Hey everyone! This is my Mock Draft I did because I am a ridiculously bored bastard in the middle of a lull in my classes schedule. Let me know your thoughts! Trades are included in this, and the list of them can be found at the bottom.

1. Jaguars- Trevor Lawrence, QB

I really don’t have to explain this pick. He is far and away the most valuable pick in this draft and the Jaguars would be insane not to lock this pick in months in advance.

1. Jets- Justin Fields, QB

The first real decision of the draft comes from the Jets, where they decide to move on from Sam Darnold and draft an accomplished player in Justin Fields. On top of his clear physical talents and admiral skills at the QB position, the Jets choose him over Zach Wilson for culture reasons. Fields has faced high pressure situations his entire career and rebounded admirably from losing out in a QB competition, and for a team with a long history of losing he is a great piece to help turn the culture around.
3.Dolphins (Via HOU)- Penei Sewell, OT
The Dolphins can choose between getting a franchise left tackle and one of Tua’s old wide receivers, and ultimately they choose to protect their investment in a young QB. Sewell is a monster of an O-lineman and I would be shocked to see a team go with anything else, especially when the QB is one with the injury history of Tua.
4.49ers (Via ATL)- Zach Wilson, QB
The 49ers get aggressive and move up 8 slots in the draft, allowing them to select a QB who has been much more impressive than Jimmy G. He has outright said he thinks he would be a good fit in the 49ers scheme, and I expect Shannahan is thinking the same thing. The Falcons also gained extra picks to further rebuild their defense with, which is a priority for them in this mock.

1. Panthers (Via CIN)- Trey Lance, QB

Matt Rhule continues his rebuild of the Panthers by adding a dynamic dual threat quarterback who can eventually take the job over from Teddy Bridgewater. Trey Lance still needs to be developed as a passer, but I am confident with the weapons he would have in Carolina if he can do it anywhere it is there and Matt Rhule knows that as well.

1. Eagles- Devonta Smith, WR

The Eagles (and more specifically Howie Roseman) are under heavy fire from the media and fans, and are also in desperate need of help at the WR position. This leads them to picking a talented player that everyone already loves, and I suspect they will be rewarded for this decision. They get a technician to support Jalen Hurts / Carson Wentz, and if either of those guys are the answer they have to be able to get it done with a weapon as electric as Smith.

1. Lions- Micah Parsons, LB

Sorry Lions fans, the appropriate way to describe your needs is that you need help at every position. The Lions use this pick to go defensive BPA, which leads to them selecting Micah Parsons to be the centerpiece of their defense. Combined with Jeff Okudah, the Lions continue building a good young defensive core to support aging (and potentially traded) QB Matthew Stafford.

1. Bengals (Via CAR)- Christian Darrisaw, OT

Joe Burrow is going to reward the Bengals for their tank if they build around him, and starting Bobby Hart at RT is not building around him. The team selects the best OT left on the board at this point in order to try and keep their young QB upright and protect their investment in him. I also personally don’t buy the argument that the Bengals need another #1 receiver, as I believe in both Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, thus passing on a better player in Ja’Marr Chase to fill a position of need.

1. Broncos- Patrick Surtain II, CB

The Broncos need a CB, and they go and get a proven SEC defender with a pedigree of performing against the best wideouts he faced. Surtain can be an anchor in the secondary to allow the edge rushing talents of this team to have the time needed to get home. This defense with some help could be a nightmare for opposing teams, and this furthers that goal.

1. Cowboys- Caleb Farley, CB

The Boys need help in the secondary, and especially considering the player they are about to pass to a division rival it makes the selection of the second best CB in the class in Caleb Farley a no brainer. This bit of aid may not fix a struggling Cowboys defense, but it will certainly help stem the bleeding.

1. Giants- Ja’Marr Chase, WR

The steal of the mock goes to Dave Gettleman at the 11th pick. After promising to get Daniel Jones weapons, he gets him an absolute monster of a receiver to supplement a receiving core that struggled mightily in 2020. With a monstrous deep threat in tow, Daniel Jones will have no excuse but to prove it in 2021.

1. Falcons- Kwity Paye, EDGE

The Falcons need help at all three levels of their defense, and they begin this retool with the draft of physical freak Kwity Paye. Paye is a bit of a developmental prospect, but the Falcons need help alongside Grady Jarrett and they find a promising young Edge Rusher in Kwity Paye to solve that.

1. Chargers- Rashawn Slater, OT

After Justin Herbert’s monster rookie season, one thing became quickly apparent: the Chargers needed to fix their offensive line to prevent Herbert from joining a dishonorable list of names including Joe Burrow and RGIII. They get this by getting a great OT prospect in Slater who can help solidify the line and keep a great QB upright.

1. Vikings- Wyatt Davis, IOL

Kirk Cousins is not a bad quarterback, but he also isn’t going to win on his own. He has a great set of weapons to showcase in Thielen, Jefferson, and Cook. Now the failure comes in that he can’t stay upright long enough to use these weapons properly. Adding a piece for Cousins to pass behind and Cook to run behind makes this offense more dynamic as a whole, and the top interior lineman comes off the board to help this issue.

1. Patriots- Jaylen Waddle, WR

The Patriots WR core was… bad. An already struggling WR core lost their best player in Edelman, Tom Brady, and their WR Coach in Joe Judge and the floor fell out from under an already mediocre group. They get a dynamic separator to serve as their #1, and will aim to address this issue again later on in the draft.

1. Cardinals- Kyle Pitts, TE

Kyler Murray is a great QB and the Cardinals have continuously invested in his success. That being said, he only has one elite target and when Hopkins can’t beat his double teams, the offense struggles. This situation is solved by obtaining a massive upgrade at TE in Kyle Pitts. This weapon can help continue to push Murray above and beyond in a powerhouse of a division.

1. Raiders- Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB

Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, and the WR corp of the Broncos all pose a brutal challenge for a defense that already is struggling mightily. They begin to rectify this by getting a versatile athlete at LB to try and right the ship. Owusu-Koramoah is not the entire answer, but he is a good bet to be an effective NFL LB, and god only knows how badly the Raiders need one of those.

1. Dolphins- Rashod Bateman, WR

The Dolphins have Tua Tagovailoa as their QB of the future, and now they need to tailor his weapons to what he is good at. He clearly does not trust his WRs, and for that reason the Dolphins bring in a fresh new face to try and work with the young QB. Tua has it in him, and Bateman can help him unlock the parts of his game he hasn’t yet showcased in the NFL.

1. Football Team- Mac Jones, QB

I’m going to level with all of you: I don’t really like Mac Jones all that much. In my opinion he has too low of a ceiling for me to like selecting him this early. That being said, the WFT has shown an ability to make game managers succeed: and I think they’ll be desperate enough for a QB that they’ll take their chances that Jones is more Alex Smith than AJ McCarron.

1. Bears- Samuel Cosmi, OT

The Bears are likely to lose Allen Robinson, and with that I think they need to focus on their best offensive weapon left in David Montgomery. Getting an absolute monster of a man to man at a tackle position can help possibly make the Bears an elite rushing team if they continue to build along this path.

1. Colts- Alex Leatherwood, OT

The retirement of Constanzo makes this pick a bit of a no-brainer. The Colts need a LT, and they get one in Leatherwood. Ballard and Reich get to keep rolling with their offense behind a prospect that I like quite a bit for them. I could also see the argument to select an Edge here, but given this franchise's history with not protecting their QB I would much rather have another O-Lineman.

1. Titans- Gregory Rousseau, Edge

Vrabel and the titans like physical freaks, and a freak they get in Greg Rousseau. His elite athleticism is that of a top five edge rusher, but he slips down as teams fear his floor is insanely low. The Titans roll the dice to try and save a pass rush that was out sacked by the Giants interior lineman in 2020, and gamble that this will pay off.

1. Jets- Jaycee Horn, CB

Lamar Jackson is an elite QB and any team would be happy to have him, Lamar Jackson on the other hand has no business starting at CB on an NFL team. The Jets rectify this issue by selecting an intriguing CB prospect in Horn. I personally don’t really know what I think of Horn quite yet, but I know he deserves to go in the first and that the Jets would be happy to have him.

1. Steelers- Najee Harris, RB

Najee Harris is a patient running back who is great at finding the holes in the defense who supplements that style with a great ability to contribute in the passing game. Now when have the Steelers ever utilized a back like that effectively? Joke aside, Harris is a great talent and as I think Ben gives it one more year this is the weapon they bring in to fix their struggling rushing attack.

1. Jaguars- Jaelan Phillips, EDGE

The Jaguars will look at how the WFT has rebuilt and try to emulate that by getting an elite edge rushing pair of their own. Enter Jaelan Phillips, one of my favorite gems of this class. He is far from a guaranteed prospect, but I love his ability as a pass rusher and when placed opposite Josh Allen I see a foundation of a playoff-caliber defense if Phillips translates to the next level.

1. Browns- Joseph Ossai, EDGE

The Browns will likely lose Olivier Vernon this offseason, and replacing him would be a wise move to not have that defense totally fall into disarray. Ossai has the potential to be an effective edge rusher in the NFL, and the Browns should take a chance on him in order to make sure that they can replicate the pass rush that even kind of makes that defense respectable.

1. Buccaneers- Christian Barmore, DL

Christian Barmore is a talented player, and he is being drafted to help fill big shoes. The Bucs pass rush is losing its top man in Shaw Barrett this offseason, and Christian Barmore can help solidify the front 7. As the first DL off the board, he can potentially help support a bucs pass rush and add another weapon to the Bucs arsenal they have effectively used to control the rushing attack of other teams.

1. Ravens- Rondale Moore, WR

The Ravens are… lacking at the WR position, and for that reason they select the best WR left on the board. Rondale Moore brings a good weapon for Lamar Jackson to throw to, and support the talented young QBs development as a passer.

1. Saints- Zaven Collins, LB

The Saints are likely to lose Drew Brees this offseason, but unfortunately I think they won’t be able to get a QB that can fully fill his shoes. So instead of trying to recapture the magic of that short passing attack they support the new QB, whoever it is, by adding a versatile defensive weapon that can make a dangerous Saints defense even more of a nightmare. His prowess as a blitzer is appealing to Payton, and I think that while Collins could bust out his athletic traits plus his versatility will draw Payton in.

