2021-2022 NBA Season Predictions

Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets / NBA

In my best Daniel Craig voice, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re back.” The 2021-2022 NBA Season begins tonight when the Nets take on the Bucks and the Warriors face the Lakers. After an offseason full of vaccine questions, trade requests, and unhappy stars, I’m glad to put that all behind us and watch some good basketball.

Oh, wait. All of that stuff is still happening because the NBA continues to be dramatic!

Sigh.

Last week, I described all 30 teams in one sentence. This week, it’s time for my predictions.

Key Storylines

The Ben Simmons saga is on a highway to hell: Seriously, what the hell is going on in Philly?

Countless NBA players have demanded a trade, but have we ever seen a player deliberately sabotage a team? I typically favor player empowerment, but this is where I draw the line. I applaud the Sixers for fining and suspending Simmons because what he did was bullshit. However, Daryl Morey had a chance to trade Simmons for James Harden. There have been conflicting reports as to who, Morey or the Rockets, sunk the trade. I look at it this way: if Morey truly wanted to give up Simmons and trade for Harden, he could’ve pulled it off. That’s on Morey.

Now, it’s a waiting game. Morey has to realize that he won’t get a star in return for Simmons. That doesn’t mean a Simmons trade can’t happen. Would the Blazers be willing to part with McCollum? Would the Kings give up De’Aaron Fox (probably not) or Buddy Hield (probably yes)? Could the Spurs package multiple young players like Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson? Trade Simmons now or play hardball and wait. It’s time to shit or get off the pot.

Will Kyrie Irving Play: While the Sixers must make a decision on Simmons sooner rather than later, the Nets can show a little more patience in their approach due to the fact that the team can get by with Kevin Durant and James Harden. Whether or not you agree with the vaccine mandate in New York City is irrelevant. It’s the rule and it’s not changing anytime soon. It’s possible things change when a new mayor takes office, but are the Nets willing to wait until the end of winter/early spring to welcome back Irving? If the Nets are at the top of the East during Irving’s absence, then they’ll continue to wait until the mandate changes. If Durant or Harden get hurt and the team stumbles, then Sean Marks will have to consider trading Irving.

Will The Two Storylines Listed Above End So We Can Talk About The Other 28 NBA Teams: We need something else to discuss.

Eastern Conference

  1. Milwaukee Bucks
  2. Brooklyn Nets
  3. Atlanta Hawks
  4. Miami Heat
  5. Philadelphia 76ers
  6. Boston Celtics
  7. New York Knicks
  8. Chicago Bulls
  9. Indiana Pacers
  10. Charlotte Hornets

Eastern Conference Finals: Bucks over Nets

I would pick the Nets to win the East if the Big Three were guaranteed to play together in the playoffs. However, it’s far from a lock. I’m picking the Bucks over the Nets simply because I can’t trust Brooklyn’s Big Three to play every game. I will believe it when I see it.

Western Conference

  1. Utah Jazz
  2. Phoenix Suns
  3. Los Angeles Lakers
  4. Denver Nuggets
  5. Dallas Mavericks
  6. Portland Trail Blazers
  7. Los Angeles Clippers
  8. Golden State Warriors
  9. Memphis Grizzlies
  10. San Antonio Spurs

Western Conference Finals: Lakers over Jazz

I realize I’m a hypocrite for not trusting Brooklyn’s Big Three to stay healthy, but then believing LeBron and Anthony Davis will play every game in the NBA playoffs. LeBron only gets hurt via freak accident so as long as that doesn’t happen, he’ll play every game in the postseason. AD is a HUGE question mark, but if Frank Vogel load manages Davis throughout the season, there’s a chance he doesn’t get hurt come next Spring. It’s a huge “if,” but I’ll bet on that over Brooklyn finishing the season with their three stars.

NBA Finals: Lakers over Bucks

I truly believe LeBron has one more title in him. Year 19 is when he wins his fifth and final championship.

