Los Angeles Lakers
29.8 points/game
11.8 rebounds/game
8.5 assists/game
1.2 steals/game
0.5 blocks/game


Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…

E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com

Follow The ‘Tude Dude
GameFAQsMoby GamesRetroAchievements
FacebookInstagramPinterestX

The 'Tude Dude
-Pushing Reviews to the EDGE!

Published by Rad Writing

A Retro Review – Super Castlevania IV

Hit play above for in-game music from this title

Scroll below for review
The 'Tude Dude
presents a
Retro Review
Super Castlevania IV
by
Konami

Console
(SNES)

Genre
(Action/Adventure)
Players (Single-player)
'Tude Meter 'Tude output = High
(Coolness guaranteed)
Final Verdict 5/5
(Great game)
Pros

  • AMAZING
    level design

  • Contra
    -style multi-directional whip absolutely rules
  • Masterfully polished like a Rembrandt painting 
Cons

  • No points for originality
  • One of the easier treks through a Castlevania title
  • Is the “IV” even necessary since its not a sequel canon-wise?
The 'Tude Dude's Summary

Eschewing many of the problems that haunted gamers playthroughs in earlier iterations, Super Castlevania IV captures lightning within its holy-water bottle improving every facet from the original game with the stewardship and dedication that this amazing series deserves


Story

Simon Belmont (or Super Simon if you prefer) returns in a glorious re-imagining of the very first game’s story as he is tasked with taking down the vile Count Dracula and his band of goons after his annual resurrection within the small country of Transylvania. Armed with little else but his trustee whip “Vampire Killer” and a courageous heart, Simon strikes out to confront the newly risen “Super Castlevania” and bring peace back to his homeland. Will he survive Super Dracula’s new 16-bit approach and banish the old garlic hater back to the crypt or perish in beautiful mode-7 flames?



Overview

Super Castlevania IV is a side-scrolling action/adventure game where players control Simon Belmont in his quest to destroy Dracula and his henchmen spanning 11 unique levels. Each of these levels consists of platforming obstacles and enemies who must be navigated/destroyed until eventually squaring off with a stage boss who must be defeated before progressing. Aiding Simon on this adventure is his whip “Vampire Killer” which has been boosted from previous versions and now lashes in any direction the player desires! Additionally, sub-weapons (like series mainstays the throwing dagger, axe and holy water), health boosts and more can be obtained for increased assistance against the forces of evil.

Though the game is technically a re-make/update of the first title released on the NES, many new ideas were implemented into the recipe such as the aforementioned independent-aim whip, full-rotating stages, one-button sub-weapon commands, etc. ensuring a fresh experience no matter the player. Furthermore, the whip is utilized much more in this game for platforming purposes than ever before as Simon can latch to grapples at various times, allowing him to swing to reach new areas. As always, strategy remains a stalwart approach as studying attack patterns and stage layouts are still a crucial part of succeeding especially on higher difficulties.  Make your way through all of Dracula’s new 16-bit toys and eventually you’ll match up with the Count in the main event. Survive this final encounter to send him back where he came from to complete the game!   



Cast


Simon Belmont
(main protagonist)
The wild-whippin’, axe throwin’, holy water drinking hero is back to once again quell out the forces of darkness… moonwalks on command just like Michael Jackson during his video game adventures


Rowdain
(antagonist support)
Drac’s first lieutenant in charge of home defense, this pile of bones riding on top of another pile of bones offers a novice challenge

Medusa
(antagonist support)
The queen of the Gorgons returns this time with a body attached to her head and more appropriate petrify powers than she had before

Orphic Vipers
(antagonist support)
Mean, nasty and unable to share at dinner time, these conjoined water serpents live a frustrating life as bickering siblings unable to claim space apart from each other but hopefully Simon can help clear up some of their issues

Man Eater
(antagonist support)
Essentially an unidentifiable worm-like creature taking up residence in a giant skull hermit crab-style, this freaky anomaly only needs a few lashes from your whip for you to realize its place far below yours in the circle of life

Koranot
(antagonist support)
Powered by unholy mode-7 magic, this rock giant has a secret deal with the dark warlocks at Nintendo to help them by displaying their console’s capabilities in addition to his earlier obligation to Dracula and the defense of his keep which luckily hasn’t created a conflict of interest… yet

Dancing Specters
(antagonist support)
Driven by the power of love (insert Huey Lewis And The News music NOW) across dimensions, these pre-occupied fraternizers twirl around in a thoughtless manner while attacking Simon wildly requiring you to simultaneously destroy both them and their romance in surprisingly satisfying fashion

Sir Grakul
(antagonist support)
Creaky and slow but heavily armored with an upbeat attitude, the resident knight of Super Castlevania is basically a tank with legs but keep Simon’s feet moving while whipping at the right time and you’ll reduce this tin man back to a pile of nuts and bolts in no time

The Creature
(antagonist support)
One of Drac’s best buds from his college days, this neck-bolted lurch attacks by throwing beakers at Simon of different colors that explode with unique results while rocking a pretty sweet 3-piece suit made from 100% sewage

Zapf Bat
(antagonist support)
Perhaps some sort of tangible realization of greed, this giant bat made out of shiny gold and jewels can fly his way into my home if he ever wants to and I swear not to capture him and subsequently stuff him into a safety deposit box

Akmodan
(antagonist support)
The updated Mummy Man continues his underrated strategy of throwing his bandage wraps at Simon in this version as well though he’s dropped the clone of himself calling him “dead weight”

Slogra
(antagonist support)
A strange bird-bone hybrid created by Death to serve him personally, Slogra is more than ready for a fight with his trident in tow, giant beak and penchant for anti-gravity jumps making his demise essential

Gaibon
(antagonist support)
The 2nd henchman created by Death for personal use, this flying demon is rarely seen either without or not within the vicinity of his hetero life-mate Slogra making his untimely end every bit as crucial as his best bud’s

Death
(antagonist support)
Dracula’s wingman since they were in grade school, Death returns at the service of the Count bringing his sick sickles, winning pedigree and can-do demeanor to the blood-sucking squad’s veteran lineup ensuring his spot as a top competitor on the roster  


Count Dracula
(main antagonist)
The original “Batman” returns with an updated look to go along with his newly mode-7 remodeled crib promising to not turn into the “Michelin Man” this time



Critical Analysis

Gameplay


5/5
Despite the fact that Super Castlevania IV is essentially a “remake” of the first entry in the monster-whippin’ series (which should technically hinder any kind of new innovations), everything… and I mean every single thing has been refined to a glorious 16-bit polish to the point of unrecognizable detachment. The stages steal the show more than anything else utilizing the Super Nintendo’s new graphical design to previously unimaginable levels of 2-d immersion such as the rotating cylinder/tube-like room you travel through in the 4th stage or the giant swinging chandeliers you have to navigate in the 6th though the new and improved fully-directional whip deserves just as much acknowledgement in terms of gameplay improvement. No doubt, this Castlevania earns the “super” moniker at the beginning of its title enhancing the original in every possible way while catapulting the franchise to startling new levels of design quality.

Controls


5/5
Perhaps the most essential ingredient to Super Castlevania IV’s overall tally, the controls are exactly what you want in an action/platforming game of this variety – tight, responsive and balanced. Thanks in large part to the excellent layout of the SNES controller in addition to the new ideas implemented, Simon responds to player commands with unrelenting success whether whipping in any direction “Contra-style” (new and very much improved to the series), flailing the thing around like a wild fire hose (unintentionally hilarious yet surprisingly effective), swinging from grapples placed throughout stages to reach new areas (addictive as hell), making a tough platforming jump with vastly improved air controls (…finally) or anything in between. Even the dreaded “knockback” from taking enemy damage feels reduced to the point of near non-existence making this Dracula-destroying pilgrimage as satisfying a trek as it’s ever been in franchise history!

Music/Sound


5/5
Like a fine wine aged to perfection, Super Catlevania IV’s soundtrack and effects add the perfect aesthetic to the beautiful buffet of components that already make up this 16-bit masterpiece. Whether rocking out to the percussion-heavy beats of The Forest of Monsters stage or the rad new Bloody Tears rendition updated from Simon’s Quest (sound bar above), the music (as usual) pushes new levels of quality than ever before which has become as synonymous with the series as medusa heads flying at you in droves! No doubt that same sentiment holds true for the sound effects as well with awesomely appropriate wolf howls and zombie groans accompanying a slew of other distinguishable noises which further envelopes the imaginative world of Castlevania around you to near-transcendence. 

Graphics


5/5
The final nail in Super Castlevania IV’s “quality coffin”, the graphical design initially served as a primer piece of sorts showcasing the impressive prowess of the Super Nintendo’s new mode-7 hardware (which was typical for many of their early-release games) to a tee however I’m sure nobody expected the kinds of things that were still yet to be revealed in the later stages of the game. Rooms that rotate on a full 360 degrees axis, multi-layered areas where players could walk in front of and go behind gates to access different pathways as well as boss characters who grow in size before shrinking to nothing after defeat offer just some of the game’s highlights to go along with a bevy of kick-ass backgrounds rich in detail and ready to scroll to your eyes delight. In the early stages of the SNES vs. Genesis 16-bit console war which got us all hyped in the 90’s, it was extremely difficult to not be in awe of this juggernaut title sheathed across Nintendo’s shoulder thanks in large part to the amazing visuals which seemed to serve not only in pridefully displaying what the new Super Nintendo could achieve but also what the next stage of graphical evolution was truly going to look like!

'Tude Meter


'Tude output = High
No real surprise to see the dial in the red on this one, Super Castlevania IV is easily one of the coolest and most ‘tudey games you can find on the kid-friendly SNES with a big emphasis on horror/action as is par for the series. With superb enemy design inspired by some of the most famous horror characters across literature, amazing stages full of interesting gothic concepts and you bashing everything you see in sight to a pulp with your whip, there’s plenty of pork chop on the bone in this department to stand out as a worthy competitor for the rebellious-initiated video game playing crowd. It should be noted that there was a slight drawback in overall score due to the goofy way Simon gyrates his limp-whip like a pom-pom girl whenever you hold down the attack button and move the d-pad around however it wasn’t enough to pull the needle significantly out of the “maximum” zone.

Final Verdict


5/5
Great game
One of The ‘Tude Dude’s personal favorite SNES games of all time

Hitting on all cylinders in every facet with the precision of a cat o’ nine tails, Super Castlevania IV remains as one of the shiniest treasures in the great SNES library with outstanding enhancements on the original’s already successful formula, superior design quality from the always-studious Konami folks and amazing focus to gameplay detail which holds the players full attention right up to the very last lash on the old Count. In fact, it improves the first game so much that it’s really not even fair to compare them as if the developers read my review of Castlevania for the NES and figured out how to implement new innovations from previous criticisms while simultaneously improving every square inch of Simon’s initial quest through Drac’s haunted mansion. From my first ever rental of this title during my youth up to my most recent session for this review, Super Castlevania IV has and will forever MESMERIZE my imagination transporting my consciousness into a suspended realm of amusement-overload which is what video games are all about! It’s a glorious achievement of visceral storytelling stimulating the senses in a way that effectively sees the dreaded and unfamiliar world of Dracula’s keep come to life around you. Best of all, Simon’s new abilities (most notably the free-aiming Vampire Killer) coupled with all the other additions make progression simpler than any of its NES big brothers (a point of contention for some) and this title the new ideal starting point for rookies to the series.