1. Bills- Azeez Ojulari, EDGE

The Bills have a hell of an offense nowadays, but the once elite defense is in need of a little bit of support in order to reclaim what they were in 2019. This comes by trying to increase the pass rush of the team, as it allows the safeties and White to work their magic and lock down the passing game. Ojulari is not my personal favorite prospect, but he has talent and I think McDermott would be wise to take a shot on him.

1. Packers- Chris Olave, WR

Aaron Rodgers is coming off an MVP campaign, and that is without having a real WR2. The Packers decide to add strength to an already terrifying passing game by adding one of the best route runners in the class. He may not transform into an elite #1 option, but Olave is a great target for the Pack to try and further an already terrifyingly powerful offense.

1. Chiefs- Alijah Vera-Tucker, IOL

Alijah Vera-Tucker is a steady player that has the potential to be a contributor at the guard slot, and the projected superbowl champions struggled up the middle badly. Patrick Mahomes is everything to this franchise, and using yet another 1st round pick to protect him would be a wise decision.

1. Jaguars- Jalen Mayfield, OT

The Jaguars learn from the Bengals mistakes and immediately make moves to shore up a mediocre O-Line that could get their new franchise QB seriously injured. They do this by bringing in a solid OT prospect to try and offer Lawrence protection from good edge rushers. While not a perfect OT prospect, Mayfield is a slam-dunk pick for a team looking to protect their new QB.

1. Jets- Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR

I LOVE Amon-Ra. He will be a steal in this draft, and only to meet rule #1 will I qualify that he does still have some bust potential. By drafting St. Brown, the new QB on the block in Fields for the Jets gets a weapon to grow with. This strategy has worked in recent years (Burrow-Higgins, Jones-Slayton), and the Jets bring in a great weapon to try and replicate this strategy.

1. Falcons- Dylan Moses, LB

As I said earlier, the Falcons need help at every level of their defense. That being said, with Deion Jones already in the linebacking corp they can afford to make a risky decision and draft a dominant athlete who has unfortunately underperformed in his last season in college. This pick is a high risk / high reward decision, but the Falcons need to roll the dice if they want to be relevant again any time soon.

1. Dolphins- Travis Etienne, RB

The Dolphins continue to commit to rebuilding their team to fit the skillset of Tua Tagovailoa, and part of that plan includes obtaining a much better running game than the one they currently have. Etienne isn’t a perfect prospect, but what he brings is a pedigree of success to the Dolphins that would certainly be appealing to Flores. Etienne, Sewell, and Bateman could bring a spark to an offense that desperately needs one.

1. Eagles- Nick Bolton, LB

The Eagles are bad, but the Linebacking corp needs extra attention. For this reason they take the best Linebacker left on the board in Nick Bolton. He won’t solve all of this defenses problems as they are likely to lose their best player in Brandon Graham, but maybe he can stem the bleeding of a mediocre defense that is only getting worse.

1. Bengals- Terrace Marshall Jr., WR

While earlier I said I didn’t believe the Bengals needed an elite #1 wideout, they can definitely afford to go and get another decent one. This is where Marshall Jr. comes in, the big man is a college teammate of Joe Burrow’s, and could be a contributor in the red zone. While I personally don’t expect him to be the best WR in this class, his size makes him someone you can’t take your eyes off of, which helps the already great other members of the Bengals skill positions.

1. Bengals (Via ATL)- Creed Humphrey, IOL

The Bengals continue to rebuild the O-Line to protect their investment in Joe Burrow by adding a good interior lineman to shore up a weak point on the team. Humphrey is also a big man and can contribute heavily to the rushing attack leveled by Gio Bernard and Joe Mixon. This may not be the sexiest draft for the Bengals, but they do what they have to do to maximize their investment in Joe Burrow.

1. Broncos- Daviyon Nixon, DL

The Broncos continue to invest in their defense by adding an interior DL that can work alongside Chubb, Miller, and Casey to create an absolute monster of a pass rush. Nixon is not a slam dunk pick, especially because the Broncos are drafting to add to an existing strength of theirs, but if they want to survive vs. the Elite deep passers in the AFCW, they need to be able to get to the QB quickly. For that basic reason, they invest heavily in their defense in the early round of this draft.

1. Lions- Kyle Trask, QB

If not this offseason, then sometime soon Matthew Stafford’s time in Detroit is coming to an end. The Lions get another QB through the door to backup the aging Stafford for the short term while he develops into hopefully the franchise guy in Detroit. Lord only knows they need one after the only thing keeping that team from drowning in Stafford is gone.

1. Patriots (Via NYG)- Pat Friermuth, TE

Bill Bellichek loves his tight ends, and this time he pulls off a trade with the Giants to leapfrog them and Jaguars to select the player aptly dubbed “Baby Gronk”. Friermuth is not a perfect prospect, some injury concerns are present, but his talents are impressive in every phase of the game and the Patriots should kill to have a weapon like this. The Giants do this to supplement a move they make later on in this mock.

1. Falcons (Via SF)- Trevon Moehrig-Woodard, S

For one last time, the Falcons need help at every level of the defense and this time they get a safety to work the secondary of this defense. Moehrig is an impressive player to me, and I think he has a chance to outperform his draft stock and be an anchor for a struggling Falcons secondary.

1. Cowboys- Jay Tufele, DL

The Cowboys are egregious up the middle of their defense. It is an absolute embarrassment to watch, and for that reason they make a pick that is far from sexy in selecting Tufele. Tufele is a talented player who I believe could help remove the sad reality that RBs were able to rush all over the Cowboys defensive line for much of the year. This pick is not the sexy kind that Jerry Jones loves to make, but he needs to bite the bullet and select someone to help their struggling run defense.

1. Jaguars- Eric Stokes, CB

The Jaguars miss Jalen Ramsey patrolling their secondary, but now they need to replace him with a new set of DBs that can support the rebuilt edge rush of this defense. This is where Eric Stokes comes in, an SEC proven defender which may appeal to a team that needs help in the secondary.

1. Giants (Via NE)- Jayson Oweh, EDGE

The G-Men thank their lucky stars and select the second player of their draft that has slipped down the draft board in Jayson Oweh. The pass rusher benefited in the past from working alongside Micah Parsons, but his talents stood out in their own right this year on an otherwise disappointing Penn State defense without Micah Parsons. While I personally favor Basham as a pass rusher, Oweh is a great fit for the giants 3-4 disguise scheme and New York is lucky to have him more often than not.

1. Chargers- Carlos Basham Jr., EDGE

An underrated part of what made the Browns good this year was their ability to jar the ball loose and force turnovers, allowing the offense to run the score up with an otherwise mediocre defense. With Melvin Ingram likely gone, the Chargers aim to replicate the Browns in that way and select Basham Jr. The Edge Rusher out of Wake Forest is an intriguing process, but to me his ability to force fumbles is a significant boon that should draw in the Chargers and their high power offense that scores more often than not when they have the ball. Turnovers win games, and the Chargers draft Basham for his ability to force them coming off the edge opposite Bosa.

1. Raiders- Shaun Wade, CB

The Raiders take a chance on Shaun Wade who has regressed in a major way when he was pushed to the outside on the Buckeye defense this year. He still has the desirable physical traits, including the size and speed to bully slot receivers around the league and be effective in zone coverage against large receivers and TEs. He is a developmental prospect, but at his best he is a high-end talent, and the Raiders defense desperately needs one of those.

1. Cardinals- Patrick Jones II, EDGE

The Cardinals defense has a great pass rusher in Chandler Jones, but he went down this year and the team suffered for it. While Haason Reddick stepped up for them, he is headed for free agency. The Cardinals bring in a good edge rusher in Patrick Jones out of Pitt to try and make sure that the pass rushing burden doesn’t fully fall on one person like it has the past two years under Kingsbury. If Jones pans out, the Cards may be able to dominate the difficult NFCW and that is why they’ll try to beef up their pass rush.

1. Dolphins- Trey Smith, IOL

In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I like the idea of rebuilding the Dolphins offense to match the already good defense they have built. They bring in Trey Smith to compete for an IOL job which he will likely win to form a young core of Smith and Sewell on that O-Line. The idea of this draft being to give Tua a new weapon and a good run game to lean on, and if he can’t make the most of it then the next QB will have a great situation to walk into.

1. Football Team- Kadarius Toney, WR

One of my favorite prospects goes to one of my least favorite teams. As a Giants fan living in DC, I would be absolutely crushed if this happens but ultimately I think it makes too much sense. Toney is a great weapon in terms of breaking tackles, joining an already slippery Washington offense built around Antonio Gibson and Terry McLaurin for Mac Jones to pilot. While he is far from a complete player, Toney is a fun weapon that I believe Meshes well with Mac Jones and what Rivera is trying to build in Washington, and for that reason he is a great pick at 51st overall in the draft.

1. Bears- Walker Little, OT

The Bears draft another monster OT to work opposite of Cosmi. Walker Little can support the plan I have proposed for the Bears draft to try and become a good rushing attack, and he can become an NFL caliber pass blocker in my opinion. The Bears need a new direction, and being a team that punches people in the mouth in the trenches is one that they can certainly achieve with these two picks.

1. Titans- Marvin Wilson, DL

The Titans need a lot of help rushing the passer, and they take another pass rusher who has shown flashes of being a great NFL caliber talent. Wilson at the interior position for the Seminoles shows pass rushing talent, but his floors have been unfortunately low. The hope for the Titans is that he and Rousseau can develop into a great interior / exterior edge rushing tandem that may save a struggling pass rush on an otherwise playoff caliber team.

1. Colts- Joe Tryon, EDGE

The Colts are, in my opinion, one of the best coached teams in the NFL, and they know that as well. For this reason they take an intriguing project edge rusher in Joe Tryon. He has nearly every physical trait you look for in an elite NFL pass rusher, while also having very few of the desired techniques of one. The Colts take a risk and pick him, trusting that over the next few years they can unlock his potential.