NBA Awards

MVP: Kevin Durant

Rookie of the Year: Cade Cunningham

Coach of the Year: Quin Snyder

Defensive Player of the Year: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Most Improved Player: Ja Morant

Sixth Man of the Year: Jordan Clarkson

Here’s to a successful (and healthy) NBA Season.

Leave your NBA predictions in the comments or tweet us, @danny_giro

UnafraidShow Fearless Friday Picks: 10/15/2021

Welcome to the UnafraidShow.com 2021 Fearless Friday Picks contest between George Wrigshter and Ralph Amsden.

Every week, George and Ralph will make five picks, either against the spread or the total, for the upcoming sports weekend. Each participant will start with $1000, and must risk a minimum of $20 on each pick, but can up each selection to a maximum of $100. Each winning pick pays 1:1, and we’ll keep the total throughout the season.

George Wrighster

Current total: $920

Overall record: 16-19 (2-3 last week, -$100)

This week’s picks:

Cal at Oregon (-13.5) (Risking $100)

Oklahoma State at Texas (-4) (Risking $100)

Kent State (+21.5) at Georgia (Risking $100)

Arizona State at Utah (+1) (Risking $100)

Florida (-11.5) at LSU (Risking $100)

Ralph Amsden

Current total: $1395

Overall record: 19-15-1 (3-2 last week, +$100)

This week’s picks:

Oklahoma State at Texas (-4) (risking $50)

Ole Miss (-2.5) at Tennessee (risking $50)

Iowa State at Kansas State (+6.5) (risking $50)

Arizona at Colorado UNDER 46.5 (risking $75)

Arizona State (-1) at Utah (risking $100)

Have a take you’d like us to address? Email us at immad@unafraidshow.com and we’ll read your take on a future Wrighster or Wrong podcast.

2021-2022 NBA Season Preview: Describing Each Team In One Sentence

Luka Doncic NBA

The 2021-2022 NBA Season is set to kick off Tuesday, Oct. 19.

This is not a drill.

Within the last 12 months, the NBA finished two seasons, crowned two different champions, and will start its newest season next week. Ever since the pandemic started in March 2020, I’ve lost my sense of date and time. The picture of Jimmy Butler on the scorer’s table after Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals was going around on Twitter the other day. Had I not seen the date, I would have guessed the picture was from 2018.

Regardless, I’m happy to have basketball back especially after an exciting NBA Finals. The league is in a good spot thanks to so many young budding superstars. Giannis Antetokounmpo sits on the throne as the best player in the league, but Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and LeBron James could easily take back the crown by the end of the year.

In this exercise, I previewed each team in one sentence. Some are funny, others are brutally honest, and a few might hit home. Let’s dive right in.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the best duo under 25, but do they have enough surrounding talent to become a top-4 team in the East?

Brooklyn Nets: James Harden and Kevin Durant can win a title as a duo, but will Kyrie join them to form the trio?

New York Knicks: Was last year an anomaly, or have things changed at MSG?

Philadelphia 76ers: Is the Ben Simmons relationship salvageable?

Toronto Raptors: If you know the full truth behind the Pascal Siakim injury and his projected return date, I’m all ears.

Central Division

Chicago Bulls: I like Zach LaVine more than most people, and the team is good on paper (Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vučević, DeMar DeRozan), but the Bulls have a date with the play-in game whether they like it or not.

Cleveland Cavaliers: This roster does not make sense especially in the frontcourt, but they are going to be exciting to watch because of Sexland.

Detroit Pistons: Let Cade do whatever he wants.

Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner is somehow still on this team.

Milwaukee Bucks: If Giannis gets a mid-range jump shot, then the Bucks can repeat.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks: After getting a taste of what it’s like to win big games, Trae Young and co. should be back in the mix for a top-4 seed in the East.

Charlotte Hornets: If LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward stay healthy, the Hornets should once again battle for a play-in spot.

Miami Heat: After getting embarrassed by the Bucks, the addition of Kyle Lowry means the Heat will try to channel their 2020 success.