Critiques are as sparse as the skin on a bone chukker but I’ll do my best to be objective. While the previous mention of the game’s accessibility does indeed increase its stretch within the virtual community, there are many that feel this actually handicaps Castlevania’s standard of “only the strong survive” broadening too much the level with which one would typically need to conquer Dracula and his brood of scary creeps. While I understand the perspective of those that plant their flag on this infertile soil having bled my through all 3 NES versions as a kid myself, the truth is I embrace the “evolved” gameplay here wholeheartedly as I’m too entranced by fun factor to ever notice (or care) which is, once again, what video games are ALL about! As far as I’m concerned, Super Castlevania IV is one of the greatest ever re-imaginings in video game history and a true bar-setter in the showcase of how to properly ingratiate incumbent and brand-new fans alike. I guess Super Power is where is it’s at!



The Indigo Gamer Says
“Coming soon from unnecessary crossover land… Super WrestleVania starring Macho Simon Candle Savage and The Ultimate Count!”



Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…

E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com

Follow The ‘Tude Dude
GameFAQsMoby GamesRetroAchievements
FacebookInstagramPinterestX

The 'Tude Dude
-Pushing Reviews to the EDGE!

Published by Rad Writing

2019-2020 NFL Season Review

Scroll below and enjoy
The 'Tude Dude
presents a
Shut Up And JAM! Sports Section Article
2019-2020
NFL
Season Review


Regular Season Retrospective

With shocking retirements , superstar training camp holdouts and Antonio Brown doing whatever the hell he was doing , the 2019/20 NFL off-season was full of a usual trove of tabloid-worthy headlines as the regular season approached. Is it time to start cuing up the band for Tom Brady’s swan song ? How will Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the high-octane Kansas City Chiefs respond after their bitter defeat to New England in the AFC Championship game ? Are the supremely talented Los Angeles Rams the next victims of a Super Bowl runner-up hangover ? These questions (and many more) were sure to be answered in the coming months of the NFL’s 2019/20 regular season.

Obviously, we couldn’t expect to get firm results to these queries after only a couple of weeks of football action but we did get to see Cam Newton “show off” his fashion chops by looking like a complete dork at pressers early in the year (which, consequently, turned out to be his biggest highlight of 2019/20). Other standout early-season stories include the controversial new addition of being able to review pass interference penalties (ratified in large part due to the terrible no-call during the Rams/Saints NFC Championship game the previous year) as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers looking completely unrecognizable after quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury essentially leaving the proud franchise devoid of any real Super Bowl aspirations for the first time in like forever. Meanwhile, hot starts for former 90’s NFC powerhouses Dallas, Green Bay and San Francisco inspired hope for their ravenous fanbases for a return to the glory days while over on the AFC side, the defending champion New England Patriots displayed their usual annoying dominance by “somehow” signing the insane…ly talented Antonio Brown (after his extremely bizarre training camp and subsequent release from Oakland) and running roughshod on everyone in their path right on cue. Oh yeah… *NEWS FLASH*- the Cleveland Browns suck… AGAIN ! The NFL’s resident punching bag somehow managed to be among the league’s worst team’s despite a promising offseason that saw them acquire the mercurial Odell Beckham jr. to pair with former #1 overall pick quarterback Baker Mayfield , further proving that their team name is more associated with excrement for us naive modern day fans than it is with anything great.

As the season continued, quarterback Lamar Jackson emerged into a bonafide superstar showcasing a scary dual-threat ability of shifty running and pinpoint passing which helped lead Baltimore to the upper-echelon of the AFC and himself to the top of the MVP race. Another Super Bowl contender, the New Orleans Saints , survived an early season injury to team-leader Drew Brees  by providing a new MVP threat to their impressive repertoire, wide receiver Mike Thomas who destroyed defenses routinely with excellent hands and an athletic burst reminiscent of Randy Moss. The San Francisco 49ers surprised everyone by being the NFL’s last unbeaten team led by Jimmy Garoppolo and a punishing defense though many pundits remained skeptical about their long-term chances. Oh yeah… Sam Darnold got mono and was forced to miss several weeks which was both hilarious and sad (a perfect way to describe the Jets season… or many of their seasons quite frankly). Also, blanket-corner Jalen Ramsey  was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for 3 draft picks (2 1st rounders and a 4th rounder) in a last-ditch effort to turn their season around after a disappointing start.

The Cleveland Browns reared themselves back into the headlines again after defeating the Steelers on Thursday Night Football in week 11 which would have been news enough in itself (pop those champagne corks Cleveland… you won a game!), however freak defensive end Myles Garrett ensured that the dawg pound stayed out in the cold by disqualifying himself for the rest of the season for bashing quarterback Mason Rudolph on the head with his own helmet during a scuffle in garbage time (never seen anything like that before). Speaking of cold… let’s all point and laugh at this season’s biggest loser- the Cincinnati Bengals who might not even be able to hang with the Ohio St. Buckeyes in their own state at this point and appear to be hibernating themselves for the #1 pick in next years draft (which will most likely turn into Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow out of LSU). The Patriots finally started to show signs of vulnerability during the second half of the season after releasing Antonio Brown (amid brand new off-the-field stuff… yay!) showcasing a shoddy offense that struggled to gain yards and move the ball next to a stout defense which kept them in every contest. Then, one of New England’s video producers got in trouble for, once again filming an opponents sideline (those aforementioned Bengals as it turned out) in an inappropriate manner claiming that it was for a completely unrelated project… sure. The Raiders looked promising at times throughout the year and awful at other’s prompting Jon Gruden’s facial expression to stay in “permanent scowl” mode while adding new wrinkles to his already cavernous forehead

As the season pressed into its final weeks, most teams jockeyed for postseason position and divisional supremacy in their usual aggressive manner except for the NFC EAST which decided to forego tradition and send a playoff representative that “sucked the least” (the Philadelphia Eagles as it turned out). Those same skeptics who questioned the 49ers legitimacy as a true contender sealed their lips after they defeated the New Orleans Saints 48-46 in what could be considered the “game of the season”. Jameis Winston set a new single-season record for interceptions (30) which certainly had Bucs fans wanting him to walk the plank for a new option at quarterback. Running back Marshawn Lynch returned to the Seahawks in week 17 to help with their Super Bowl dreams after a devastating duo of injuries to Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise however it wasn’t enough to overcome San Francisco in an epic regular-season finale as they literally fell just inches short on the last play of the game which put the final touches on the playoff positioning. To the postseason… 


Favorite Team Spotlight

A season that started off with so much promise ended promptly and painfully with yet another 8-8 finish which seems to be par for the course nowadays for this once stalwart franchise. To start with, Cowboys fans were filled to the brim with hope during the offseason after Jerry Jones opened up the vault to re-sign several key players (including defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence , linebacker Jaylon Smith  and running back Ezekiel Elliott ) as well as convince their greatest ever tight end, Jason Witten  to give up his cushy announcing gig for another shot at Super Bowl glory after a one-year hiatus. Combining all of these factors with the Cowboys recent success was enough for many of us to see the Vince Lombardi trophy in our future and those sentiments felt somewhat confirmed after the team’s 3-0 start to the year. Not to mention, quarterback Dak Prescott  looked like a real MVP candidate while wide receiver Michael Gallup  emerged into a true threat to pair with Amari Cooper giving Dallas a star-powered offense in every facet. All signs were certainly pointed in the right direction and if the season had ended there, then perhaps our dreams may have come true but unfortunately we still had a ton of wiggle room to shoot ourselves in the foot like we usually do.

3 consecutive losses after our 3-0 start brought us right back down to our usual place among the mediocre as the Cowboys struggled to string together any kind of consistency for the rest of the year… save for Jason Garrett’s persistent clapping that is . Even superstition was allowed to creep in as a literal black cat interrupted a Monday Night Football game between Dallas and the New York Giants which seemed to sort of “set the tone” for the rest of the season as they went on to lose 4 of their next 5 games. Lucky enough for them however, the rest of the clumsy NFC EAST teams hadn’t taken advantage of the Cowboys blunders which somehow still kept them at the top of the division right into the final weeks of the season. Still, my Super Bowl hope for this talented team had truly been deflated earlier in the year (can’t get over losing to the Jets!) so I wouldn’t have had much enthusiasm had we even made the playoffs… which we didn’t. A crucial loss to divisional nemesis Philadelphia in week 16 essentially put the final nail in the coffin on a completely forgettable season which had (coincidentally enough) started out as promising as any other that I can remember in a long time. Oh well, at least at this point I don’t think I could possibly be any more numb when it comes to the prospects of the Cowboys as I’ve literally experienced it all in my tenure as a fan though it would be kind of nice if they decided to actually shock me and do something good for a change (…like that’s going to happen)!


Regular Season Standings

                  AFC EAST        

#1

New England Patriots
W/L/T: 12-4-0
Home: 6-2 Away: 6-2 

#2

Buffalo Bills
W/L/T: 10-6-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 6-2

#3

New York Jets
W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 2-6

#4

Miami Dolphins
 W/L/T: 5-11-0
Home: 3-5 Away: 2-6

AFC WEST

#1

Kansas City Chiefs
W/L/T: 12-4-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 7-1

#2


W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 2-6

#3

Las Vegas Raiders
W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 2-6

#4

Los Angeles Chargers
W/L/T: 5-11-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 3-5

AFC NORTH

#1

Baltimore Ravens
W/L/T: 14-2-0
Home: 7-1 Away: 7-1

#2

Pittsburgh Steelers
W/L/T: 8-8-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 3-5

#3

Cleveland Browns
W/L/T: 6-10-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 2-6

#4

Cincinnati Bengals
W/L/T: 2-14-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 0-8

AFC SOUTH

#1

Houston Texans
W/L: 10-6-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 5-3

#2

Tennessee Titans
W/L/T: 9-7-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 5-3

#3

Indianapolis Colts
W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 2-6

#4

Jacksonville Jaguars
W/L/T: 6-10-0
Home: 3-5 Away: 3-5

NFC EAST

#1

Philadelphia Eagles
W/L/T: 9-7-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 4-4

#2

Dallas Cowboys
W/L/T: 8-8-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 3-5

#3

New York Giants
W/L/T: 4-12-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 2-6

#4

Washington Football Team
W/L/T: 3-13-0
Home: 1-7 Away: 2-6

NFC WEST

#1

San Francisco 49ers
W/L/T: 13-3-0
Home: 6-2 Away: 7-1

#2

Seattle Seahawks
W/L/T: 11-5-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 7-1

#3

Los Angeles Rams
W/L/T: 9-7-0
Home: 5-3 Away: 4-4

#4

Arizona Cardinals
W/L/T: 5-10-1
Home: 2-5 Away: 3-5

NFCNORTH

#1

Green Bay Packers
W/L/T: 13-3-0
Home: 7-1 Away: 6-2

#2

Minnesota Vikings
W/L/T: 10-6-0
Home: 6-2 Away: 4-4

#3

Chicago Bears
W/L/T: 8-8-0
Home: 4-4 Away: 4-4

#4

Detroit Lions
W/L/T: 3-12-1
Home: 2-6 Away: 1-6

NFC SOUTH

#1

New Orleans Saints

W/L/T: 13-3-0
Home: 6-2 Away: 7-1

#2

Atlanta Falcons
W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 3-5 Away: 4-4

#3

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
W/L/T: 7-9-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 5-3

#4

Carolina Panthers
W/L/T: 5-11-0
Home: 2-6 Away: 3-5


Notable League Leaders

QB Rating

Ryan Tannehill
Tennessee Titans
116.5
(TD: 20 INT: 6)

Yards Rushing

Nick Chubb
Cleveland Browns
1453
 
(5.1 avg.)