1. Steelers- Liam Eichenberg, OT

The starting OT of the Steelers in Zach Banner ultimately went down with a season ending injury early in the 2020 season while the rest of the O-Line only gets older, and for this reason they inject a rookie into the group. Eichenberg is a promising prospect, and I believe that the Steelers are a good place to utilize his talents.

1. Seahawks- Josh Myers, IOL

Not my favorite pick of the draft, but the Steelers need help up the middle of the trenches and if they intend to commit to running the ball more they need it double. Myers is reached for a bit in order to supplement this need, and his help both in the run game and passing attack will surely be appreciated by Seahawks HC Pete Caroll.

1. Giants (Via LAR)- Brevin Jordan, TE

Using their third round pick and some of the assets acquired from the patriots trade the Giants move back up into the first round to select a TE of their own. The Rams need to recoup picks from their litany of trades over the past few years, and they gain more mid round picks to supply depth to their otherwise top-heavy team. The Giants take a complete TE in Brevin Jordan, drawn in by the fact that he won’t be a liability in every way the same way Evan Engram was. At the very least, he likely won’t cause three separate interceptions by volleyball setting the ball into the air for the defense to catch.

1. Buccaneers- Jevon Holland, S

The Bucs were exposed this year when Tyreek Hill dropped 200 yards on them in a half, and as more speedster wideouts enter the league they may want to fortify the help they afford their CBs over the top. In comes Jevon Holland, a player who is just solid, I don’t view him as particularly elite but he is almost certainly going to be a good role player for the Bucs. The Bucs have their defensive playmakers in the front 7, now they just need the help up over top to let the guys up front do their work.

1. Ravens- Quincy Roche, EDGE

The Ravens are likely to lose Matthew Judon and Yannick Ngakoue this offseason, and they try to solve this issue by reaching for the Miami product to support their weak edge group. It is just a solid, respectable pick to make.

1. Browns- Chazz Surrat, LB

The Browns need some help in the back 7, but a lot of it for the secondary will come off IR. This means another linebacker could help improve this defense, and for that reason they select the best LB left on the board in Chazz Surrat.

1. Saints- Levi Onwuzerike, DL

The Saints defensive leader in Cameron Jordan is only getting older, and now is the time to start finding him help and eventually, his replacement on that DL. This is where the talented Onwuzerike is drafted, as he is a flawed prospect that can learn from Jordan and eventually grow into the role of the alpha on this defensive front.

1. Bills- Tyson Campbell, CB

The Josh Norman experiment was… passable for the Buffalo Bills. That being said he is 33 and that secondary is already very expensive. With a pricy Josh Allen extension on the horizon, getting a good cheap CB is a smart idea for the Bills. This is why they use their second round pick to select Tyson Campbell.

1. Packers- Jalen Twyman, DL

It is no secret at this point that the Packers weakness is their run defense. By adding another player onto the interior defensive line they can begin to get their feet under them. This is the reason they select the Pitt product to develop and bulk up next to Kenny Clark.

1. Chiefs- Asante Samuel Jr., CB

The Chiefs offense is… expensive to maintain. For this reason the secondary is a bit of a revolving door for this team. With most of their starting CBs leaving this offseason, they could use a young controllable piece to develop in Spags defense. Enter Asante Samuel Jr., who gets picked to fill just that role.
Trades:

• Pick 4 for Pick 12, 43, and future assets (Falcons and 49ers)
• Pick 5 for Pick 8, 39, and future assets (Bengals and Panthers)
• Pick 57 for 3rd Round Pick + future assets (Rams and Giants)
• Pick 43 for pick 46 and future assets (Giants and Patriots)

Thanks for reading! Please leave your thoughts/criticisms below. I would love to talk about them!