Orlando Magic: This could be the worst team in the NBA.

Washington Wizards: The countdown to a Bradley Beal trade continues.

Western Conference

Northwest Division

Denver Nuggets: If Joker is the Joker and Michael Porter Jr. becomes a 20+ ppg scorer, the Nuggets are a healthy Jamal Murray away from truly becoming a contender in the West.

Minnesota Timberwolves: It might be time to pull the plug on the Karl-Anthony Towns-D’Angelo Russell pairing.

Oklahoma City Thunder: If the Thunder decide to try, then they could win 25 games, but that won’t happen.

Portland Trail Blazers: If the Blazers get bounced from the first round again, Dame is good as gone.

Utah Jazz: If the Jazz went 82-0, would anyone seriously believe they could win the title?

Pacific Division

Golden State Warriors: If Golden State can stay around .500 by the time Klay Thompson returns, the Warriors could be the dark horse to win the West.

Los Angeles Clippers: Until Kawhi returns, keep dreaming, LA.

Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers are the best team in the NBA if and only if their stars are healthy and that’s a huge “if.”

Phoenix Suns: With the entire core returning, the Suns should battle for the top seed once again.

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks: Luka must win a playoff series this year if he truly wants to become “the guy.”

Houston Rockets: The Rockets could be the first team to score 100 points per game and give up 200 points per game.

Memphis Grizzlies: If the Grizzlies make the playoffs once again, we might have to change the trajectory on Ja’s ceiling.

New Orleans Pelicans: If the Pelicans are secretly trying to get rid of Zion, then they’re passing with flying colors.

San Antonio Spurs: With all due respect to Pop, is it time for a new voice?

How would you describe your favorite team? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us, @unafraidshow.

Pac-12 Apostles Week 7 Preview and Picks

anthony brown

Oregon State losing to Washington State means the Pac-12 has already, halfway through the seasons, whittled themselves down to only one possible path to the College Football Playoff. Oregon and Arizona State need to win out, meet in the Pac-12 Championship, and hope for a lot of chaos in front of them in the rankings.

While some teams are left only playing for pride, two of the conference’s teams are just hoping to avoid shame. Best of luck to both Colorado and Arizona. Someone has to win, right?

Make sure to check out this week’s Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, or just click play on the Spotify link below while you read the article below.

Cal at #9 Oregon (Friday Night)

Kickoff: 7:30PM Pacific

Broadcast: ESPN

Opening Odds: Oregon -13.5

What’s at stake: Oregon has no room for error, and at the mid-point of the season, has yet to establish an offensive identity. With Offensive Coordinator Joe Moorhead battling medical issues, and feature back C.J. Verdell out for the season, someone needs to step up and become the dominant force on this offense to keep the Ducks from another disastrous result like they had against Stanford. Will it be Anthony Brown start finding a receivers downfield (No Ducks WR has more than 11 catches), or Travis Dye finding a way to be an every-down player instead of a change-of-pace guy? Without figuring out who they are offensively, you can probably forget a shot at the College Football Playoff.

For Cal, they’re getting dangerously close to a lost season without a bowl appearance, and a waste of Chase Garbers’ talent as an upperclassman. One thing you know that Justin Wilcox wouldn’t mind is following up a 6-point performance against Washington State by having an offensive explosion against his old Defensive Coordinator Tim DeRuyter, who is now the DC at Oregon.

Our Picks: Ralph likes Cal to Cover +13.5, George Wrighster is going with his Ducks and the spread.

Arizona at Colorado

Kickoff: 12:30PM Pacific

Broadcast: Pac-12 Network

Opening Odds: Colorado -6.5

What’s at stake: Seriously? A win. A single win.

Colorado nearly beating Texas A&M, who just beat #1 Alabama, the Buffaloes offense is so putrid that they’re favored by less than a TD against a team that hasn’t won in over two years. Arizona will go back to Gunner Cruz after Jordan McCloud suffered a season-ending injury against UCLA. First team to 20 wins? Or maybe even 10?