Yards Receiving

Mike Thomas
New Orleans Saints
1725

(149 rec.)

Sacks

Chandler Jones
Arizona Cardinals
19.0

(51 tkl.)

Interceptions

Stephon Gilmore
New England Patriots
6

(pd 20)

Anthony Harris
Minnesota Vikings
6

(pd 11)

Tre’Davious White
Buffalo Bills
6

(pd 17)


Award Winners

MVP


Lamar Jackson
(QB)
Baltimore Ravens
113.3
QB rating
3127
passing yds.
1206 rushing yds.
43 TD’s (pass: 36 run: 7)

Offensive Player Of The Year


Mike Thomas
(WR)
New Orleans Saints
1725 receiving yds.
149 receptions
9 TD’s

Defensive Player Of The Year


Stephon Gilmore
(CB)
New England Patriots
6 interceptions
20 passes defended
2 defensive TD’s

Offensive Rookie Of The Year


Kyler Murray
(QB)
Arizona Cardinals
87.4 QB rating
3722 passing yds.
544 rushing yds.
24 TD’s (pass: 20 run: 4)

Defensive Rookie Of The Year


Nick Bosa
(DE)
San Francisco 49ers
47
tackles
9 sacks
1 forced fumble
2 fumble recoveries
1 interception


Playoff Results

AFC Wildcard

vs.
#5 Buffalo Bills @ #4 Houston Texans
BUF: 19 HOU: 22 (ot.)

AFC Wildcard

vs.
#6 Tennessee Titans
@ #3 New England Patriots
TEN:
20 NE: 13

NFC Wildcard

vs.
#5 Seattle Seahawks @ #Philadelphia Eagles
SEA:
17 PHI: 9

NFC Wildcard

vs.
#6 Minnesota Vikings @ #3 New Orleans Saints
MIN:
26 NO: 20 (ot.)

 

AFC Divisional Round

vs.
#4 Houston Texans @ #2 Kansas City Chiefs
HOU:
31 KC: 51

AFC Divisional Round

vs.
#6 Tennessee Titans @ #1 Baltimore Ravens
TEN:
28 BAL: 12

NFC Divisional Round

vs.
#5 Seattle Seahawks @ #2 Green Bay Packers
SEA:
23 GB: 28

NFC Divisional Round

vs.
#6 Minnesota Vikings @ #1 San Francisco 49ers
MIN:
10 SF: 27

AFC Championship

vs.
#6 Tennessee Titans @ #2 Kansas City Chiefs
TEN:
24 KC: 35

NFC Championship
vs.
#2 Green Bay Packers @ #1 San Francisco 49ers
GB:
20 SF: 37

 


Super Bowl LIV (54)
Hard Rock Stadium
Miami Gardens, FL
AFC Champion 
      NFC Champion
vs.
Kansas City Cheifs
@ San Francisco 49ers
KC:
 31 SF: 20

 

Super Bowl Champions


Kansas City Chiefs

Super Bowl LIV MVP


Patrick Mahomes (QB)
Kansas City Chiefs
286 passing yds.
29 rushing yds.
3 TD’s (pass: 2 run: 1)


Playoff  Retrospective

With Super Bowl LIV now in the rear-view mirror, the Kansas City Chiefs stand tall as the new champions of the NFL after a playoff run fraught with comeback wins at every turn. Led by perhaps the leagues next great superstar, quarterback Patrick Mahomes , Kansas City finally ended the 50-year drought of disappointment that had befallen the franchise while simultaneously catapulting head coach Andy Reid into the pantheon of greatness after receiving his first ever Lombardi Trophy following a long career of “almost/not-quite” seasons. Meanwhile, a young and up-and-coming San Francisco 49ers squad will need to go back to the drawing board after a tough loss in the “big game” following a dream season which nobody would have predicted. Leading Kansas City by 10 points in the second half of the Super Bowl, San Francisco appeared poised enough to finish the job and usher in a new era of franchise greatness until a stunning Chiefs rally shell-shocked the ‘Niners and gave Kyle Shanahan critics (if their is any I suppose) a point of emphasis by drawing a parallel to his previous stint as offensive coordinator in Atlanta (when they famously blew a 28-3 lead to Tom Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl LI). Besides the final two teams though, there was plenty of intrigue across the NFL postseason landscape to keep things interesting throughout.

Derrick “King” Henry emerged into arguably the best running back in the league after a series of dominating playoff performances that helped his Tennessee Titans gain 2 consecutive very impressive victories over the almost-always defending champion New England Patriots and the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens who boasted a league-best 14-2 regular season win/loss record. The 10-6 Minnesota Vikings sent the 13-3 New Orleans Saints went home early in the wildcard round after an impressive resurgence in overtime that was no doubt unexpected from most football pundits. The Houston Texans played their usual bit of “talented-underachiever” after a great comeback win over the Buffalo Bills  in the wildcard round was paired with a bitter 51-31 defeat to the eventual-champion Chiefs in the divisional. While the Green Bay Packers certainly would have loved to make it even further than they did, there can be no denying that head coach Matt LaFleur had a successful start to his career with a conference championship appearance now under his resume. Tune in next NFL season for another re-cap of events!


Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…

E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com

Follow The ‘Tude Dude
GameFAQsMoby GamesRetroAchievements
FacebookInstagramPinterestX

The 'Tude Dude
-Pushing Reviews to the EDGE!

Published by Rad Writing

Full-Season Playthrough – Tecmo Super Bowl (NES)

Scroll below and enjoy
The 'Tude Dude
presents a
Full-Season Playthrough
Tecmo Super Bowl


Description

Tecmo Super Bowl is a side-scrolling football game for the Nintendo Entertainment System featuring the (generous for the time) team and player license from the comprehensively deep National Football League (NFL). All team colors and designs are accurately portrayed (as well as can be for the time) while rosters reflect the real players from the 1990-91 season featuring superstars such as Dan Marino, Bo Jackson, Jerry Rice and Lawrence Taylor. A season mode based on the 1991-92 schedule is available allowing for manipulation of all of the 28 teams and thus, as much or as little direct impact on the outcome of the games being played each week either through direct control of the contest’s yourself or letting the cpu simulate the results for you all the way to the championship. On top of this, an impressive array of compiled statistics accompanies the season mode (rare for the 8-bit era) which increases the value and context of the game and helps to paint the full picture of the experience overall. While many storylines are sure to surface throughout the season, the ultimate agenda for all the teams involved is to conquer everyone in their path en route to the game’s namesake, the Super Bowl where glory is etched in stone for all eternity with a win in the championship round. Who will be left standing at the end of the season to reign supreme over the NFL?


Parameters

Only 1 game a week will be played by The ‘Tude Dude while the rest will be simulated with unobstructed results. The same team cannot be controlled in consecutive weeks (excluding playoffs). Every playoff game will be played by The ‘Tude Dude until a champion is crowned. All other settings/rosters will be left on default.


 Beginning Of The Season

The Story So Far…

With the Tecmo Super Bowl season on the cusp of getting underway, the NFL landscape begins to take shape as teams clamor for the championship spot currently occupied by the New York Giants. Led by all-world linebacker Lawrence Taylor, the Giants defense remains among the best in the league and should have them back in the playoffs with a shot at repeating by themselves thanks in large part to the most ferocious pass rush in the NFL. Luckily for the defending champs, quarterback Phil Simms and running back Ottis Anderson pace the offense nicely giving their defensive monsters plenty of time to rest up in between series while also scoring effectively themselves which helps to complete the championship puzzle for them. Standing in the way of their dreams of back-to-back titles however, will be a hungry and competitive league full of talented teams chomping at the bit for their crown which is where the real fun begins.

One of the teams itching to knock New York off of its mountaintop is last season’s Super Bowl runner-up, the Buffalo Bills. Perhaps the most well-rounded team in the entire league, Buffalo boasts an impressive roster led by all-pro studs on both sides of the ball such as quarterback Jim Kelly, defensive end Bruce Smith, running back Thurman Thomas, linebacker Cornelius Bennett and wide receiver Andre Reed just to name a few. Even though last season’s championship loss was a painful one, Buffalo looks to be fit for a rebound quickly with an overabundance of talent that has them viewed as the envy of the league.

Besides the two incumbents from last season’s championship game, other contenders to the throne include the San Francisco 49ers with their unrivaled passing attack led by quarterback Joe Montana and wide receiver Jerry Rice, the Pittsburgh Steelers with their typically stout defense anchored by cornerback Rod Woodson and linebacker Greg Lloyd and a bevy of others eager to cement their status into the lore of Tecmo Super Bowl history forever. Of course, even though some teams may be ranked higher than others in the projections department, there’s sure to be some Cinderella stories that shake things up and come out of nowhere to drastically alter the destiny of the league. Who will be left standing when the dust settles to claim the ultimate Tecmo prize? Welcome to the Tecmo Super Bowl season!


Beginning Of The Season Projections

AFC EAST
Projected WinnerBuffalo Bills 
Dan Marino and the Dolphins should keep the pressure on the Bills in the east but Buffalo is clearly the class of the division if not the entire conference. 

AFC CENTRAL
Projected WinnerHouston Oilers
Houston has the early edge on their division counterparts based on an incredibly talented roster led by quarterback Warren Moon but don’t be shocked if any of the other 3 teams (Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers) find themselves battling with the Oilers for supremacy at season’s end.

AFC WEST
Projected WinnerLos Angeles Raiders
Kansas City
appears poised to challenge the Raiders for AFC WEST dominance but Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen lead the league’s most dangerous rushing attack positioning them for the clearest path to a division title.

NFC EAST
Projected WinnerNew York Giants
The defending champions feature the most intimidating defense in the NFL which has them as the early favorites however the quality of talent in every other team in the NFC EAST has this as the toughest and hardest to predict division in the entire league.