Hello all of you beautiful people! The new season of The Challenge is almost here and I need this season more than ever right now. As the season was being announced I was in the process of temporarily moving states for work, loathe the place I am working at right now, and to top it off I am sick, hopefully not with Covid. Typical trend for 2020. Needless to say, I need the season to help keep my mind off things. This survey was one little thing to help. Anyway, enough about me. This season we had a total of 314 responses. Without further ado, here are your results.
Which rookies are you excited for?
When new debuts have been brought up the last few seasons, there has been one name I have seen consistently. As I have not watched survivor, I know nothing about this competitor but her reputation obviously precedes her. Natalie Anderson received the most votes with 209. I am really excited to see this beast of a competitor as she has been really hyped up. Our number two spot goes to a competitor that is a rookie that is familiar with the game. Lolo Jones received second place with 179 votes. Lolo originally showed up on Champs vs. Pros where she won three eliminations and was unfortunately purged before the final. She has gone on to compete on other reality shows while still training for the Olympics but has made her way back to The Challenge. Being an Olympic athlete is definitely going to be intimidating for the other challengers and will bring a solid physical competitor to the show. Rounding out the top three is Nam Vo. His original show is Ultimate Beastmaster on Netflix. I know nothing about this competitor as well, however, the pics I have seen, this dude is solid. He is tall and completely ripped. The guys on the cast should be worried about going against him in any sort of physical elimination. Nam received 165 votes. The rest are as follows: Amber Borzotra 104, Amber Martinez 77, Lio Rush 66, Gabby Allen 58, Olivia "Liv" Jawando 45, Mechie Harris 28, Joseph Allen 8
Which returning players are you excited for?
It is so refreshing to see the top three being consisted of two vets after taking a break and a rookie that made a big impression last season. Taking our top spot is king Darrell Taylor. Darrell won his first four seasons and got kicked off his fifth (which he would have likely won again) for fighting with Brad. Darrell came back for Invasion and got cut short of the final while facing CT with a ridiculous strategy on Invasion and had some bad luck in the opening purge on Dirty XXX. The golden gloves boxer got 242 votes. Coming back after a long hiatus is Theresa Jones. I was not expecting to see Theresa again. She has had an interesting run on this show and last we saw of her she came in second on Exes 2. To add onto that she gave us one hell of an elimination before the final where she and Nany got to throwdown after being at each others' throats all season. If memory serves correctly, Theresa won the title of Best to Never Win in a survey created by u/honestkodaline. Based on some of the previews I have seen, Theresa looks to be as beautiful as ever and I am excited to see her show these kids how to play the game. Coming in third with 192 votes is Jay Starrett. Jay made a big impression last season being sent into the first three male eliminations. He won against Asaf and motherfucking CT! Unfortunately, Jay ran into a much bigger Rogan in a headbanger elimination. Jay also brought some drama when he got into a fling with Dee. Seeing some photos before the season started filming and Jay looks like he is in fantastic shape. My only hope is Jay doesn't get thrown into constant eliminations again this season. The rest are as follows: Wes Bergmann 178, Chris "CT" Tamburello 176, Kam Williams 172, Leroy Garrett 167, Kyle Christie 122, Tori Deal 118, Ashley Mitchell 108, Tula "Big T" Fazakerley 103, Faysal Shawn "Fessy" Shafaat 102, Devin Walker 101, Nany Gonzalez 78, Neslon Thomas 75, Cory Wharton 63, Aneesa Ferreira 63, Nicole Zanatta 48, Kaycee Clark 39, Josh Martinez 14
Which competitors are you least excited to see?
After all the shit that gets talked about Josh Martinez, it should be nobody's surprise that he ended up talking the first spot. I'm not going to spend too much time on this section because everyone trashes the following people for obvious reasons. Anyway, between Josh's terrible elimination record and his cringy drama he starts its easy to see how he got 198 votes. Next on our list is Nicole Zanatta with 146 votes. Nicole is known for getting with bi-curious girls on her two previous seasons being Laurel and Melissa. She then tried to get with Allie on Ex on the Peak before her ex showed up and rekindled something with her. We all know Nicole is a fuckboy that can't be loyal so I'm wondering who she is going to try to pick up next. I recently saw a thread shit talking this recent competitor because they didn't think she is that good of a competitor and she is wallpaper. Kaycee Clark came in third with 116 votes. While Kaycee is competitive she didn't exactly do as well as her physical abilities were hyped up. I believe she is one of the better girls in the house physically but this season is bringing in some girls that have a lot of physical potential. Other than challenges and eliminations, this girl is complete wallpaper. Her personality doesn't leave anything to be desired and the drama she was involved in was more exciting due to Bayleigh and Nany opposed to her. I guess we will see if she brings anything worth showing this season. The rest are as follows: Devin Walker 77, Nany Gonzalez 76, Aneesa Ferreira 72, Joseph Allen 55, Ashley Mitchell 51, Nelson Thomas 46, Cory Wharton 40, Faysal Shawn "Fessy" Shafaat 38, Tula "Big T" Fazakerley 38, Lolo Jones 38, Mechie Harris 33, Kyle Christie 32, Tori Deal 32, Wes Bergmann 31, Chris "CT" Tamburello 30, Kam Williams 24, Theresa Jones 19, Amber Martinez 18, Olivia "Liv" Jawando 16, Gabby Allen 15, Jay Starrett 14, Lio Rush 13, Amber Borzotra 13, Nam Vo 8, Leroy Garrett 8, Natalie Anderson 5, Darrell Taylor 2
Which competitor do you think will flop?
Like the previous section, I will send less time on this section than the last one because I think we need a little less negativity especially in 2020 where everything sucks. Looking at my last survey, I think I skipped an entire section because I know I used this question but this section was not in my write up. On the last one, Josh Martinez was in the middle of the pack but for this survey he took the lead with 134 votes. I can't say anything different than what I stated above so moving on. Next on our list is Aneesa Ferreira with 95 votes. Aneesa actually took the top spot for the Total Madness survey. Aneesa is great in pure strength based eliminations and dailies but is lacking in other areas. In the social and entertainment areas, she has plenty of friends but those friends never have her as their number one and her facial expressions during Total Madness were fun to watch especially during the "Hello Earthlings" segment. Based on her intro video for this season she is going to switch up her strategy a bit and I hope it pays off. The last person in the top three is Joseph Allen. I don't think this man has high expectations as he is a singer from America's Got Talent. Other than that I know nothing about this man but I am not expecting him to make a big splash unless he pulls out an unexpected or big win. He obtained 82 votes. The rest are as follows: Nany Gonzalez 69, Olivia "Liv" Jawando 53, Mechie Harris 52, Tula "Big T" Fazakerley 50, Nicole Zanatta 47, Devin Walker 41, Ashley Mitchell 33, Amber Martinez 32, Tori Deal 32, Gabby Allen 26, Lio Rush 22, Kyle Christie 18, Lolo Jones 17, Kaycee Clark 17, Cory Wharton 16, Wes Bergmann 13, Amber Borzotra 13, Jay Starrett 12, Nelson Thomas 11, Chris "CT" Tamburello 9, Leroy Garrett 8, Theresa Jones 8, Faysal Shawn "Fessy" Shafaat 7, Darrell Taylor 5, Natalie Anderson 3, Nam Vo 2. Kam received no votes.
Who is the most attractive male?
Well it looks like a rookie took the top spot this year. CT has been knocked off the throne and I would like to personally thank all 57 (19.3%) of you that voted for Nam Vo. I don't think I need to go into anymore detail about Nam as I already described his tall, muscular physique earlier. He is definitely some eye candy and I hope he is someone that we can continue to vote on for seasons to come. Trailing closely behind Nam is, you guessed it, Chris "CT" Tamburello with 53 (18%) votes. I'm not going to get into this any further because I just keep getting disappointed with how highly CT ranks. At one time, I would say he was the most attractive hands down. Now, not so much. Someone who is used to being high on this list comes Cory Wharton with 45 (15.3%) votes. Cory always ranks high and has even taken the top spot on this list with Vendettas even though he ended up being the first male to lose an elimination that season. The rest are as follows: Faysal Shawn "Fessy" Shafaat 36, Darrell Taylor 31, Kyle Christie 19, Jay Starrett 17, Leroy Garrett 10, Wes Bergmann 9, Devin Walker 7, Mechie Harris 6, Joseph Allen 2, Lio Rush 1, Josh Martinez 1, Nelson Thomas 1
Who is the most attractive female?
After looking at the woman's list of challengers, this was a hard decision because most of these woman are gorgeous. Overall, the votes on this one were really close. Last season, Tori Deal claimed third place behind Nany and Jenna, however she jumped up into the top spot this season. Tori received 53 (17.35) votes. Tori is a beautiful girl and definitely deserves the top spot. Since her return, Nany Gonzalez always makes it into the top three in this category. Nany is simply stunning and somehow manages to look better and better. Nany obtained 49 (16%) votes. I am so fucking excited to announce our third place. Theresa Jones has managed to take the third spot after having two kids! Like I said earlier Theresa looks absolutely stunning this season and it is an absolute joy to see her back. I am rooting for you girl! Theresa ended up with 45 (14.7%) votes. The rest are as follows: Kam Williams 37, Amber Borzotra 36, Amber Martinez 23, Gabby Allen 15, Ashley Mitchell 12, Lolo Jones 11, Tula "Big T" Fazakerley 8, Kaycee Clark 5, Olivia "Liv" Jawando 5, Natalie Anderson 3, Aneesa Ferreira 3, Nicole Zanatta 2
Which guy will have the most hookups?
I am honestly not sure if we have ever had a tie for the top spot on any of these surveys. Both veteran Kyle Christie and rookie Mechie Harris obtained 74 (24.9%) votes. Both of them together together almost half of all the votes casted. Starting with Kyle, he has a history of polidicking his way to success. Mel, Cara, and Ashley are just a few girls that he has hooked up with. Kyle seems like he is the male version of Nany where he finds someone new each season. Then we have Mechie. Mechie comes from Ex on the Beach season 3. Season 3 was one of the weaker seasons but Mechie did give us some good content between digging on someone else's ex and then being interested in one of his ex's when she got back into the house. I wonder if he is going to come into The Challenge with that same type of energy. Mechie will certainly stay longer if he has a good polidicking game. To round out the top three we have Faysal Shawn "Fessy" Shafaat with 62 (20.9%) votes. Last season Fessy was in a relationship with the beautiful Hayleigh who has still yet to be cast on this show. This season we have single Fessy so it will be interesting to see if he has his eyes on anyone. I happened to come across possible rumors for him while reading speculation on an Ex on the Beach season 5 thread but I won't spoil any of you here because I don't like to be spoiled and have no idea if there is any validity to the rumors. Either way, I am excited to see single Fessy play that polidicking game. The rest are as follows: Jay Starrett 40, Cory Wharton 18, Nelson Thomas 10, Lio Rush 4, Nam Vo 4, Joseph Allen 3, Chris "CT" Tamburello 3, Leroy Garrett 2, Devin Walker 2, Darrell Taylor 1. Josh Martinez and Wes Bergmann did not receive any votes.
Which girl will have the most hookups?
Did anybody expect Nany Gonzalez to not top this list? She has had multiple hookups since returning. If they were to do a future Exes season, you can bet your ass Nany will definitely be on it. Nany received 104 (34.9%) votes. Way behinid in second place with 66 (22.1%) votes is Amber Martinez. Amber is from AYTO8 and I am glad they are casting from this season. I liked a lot of people from this season, although social media was a dumpster fire with the cast after the season aired. Amber, I do not believe is coming on to win. She is coming on to have fun, collect money, and see what she can do. Amber is fun, flirty, and bisexual so there are a lot of potential cast members for her to hook-up with. On AYTO, she stated she was physically attracted to men and emotionally attracted to women. I can definitely see her hooking up with someone like Kaycee or Fessy. My only hope is she stays away from Nicole because Amber is to precious to get involved with the toxic piece of trash Nicole is. This actually segways into the number three spot which is Nicole Zanatta. Every season Nicole attempts to hook up with someone and while it brings drama, she is just a piece of shit to any woman she is interested in. She received 39 (13.1%) votes. The rest are as follows: Ashley Mitchell 37, Gabby Allen 23, Olivia "Liv" Jawando 14, Amber Borzotra 9, Natalie Anderson 2, Kaycee Clark 1, Theresa Jones 1, Tori Deal 1, Aneesa Ferreira 1. Tula "Big T" Fazakerley, Lolo Jones, and Kam Williams did not receive any votes.
Who is the most skilled male athlete?
Darrell Taylor's record speaks for itself. He won his first four seasons and is a golden gloves boxer. He has endurance for days and will likely win a final if he makes it. Darrell is a beast and deserves the top spot in this section. Darrell received 119 (38.9%) votes. Following behind Darrell is Faysal Shawn "Fessy" Shafaat. Fessy has a background in college football however dreams of ever playing in the NFL were shattered due to an injury with his ACL. Fessy is easily the biggest man on the cast as well at 6'5". Fessy had a really easy walk to the final as everybody was too intimdated to face him last season. If we get a final that isn't in a high, snowy place, Fessy may have a shot at winning. Fessy received 75 (24.5%) votes. To wrap up the top three we have Chris "CT" Tamburello with 45 (14.7%) votes. CT played basketball in college and does well in daily challenges making him a threat each season. Some people are saying, "he is looking like the old CT" and I just don't see it. I'll save my breath from any further scrutiny. The rest are as follows: Nam Vo 25, Wes Bergmann 21, Lio Rush 10, Nelson Thomas 6, Cory Wharton 2, Leroy Garrett 2, Jay Starrett 1. Josh Martinez, Kyle Christie, Mechie Harris, Joseph Allen, and Devin Walker did not receive any votes.
Who is the most skilled female athlete?
I am curious to know some of the reasoning for not picking Lolo Jones. With the men, I can see some room for discussion. However, Lolo is a dual Olympic athlete. This woman trains for both summer and winter Olympics. There is no argument I am willing to accept otherwise to explain your reasoning for picking another contestant. Lolo received a whopping 150 (48.9%) votes. Way behind in second place is Natalie Anderson with 52 (16.9%) votes. From what I have heard Natalie is a beast and I am excited to see what she is going to be bringing to the show. To wrap up the final three is Kam Williams. Kam has done well on her four previous seasons, either making it far into the season or making the final. She is definitely one to look out for as she has no doubt proven herself as a competitor. Kam received 26 (8.5%) votes. The rest are as follows: Kaycee Clark 23, Tori Deal 23, Theresa Jones 14, Ashley Mitchell 8, Amber Borzotra 5, Nany Gonzalez 3, Nicole Zanatta 2, Gabby Allen 1. Olivia "Liv" Jawando, Aneesa Ferreira, Amber Martinez, and Tula "Big T" Fazakerley received no votes.
Who is the best politician?
What does Wes Bergmann and the number four have in common? It is the number of times Wes has won this category in a row. Once Wes started to lose his muscle mass, he started to become better politically. I will say it every time I write one of these. His Exes 2 performance is what a perfect political game looks like. Unfortunately, he got screwed by the twist nobody saw coming. Wes obtained 117 (38.2%) votes. Coming in second place is Chris "CT" Tamburello with 61 (19.9%) votes. CT had an excellent political game in WotW2 because he was part of the mega alliance. With that alliance, he was able to stay out of elimination all season. He also turned on that alliance at the right time ensuring he was not in any danger with it being the last elimination. Taking the third spot is Kam Williams. On FR, Kam along with her alliance pulled a power game move ensuring Kam got to choose who went into elimination. While the strategy was impressive, it seemed wasted as it got two rookie teams into elimination opposed to two strong teams. However, that play was top tier and a great mix of strategy and politics. Kam received 55 (18%) votes. The rest are as follows: Ashley Mitchell 32, Kyle Christie 16, Leroy Garrett 5, Natalie Anderson 5, Devin Walker 4, Nany Gonzalez 2, Cory Wharton 2, Aneesa Ferreira 2, Jay Starrett 1, Kaycee Clark 1, Nicole Zanatta 1, Joseph Allen 1, Theresa Jones 1. Tori Deal, Tula "Big T" Fazakerley, Amber Borzotra, Olivia "Liv" Jawando, Amber Martinez, Gabby Allen, Lio Rush, Lolo Jones, Mechie Harris, Nam Vo, Josh Martinez, Darrell Taylor, Nelson Thomas, and Faysal Shawn "Fessy" Shafaat did not receive any votes.
Which competitors would you want to hang out with?
After making a big splash on TM, Jay Starrett won this section and its easy to see why. Jay seems like such a cool, laid back dude in a house full of crazy people. Jay received 182 votes. Coming in at second is Chris "CT" Tamburello. We have seen CT evolve over the years and everyone has fallen in love with dad bod CT. He is so much more relaxed than when he was a young hothead and seems like a chill dude. He is someone I'd like to sit around a bonfire with and have a few cold beers while he gives me advice. CT ended up with 176 votes. In third we have none other than Leroy Garrett. Leroy, like the other two, is a pretty chill dude and is another guy I would love to grab a drink with. Maybe one day I will be lucky enough to meet Leroy the barber and have him cut my hair. Leroy received 172 votes. The rest are as follows: Wes Bergmann 159, Tori Deal 157, Kam Williams 142, Kyle Christie 138, Darrell Taylor 136, Aneesa Ferreira 121, Ashley Mitchell 121, Tula "Big T" Fazakerley 120, Nany Gonzalez 109, Natalie Anderson 100, Theresa Jones 94, Devin Walker 84, Faysal Shawn "Fessy" Shafaat 78, Amber Martinez 76, Amber Borzotra 72, Cory Wharton 70, Nam Vo 68, Nelson Thomas 66, Kaycee Clark 48, Gabby Allen 41, Lio Rush 34, Lolo Jones 33, Olivia "Liv" Jawando 32, Mechie Harris 26, Josh Martinez 18, Nicole Zanatta 17, Joseph Allen 15
Who is likely to be sent home (injury, illness, etc.)?
Aneesa Ferreira has had a rough go of it on some seasons mainly because of her ankle. She injured her ankle on Dirty XXX and then nobody wanted her on the season for fear of being partnered up with her on an upcoming challenge that season. She was often mocked and said she was faking it. Then she reinjured her ankle on Champs vs Stars. At times I definitely feel bad for the girl. Aneesa obtained 69 votes. Another challenger was just sent home last season and gave us one of the best lines; fReSh cOttOn PaDS?!?!?!? Tula "Big T" Fazakerley left most of us laughing when she had her drunk night on TM. While hilarious, she cut her foot bad enough where she had to be sent home. I hope she is able to remain injury free on DA. Big T received 62 votes. To round out our top three we have Nicole Zanatta with 57 votes. On Vendettas, Nicole ended up injuring her ankle during the final and broke down on the final after it happened. It was quite satisfying to watch actually. The rest are as follows: Jay Starrett 24, Leroy Garrett 22, Olivia "Liv" Jawando 21, Josh Martinez 20, Lolo Jones 20, Cory Wharton 18, Joseph Allen 15, Nelson Thomas 14, Ashley Mitchell 12, Kyle Christie 12, Mechie Harris 10, Amber Martinez 10, Lio Rush 10, Chris "CT" Tamburello 9, Gabby Allen 8, Nany Gonzalez 8, Kaycee Clark 8, Nam Vo 8, Natalie Anderson 8, Devin Walker 8, Wes Bergmann 5, Amber Borzotra 5, Darrell Taylor 5, Theresa Jones 4, Faysal Shawn "Fessy" Shafaat 2, Tori Deal 1, Kam Williams 1
Who is likely to quit?
There is only one contestant on this season that has threatened to quit multiple times on previous seasons. Ashley Mitchell received 116 votes. In second is Lolo Jones. Lolo is a very emotional and at times angry person so it does not seem out of the realm of possibility that she would quit. Living in a house of crazy people will push people like her to her limits until she explodes and may end up leaving which would be best for her mental health. Lolo received 82 votes. To finish our top three is Olivia "Liv" Jawando. I know nothing about her other than the fact she is very young at the age of 21. We can see some very impulsive decisions from someone that young that includes quitting. Liv received 46 votes. The rest are as follows: Joseph Allen 32, Josh Martinez 29, Amber Martinez 26, Gabby Allen 25, Lio Rush 22, Mechie Harris 17, Amber Borzotra 14, Nicole Zanatta 14, Tula "Big T" Fazakerley 13, Natalie Anderson 10, Nany Gonzalez 9, Aneesa Ferreira 6, Nam Vo 5, Nelson Thomas 2, Devin Walker 2, Jay Starrett 2, Tori Deal 2, Cory Wharton 1, Theresa Jones 1, Chris "CT" Tamburello 1, Kaycee Clark 1, Kyle Christie 1, Leroy Garrett 1. Darrell Taylor, Kam Williams, Wes Bergmann, and Faysal Shawn "Fessy" Shafaat received no votes.
Who will have the most confessionals?
People belive that Chris "CT" Tamburello will have the most confessionals this season. I find the result surprising since I don't think CT has every had the most confessionals in a season. CT received 74 (24.7%) votes. The more realistic option coming in second is Wes Bergmann. I distinctly remember Wes having the most confessionals during WotW. Obviously the further you go in a season the more confessionals you will have so that will play a large part in the upcoming season as well. Wes received 71 (23.7%) votes. Rounding out the top three is Kam Williams with 33 (11%) votes. Kam has always made it far into a season which will certainly raise her confessional count simply due to more airtime. She was also made the profile picture for The Challenge's IG page meaning she will likely be a main character this upcoming season. She seems like a safe bet to receive the most confessionals.
What are your feelings for a season without Bananas?
I can only assume the people that wanted to see Bananas again are the same people that watch the same series over and over without giving any other show a chance. I know a majority of the people on this subreddit are die hard challenge fans but I am sure a majority of them watch something different and not The Challenge 24/7. Over half of you (164 votes which is 53.1%) said you were happy that Bananas was not going to be on this season. Remember, absense makes the heart grow fonder and that is why everyone is pumped that Darrell and Theresa are back. Also Johnny has been on the last 18 out of 19 seasons or something ridiculous like that (I am not going to look up the actual stat). 100 (32.4%) of you are indifferent to Bananas not being on this season. Then there are 45 (14.6%) of you that are sad that he won't be on and I have no sympathy for any of you. Give some other cast members the opportunity to shine.
And there you have it, the results for this season's survey. Please keep discussion civil in the comments and do not post spoilers unless properly tagged (the unspoiled gang loves this). Can't wait until Wednesday!
Edit: I received the Rocket Like award for this post. Thank you to everybody that liked it and participated in this survey! You guys rock!