Our Picks: Ralph and George both have Colorado covering the -6.5.

Stanford at Washington State

Kickoff: 4:30PM Pacific

Broadcast: ESPNU

Opening Odds: Stanford -1.5

When Jayden de Laura is at QB for Washington State, they can compete with anyone in the conference. Many people were surprised by the Cougars win over Oregon State last week, but de Laura’s 400 yards passing are a big reason why it happened. Stanford showed they can drive the ball against Arizona State last week, but they had no ability to finish.

Stanford’s inconsistency and yo-yoing as a team is discouraging to Cardinal fans, but if the pattern continues, this will be the week that they bounce back and show their resilience.

Our Picks: Ralph talked George into joining him by taking Stanford -1.5.

UCLA at Washington

Kickoff: 5:30PM Pacific

Broadcast: FOX

Opening Odds: Washington -1.5

What’s at stake: UCLA can run, but last week against Arizona they failed to both pass, and stop the pass. They might have won the game, but there are legitimate concerns that the Bruins have started to fall apart after experiencing early success. The idea that Washington will have to depend on the arm of Dylan Morris in order to defend homefield on Saturday makes picking this game extremely tricky. Dylan Morris rarely completes over 60% of his passes and plays turnover-free football. Unless he does so against one of college football’s worst secondaries on Saturday, you’re going to start to see even more heat on Huskies Head Coach Jimmy Lake than there already is.

For Chip Kelly, the mission is simple- test Washington’s run defense to see if it’s got soft spots, and if it does, exploit it until the final whistle. The less your defense is on the field, the better.

Our Picks: George went with UCLA +1.5, Ralph took the home favorite, Washington -1.5.

#18 Arizona State at Utah

Kickoff: 7:00PM Pacific

Broadcast: ESPN

Opening Odds: Arizona State -1

What’s at stake: Arizona State and Utah are 3-3 in their last 6 games. The fans, or at least the vocal online community of fans, are on each other’s nerves year-round. Utah just ended a 100-year drought by getting a win in the Coliseum, and spent the week grieving the loss of DB Aaron Lowe. They’re either going to be emotionally spent, or raring to get a piece of the ranked Sun Devils on Saturday night. The bottom line here is that if Utah can’t win this game, the Pac-12 South is basically wrapped up by ASU, who is on a quest to become the Pac-12’s first-ever undefeated team in conference play.

Arizona State is the better team at almost every position, but if the offense can’t handle the crowd noise in Provo without getting 19 flags thrown, how are they going to handle the rowdy crowd in Salt Lake?

Our Picks: George and Ralph both have the Sun Devils -1 on the road.

Who are the Pac-12 Apostles?

The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.

Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.

George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.

Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.

Pac-12 Apostles Podcast: Week 6 Review, Week 7 Preview, Is ASU vs Utah a Rivalry?

Wazzu

On this episode of the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden recap the action from last week, including Washington State’s surprising win over Oregon State, Utah’s streak-busting win against USC in the Coliseum, Arizona State dominating Stanford, and Arizona falling short after giving UCLA their best shot. The guys give their power rankings for the week, and preview the upcoming games, including a very important matchup between UCLA and Washington. Last, is Arizona State vs Utah a rivalry, or is Twitter driving a narrative that doesn’t exist outside social media?

Apple Podcasts // Spotify // PocketCasts // Google Play // Stitcher // RadioPublic // iHeart

Who are the Pac-12 Apostles?

The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.

Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.

George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.

Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.