NFC CENTRAL
Projected WinnerChicago Bears
Maintaining their typically stout defense, Chicago ranks in as the preseason favorites to win the NFC CENTRAL but look for plenty of competition from Detroit and Minnesota led by their superstar rushers Barry Sanders and Herschel Walker.

NFC WEST
Projected WinnerSan Francisco 49ers
Standing as far apart from their division rivals as the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco appears to be the safest pick in the league to win their grouping led by MVP candidates quarterback Joe Montana and wide receiver Jerry Rice.

 

Projected Championship Outcome

                                                   

    vs.
San Francisco 49ers over Buffalo Bills
With the plethora of talent that can be found in both of these squads, there’s no doubt that this game would be a true pick ’em. Buffalo displays depth in every aspect but San Francisco has arguably the most impressive passing game in the history of the league. I see the 49ers winning but just by a thread.

Projected MVP


Jerry Rice (WR)
San Francisco 49ers
Plenty of teams have rushing threats but no one can boast the dangerous aerial assault that the 49ers can and it’s all made possible by this route dynamo who separates better than anyone else.

Beginning Of The Season Power Rankings

#1New York Giants
Defending champs have all the ingredients needed to repeat- rock solid quarterback, relentless defense and a winining pedigree.
#2Buffalo Bills
Last season’s Super Bowl runner-ups have star-studded roster hungry to make it back to the “big game”.
#3San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco boasts the most lethal passing attack in Tecmo Super Bowl to go along with an impressive defense virtually guaranteeing them a spot among the elite barring something majorly drastic.
#4Houston Oilers
Led by all-world QB Warren Moon on offense and blanket cover-man CB Richard Johnson on defense, Houston looks to break through this year with as talented a roster that there is among the Tecmo Super Bowl landscape.
#5Miami Dolphins
With arguably the best passing attack in Tecmo Super Bowl (anchored by superstar QB Dan Marino), Miami appears poised for a deep postseason push.
#6Los Angeles Raiders
Combining a stiff run defense with the league’s most lethal combination of running backs (Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen), the Los Angeles Raiders should be a force as their command of the line of scrimmage looks to be as tough as anyone’s in Tecmo Super Bowl.
#7Washington Redskins
With a deep roster anchored by perhaps the best offensive lines ever assembled, the Washington Redskins have the talent and the savvy to hang with any team across the Tecmo Super Bowl landscape.
#8Chicago Bears
The always imposing Chicago Bears boast one of the league’s most-feared defenses to go along with a talented running game on the rise.
#9Philadelphia Eagles
Cornerstoned by maybe the single greatest offensive player in NFL history (QB Randall Cunningham), the Philadelphia Eagles scare a lot of opponents who struggle to gameplan against the dual-threat quarterback.
#10Detroit Lions 
With stud RB Barry Sanders entering into the upper echelon of his position, Detroit looks to take the league by storm as they impose their fierce ground game on every opponent they face.

Middle Of The Season

The Story So Far…

After 8 weeks of exciting Tecmo NFL football, the canvas of the league is beginning to take shape as teams jockey for position with each passing regular season game. While many of the preseason favorites find themselves with respectable records at the midway point (such as the 5-2 New York Giants, 5-2 San Francisco 49ers and 5-3 Buffalo Bills), the biggest story thus far surrounds the 2 teams at the top of each conference, the NFC leading 6-1 Dallas Cowboys and the AFC leading 6-2 San Diego Chargers, who have seemingly defied football experts of all varieties this season by continuing to beat teams who are supposedly better than them. Will their hot streaks continue or will the other squads catch up to them before the playoffs begin? We’ll find out during the second half of the Tecmo regular season! 

Looking at the NFC side, Dallas has impressed all year with the leagues top defense allowing the fewest points so far (1o9) while also being #1 in both passing and rushing yards against despite an obvious lack of star talent on that side of the ball. While they’ve certainly overachieved up to this point, most experts agree that they’re still a year or 2 away from true contention until their young offensive guys get their wings underneath them fully. Meanwhile, the stiffness of their own division (containing the aforementioned 5-2 Giants and 4-3 Washington Redskins) coupled with the ever-present San Francisco 49er threat in the conference (5-2 1st place in the NFC WEST) makes the likelihood of a deep playoff run slim at best… stay tuned. As for the central, the Green Bay Packers currently sit atop the division at 4-3 led by the impressive aerial combination of quarterback Don “the Magic Man” Majkowski and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe however much like Dallas, the rest of the teams in their own division (Detroit 3-4, Chicago 3-4, Minnesota 3-5), let alone the conference, provide a daunting partition between them and the Super Bowl. There can be no denying the 49ers place among the top of the NFC WEST as they appear to be every bit the juggernaut that was advertised in the preseason, however keep an eye on the 4-3 New Orleans Saints who continue to nip at their heels led by an impressive young defense with high hopes for a playoff berth.

Turning things over to the AFC, San Diego has marched its way to the top of the conference thanks in large part to the league’s top rusher Marion Butts (873 yards on 84 attempts) who has dazzled all season and looks to propel the Chargers into the playoff scene. The Los Angeles Raiders (5-3) sit just below them in the division however they’ve got to find a way to keep superstar runner Bo Jackson healthy as they become a very stagnant offense without him which has already cost them in the L column. Buffalo hasn’t run roughshod on the conference like many of the experts predicted (…yet) at 5-3, however defensive end Bruce Smith sure has as he dominates the sack totals with a whopping 20 so far (a full 7 ahead of 2nd place Derrick Thomas of the Kansas City Chiefs) making them virtually impossible to throw against. The Miami Dolphins have indeed kept pace with the Bills in the east at 5-3 with quarterback Dan Marino anchoring a top-10 passing game keeping them on the Super Bowl radar. Meanwhile, Houston can make a case for having an even better passing attack than San Francisco with MVP candidate quarterback Warren Moon tossing it all over the field to 4 stud wide receivers (Drew Hill, Ernest Givens, Haywood Jeffries and Curtis Duncan) which sees them sitting as the #1 rated passing team in the league currently, however a disappointing 4-3 record has them in a dead heat with division obstacles Pittsburgh and Cincinnati which makes their inclusion in the postseason far from a sure thing.


Middle Of The Season Power Rankings

#1

Dallas Cowboys
With the best record in the regular season at midway point (6-1), the ‘Boys headline the midseason power rankings thanks in large part to a surprising defense which has stuffed everyone they’ve faced so far.
#2

San Francisco 49ers
Edged out of the first slot by the slightest of margins, San Francisco appears poised to dominate the second half of the season as both their offense and defense rank in the top #5 of the NFL.
#3

San Diego Chargers
Led by the current rushing leader of the league (RB Marion Butts), San Diego sits atop the AFC at 6-2 but a tough down-the-stretch schedule will test their mettle as the playoffs approach.
#4

New York Giants
Although they lost a bruising head-to-head clash with division rival Dallas that has them licking their chops, the New York Giants stand tall as one of the best teams in the league at the midway point (5-2) thanks to their ever-present pass-rushing ferocity led by LB Lawrence Taylor.
#5

Buffalo Bills
Despite some early-season letdowns, Buffalo stands apart in their conference with superior individual talent across-the-board most notably DE Bruce Smith and RB Thurman Thomas who keep them in every single contest no matter the adversary.
#6

Miami Dolphins
With a tougher-than-expected defense to pair with their top-flight passing attack, Miami looks to be a problem for anyone they come across including division-nemesis Buffalo who they’ve kept pace with admirably up to this point in the season.
#7

Los Angeles Raiders
While some nagging injuries to superstar RB Bo Jackson have certainly cost them in the standings, the Raiders showcase a willpower that seems to keep them in every battle they’re in thanks to their commitment to grinding the ground game despite #34’s availability.
#8

Washington Redskins
Though they find themselves smack-dab in the middle of the deepest division in football at the halfway mark (4-3 – 3rd in the NFC EAST), Washington should be able to punch their way into the postseason thanks to a stellar roster with veteran experience in all facets.
#9

Houston Oilers
Certainly further down this list than they should be, the uber-talented Houston Oilers will look to “hit the motherload” in the latter parts of the season as they combine a supreme quick-strike passing ability with a fierce pass-rush to separate themselves from their AFC CENTRAL rivals.
#10

Denver Broncos
With superstar QB John Elway commanding the huddle and a defense that holds opponents to low scores, Denver looks like they could be a real threat in a division chalked full of good teams (AFC WEST).

Middle Of The Season MVP Race

#1Warren Moon (QB)
Houston Oilers
2082 passing yds. 24 TD’s (pass: 22 run: 2)
#2

Jerry Rice (WR)
San Francisco 49ers
997 receiving yds. 11 TD’s
#3Marion Butts (RB)
San Diego Chargers
873 rushing yds.

228 receiving yds. 9 TD’s (run: 8 rec: 1)
#4Bruce Smith (DE)
Buffalo Bills
20 sacks
#5

Joe Montana (QB)
San Francisco 49ers
1576 passing yds. 18 TD’s

End Of The Season

The Story So Far…

With the final whistle being blown at the conclusion of week 17, we now can see the completed canvas of the regular season and how the playoffs stack up as teams clamor for a shot at the coveted Tecmo Super Bowl championship. Will preseason favorites San Francisco and Buffalo utilize their home-field advantages for an eventual collision course in the championship round? Which NFC EAST team (between Dallas, Washington and New York) will emerge from the gauntlet to make it the farthest this year? Can the Houston Oilers silence their critics and reach their championship potential or are they destined to fall short as they have in previous seasons? Is their a Cinderella team waiting to defy logic and go on an underdog run for the ages? The conclusive contests of the Tecmo Super Bowl playoffs will decide with absolute certainty the fate for every team involved and complete the story for this illustrious NES football title.

Starting off in the NFCSan Francisco ran away with the best record (12-4) thanks in large part to an all-world offense (led by studs QB Joe Montana and WR Jerry Rice) and stifling defense both ranked in the top-5 of the entire NFL. Armed with a first-round bye, home-field advantage throughout and a ravenous hunger for continued dynastic success, the 49ers clock in as the easy front-runners to make it all the way representing the National Conference. The upstart Dallas Cowboys predictably struggled with consistency in the second half of the season after their impressive start (finishing 4-5 after starting 6-1), however their 10-6 record (combined with in-conference wins) was good enough to see them lock up the other first round bye which has them under the microscope by critics to see just how good these ‘boys can really be. In the wildcard round, surprise NFC CENTRAL champion Green Bay (9-7) led by all-pro wide receiver Sterling Sharpe hosts the equally surprising New Orleans Saints (also 9-7) who boast an impressive young defense which should be an interesting match-up. The other wildcard game pits familiar division rivals against each other as the defending champion New York Giants (10-6) host the Joe Gibbs-led Washington Redskins (also 10-6) in an epic opening round contest which will cetainly see the loser feeling like they went home way to early this year.