Hello again all, trying to distract myself from the fact that it’s already May, I’ve put my matching Friday pants and socks set on to bring you another edition of the alternative World Cup. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the premise of this series why not indulge yourself in the last two groups.
Group A, Group B
Whilst yesterday featured a group with sprinkles of quality throughout, I’m afraid to say this gathering is a little one-sided. One African team dwarfs three squads of an Asian persuasion, so with more utopian island spots than full time pro’s on display, I’ll try my utmost not to drift into a Thomas Cook holiday blog, no promises though.
Group C
West Africa
Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinnea Bissau, Senegal, The Gambia, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Western Sahara, Algeria, Morrocco
Population (millions): 240.19
When it comes to brainchildren it’s strongly advised not to have favourites, but between you and me this is the funnest squad of the lot.
Similarly to Eastern Europe, West Africa has often been a hive of sporting talent restrained by the labyrinth of borders within its confines. George Weah, Emmanuel Adebayor, Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba and Abedi Pele are some notable stars of the past, but the conveyor belt of sporadic world-class attacking talent over the last 30 years appears to have crescendoed into a full blown production line of stars in every outfield position.
Something that my hypothesis can’t fairly simulate is what affect an open plan Africa would have on the decision making of some of our games Euro-Africano elite. N’Golo Kante is of Malean descent whilst fellow Parisian Paul Pogba boasts his Guinean parentage. It would be a safe bet to assume at least some juggling would take place with the region's newfound affluence, but until I am able to read the minds of millionaire athletes I’m not going to touch the subject with a barge pole, besides I think I’d go for the sort codes well before I look at their national preference.
What we DO have however is a terrific squad on paper that will continue to improve as the years continue, with 17 year old Barcelona wunderkind Ansu Fati hailing from Guinea-Bissau, as long as he doesn’t succumb to a Spanish inquisition.

Goalkeepers				Birthplace	FM20	Value	Age
Edouard Mendy	SEN	Rennes	GK	Montivilliers, France	65	€4.40	28
Yassine Bounou	MAR	Sevilla	GK	Montreal, Canada	68	€10.00	29
Defenders
Faouzi Ghoulam	ALG	Napoli	LB	Saint-Priest, France	72	€17.10	29
Dakonam Djene	TOG	Getafe	CB	Dapaong	74	€26.80	28
Kalidou Koulibaly	SEN	Napoli	CB	Saint-Die, France	84	€64.30	28
Achraf Hakimi	MAR	B. Dortmund	RWB	Madrid, Spain	72	€23.30	21
Eric Bailly	CIV	Man United	CB	Bingerville	72	€31.40	26
Salif Sane	SEN	Schalke 04	CB	Lormont, France	69	€9.00	29
Serge Aurier	CIV	Tottenham	RB	Ouragahio	70	€19.90	27
Kwadwo Asamoah	GHA	Inter Milan	LWB	Accra	74	€21.10	31
Midfielders
Riyad Mahrez	ALG	Man City	RW	Sarcelles, France	77	€62.00	29
Hakim Ziyech	MAR	Ajax	CAM	Dronten, Netherlands	79	€42.80	27
Thomas Partey	GHA	Atleti	CDM	Krobo Odumase	76	€33.40	26
Naby Keita	GUI	Liverpool	CM	Conakry	78	€52.20	25
Ismaila Sarr	SEN	Watford	RW	Saint-Louis	67	€22.20	22
Pepe	CIV	Arsenal	RW	Mantes-la-Jolie, France	76	€45.60	24
Idrissa Gana Gueye	SEN	PSG	CDM	Dakar	75	€28.80	30
Amine Harit	MOR	Schalke	CAM	Pontoise, France	69	€10.07	22
Forwards
Sadio Mane	SEN	Liverpool	LF	Sedhiou	90	€92.40	28
Wilfried Zaha	CIV	Crystal Palace	CF	Abidjan	77	€59.60	27
Moussa Marega	MLI	Porto	ST	Les Ulis, France	70	€16.80	29
Islam Slimani	ALG	Monaco	ST	Algiers	68	€19.80	31
				Average/Totals	74	€712.90	27.13636364

A difficult pick but I’ve settled on a squad that could play in numerous formations, Sadio Mané and Riyad Mahrez are two of the Premier Leagues most potent wide players whilst the midfield is a superfluity of athleticism and technique.
The likes of Feghouli, Kessie and Gervinho didn’t survive the longlist but the competition was stiff. I’m not overly happy with the inclusion of goal starved Islam Slimani but the area is surprisingly scarce of talented out and out forwards.
If this team fails to collect all nine points in this group it would be the worst thing to happen to West Africa since Di Caprio’s accent in Blood Diamond.
South India & Arabian Sea
6 Indian provinces (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Goa), Sri Lanka, Maldives
Population (millions):239.70
Another region that practises footballing atheism, this was one of the most difficult to research. But if any documentarians want to make this into a series then I’d be happy to take some time out to fly out and research the Maldives for a while.
The two island nations donate their services to an uninspiring mess of Indian nonentity. Including the world’s sixth highest scoring active player Ali Ashfaq, never heard of him? Nah me neither.