10/13/21 Wrighster or Wrong: WFT Email Scandal, Schefter and Journalism Ethics, Brett Farve, Blackfishing and More

Wrighster or Wrong

On this episode of WRIGHSTER OR WRONG, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden get into get into whether or not the NFL Players Association will be able to compel the league to release the rest of the 650,000 emails that are part of the investigation into the Washington Football Team, and sort through all of the different legal issues currently facing the NFL. Adam Schefter allowing former Redskins president Bruce Allen to edit and approve a story he wrote has kicked off a heated debate about journalistic ethics, and the guys get to the bottom of what is and isn’t acceptable for sports journalists when it comes to the entities they’re supposed to be objectively covering- including the student journalists at the OU Daily that have gotten under Head Coach Lincoln Riley’s skin. Brett Favre owes the state of Mississippi a whole bunch of money that was meant for needy families, so George and Ralph dissect exactly how culpable he is for accepting the money in the first place. “Blackfishing” is a term trending on social media, and it has to do with white women in pop music making themselves look darker or ethnically ambiguous- the guys wade into the world feminine beauty standards to try and figure this out. Last, in Best of Social Media, is the new Home Alone movie a remake, or a sequel?

Click any of the following links to listen to Wrighster or Wrong on your preferred Podcast platform

iHeart // Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Stitcher // Radio Public // Google Podcasts

Have a take you’d like us to address? Email us at immad@unafraidshow.com and we’ll read your take on a future Wrighster or Wrong podcast.

Scream: The Brilliant Horror Still Shines 25 Years Later

Scream / Dimension Films

There are two camps involved when discussing Scream, the 1996 slasher film about a killer in a Halloween costume that wreaks havoc on a small town. You either believe Scream is a good movie or a great movie.

Let’s start with the first camp. Why is Scream a good movie? For starters, the story is pretty straightforward to understand. A killer known as Ghostface, who wears a ghost mask and black gown, targets a high school girl named Sidney Prescott one year after the murder of her mother in the town of Woodsboro, California. The killer begins to murder teenagers and townspeople as he fights to get closer to his main target, Sidney.

In two sentences, the main character and plot are established without confusion. It’s a classic “whodunnit,” as the audience seeks to learn the identity of the killer, and why they’re targeting a teenage girl.

Good premise? Check.

Good writing and direction? Double-check.

For the latter, you couldn’t find a better director in this genre than the “Master of Horror,” Wes Craven. As a pioneer in horror, Craven is the mastermind behind the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise as well as cult classics like The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes, and Swamp Thing.

The script was written by Kevin Williamson, who was an unknown writer at the time. Williamson wrote a script called Scary Movie, which became Scream, that combined elements of a slasher film with a black comedy. Though mostly known for his horror projects, I always find it ironic that Williamson created the teen drama, Dawson’s Creek. Imagine a Scream and Dawson’s Creek double feature. Sign me up.

In terms of its cast, Scream elected to go with established actors at the time instead of unknowns, which was typically common in horror. Neve Campbell was on Party of Five, Courtney Cox was on Friends, and David Arquette had roles in Parenthood and Buffy the Vampire Slayer to go along with being from the famous Arquette family.

All of these elements (premise, script, director, cast) set Scream up for success. Add in a twist ending where it’s revealed Ghostface was not one, but two killers and Scream was an instant, entertaining thriller.

It’s a good movie.

But it’s not just a good movie.

Scream is a great movie. In fact, I’ll go one step further and describe it as brilliant.

The seismic impact of Scream in the horror genre cannot be overstated. Scream combined the meta-humor of a black comedy with the gore and frightfulness of a horror film. Williamson was clearly a huge horror fan as his script is an homage to Halloween. The concept of introducing characters who were self-aware and in on the joke was ingenious. The teens openly discuss horror films and poke fun at the cliches throughout the film. Everybody is a suspect, don’t have sex, don’t have alcohol or drugs, never say you’ll be right back, etc. Randy even explains the rules for survival in a horror film!

I left out one very important cast member, and her presence adds to the genius of Scream. The actress I’m referring to is Drew Barrymore. In 1996, Barrymore was a huge name in Hollywood. Barrymore was very established in pop culture by 1996, having been in E.T., Batman Forever, Guncrazy, and Poison Ivy. She even flashed David Letterman. Barrymore was about to hit the A+list, which is why it came as a surprise that she signed up for a small horror film after reading the script one night.

