by John Tobben | May 10, 2016 | Staying In
At the close of season five, I openly wondered how Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss would navigate the uncharted waters beyond the published volumes in George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Since the show could never practically shut...
by John Tobben | May 2, 2016 | Staying In
When Jon Snow’s eyes suddenly opened in the waning seconds of Home, the worst kept secret in the history of Game of Thrones was finally officially revealed. Despite his brief role as Lord Commander Julius Caesar, everyone knew Jon Snow wasn’t gone for good. Book...
by John Tobben | Apr 25, 2016 | Staying In
Following the Game of Thrones season five finale, I noted the uncharacteristic abundance of cliffhangers.Given the rapidly diminishing published source material, and the potential that George RR Martin may complete The Winds of Winter before season six, these...
by John Tobben | Apr 15, 2016 | Sports
Kris Jenkins buzzer beater not only ended UNC’s hopes of hanging NCAA Title Banner number six, it also meant the end of college basketball. The NCAA tournament is without a doubt the climax of the North Carolina sports calendar. And while there may be a temptation...
by John Tobben | Mar 15, 2016 | Sports
Last year I wrote a piece called “How to Pick North Carolina in Your Bracket.” It was predicated on two simple ideas. One, picking North Carolina to win the national championship in 2015 was a terrible idea. Two, that I was absolutely going to fill out a bracket...
by John Tobben | Feb 2, 2016 | Sports
Note: This is part two of a two part piece chronicling the highs and lows of the Carolina Panthers. For part one click here. HIGH – Deshaun Foster in the 2003 Playoffs While the Panthers fell just short in the franchise’s first Super Bowl run, the future...
by John Tobben | Jan 29, 2016 | Sports
HIGH – North Carolina Gets an NFL Team with some help from the Triangle The Carolina Panthers were officially announced as the NFL’s 29th team in 1993,1 six years after team owner (then and still to this day) Mr. Jerry Richardson had announced his bid to...
by John Tobben | Dec 10, 2015 | Staying In
In the leadup to the release of The Force Awakens there has been an understandable urge to revisit and reflect on the previous entries in the saga. While opinions regarding most of the films are relatively unanimous — Empire Strikes Back is still amazing,...
by John Tobben | Nov 3, 2015 | Staying In
Grantland is dead. ESPN unceremoniously announced that the site would be shut down, effective immediately, on Friday afternoon. Given the steady exsanguination of former staffers in the months following the contentious departure of founder Bill Simmons this past...