Goalkeepers				Birthplace	FM20	Value	Age
Kamaljit Singh	IND	Hyderabad	GK	Goa	24	€0.02	24
Chathura Ekanayake	SRI	Eagles Malé	GK	Sri Lanka	22	€0.00	27
Defenders
Anas Edathodika	IND	ATK	CB	Kerala	33	€0.03	33
Adil Khan	IND	Hyderabad	RB	Goa	32	€0.02	31
Mandar Rao Dessal	IND	Mumbai City	LB	Goa	31	€0.02	28
Lenny Ridrigues	IND	Goa	CDM	Goa	24	€0.02	32
Mohamed Imtiyas	SRI	Renown	CB	Kotahena	25	€0.01	24
Akram Abdul Ghanee	MDV	Valencia (MDV)	CB	Maafaru	28	€0.01	33
Edwin Sydney	IND	Chennaiyin	RWB	Kerala	21	€0.01	27
Asikur Alawadeen	SRI	Pelicans	CB	Kurunegala	23	€0.01	26
Midfielders
Brandon Fernandes	IND	Goa	CAM	Goa	33	€0.03	25
Rowllin Borges	IND	Mumbai City	CDM	Goa	32	€0.02	27
Sahal Abdul Samad	IND	Kerala Blasters	CM	Kerala	34	€0.04	23
Michael Soosairaj	IND	ATK	CM	Tamil Nadu	32	€0.03	25
Nikhil Poojari	IND	Hyderabad	CM	Karnataka	29	€0.02	24
Ahmed Razeek	SRI	Berliner AK	CDM	Berlin	44	€0.06	26
Mohamed Umair	MDV	Maziya	CM	Malé	27	€0.01	20
Romeo Fernandes	IND	Odisha	RM	Goa	23	€0.02	27
Forwards
Ashique Kuruniyan	IND	Bengaluru	CF	Kerala	35	€0.04	22
Jobby Justin	IND	ATK	ST	Kerala	28	€0.02	26
CK Vineeth	IND	Jamshedpur	ST	Kerala	27	€0.02	31
Ali Ashfaq	MDV	Club Green Streets	ST	Malé	27	€0.01	34
				Average/Totals	29	€0.47	27.04545455

Ali Ashfaq has officially netted 463 times in his now 19 year career. Haters will say most of that was in the Maldivian league but I think I’d only be able to score half that amount so fair play to him.
The most notable islander is German born Sri Lankan Ahmed Razeek, the Berliner came through the ranks at now-Bundesliga team Union Berlin, but finds himself playing fourth tier football at the time of writing. At 25, Razeek only dedicated his services to Golden Lion in 2019, a bit of European experience may help the nation who have commanded just four wins in the last five years.
India’s most promising contribution to the side is 22 year old Ashique Kuruniyan, the young forward lacks goals but is known as something of a playmaker, Kuruniyan to Ashfaq could be the new Ozil to Ronaldo, but realistically I think this team will be lucky to find the net at all if the ratings are anything to Goa on.
Oceania and Southeast Asia
Australia, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Cambodia, Singapore, Phillipines, Malaysia, 11 Indonisian Provinces (Papua, West Papua, Maluku, North Maluku, Sulawesi Island, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara)
Population: 231.57
I almost broke the comma button on my laptop writing out all those islands, and it still doesn’t quite reach 240m. The pacific islands are home to some of the worst national teams out there, none more infamous than American Samoa who hold the record for the biggest ever defeat in international football, a 31-0 loss to Australia. If anyone hasn’t seen the documentary that was inspired subsequently to the loss, ‘next goal wins’ is perhaps my favourite football film and couldn’t recommend it highly enough when trying to explain the humanity of playing football in this part of the world.
The antagonists of the Samoan’s defeat, Australia have since changed confederations from lack of challenge. Joining the Asian Football Confederation in early 2006, the Socceroo’s have since won the Asian Cup on home soil and qualified for each of the previous four iterations of the World Cup. In 2006 a ‘golden generation’ fronted by Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill narrow missed out on a quarter final berth being beaten by eventual champions Italy in the 95th minute thanks to a controversial penalty.
While the likes of Kewell, Cahill and Mark Schwarzer have long since retired, the Aussies produce a modest yet constant procession of pro’s. Along with fellow anglophone New Zealand, the select Oceanic islanders often choose a path of playing in England’s football pyramid, with a few Premier League stalwarts found within the squad below.
Southeast Asia has a curious footballing culture, a strong general interest in the European game with seemingly little rewards for their appropriation, no malaysians manage to sneak into the selection whilst the Phillipines’ most famous athlete behind Manny Pacquiao only makes back up keeper.

Goalkeepers				Birthplace	Football manager	Value	Age
Matthew Ryan	AUS	Brighton	GK	Plumpton	66	€15.80	28
Neil Etheridge	PH	Cardiff	GK	London, England	64	€11.00	30
Defenders
Winston Reid	NZ	West Ham	CB	Auckland	66	€14.50	31
Milos Degenek	AUS	Red Star	CB	Knin, Croatia	62	€1.30	26
Trent Sainsbury	AUS	Maccabi Haifa	RB	Thornlie	60	€0.88	28
Bailey Wright	AUS	Bristol City	CB	Melbourne	59	€3.30	27
Wesley Lautoa	NCA	Dijon	CB	Epernay, France	62	€2.20	32
Aziz Behich	AUS	Basaksehir	LB	Melbourne	60	€2.20	29
Brad Smith	AUS	Bournemouth	LWB	Penrith	63	€9.50	26
Stephan Schrock	PHI	Cares	RB	Schweinfurt, Germany	57	€0.77	33
Midfielders
Aaron Mooy	AUS	Brighton	CM	Sydney	70	€26.70	29
Tom Rogic	AUS	Celtic	CAM	Griffith	67	€11.90	27
Mathew Leckie	AUS	Hertha Berlin	CM	Melbourne	65	€4.80	29
Robbie Kruse	AUS	Mebourne Victory	RM	Brisbane	64	€1.30	31
Awer Mabil	AUS	Mitdtjylland	RW	Kakuma, Kenya	63	€1.50	24
Craig Goodwin	AUS	Al-Wehda	LM	Adelaide	58	€4.60	28
Ryan Thomas	NZ	PSV	CDM	Te Puke	65	€6.50	25
Massimo Luongo	AUS	Sheffield W	CDM	Sydney	62	€7.80	27
Forwards
Chris Wood	NZ	Burnley	ST	Auckland	67	€23.40	28
Adam Taggart	AUS	Suwon Bluewings	ST	Perth	62	€0.84	26
Aposrolos Giannou	AUS	AEK Larnaka	ST	Nousa, Greece	63	€1.30	30
Daniel Arzani	AUS	Celtic	CF	Khorramabad, Iran	60	€8.20	21
				Average/Totals	63	€160.29	29.68181818

As you can see the team is dominated by Aussie and Kiwi men, but there is some polynesian persuasion in the way of Wesley Lautoa who takes restbite trying to defend the likes of Neymar, Mbappe and Depay by bullying semi-pro strikers playing for New Caledonia.
Daniel Arzani is the best bet for a future talisman, despite really struggling to make the grade in Europe he’s still only 21 and could yet fulfil his potential. The Celtic forward has impeccable technical ability and has an eye on one day becoming a regular at his parent club Man City.
Chris Wood has a Premier League goal record that any striker would be proud of and is the archetypal Sean Dyche forward, but I would suggest that his physical play style precedes his genuine international quality. New Zealand famously exited the 2010 World Cup as the only side to leave undefeated, and part of that was due to the defensive talents of Winston Reid, who at that time was a 21 year old padawan learner to Blackburn hero Ryan Nelson. Now 31, The former West Ham captain Reid leads this sides defensive line where he’ll do his best to make the younger lads do most of the legwork.
Neil Etheridge is unlucky not to be the standout number one in this team, the keeper come underwear model caught the eyes of English fans saving three penalties in the 2018-19 season, although when on loan to Bristol Rovers he caught a free-kick and stepped backwards into his own goal, don’t think we’ve forgotten Neil.
Western China
9 Chinese Provinces (Feng Jin, Gansu, Shaanxi, Sichaun, Tibet, Xinjiang Uygur, Ningxia, Qinghai)
Population (millions): 256.25
A little over the limit for this one but you wouldn’t notice from the squad. The west of China is the least densely populated region and the one with the least investment in the club game, so it is no surprise that there is correlation to the talent, or lack thereof.
Every metric I’ve used in research points to this being the Chinese team that will struggle the most, the bulk of the players hail from Sichuan, which since we’re on reddit may give most of you PTSD of Rick and Morty fans standing on McDonalds counters.
None of the following players featured in the most recent Chinese national squad. In a sporting wilderness that hasn’t been invited to the game of Monopoly out east, you can’t blame this side for underwhelming.