Barrymore was set to play the leading role of Sidney but had to drop out due to previous commitments. Most stars would leave the project entirely, but Barrymore stayed on and asked to play Casey Becker, the girl who appears in the opening scene. Although she’s in the film for around 10 minutes, it’s arguably the most important scene in the entire franchise.

As Barrymore mentioned on Hot Ones, she wanted to change the rules of a horror film. Most of the time, you never think the main character is truly in trouble since they’ll never die, and if they are murdered, it’s never at the beginning.

Not Scream.

Here’s your biggest star in the movie and she’s killed within the first 10 minutes. That’s a Red Wedding-type move. Killing Barrymore was jaw-dropping moment that confirmed nobody was safe. Anyone could be killed at any time. Even Henry Winkler (in an uncredited role)!

I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a special shoutout to Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard, who played Ghostface as a duo. To steal a phrase from The Rewatchables podcast, this duo gave the biggest heat check performance in the movie. It’s so over-the-top and filled with memorable one-liners, but it fits their characters. Psycho teenage murders are probably going to be a little dramatic and crazy.

Now, Scream is getting a fifth movie this January. It’s not an official reboot, but it appears to mirror themes and ideas from the first film.

Scream rewrote and revitalized the slasher genre, and its legacy should still be celebrated 25 years later.

Besides, if you remove all the humor and violence, Scream is simply an advertisement for landlines.

Scream / Dimension Films

Leave your thoughts about the movie in the comments below or tweet me, @danny_giro.

Pac-12 Apostles Week 6 Preview and Picks

Isaiah Pola-Mao

The Pac-12 is reeling from losing its easiest path to the College Football Playoff last week, with Oregon falling to Stanford in overtime. Worse than that, Pac-12 officiating has again become a talking point. The more things change, the more they stay the same…

This week, one third of the conference has a bye, and only three games are going to be played on Saturday. Oregon State has wins over Washington and USC under its belt, and all of the sudden we’re going to get to see how the Beavers play as favorites for most of the rest of the season, instead of the plucky underdogs they’ve been for Jonathan Smith’s entire tenure.

While I’m not sure we’ll have any world-shattering events take place in week 6 of Pac-12 play, let’s still take a look at the matchups and give you an outline of what to expect…

Make sure to check out this week’s Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, or just click play on the Spotify link below while you read the article below.

Stanford at #22 Arizona State (Friday Night)

Kickoff: 7:30PM Pacific

Broadcast: ESPN

Opening Odds: ASU -11.5

What’s at stake: David Shaw said a lot of things before this season started. Many of them were about his team being better than the national media expected (and they have been), but some of them were about the Arizona State Sun Devils violating the dead period during the Covid-19 pandemic. When ASU’s Herm Edwards was asked to respond to David Shaw’s comments, he pointed out that Shaw didn’t have anything to say when the two were together before Pac-12 Media Day. While there’s plenty at stake on the field for both teams in this game, the budding off-the-field feud between Shaw and the ASU program adds an interesting element.

Some might find the fact that Stanford is a heavy underdog coming off an upset of the #3 team in the country to be a surprise, but the Cardinal are giving up over 5 yards a carry in the run game, and offensively, they’ve lost Brycen Tremayne for the season, which accounts for 21% of their receiving yards and 45% of their receiving TDs this year. Considering the strengths of Arizona State are their run game and the secondary, this is a recipe for a blowout Sun Devils win. Historically, however, David Shaw is 4-1 against ASU, and with this being a Friday night game, you can never be too sure of the outcome.

Our Picks: Ralph likes Arizona State to Cover, George is rolling with Stanford.