Meanwhile in the AFC, the Buffalo Bills turned on the afterburners in the second half of the season finishing 7-1 (12-4 overall), cementing for them the highly-sought-after #1 seed in their conference which puts the road to the Super Bowl square through the frigid football region of upstate New York. Led by the #1 rated offense in the league and quarterback terror Bruce Smith on defense, Buffalo lived up to its preseason hype after falling short in the big game last year and appears every bit the juggernaut counterpart in the American Conference to the San Francisco 49ers on the other side. The Houston Oilers (11-5) secured the remaining first-round bye in the AFC bracket after a near-impressive-to-Buffalo second half of the season (finishing 7-2 after starting 4-3) and appear to be as tough an obstacle as any other team in their conference led by MVP candidate quarterback Warren Moon and the deepest wide receiver corps in the NFL. The Los Angeles Raiders (10-6) anchored by the most lethally dynamic running-back tandem in the NFL (Bo Jackson & Marcus Allen) squeezed out the competitive AFC WEST setting up a wild card showdown in front of the Black Hole with the always tough Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) who snuck into the postseason in week 17 after the San Diego Chargers (9-7) continued their “thunderstruck” second half finishing 3-5 after a lightning fast 6-2 start. The final remaining wildcard contest has the potential to be a true barn-burner as star-studded quarterbacks, Dan Marino and John Elway, lead their respective franchises (the 11-5 Miami Dolphins and 10-6 Denver Broncos) in what could be the best game of the opening round.


End Of The Season Standings

 

AFC EAST
Team W/L/T
Buffalo Bills 12-4-0
Miami Dolphins 11-5-0
New York Jets 8-8-0
Indianapolis Colts 7-9-0
New England Patriots 4-12-0
AFC CENTRAL
Team W/L/T

Houston Oilers
11-5-0

Pittsburgh Steelers
9-7-0

Cincinnati Bengals
8-8-0

Cleveland Browns
4-12-0
AFC WEST
Team W/L/T

Los Angeles Raiders
10-6-0

Denver Broncos
10-6-0

San Diego Chargers
9-7-0

Kansas City Chiefs
8-8-0

Seattle Seahawks
6-10-0
NFC EAST
Team W/L/T

Dallas Cowboys
10-6-0

New York Giants
10-6-0

Washington Redskins
10-6-0

Philadelphia Eagles
6-10-0

Phoenix Cardinals
4-12-0
NFC CENTRAL
Team W/L/T

Green Bay Packers
9-7-0

Detroit Lions
7-9-0

Minnesota Vikings
7-9-0

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
7-9-0

Chicago Bears
6-10-0
NFC WEST
Team W/L/T

San Francisco 49ers
12-4-0

New Orleans Saints
9-7-0

Los Angeles Rams
6-10-0

Atlanta Falcons
4-12-0

End Of The Season Power Rankings

#1

San Francisco 49ers
With perhaps the best-ever quarterback/wide receiver combo that this league has ever seen (Joe Montana and Jerry Rice) mixed with a top #10 defense that hits as hard as anyone, San Francisco charges head-first into the postseason as the #1 favorite to take home the championship this year.
#2

Buffalo Bills
Led by the most well-rounded offense in the game combined with the league’s top pass rusher this season (DE Bruce Smith), Buffalo looks to be a “team of destiny” as they march into the postseason with home-field advantage in the AFC.
#3

Houston Oilers
Going on an impressive 7-2 run in the second half of the season, Houston showcases a scary threat of big-chunk passing and stifling defense which has them positioned for a deep-playoff push.
#4

Miami Dolphins
No doubt a contender this year led by one of the league’s best quarterbacks (Dan Marino), Miami should provide a true challenge to the crown no matter who lines up against them on the other side of the field.
#5

Dallas Cowboys
Though their mediocre 4-5 record in the second half of the season seemed to bring the promising young franchise “back to Earth” after their blazing 6-1 start, Dallas was still lucky enough to secure a bye week for the 1st round guaranteeing an intriguing finish to an exciting year.
#6

New York Giants
Unable to secure a division title after a disappointing second-half stretch (finishing 5-4 after starting 5-2), New York still appears fully equipped to defend their title proudly as they look to be one of San Francisco’s biggest obstacles in the NFC.

#7

Los Angeles Raiders
With a running game capable of destroying everything in their path and a defense that stands firm regardless of the situation, the Los Angeles Raiders go into these playoffs with a chip on their shoulders eager to prove that they’re as capable as any team at hoisting the trophy at postseason’s end.

#8

Denver Broncos
Anchored by the gun-slingin’ John Elway, Denver strikes fear in their opponents by never being out of games especially in the final minutes when they appear to be their most dangerous.
#9

Washington Redskins
Playing their way into a 3-way tie record-wise with their brash NFC EAST contemporaries, Washington looks to be as tough-an-out as anyone in the conference with a deep offense led by the multi-faceted RB Earnest Byner.
#10

New Orleans Saints
With a beastly young defense full of hungry young stars, the New Orleans Saints present an interesting challenge in the NFC as they bring an element of absolute unpredictability to these already convoluted playoff scenarios.

End Of The Season League Leaders

QB Rating

Joe Montana
San Francisco 49ers
182.4 (TD: 42 INT: 14)
Yards Rushing

Barry Sanders
Detroit Lions
1636 (11.1 avg.)
Yards Receiving

Jerry Rice
San Francisco 49ers
2092 (71 rec.)
Sacks

Bruce Smith
Buffalo Bills
33.0
Interceptions

Richard Johnson
Houston Oilers
14 (74 yds.)

End Of The Season MVP Race

#1

Joe Montana (QB)
San Francisco 49ers
3836 passing yds. 42 TD’s
#2

Warren Moon (QB)
Houston Oilers
3920 passing yds. 47 TD’s (pass: 44 run: 3)
#3

Jerry Rice (WR)
San Francisco 49ers
2092 receiving yds. 27 TD’s
#4

Bruce Smith (DE)
Buffalo Bills
33 sacks
#5

Thurman Thomas (RB)
Buffalo Bills
1581 rushing yds.

804 receiving yds. 27 TD’s (run: 22 rec. 5)

End Of The Playoffs

The Story So Far… 

Combining the old world football mantra (run the ball/stop the run) with a newer one all their own (commitment to excellence), the Los Angeles Raiders marched their way to a title after shellacking the Washington Redskins 33-7 in a surprise Super Bowl beatdown that nobody predicted at the beginning of the season. Anchored by an unrivaled running game and powerhouse defense, the “silver and black” never let up their relentless approach as they controlled the clock with expert precision while steadfastly holding off every offensive assault they faced in the postseason, never allowing an opponent to score more than 16 points against them at any point. It wasn’t all easy however as untimely injuries and turnovers played a part in attempting to derail their dreams at different points throughout these playoffs yet the final results portray a true team of destiny hellbent on hoisting up the Tecmo championship. Now that the full scope of the Tecmo Super Bowl postseason has been realized and a champion has been crowned, let’s recap the tournament to better contextualize the story as a whole and see how the heck we got here in the first place!

To start with, the wildcard round was mired in intrigue with 4 great match-ups starting with the aforementioned Los Angeles Raiders (10-6 AFC WEST division champs) hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7 2nd in the AFC CENTRAL) in what turned out to be one of the craziest games of the postseason. Amidst 3 first-half turnovers, L.A. appeared shell-shocked as Pittsburgh opened up the contest with 10 unanswered points while displaying a good game-plan against the usually unstoppable Bo Jackson however the Raiders dug deep in the 2nd half thanks in large part to QB Jay Schroeder who helped to shift the tide for his squad and complete the comeback in overtime, defeating the Steelers 13-10 and sending them packing back to their mills. The other AFC wildcard game was portrayed as an “old west-style gunfight” by the media as stud QB’s Dan Marino (representing the 11-5 2nd in the AFC EAST Miami Dolphins) and John Elway (representing the 10-6 2nd in the AFC WEST Denver Broncos) clashed head-to-head against each other with Marino’s Dolphins coming out on top 21-17 in what turned out to be more of a defensive struggle and less of an offensive shoot-out. Meanwhile over in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers (9-7 NFC CENTRAL division champs) edged out the upstart New Orleans Saints (9-7 2nd in the NFC WEST) 30-24 after a thrilling 60+ yard touchdown pass from Don Majkowski to Sterling Sharpe in overtime which simultaneously erupted Lambeau Field in pure electricity and shut down the Super-Dome faithful. Finally, the always-tough Washington Redskins (10-6 3rd in the NFC EAST) survived the best game of the weekend by defeating the defending champion New York Giants (10-6 2nd in the NFC EAST) in a true “pick-em” 20-17 thanks to the clutch performance of their defense and kicker Chip Lohmiller in overtime which sent “big blue” home way earlier than they had planned and catapulted the ‘Skins right to the top of the NFC food chain.

The divisional round opened up with a huge bombshell as the Los Angeles Raiders upset the AFC favorite Buffalo Bills (12-4 AFC EAST champs) 21-16 thanks in large part to the combined efforts of running backs Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen who effectively kept the ball away from Buffalo’s high-powered offense in what turned into the closest match-up of this bracket. Equally as shocking over in the other divisional round AFC match-up, the Miami Dolphins punched their way to the conference championship quite easily by dominating the Houston Oilers (11-5 AFC CENTRAL champs) to the tune of a 21-0 lead going into halftime (winning 24-14), displaying an awesome pass rush which sacked QB Warren Moon several times to go with their dynamic offense led by all-pro QB Dan Marino. Unfortunately for Miami though, a serious injury to Marino put his availability in question for the upcoming contest against Los Angeles as backup Scott Mitchell looked to take his place and help lead the Dolphins to the Super Bowl (a more-than-tough task indeed). The San Francisco 49ers (12-4 NFC WEST champs) showed some chinks in their armor giving their fans a scare after losing an early lead to the Green Bay Packers, trailing late in the 3rd quarter 23-24, however Joe Montana refused to lose and rallied his squad back with a final score of 33-24 which kept San Fran square in championship pursuit and sent the “cheeseheads” packing. Rounding off the divisional grouping, bitter rivals faced off as the Washington Redskins, led by the best offensive line in football, defeated the Dallas Cowboys (10-6 NFC EAST champs) 24-13 in convincing fashion, keeping their guns holstered and putting their high-hopes on hold for next year.

The AFC championship game turned out to be a blowout as the Miami Dolphins just simply couldn’t keep up with the Los Angeles Raiders (without the services of superstar QB Dan Marino) falling 37-14 in a truncated effort which robbed Dolphins fans of a dream season (and NFL fans of a better contest). Meanwhile, the NFC championship lived up to the hype as the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins exchanged blows like heavyweight boxers until Washington stepped up big in the 2nd half with a crucial interception by CB Darrell Green on the seemingly unflappable Joe Montana, sealing the epic contest with a final score of 42-28 and sending the proud 49ers home with hurt feelings. The stage was now set for the Tecmo Super Bowl as the AFC champion Los Angeles Raiders (led by the hottest defense in the playoffs and arguably the best running back in football) would battle the NFC champion Washington Redskins (led by the “switch-blade” offense of wide receiver Ricky Sanders and running back Earnest Byner to go along with their brutish offensive line known as the “hogs”) in what appeared to be a game full of luster and excitement. Bo Jackson stepped up huge right away, leading his Raiders on a dominant opening-drive to get on the board first 7-0 however an injury on the very next possession (something the Raiders had been plagued with all season) threatened to cripple L.A.’s momentum and give Washington all it needed to become league champions. 