Goalkeepers				Birthplace	FM20	Value	Age
Wang QI	CHI	Shaanxi Athletic	GK	Shaanxi	35	€0.60	27
Yerjet Yerzat	CHI	Chongqing Lifan	GK	Xinjiang Uygur	36	€0.72	27
Defenders
Yang Xiaotian	CHI	Jiangsu Suning	LB	Shaanxi	40	€1.40	30
Wang Erzhuo	CHI	Shaanxi Athletic	CB	Shaanxi	28	€0.24	33
Alishat	CHI	Xinjiang Sport Lottery	CB	Xinjiang	40	€0.43	25
Zhang Ao	CHI	Xinjiang Sport Lottery	RB	Shanxi	28	€0.37	29
Liu Yu	CHI	Shanghai Shenxin	CB	Sichuan	30	€0.44	25
Zhou Xuri	CHI	Dalian Yifang	CB	Sichuan	29	€0.30	21
Otkur Hesen	CHI	Sichaun Jiuniu	LB	Xinjiang	20	€0.00	27
Bari Mamatil	CHI	Qiangdao Huanghai	RWB	Xinjiang	39	€1.50	31
Midfielders
Peng Xinli	CHI	Shanghai Shenhua	CM	Shanxi	47	€2.60	29
Mirahmetjan Muzepper	CHI	Shanghai SIPG	CAM	Xinjiang	46	€3.30	29
Zhang Xiuwei	CHI	Guangzhou E	CM	Sichuan	46	€2.70	24
Luo Senwen	CHI	Hebei China Fortune	CDM	Sichuan	44	€2.10	27
Li Yuanyi	CHI	Shenzhen	CM	SIchuan	42	€1.30	26
Zhang Chiming	CHI	Tianjin	RW	SIchuan	38	€1.10	31
Shewket Yalqun	CHI	Guangzhou E	LW	Xinjiang	33	€0.94	27
Yehya	CHI	Xinjiang Tianshan	CM	Xinjiang	24	€0.24	32
Forwards
Yan Dinghao	CHI	Gondomar	CF	Sichuan	45	€2.40	22
Li Fang	CHI	Chongqing Lifan	ST	Sichuan	34	€1.30	27
Gan Yingbo	CHI	Sichaun Longfor	CF	Sichuan	24	€0.16	35
Abduhamit Abdugheni	CHI	Jiangsu Suning	CF	Shaanxi	35	€0.75	23
				Average/Totals	36	€24.89	27.59090909

Finding a 22 was a real struggle and there is an imbalance of positions to show for it. The only true striker is Chongqing’s Li Fang, who is officially listed as a striker-come-right back which is an oddly specific duology of skills.
The squad is predominantly composed of players from the nations second tier CL1, which to enlight the general reader means they probably aren’t going to win the tournament.
Another day another group, tomorrow we finally see one of the long anticipated Western European megasquads, and play a game of spot the Uzbekistani. Thanks again for reading, let me know if you think I've missed anyone from the squads or made an error and try to have a stab at the starting XI’s for today's teams.