Oregon State at Washington State

Kickoff: 1:00PM Pacific

Broadcast: Pac-12 Network

Opening Odds: Oregon State -3.5

What’s at stake: Oregon State is 4-1 with seven games left, and considering they haven’t won more than five games in the last seven seasons, it’s staring to feel like this could be an extremely special season. Nine different Beavers have an interception on defense, and B.J. Baylor is running like he’s this year’s Jarek Broussard. So why are they only a 3.5 point favorite in Pullman? Well, Wazzu seems to be a completely different team when Jayden de Laura is at quarterback. The Cougars have had a lead in the second half of all three of their losses, and maybe last week’s 21-6 win over Cal showed this team that they have the ability to close an opponent out. If Max Borghi and Deon McIntosh can combine to give Washington State equal or greater offense than Baylor gives the Beavers, the Cougars have a legitimate shot to defend homefield and get the upset.

Our Picks: Ralph and George both have the Beavers covering the -3.5.

Utah at USC

Kickoff: 5:00PM Pacific

Broadcast: FOX

Opening Odds: USC -3

What’s at stake: Utah hears every single year that they can’t win at Southern California, and Utes fans are absolutely sick of it. Under Kyle Wittingham, Utah is 0-5 on the road against USC, and there’s no reason to believe that it’s any kind of regional curse, as the Utes usually smash UCLA at the Rose Bowl when they play. The Trojans are barely favored, and last time they were at home, they were dominated by an Oregon State team that hadn’t won at USC in 60+ years. Perhaps this is the year Utah joins the club?

In order to win, and not fall behind in the race for the Pac-12 south, the Utes are going to need to practice ball security (they had four turnovers in last year’s loss), and keep the time of possession lopsided. USC has the ability to move the ball down the field to Drake London in a hurry, and while you’re not going to shut London down completely, you can keep Slovis uncomfortable enough to not have the time to get the ball out of his hands.

Our Picks: Ralph and George both think USC continues to keep Kyle Wittingham winless at the Coliseum. Trojans -3.

UCLA at Arizona

Kickoff: 7:30PM Pacific

Broadcast: ESPN

Opening Odds: UCLA -16

What’s at stake: Two weeks of preparation for Jedd Fisch after keeping things close against Oregon has many people that cover the Pac-12, and people in the national media, convinced that this game could be an enormous trap for the Bruins. Jordan McCloud’s mobility is a big key to keeping drives alive for Arizona, but if they want to compete against UCLA, they’re going to need to greatly exceed the 3.3 yards per carry they’re averaging as a team on the season. Defensively, the Wildcats are going to need to force some turnovers- something Dorian Thompson Robinson has drastically cut back on in 2021. For UCLA, the narrative went from “could they go undefeated” to “who will the next coach be” in a matter of three weeks. The defensive backfield is struggling mightily, and it would be an enormous embarrassment for the program if they continue to fall apart against an Arizona team that currently is averaging 1.5 less yards per pass attempt than UCLA’s defense has allowed on the season.

Our Picks: Ralph and George both picked the Bruins in a blowout.

Who are the Pac-12 Apostles?

The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.

Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.

George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.

Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.

10/8/21 Wrighster or Wrong: Kyrie Irving for Ben Simmons? Stafford no better than Goff? Spooky Season Cinema and More

Wrighster or Wrong

On this episode of WRIGHSTER OR WRONG, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden try to kill two problems with one solution by weighing the merits of a Kyrie Irving for Ben Simmons swap. Next, the guys debate whether the risk the LA Rams made in trading Jared Goff to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford is going to be worth it in the long run. George says they’re the same-level player, while Ralph tries to point out the real difference isn’t a surface statistic. Since it’s Spooky season, George and Ralph get into what type of horror movies they do and do not like. Finally, Meghan Trainor has kicked off a national conversation about the bathroom habits of couples, and the guys weigh in on their public pooping positions.

Click any of the following links to listen to Wrighster or Wrong on your preferred Podcast platform

iHeart // Apple Podcasts // Spotify // Stitcher // Radio Public // Google Podcasts

Have a take you’d like us to address? Email us at immad@unafraidshow.com and we’ll read your take on a future Wrighster or Wrong podcast.