This “threat” to Los Angeles’s title hopes never materialized however as the Raiders defense stuffed Washington at every turn throughout the contest, showcasing absolute dominance as they refused to allow the Redskins to score a single point until garbage time after putting up the biggest total (42) that had been seen in this postseason the previous round (against the tough 49er defense no-less!). Further aiding the “silver and black” was savvy veteran Marcus Allen who filled Bo’s shoes as the feature back admirably (after Jackson’s 1st-half injury) which galvanized his teammates and intimidated the Redskins into doing their best to keep up… which they couldn’t. After 3 quarters, Los Angeles led by a whopping 33-0 and soon, the confetti was raining on their heads as they closed out Washington with a final score of 33-7, scalping the ‘Skins and chiseling their names into the historic slab of Tecmo football lore. “Let’s win it for Bo” was a sentiment that echoed throughout the Raiders locker room at halftime and that’s exactly what they did as they reached the NFL’s “top-floor” quite impressively in what turned out to be the most lopsided contest of these Tecmo Super Bowl playoffs. Congratulations Los Angeles Raiders, you are the NES Tecmo Super Bowl champions!   


End Of The Playoffs Results

AFC Wildcard

#6

Pittsburgh Steelers
#3

Los Angeles Raiders
10 13 (ot.)

AFC Wildcard

#5

Denver Broncos
#4

Miami Dolphins
17 21

NFC Wildcard

#6

New Orleans Saints
#3

Los Angeles Raiders
24 30 (ot.)

NFC Wildcard

#5

Washington Redskins
#4

New York Giants
20 17 (ot.)

AFC Divisional Round

#3

Los Angeles Raiders
#1

Buffalo Bills
21 16

AFC Divisional Round

#4

Miami Dolphins
#2

Houston Oilers
24 14

NFC Divisional Round

#3

Green Bay Packers
#1

San Francisco 49ers
24 33

NFC Divisional Round

#5

Washington Redskins
#2

Dallas Cowboys
24 13

AFC Championship

#4

Miami Dolphins
#3

Los Angeles Raiders
14 37

NFC Championship

#5

Washington Redskins
#1

San Francisco 49ers
42 28

Tecmo Super Bowl Championship

NFC Champion

Washington Redskins
AFC Champion

Los Angeles Raiders
7 33

MVP Award Presentation

Bo Jackson (RB)
Los Angeles Raiders

Despite some nagging injuries which kept him out of multiple contests throughout the season (including the majority of the Super Bowl), Bo’s stellar postseason performance overall coupled with his impressive regular season stats when he did play (1309 rushing yds. 11.5 avg. 15 TD’s) helped to launch his Raiders all the way to the promised land and him past the competition for MVP.
Honorable Mention

Joe Montana (QB)
San Francisco 49ers
Heavily favored to win this award at the onset of the playoffs, Joe Montana ultimately fell inches short to Bo after failing to lead his juggernaut ‘Niners to even an appearance in the championship round.

Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…

E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com

Follow The ‘Tude Dude
GameFAQsMoby GamesRetroAchievements
FacebookInstagramPinterestX

The 'Tude Dude
-Pushing Reviews to the EDGE!

Published by Rad Writing

My Favorite MLB Team – The Los Angeles Dodgers

Scroll below and enjoy
The 'Tude Dude
presents a
Shut Up And JAM! Sports Section Article
My Favorite
MLB Team
The Los Angeles Dodgers


What Dreams May Come

“It’s time for Dodger baseball !” 5 simple words interwoven into the fabric of baseball lore and echoed efficiently throughout the vast airwaves of Southern California by the great Vin Scully marking the start of another L.A. Dodgers game. Instantly, senses are filled with the smell of delicious Dodger Dogs grilling in the warm sun, the sound of baseball bats as they smack balls with their distinctive abruptness and the sight of the most pristine blue and white jerseys in the old pastime . Memories of World Series glory , October heartbreak and all the weird stuff in between . Of Chavez Ravine and its amazing view of the L.A. skyline, home to one of the great old ball fields where legends like Sandy Koufax , Steve Garvey and Tommy Lasorda laid down the foundation to greatness along with a host of others. Yeah, it’s definitely time for Dodger baseball!

To start with, my earliest memory of the L.A. Dodgers was in kindergarten as I watched them jump for joy after defeating the Oakland Athletics in the 1988 World Series . Of course, I wasn’t old enough to articulate the significance of this event but it became sort of a catalyst to how I began viewing the Dodgers– as winners. Around this same time, my first hands-on experiences with the game were being had learning how to catch with my Dad and playing little league with my friends. I didn’t know much of what I was doing in the beginning and that darn ball could really hurt at times but I did know one thing… it was fun and I loved it! Without realizing it initially, I had come down with a bad case of the baseball fever curable only through fielding ground balls, spitting sunflower seeds and dirtying every single pair of worthwhile pants that I owned (…sorry Mom). Baseball was life.

As I continued to play and adjust to the physical tendencies of the game, the desire to learn and incorporate new skills began to develop so that I could be even better the next time I stepped on the diamond with my contemporaries. “Let’s watch the big boys play in the majors” my parents would say as we huddled around the television as a family “see if we can pick up anything from them”. What fun I had as for the first time, I observed professional baseball players who hit, ran and threw way harder than anything I had ever seen in the little leagues. Whether it was stone-faced pitchers throwing crazy 100 mph fastballs, defensive players snatching unbelievably difficult ground-balls with the speed of a mongoose or hip-jiving offensive sluggers who could send the ball to the moon with one swing, these dudes were freakin’ amazing and I knew I wanted to be like them! “So that’s what they meant by majors.”

One of the very first guys that stood out prominently to me as a kid was the great Orel Hershiser , ace pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. While smaller in stature than many of the other guys on the field, Orel played with a fervent and demonstrative passion that made him seem like he was as big (or bigger) than any of the other guys he was playing against and I absolutely LOVED it! This sort of ‘tudey approach not only spoke volumes to me in terms of coolness but also inspired hope that anyone really can make it in the big leagues with enough dedication and perseverance to being the best. It didn’t take too long for me to realize that the Bulldog had quickly become my favorite pitcher in baseball and to this day he still holds that mark ranking #2 on my Top 10 favorite MLB players of all time list.

After the grandiose success that the team enjoyed in the 80’s with Hershiser and the crew, it was awhile until the Dodgers fielded a competitive squad which sort of put them on the back burner for me as a kid since I was still relatively new to the whole “picking a favorite team thing” and found myself to be more a fan of individual players like Bo Jackson and Ken Griffey jr. (more than likely because it required less effort). Meanwhile, as the 90’s rolled on, something terrible in baseball occurred as I learned about one of the ugliest 5-letter words that exists in sports… STRIKE (unless we’re talking about bowling I suppose)! Players and owners had failed to come to an agreement on the new and financially-altering “salary cap” being proposed into the rules of MLB which cost the loss of hundreds of regular season games as well as an entire World Series in the 1994-95 season. WHAT THE ACTUAL $@#! !!! A bitter pill to swallow for lowly and impressionable young fans like myself who were barely starting to figure things out and not entirely sure about where to plant their fan flag in this great sport. 

Without question, the stoppage of games to this magnitude soured my devotion to baseball during this time (at least as far as watching was concerned) and my attention shifted to the other 3 sports as I gained traction in my understanding of what I liked and how to truly pick a favorite team for life (see my other sports posts- My favorite NBA team: The Los Angeles Lakers, My favorite NFL team: The Dallas Cowboys and My favorite NHL team: The Los Angeles Kings). It was unfortunate too since I still felt a special kinship with the great pastime and certainly wanted to enjoy more but the jaded feelings of this devoid and forgettable era cast a shadow over the sport for me that persisted for the next several years even after the perilous strike had lifted. After what seemed like an eternity to my young mind, Major League Baseball had finally returned (playing a 144-game season in 95-96 after also losing the better part of the previous year) but it didn’t feel the same as many fans (myself included) struggled to overcome the hurt feelings that the game had bestowed by pulling the rug out from under our feet in the way that it had previously and it showed en masse as attendance dropped at stadiums around the country and television ratings plummeted to dangerous lows. For me personally, I didn’t want to invest my time fully into a game that could potentially just shut itself down like it had already done before and it certainly effected my passion enough to where I still couldn’t sign on wholeheartedly to any one team (at least for now).

Meanwhile, I continued to follow the game from a casual distance during subsequent seasons throughout the 90’s, checking in on SportsCenter highlights and playing random baseball video games (Major League Baseball (NES) ESPN Baseball Tonight (SNES) Triple Play 96 (Sega Genesis) ) to sort of “keep pace” with everything that was going on in the world of rbi’s and fastballs. No matter what too, I always found myself checking in on the L.A. Dodgers and seeing how they stacked against everyone else however I still really hadn’t correlated them to being my favorite team yet since I did this with a few other squads as well (most notably the Chicago White Sox , Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees ). I guess I felt that since baseball had been relegated to second-fiddle in my sports lexicon, I didn’t need to apply maximum effort to subscribing to all the heartache associated with being a real fan… hence the less-invested approach. This same sentiment continued through the end of the decade and into the new millennium as I continued to observe from a distance the biggest stories in baseball like the Yankees return back to their rightful mantle atop the sport , Mark McGwire & Sammy Sosa going “super saiyan” on a 37 year old home run record and all the (of course) steroid controversy that soon followed . Even if I still hadn’t fully warmed myself back up to the great pastime that I loved so much as a kid, there could be no doubt that baseball as a whole was slowly inching further and further away from its shrouded strike past and providing all sorts of interesting entertainment that I simply couldn’t get enough of though I still wasn’t motivated fully to associate myself with a favorite squad… yet.

Then, in May 2003, everything changed for me… quickly as I was invited out with a group of a friends to a L.A. Dodger game during the regular season though I wasn’t expecting to have as good an experience as the other 3 major sports (NFL, NBA,NHL ) since at that point I considered myself more of a diehard fan of those leagues. Not having been there since my early childhood, many of Dodger Stadium’s features and architecture seemed foreign to me at first as I perused the grand hallways that adorned the great baseball cathedral on top of Chavez Ravine, doing my best to absorb as much lore as possible like a tourist sticking to a strict itinerary. As we sat at our seats (nose-bleed section behind first-base), I can remember distinctly just how beautiful that California sky looked as it displayed a usual fireworks show of awesomeness transitioning from dusk-to-dawn amidst an appropriate menagerie of rolling hills and palm trees behind the outfield wall. Without a pitch even being thrown yet, I gelled with my surroundings in a very abstract and emotional way that finally helped me get rid of the “baggage” that had prevented me from realizing where my heart truly lied in baseball . I was home!

Once the p.a. announcer started his usual montage of hyperbole and the players hit the field, I dove into my program to try and learn more about the collection of dudes that adorned the eye-appealing blue and white L.A. Dodger uniforms on this day. Much to my delight, many familiar faces (such as Robin Ventura Hideo Nomo and Rickey Henderson ) were there to help link the game back to my childhood and add a veteran presence to an up-and-coming unit of young studs (led most notably by Odalis Perez , Adrian Beltre and Edwin Jackson ). While they certainly weren’t the greatest team in the league at the time, there was definitely a style of unorthodox effectiveness that associated itself with this intriguing Dodger squad that spoke directly to The ‘Tude Dude’s soul. Regardless of the final outcome, these guys were fighters from the front office down to the bat boys which garnered instant respect in the baseball universe while simultaneously inspiring hope for potential World Series glory in the future for their fans nearly every single season. Combining this newfound comprehension of the Dodger aura with the fact that they were my hometown team made it feel like all of the tumblers fell into a perfect unison which, at last unlocked the answer I had been searching for as a fan of Major League Baseball!

Though that individual game’s outcome turned out to be a disappointment (a shocking come-from-behind loss in the 9th inning to the Atlanta Braves ), I left the stadium that evening with an unmistakable pride that radiated off of me like nuclear fallout despite my previously hardened sensibilities. All it really took to swing the pendulum fully was the first time I heard Vin Scully utter that iconic opening statement “It’s time for Dodger baseball!” live and I was hooked (though a belly full of Dodger Dogs certainly deserves an honorable mention). I guess I hadn’t fully closed the door on figuring out where my loyalties lied and this one single event jump-started everything for me in a very simple and cool way. Finally, I had a true favorite baseball team and it was the one that had made the earliest impression on me as a child – the Los Angeles Dodgers . Time to start acquiring some merchandise and represent! 

Since then, I’ve been riding first-class on the L.A. Dodger fan train partaking in as many games as I can to hopefully catch a glimpse of the “boys in blue” ascent back to the top of the baseball mountain. From the super-slugging Shawn Green and the “bull in the pen” Eric Gagne  in the 2000’s up to the latest incarnation led by Clayton Kershaw , Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner , The ‘Tude Dude has been there with his blue and white covered heart cheering on his beloved team as much as any of his other favorites. It may have taken a little longer to figure out than the other 3 sports, but something magical happened when I went back and took in that first game physically as an adult and there can be no denying that my relentless loyalty knows no bounds when it comes to these sorts of things. Now I know where I belong. Thank you for everything Los Angeles Dodgers, you will forever be my favorite MLB team.


Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…

E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com

Follow The ‘Tude Dude
GameFAQsMoby GamesRetroAchievements
FacebookInstagramPinterestX

The 'Tude Dude
-Pushing Reviews to the EDGE!

Published by Rad Writing

A Retro Review – Castlevania

Hit play above for in-game music from this title

Scroll below for review
The 'Tude Dude
presents a
Retro Review
Castlevania
by
Konami

Console (NES)
Genre
(Action/Adventure)
Players (Single-player)
'Tude Meter 'Tude output = High
(Coolness guaranteed)
Final Verdict 5/5
(Great game)
Pros

  • Badass horror concept
  • Awesome music
  • Easy-to-learn mechanics
Cons

  • Too many unfair deaths
  • Not my favorite jumping controls

  • MEDUSA HEADS
The 'Tude Dude's Summary

Combining accessible gameplay mechanics with an already established horror motif guaranteed to draw attention, Castlevania succeeds as the catalyst to the grand ghoul-whipping franchise with responsive action draped in Konami’s typical aesthetic quality


Story

For centuries, the Belmont clan have been the direct response to the overwhelming threat of Dracula and his mysterious castle full of ghouls which resurfaces somewhat regularly to wreak havoc on the world. Utilizing “Vampire killer”, a whip heirloom passed down through the generations for the purpose of living up to its namesake, the Belmont family has routinely battled back against the forces of darkness no matter where it has risen without fail. Now the old blood-sucker has shown back up for his latest attempt at gothic debauchery and it’s up to the current generation Belmont (Simon) to pick up his mantle and start whipping everything in sight!



Overview

Castlevania is a side-scrolling action/adventure game where players assume the role of Simon Belmont and his whip – “Vampire Killer” with the sole purpose of destroying the recently resurrected Dracula and his pack of evil monsters across 6 different stages. Each level consists of obstacles in the form of platforming sections and enemies who attack Simon at will with the main goal being to reach the end where a boss awaits to challenge you before allowing further admittance. Along with the horizontally-focused whip (your main weapon), Simon can also use sub-weapons such as the axe and holy water which attack with different trajectories increasing your variety of offense. Beyond that, additional power-ups such as hearts (ammunition for your sub-weapon), pork chops (health boost) and more can be obtained throughout Simon’s adventure for further assistance.

Utilizing any advantages will be paramount to your success since Dracula’s combination of countless ghouls and pitfall traps make for a relentless labyrinth that Simon must push through requiring a more steadied approach in each stage. This same sentiment goes double for the boss battles as Simon is encountered with a unique adversary equipped with a life-bar just as long as his but who does excess damage necessitating even more strategy and nuance. Make your way through the depths of Castlevania and eventually you’ll come face-to-face with the Count himself who stands in your way to ultimate victory. Survive this encounter to banish him back to the coffin and win the game!   



Cast


Simon Belmont
(main protagonist)
Whip-wielding warrior of the light ready to quell out all darkness in his path… can sniff out pot roasts through walls like a bloodhound


Phantom Bat
(antagonist support)
Attacking from above in an unruly pattern making projectile sub-weapons more effective, this giant bat was mistaken by many as Dracula during their initial playthrough (me included) showcasing the depth of Castlevania and its design across multiple complex stages compared to recent predecessors from just a generation ago

Queen Medusa
(antagonist support)
The main disembodied dome responsible for the outbreak of smaller disembodied domes throughout CastlevaniaQueen Medusa requires swift punishment for her crimes though her erratic movements make your chances of success less likely without the stopwatch in your back pocket

Mummy Man
(antagonist support)
Twin ogres who attack Simon with the wraps covering their rotting corpse (…shouldn’t they be called Mummy Men???), these pacing dead-men have been rudely woken up before their alarm was set making them crankier than typical 

Frankenstein & Igor
(antagonist support)
Combining brute strength with breakneck speed in a “Master Blaster”-type symbiotic relationship, Frankenstein (technically Frankenstein’s monster but who really cares anymore!?) and Igor (one of the many Hunchbacks encountered in Castlevania known for their frantic unpredictability) pair up to give Simon one of his biggest headaches 

The Grim Reaper
(antagonist support)
Falling on hard times after his recent all-in investment on the indie film spinoff Edward SicklehandsDeath now rents an efficiency in Dracula’s house occasionally defending his master’s crib from would-be assailants with his barrage of scythes


Count Dracula
(main antagonist)
The lord of Castlevania and arguably the greatest calamity of evil the world has ever seen, Drac has a huge house and a LOT of friends in addition to his own extensive list of ghoulish proclivities



Simon Says Whip It Good (XL section)

As dusk settles to night in the land of ‘Tudevania, The ‘Tude Dude gazes upon a vast collection of NES cartridges shining in the bright moonlight. “Which one should I review next?” he pondered as he foraged through the pile like a ravenous wild dog. Amidst rising thunder claps and howling wolves within earshot, The ‘Tude Dude’s search intensified. “If only I knew the right one to pick at this exact moment!” he quizzingly exclaimed. “One that would make the ‘Tude Meter wail even LOUDER than the surrounding wolf cackles and lightning crashes!” 

In unison with the final word said in the previous sentence, a bolt of lightning struck the pile of games with unbiased abruptness coursing additional power into one specific title. After a brief appropriation period between the cartridge and the massive surge of electricity, the game began to move on its own with a focused agenda on plugging itself into the nearest available NES. The ‘Tude Dude watched in frozen amazement as the little plastic square not only discovered an already hooked-up Nintendo but inserted itself into the console with relentless purpose! Right after, the controller (already plugged into slot 1) lashed itself perfectly into The ‘Tude Dude’s hands with the ferocity of a real whip. IT’S ALIVEroared The ‘Tude Dude as the title screen for Castlevania panned into the television’s center coinciding with a conveniently-timed thunder strike. “And I’m gonna review it… to DEATH!!!

…Well that was pretty dramatic but what else can you really expect when discussing the spooky and memorable Castlevania series? I mean, its got everything a horror/action ‘tude fanatic could want while still maintaining a main-stream appeal worthy enough to see it placed front-and-center with the other all-time greats in video game lore. Over the years, few series have epitomized “cool” more than this one and we’re gonna take it all the way back to the beginning of this vampire-killing, candle-whipping, stair-climbing extravaganza with the very first entry on the NES! So grab a pork chop with a side of holy water and join me as we journey back to the front gates of Castlevania one more time!

To start with, Castlevania is a side-scrolling action game where players take the reins of the vampire-repelling extraordinaire, Simon Belmont , and guide him through various action/platforming stages while either killing or avoiding every monster in your path until eventually coming face-to-face with the ultimate king of the bloodsuckers, Dracula himself in an epic final battle to determine the fate of the world (or at least I think that’s what’s going on)! Aiding Simon on this perilous journey is his trustee whip, Vampire Killer , which he can use to attack foes horizontally and can also be upgraded twice first into a sweet morning star which deals more damage and then again into an even sweeter extra long morning star for increased attack power plus a longer reach to keep you further from harm while snapping your lash directly into the face of your enemies. While Vampire Killer serves as your main form of offense against the forces of evil, several sub-weapons also become available throughout the game such as a throwing dagger (horizontal projectile), stop watch (freezes time around Simon for a couple of seconds while still allowing him to move) and holy water (thrown on the ground for increased trajectory towards adversaries that escape your whip) which can be further utilized in your quest against Dracula and his minions. It should be noted however that unlike your whip, these side items are governed in the sense that they have a limit to how many you can use at your disposal which is represented by the hearts that Simon gathers throughout gameplay (one of the very few times these aren’t used for health reasons in a video game) so grab as many of them as you can early and often to maintain your offensive versatility. Additionally, screen-clearing crosses , health-boosting pork chops , bags of money (still on the lookout for one of these in real life somewhere!) and more can be obtained to help further Simon’s chances at driving a stake into the heart of Dracula and sending Castlevania back to whatever dark and twisted realm that it originated from.  

Stages in Castlevania are broken down into linear platforming sections populated by hordes of nightmarish goons which Simon must navigate through to progress until eventually facing the boss who must be defeated before reaching the next level. Simon can die either by falling into a chasm in one of these levels or by having his health (represented by the horizontal life-bar in the heads-up display designated “player”) depleted completely from Castlevania’s unfriendly occupants. Therefore, learning the rhythms of enemy attack patterns as well as analyzing your surroundings for pitfalls are the keys to coordinating an effective counter-assault and progressing through this hellacious haunted house of horrors. Not to mention, candelabra containing hearts and all kinds of other useful drops litter every stage begging to be whipped and collected as well as hidden blocks containing life-saving pork chops and other goodies so keep cracking early and often in as many places as possible to find the best loot.