Say Goodbye: Best Final Movie For A Character Or Franchise

Logan / 20th Century Fox

Endings are so hard to get right. Viewers give so much time and emotions to the characters in franchises that span multiple years and movies that when the ending falls flat, it’s a disappointment all around. The poor reception Game of Thrones received for its final season is why I believe George R.R. Martin hasn’t finished A Song of Ice and Fire.

When certain characters or franchises receive proper endings to their stories, it leaves viewers satisfied. It’s reassurance for all the hours they spent committing to a story, that their time wasn’t wasted. With No Time to Die serving as Daniel Craig’s swan song in the Bond franchise, let’s explore some of the best final movies for a character or franchise.

Note: I tried to stick with characters or franchises with finite endings. I love Return of the Jedi, but Luke, Han, and Leia all returned in the Skywalker trilogy so Episode VI wasn’t a true ending to their story. If Iron Man returns to the MCU, I might have to adjust this list. Toy Story 3 was perfect, but then Toy Story 4 happened so I can’t count the third film as an ending as well.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

When describing the Lord of the Rings trilogy, a “masterpiece” is typically the noun of choice. There are little flaws in Peter Jackson’s epic fantasy adventure told in three movies. From the epic action sequences to breathtaking cinematography, LOTR became the gold standard for cinematic storytelling. Return of the King is 201 minutes long, and yet it moves so effortlessly and never drags. Every loose end is tied up and every character gets a proper ending to their story. Not only did fans love Return of the King, but critics and Academy voters praised the film, resulting in a perfect 11 for 11 at the 2004 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

Avengers: Endgame

Telling a complete story in one film is hard enough. Imagine crafting a story that spans over 11 years and 23 films?* From Iron Man to Captain Marvel, Kevin Feige perfectly pieced together every story in the Infinity Saga, which culminated with Avengers: Endgame. For 7 years, the Mad Titan known as Thanos was built up to be this unbeatable villain, and up until Endgame, he never lost. Not only did Endgame have to conclude the Infinity Saga, but it also had to set up the future of the MCU. Well, the future of the MCU was passed to Spider-Man, Black Panther (RIP Chadwick), and the Guardians of the Galaxy while Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans received admirable endings to their versions of Iron Man and Captain America respectively. Onto Phase 4, we go!

*Spider-Man: Far From Home is included in the Infinity Saga as the 23rd film, but it feels like a bridge between Phase 3 and Phase 4 instead of the last film in Phase 3.

Christian Bale’s Batman in The Dark Knight Rises

There are two camps. You either like Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises or you hate The Dark Knight Rises. I’m in the former. Dark Knight Rises had the impossible task of following The Dark Knight, which is the best comic movie of all time with the best acting performance of the 21st century, Heath Ledger’s Joker. Nothing could top that masterpiece, and when Rises came out, many compared it to The Dark Knight and picked it up apart. Eight years have passed, and The Dark Knight Rises has aged well in terms of its swan song to Christian Bale’s Batman. Bane’s voice is still confusing all these years later, but Bale’s heartfelt goodbye to the caped crusader is successful. It’s a proper and finite ending to a superb trilogy. With rumors of Downey Jr. and Evans returning to the MCU after Endgame, it’s refreshing to see that Bale’s Batman will never come back. He sacrificed himself for Gotham City and retired to Italy with a beautiful woman. If that’s not the dream, I don’t know what is.

Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in Logan

When comic book movies bring in directors with both dramatic and comedic success as well as a strong affinity for character development, good things can happen. Case in point, James Mangold masterfully wrote and directed Logan, Hugh Jackman’s final film as Wolverine. For such a violent film, Jackman played Wolverine with such nuance and compassion that for the first time, viewers could sympathize with Logan the person as opposed to Wolverine the mutant. Logan is a great movie that doesn’t need to add “comic book” as a qualifier.

What are your picks? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us @unafraidshow.