As far as the enemies themselves, Dracula’s henchmen waste no time bum-rushing Simon and pelting him repeatedly with ghoulish tactics so be sure to return the favor to all in your path with Vampire Killer before they take you down first. Adversaries range from stupidly easy zombies and bats (simple to kill enemies who follow more predictable patterns) to more difficult raven’s and fleamen (still simple to kill but much more unpredictable) to even more difficult bone towers and axe-men  (takes multiple hits to kill while using ranged offense) with every one of their goals being to either hit Simon with some sort of projectile attack or touch him directly and cause damage with both also effectively (and inconveniently) knocking you backwards a bit. If this happens in the wrong spot (like near a pitfall for instance), then Simon can be killed rather easily so a heightened awareness of your surroundings is required before engaging around empty voids or water. At the end of each stage, a different boss blocks your path forward (equipped with a life-bar just like Simon’s) and must be defeated while avoiding their relentless offensive barrage such as Phantom Bat (pretty dopey but surprisingly stout), Mummy Man (throws wraps at you with his twin brother… err… Mummy Dan?) and the Grim Reaper (who knew Death punches Dracula’s time clock but seriously, he’s STUPIDLY hard) just to name a few. These encounters scale in difficulty beautifully leading up to the final 2-part battle with the Count (defeat his first form to reveal… the Stay-Puft Dracula Man !) and are equally the most punishing and satisfying parts of the game evidenced by the resounding sigh experienced after finally defeating one of these beyond-tough obstacles (ESPECIALLY the Grim Reaper and Dracula).

There’s no question that Castlevania’s gameplay is simple however, its perfectly-paced challenge combined with an easily-translatable arcade style make it a game that anyone can pick up and play in an instant. That challenge will separate who stays for the long haul though as the game expertly lures you into a false sense of security with its simplicity only to be reminded over and over again that Dracula’s castle is extremely unforgiving with tons of enemies and very little health power-ups requiring all of your video game senses to be operating at peak efficiency to succeed. It’s these types of early experiences that molded us from the ‘tude era into a heightened-sense territory as Castlevania’s approach to side-scrolling pattern and rhythm-based design was/is as top-notch as can be found pushing an entire generation to “get good” as fast as possible so they could be the first to brag to their friends about how they bested the master of the neck-biters. Still, it does have some flaws mainly the lack of variety in execution, the frustrating enemy patterns (flying Medusa heads anyone ?) and the brutal absence of a password system which will all be reflected in my final score for this section, however none of these are large enough issues to hinder anyone’s experience enough (…except for maybe those Medusa heads THEY SUCK) to not recommend to any prospectors in this department. To put it succinctly, if quick-start action games are your thing then your sure to be more than happy with this.

Controls in Castlevania feel pretty good overall as well with a few critiques preventing it from reaching its true potential. For starters, Simon responds to your commands in perfect unison on-screen with little to no lag which is critical when your multi-tasking between attacking and dodging especially during an intensely precise boss battle. He also walks with an appropriate tightness and stops exactly where and when you want him to which is all you can ask for in a game of this variety as far as moving your character around is concerned (though the stair-climbing is a little awkward to say the least). However, the lack of being able to dictate your movement mid-air makes jumping a much bigger commitment then it does in other platforming games and the knock-back effect when you take a hit is downright brutal leading to countless and unsolicited deaths when around pitfalls. Still, despite some harps in this category, overall I like the controls as they’re not really a huge hindrance to your success which is the most important thing but certainly could have used a coat of polish to make even better.

Sound-wise, Castlevania completely rules setting a precedent on the NES few can match up to. To call the music “good” would be an ultimate understatement as each stage brings some kick-ass new jingle causing uncontrollable humming and feet tapping while the sound effects are distinctive, memorable and effective. On the other hand, Castlevania’s graphics aren’t exactly the most beautiful thing you’ll ever see on the NES but they still get the job done even today. The sprites and colors all look great for the most part with impressive detail found in the backgrounds for a game from the 8-bit generation. Thanks Dracula for the eye and ear candy while your attempting to drain the life-plasma from my body I guess?

GEEZ… I just now realized I can’t hear any of those ridiculously loud and ominous sounds from the beginning of this review. The ‘Tude Meter has cranked up to full capacity since the game’s onset blasting electric guitar riffs of awesomeness (which actually scared away both the wolves and the lightning) and has sustained that level throughout the entirety of Simon’s trek into Drac’s house thanks mainly to the badass horror setting that permeates the surrounding environment. While many other games in this generation felt kiddie and harmless in nature, Castlevania freakin’ goes there with adult themes based on vampire and other monster-movie mythology peppered with semi-religious undertones which definitely makes this stand out among its more innocent 8-bit contemporaries. If ratings existed back then, there’s no doubt that this would have been “M” for mature which is pretty awesome to say for any NES game. A true bar-setter for how to make a video game “cool” quite frankly. 

So in conclusion, Castlevania checks off across the board admirably with simple gameplay, good controls, quality aesthetics and a badass premise putting it square into the upper-echelon of NES titles. While the difficulty can be taxing to some, the rewards gained through progression are as satisfying as you’ll find in the world of video games. It definitely has some hitches though most notably the unfair deaths caused by Simon getting knocked back by an enemy (and those stupid Medusa heads) but these pale in comparison to all of the other high-points experienced. In a series as iconic as Castlevania, you owe it to yourself to take this first plunge into Dracula’s castle on consoles no matter the proclivities.


Critical Analysis

Gameplay


4/5
There’s no question, Castlevania scores big with the arcade crowd utilizing easy-to-understand mechanics to get players directly into the action right away while offering one of the greatest challenges experienced during the ‘tude era. This combination provided an excellent mainstream type of gaming experience on the NES that was both accessible and harrowing, “separating the men from the boys” as it were in terms of who actually reached the end to abolish the 8-bit scourge of Transylvania. The main criticism I have in this department is the unfair difficulty as way too many deaths are caused by Simon jutting backwards after receiving damage from an enemy causing your inner-fuse to light at times otherwise this would for sure have a higher score up there since I love everything else.

Controls


4/5
Similar to the gameplay department, the controls in Castlevania are very close to being in the “I love it” realm however the absence of being able to dictate Simon’s momentum after you’ve jumped places Castlevania’s handles a little behind some other NES action counterparts such as Contra and Mega Man. Also, it kind of sucks having to press (and hold) up to climb stairs since it’s too similar to the sub-weapon input (up + attack) causing a frustrating step on the background staircase at times instead of you using the projectile attack you were intending making you even more vulnerable to Dracula’s goons. Still, the bigger portion of the game is spent whipping your foes with “Vampire Killer” while walking anyways and that part is as spot-on as can be so at least its main focus was executed nicely.

Music/Sound


5/5
Man, who knew Dracula could rock this hard? Every single stage in Castlevania blares at you with amazing rhythmic quality pairing with the intense gameplay like a fine wine while the sound effects are easy to discern and pretty cool in their own right especially when hearing the *ting* from clashing your whip against an armored opponent for example. There’s no denying that this is quite simply one of the very best overall soundtracks that can be found on the NES bar none!

Graphics


4/5
Visually, Castlevania impresses overall with nicely-drawn sprites and above-average backgrounds though it’s held back a little by its lack of color variety per stage. I swear, some of the hue choices in the levels are just downright awful such as the purple/orange combination found in stage 2 or the sewage dump looking backdrop when your taking on Mummy Man at the end of stage 3. Despite this though, pretty much everything else is eye-pleasing with solid animations, a smooth frame rate and distinctive characters so there’s not too much to complain about in this category on the bottom line.

'Tude Meter


'Tude output = High
No drop-offs in sustainability here, the ‘Tude Meter wails with the ferocity of a banshee as soon as Castlevania is popped into the NES thanks in large part to the super badass horror setting rarely experienced during the 8-bit era. Combine that with some killer whip-action and you’ve got arguably the coolest game on the entire console. Plus (as if you needed more awesomeness), you get to home run Dracula’s head to the moon after defeating his first form which is delightfully ridiculous!

Final Verdict


5/5
Great game

One of my earliest gaming experiences, Castlevania certainly whips the nostalgia factor for me square in the face though it’s high points stand the test of time like a stubborn vampire who just keeps getting resurrected again and again specifically the simple premise, excellent soundtrack and satisfying challenge. Just slam it in and you’ll be lashing 8-bit zombies and bats to super-cool rhythmic-style beats in no time which really is as great as it sounds though its longevity in the minds of gamers is stooped in the overwhelming test it represents to reach its conclusion with your sanity intact – a staple of the “NES-hard” days. Besides that though, its built-in cast of classic horror film all-stars (including mummies, Frankenstein’s monster and Death himself) supply a “ready-to-eat” narrative that’s as easy for minds to comprehend as there has ever been in gaming, ensuring a ‘tudey output in the maximum range that virtually guarantees visual real estate to any interested prospectors. I mean, your not dealing with some dopey cartoon boss here after all… this is Count Dracula – vile scourge of all iniquities giving you a more tangible sense of good vs. evil then you would typically experience, juicing up the story a bit during this time of “safety-first” dialogue in the surrounding status-quo. Rated H for HELL YEAH! 

Of course, not everything in Castlevania is crimson and clovers namely the unfair knock-back that puts you in the Grim Reaper’s waiting room far too often (working overtime I see…), the fixation with the color brown (good lord how many different shades of it are there?) and the despairingly-redundant enemy patterns (It’s bad enough the Medusa heads zigzag at you but do they really have to re-spawn over and over again too???) just to name a few. In the end though, none of these sums come close to derailing the overall equation of Simon’s first-ever quest to keep from recommending in any way. It’s simplistic nature centered around arcade-action gameplay rendered it playable to nearly anyone who claimed ownership to virtual tastes, but its hardcore difficulty layered underneath applied beautifully to the nerd crowd who clamored for more trials of this magnitude regardless of the exterior, effectively reaching a critical mass of unilateral appeal proportions (at least as far as I’m concerned)! Not only does Castlevania catalyze the epic action-platforming franchise with dignity, but it provides a worthy experience in its own right leaving a lasting feeling to anyone daring enough to accept the barrage of obstacles that it presents. “CAUSE YOU KNOW I’M THE KING OF THE COOL WHIP!!!” 



The Indigo Gamer Says
“It’s only Dracula, King of the vampires… why bring garlic or a wooden stake with me!?”



Thanks for reading! Questions/Remarks/Suggestions?
Leave below in the comments section or…

E-Mail The ‘Tude Dude
radwriting@thetudedude.com

Follow The ‘Tude Dude
GameFAQsMoby GamesRetroAchievements
FacebookInstagramPinterestX

The 'Tude Dude
-Pushing Reviews to the EDGE!

Published by Rad Writing