Hey All,
I've generally had a complaint that mock drafts are blind to GM tendencies, team schemes, and upcoming contracts / need for cap flexibility, so a couple friends and I used quarantine to throw together a three round mock draft (trades inclusive) that tries to pay attention to this. Obviously, we can't know your team's scheme and history as well as you, but we figured it'd be great to share our mock draft anyway and invite any thoughts on it. NFL_Draft can be a little critical, as it should be given we're making guesses that impact the future of your franchise, but we're also big boys so feel free to tear this thing to shreds (or compliment it if you feel so inclined). The thing is far from perfect, so to add to the discussion and educate us a little bit, please feel free to let us know what picks you liked/disliked.
To make this easier to read we broke it out similar to Matt Miller's early mock drafts, with Round 1 up front with short descriptions on each pick followed by Rounds 2 and 3 with no detail. Additionally, we've added in the back a summary of trades as well as a break out by team.
T-5 days until Thursday!
​
Round 1:
CINCINNATI: Joe Burrow, QB
There's not much to explain here. What doesn't Cincinnati need? That list starts and ends at WR. They could take any number of players here and they would start tomorrow, but when you're building a team from the ground up, you take a QB, and who better than the guy who threw for 60 TDs, 5,671 yards, a 76% completion percentage, won a national championship, and ripped a cigar in the locker room… small hands and all.
WASHINGTON: Chase Young, EDGE
Say what you will about Dan Snyder, and you're probably right, but the guy tends to make the right call in the top 10. Since buying the team in 1999, the Redskins have picked in the top 10 an amazing 9 times, but those picks have been Champ Bailey, LaVar Arrington, Chris Samuels, Sean Taylor, Carlos Rogers, LaRon Landry, Trent Williams, RGIII, and Brandon Scherff. Every single one of those players has been a Pro Bowler. Not much to overthink here. Dan Snyder gets a generational talent and easily the best player in the draft, bringing back the hometown kid.
DETROIT: Jeff Okudah, CB
Patricia's defense is predicated upon a strong secondary playing predominantly press-man coverage, sticking to receivers long enough to create coverage sacks. While Justin Coleman has been vastly underrated for the Lions, there's also no way to play him on the outside, and the Lions will need someone to line up opposite Desmond Trufant with Slay in Philadelphia. Taking a DB in the top 10 is always risky, but so is trading down here. Patricia insists on a versatile defense with no particular scheme, and Okudah's well-rounded skillset including strength as a cover corner, in press-man, in off-man, and zone fits perfectly in Detroit.
NY GIANTS: Tristan Wirfs, OL\*
Gettleman is no stranger to controversy, but his pick here is far from that. Isaiah Simmons is the best player on the Board, but the young cornerstones of this franchise stand behind a line that with the exception of Will Hernandez probably shouldn't be there in four years. Lucky for Gettleman, he gets his pick of OL, four of whom are arguably worth a top 10 pick almost any year. While Judge may want to take the most NFL-ready prospect in Wills, I imagine Gettleman can't pass up on the athleticism and versatility of Wirfs. With his speed in the open field, quickness in getting to the second level and ability to make blocks in the open field, Wirfs can become Saquon's best friend pretty quick, especially on screen plays.
*But honestly, leave it to Gettleman to fool everyone and make a pick out of left field. No, literally, this guy could make a pick from left field and ask Brett Gardner to take NJ Transit down to MetLife on Sundays.
MIAMI: Tua Tagovailoa, QB
Miami refuses to tank and still wins the Tua Sweepstakes. With all that has gone on in 2020, at least there's some good in the world and Brian Flores is about 40% of it. I completely understand that there are injury concerns about Tua that are hard to overlook. But it's also hard to overlook issues with Justin Herbert -- namely just how off target he could be throwing down the field. I'm not doubting his athleticism or the absolute rocket he has attached to his shoulder, but the fact of the matter is his completion percentage, which is already lower than Tua's, is aided by playing weaker defenses in the Pac-12 and the absolutely absurd number of easy bubble screens and dump passes he throws behind the line of scrimmage. Both QBs are phenomenal, but Tua's accuracy, ability to extend plays, willingness to take hits, and ability avoid sacks outweigh the injury risk. If you're lucky, you have a potential Hall of Fame quarterback, and if you're unlucky, Brian Flores will still probably get you to 7-9 with the Goldman Sachs analyst you call a backup QB.
LA CHARGERS: Justin Herbert, QB
I spent most of the last pick talking about why not to pick Justin Herbert, but here's why you should: 6'6", 237 lbs, with easily the best arm in the draft and a Josh Allen-esque ability to move. Oregon's play call didn't give him much of a chance to throw it downfield, but when he did it was brilliant. He's the kind of QB prospect that could have tested like Maurice Claiborne on the Wonderlic and still been drafted 1st overall 10 years ago. However, his inconsistency and inability to leverage his athleticism to feeling comfortable throwing on the run and outside of the pockets relegates him to third on my QB Big Board. I don't know whether I buy that the Chargers are planning on starting Tyrod Taylor this year, but whether Herbert gets his shot this year or next, he has a legitimate chance to be a star.
CAROLINA: Isaiah Simmons, LB
Matt Rhule walks into a full re-build with both ownership and CMC's buy-in. The one thing Carolina doesn't have for the first time in nearly two decades is a Pro Bowl LB. Hurney and company fix that immediately by taking the best athlete in the draft. This isn't Carolina's biggest need -- they have only two DTs that are going to make a roster, so I understand the Derrick Brown arguments -- nor is it typically Rhule's favorite position -- I understand arguments that they may try to continue to add to the line to protect their new franchise QB -- but Simmons is just too talented to pass up. He basically lines up everywhere from safety, to linebacker, to nickel linebacker, and even edge. If you need any more convincing, he ran a 4.39 40 (good enough for 5th best by a WR).
ARIZONA: Derrick Brown, DT
Keim isn't need blind, but historically he has definitely valued talent over need. If you need proof of that, just go back to last year when Keim and Kingsbury determined Kyler Murray was the best player in the draft and (rightfully) gave up on the Josh Rosen experiment. The Cardinals also just so happen to need a 3-tech guy to anchor the interior of their line, and preferably someone with some versatility given Vance Joseph's scheme (Brown played from 0- to 5-tech at Auburn). The biggest knock is his lack of athleticism, but Brown has shiftiness for his size, attacks at the line, uses his hands well, and explodes through his man. I know a lot of people mock a T here, and that makes sense too, but I just don't see Arizona's line as that urgent of a need that Keim will pass up the best player on the Board.
JACKSONVILLE: CJ Henderson, DB
If Dave Caldwell had the remote from Click, I'm pretty sure he'd fast forward to the 2021 draft and grabbing Trevor Lawrence. The 2020 season is going to be an ugly one for Jacksonville, and it's only going to get worse as they explore trading Fournette and Ngakoue. Caldwell won't completely ignore the best player available approach -- see Josh Allen last year -- but he definitely leans toward filling a need, and their secondary is an eye sore. I personally think spending a top 10 pick on a corner with Cam Robinson potentially become a free agent is a mistake, but there's also a mile between Henderson and the next best corner available. I imagine the Jaguars explore a trade down a little bit before taking arguably the best cover corner in the draft.
​
TRADE:
DENVER - 10
CLEVELAND - 15, 77, 118
Andrew Berry wants Ezra Cleveland, but a top 10 pick is a little rich for him. John Elway wants Henry Ruggs III, but he won't be there at 15. Berry moves back, picking up valuable draft capital to secure rookie contracts for when the bill eventually comes due on the Browns players and they can't afford to extend everyone.
​
DENVER: Henry Ruggs III, WR
Henry Ruggs III is an OC's dream. The guys finishes every play and does the little things in a way you rarely see on the offensive side of the ball. He's a great route runner with world class speed and endless hustle, whether he's running with the ball after the catch, finishing a block downfield, or making a tackle on special teams. By moving up six picks, Denver leaves Day 1 with suddenly one of the better WR corps in the league. It's amazing it took everyone this long to notice Ruggs III is the top WR in this class, but I guess that's what happens when you play in Tuscaloosa and everyone on the team is an NFL-caliber player.
NY JETS: Jedrick Wills, OL
I've seen a lot of mock drafts put a WR here, but I honestly buy that Gase is not that concerned about his WR corps. Not only that, but the value is going to be there in the second round -- especially for a team that needs a big target that can actually go up and get it in the red zone or on a deep route when Darnold wants to gun it downfield. That leaves offensive line as the biggest need, and in particular LT. Gase prefers lineman who are strongest in pass protection, and one of the most NFL-ready OL and pass blockers is somehow still on the Board at 11. Wills can easily slide over the left side and protect Darnold from getting sacked every few snaps, something only mono has been able to do thus far.
LAS VEGAS: CeeDee Lamb, WR
Numerous outlets have linked Lamb to Las Vegas, and I'm not one to argue. Gruden and Mayock both typically pick their guys and could care less how other people value them. Lamb may be the best true route-runner in this draft class and his toughness is certainly going to translate to the NFL. I've read the criticisms that he has never been forced to play against press-man in college and that he lacks world class speed, but his strengths more than make up for it and at the end of the day he's one of the more high floor WR prospects I've ever seen.
SAN FRANCISCO: Andrew Thomas, OL
Before trading for Emmanuel Sanders, the 49ers were 6-0 with a WR core anchored by Deebo Samuel, Marquise Goodwin, and Kendrick Bourne. They obviously need a WR, but they've also shown they can fair just fine without one. What they would struggle much more to replace is Joe Staley in the supposed 50/50 case he retires. If Staley plays another year, Thomas can kick inside or learn behind him. Shanahan prefers offensive linemen athletic enough to block in a zone scheme, and Thomas is not out-of-this-world athletic presenting a potential issue, but he's also high character and high football IQ, which Shanahan also wants in his players. Would I be surprised if Lynch and Shanahan opted to take Jeudy here? No. Do I see them passing on one of the safest bets to replace Joe Staley? Also, no.
TAMPA BAY: Mekhi Becton, OL
There wasn't a ton to overthink here in my book - the Bucs are going to take the best T available at 14, and here it's Becton. Tampa Bay's priority is protecting Tom Brady, and Becton gives them the best chance to do that. In a dream world, they get someone a little more polished and ready to play tomorrow (especially given the likely shortened offseason) but Becton is incredibly mobile for someone his size, able to quickly recover, and strong enough to still get ends outside. He'll need to improve his hands and get better in true dropback pass protection given Brady's tendencies, but he can potentially be a huge piece for a team that needs to re-tool its offensive line.
CLEVELAND: Javon Kinlaw, DT
Cleveland's two biggest needs are LT and FS, but if they were going to take a LT here they would have stayed at 10 and Andrew Berry comes from the Howie Roseman school where you don't pay safeties. Given his analytics background, I imagine he takes best player available, and that's easily Kinlaw. While raw, Kinlaw's talent is undeniable. He's long, strong, and has incredibly active hands. Kinlaw honestly looks like David Irving out there sometimes given his ability to manhandle 300lb offensive linemen, but the Browns wouldn't have to deal with all the off-field issues. The Browns can leave Ogunjobi in on base downs and bring in Kinlaw for 2nd and 3rd down pass rush. Getting Kinlaw also gives Berry the flexibility to make Ogunjobi, Richardson, or Billings cap casualties in future seasons if Kinlaw comes along quicker than expected.
ATLANTA: K'Lavon Chaisson, EDGE
If you watched Atlanta play last year you know this is going to be a defense-heavy draft. It's easy to see that Atlanta needs an outside corner, but it's also hard to justify taking one here with Okudah and Henderson off the Board. I know Fowler enters the fold this year, but I still think Chaisson provides value in his ability to both get to the QB and drop back into coverage. To be successful in the NFC South, Atlanta is going to need to get to the QB, and quickly. Chaisson has legitimate speed and power coming off the edge, making him an every down player. The CB is still there for Atlanta, but it can wait until the 2nd round.
DALLAS: Jerry Jeudy, WR
This is a similar message to Atlanta above. Dallas absolutely needs an outside corner, but it's just not there. Safety is also a need and the best guy is still on the Board, but the Cowboys have also not historically valued safeties in drafts, especially this high. Thirty years of Jerry tells me that he'll take best player available at 17, and while WR isn't a high priority position for the Cowboys Jeudy's value here is just too good to pass up. The defense still needs attention, but you can address that Day 2. Besides, how much do you need defense if you can put up 40+ points per game surrounding Dak with Zeke, Cooper, Jeudy, and that line? And with 40+ points per game, that's at least 5+ cuts to Jerry grinning and high-fiving in the owner's box.
MIAMI: Xavier McKinney, S
Brian Flores really started making a name for himself in New England as a safeties coach where the most important piece of a Super Bowl winning defense was Devin McCourty. Miami has plenty of holes, but it also has plenty of picks. The Miami system values versatility and McKinney provides just that as he can play just about anywhere in the secondary. Not only that, but he can provide value as a blitzer as well. The coincidence that this pick was the return for Minkah Fitzpatrick is not lost on me, but another top-tier S from Alabama with a longer runway on his rookie deal is not a bad thing.
​
TRADE:
NEW ENGLAND - 19
LAS VEGAS - 23, 98
Suggesting the Patriots trade up in any mock draft is a dangerous endeavor, but they also have an absurd number of picks in this year's draft. Giving Las Vegas a compensatory third to move up and get your pick of the draft's top LBs isn't too bad a price to pay.
​
NEW ENGLAND: Patrick Queen, LB
I'm not going to pretend to know what Belichick is going to do in this draft. It's equally likely that he trades out of the first round as it is he moves up, but I what I do know is the Patriots could use more help at LB. In particular, someone with speed who can blitz up the middle and off the edge. Anyone who watched the CFB Playoffs last year saw the speed Queen had off the edge as well as his ability to cover out of the backfield and underneath. He's equally comfortable dropping into zone as he is speed rushing the edge. High football IQ and athleticism screams Patriot to me and he just so happens to fit a position of need.
JACKSONVILLE: Kenneth Murray, LB
Jacksonville is a little hard to mock for in that they have need at just about every position. However, the defense hasn't been the same since Telvin Smith left. With Joe Schobert joining the fold as an inside linebacker and Myles Jack pushing to the weak side, Murray can work on the strong side. You can make an argument that the usage here isn't worth a first round pick or that Murray can lack football IQ at times, but he also possesses incredible speed and playmaking ability. He can get sideline to sideline and blow up plays in the backfield, and that kind of explosiveness can really help tie a defense together.
PHILADELPHIA: Justin Jefferson, WR
Philadelphia needs a receiver as bad as I need football right now, and after more than a month in my parents' basement I can tell you that's pretty damn bad. It got bad enough last year I thought the team was going to make an Invincible throwback and call up the guy from the viral fire video for a tryout. You can make an argument for any number of WRs, but Jefferson checks the boxes for Eagles fans: fast and with hands not made of bricks. The guy just had a way of getting open in college, and that's something Philadelphia has really missed the past few years.
MINNESOTA: Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE
This is a risky pick in a mock draft. Minnesota's front office does not historically take DL early in the draft - the only one Minnesota has taken in the first 2 rounds in the last 10 years was Shariff Floyd - instead opting to fill in the line with late round players. However, Griffen's departure leaves obvious need here, and the idea of a player with Gross-Matos' intangibles is interesting for a 4-3 defense that loves to dial up blitz packages on 3rd down. His speed, length, and power are things you can't teach, and his ability to maneuver around offensive linemen is particularly impressive at his height.
LAS VEGAS: Kris Fulton, DB
Mayock and Gruden trade down from 19 and still grab their next favorite CB prospect along with an additional 3rd round pick. Last year, they demonstrated a desire to fill in team needs with prospects from winning programs. Unless you buy Eli Apple as the outside corner opposite Mullen, this is certainly a position of need. Last year, going after winning players meant a number of Clemson guys. This year, they grab their first National Champion in Fulton. Fulton's ability to stick with his man is why some have him graded as the number 2 CB in this year's class. He's rarely caught out of position, and despite a lack of top-end speed, he shows an incredible ability to recover.
​
TRADE:
INDIANAPOLIS - 24
NEW ORLEANS - 34, 75, 193
New Orleans really doesn't have a lot of positions of need this year, and make fun of me if you will, but I buy that Sean Payton is okay with Taysom Hill playing QB for at least a season if needbe. That isn't to say the Saints won't draft a QB, just that they won't reach on one at the end of the first and without a second round pick. The Colts on the other hand will - especially if they value Jordan Love as highly as others have speculated in the past month. Indianapolis gets to take advantage of the Saints wanting to trade down and gives up less than they'd ordinarily have to in order to get back into the first round.
​
INDIANAPOLIS: Jordan Love, QB
Not much to get into here. I don't buy for one second that Jacoby Brissett is the long-term answer in Indianapolis, and there have been a lot of experts suggesting the Colts buy the Jordan Love hype train. The upside here is prototypical size for a NFL QB, strong pocket presence, great arm strength and touch all over the field, and high athleticism. He also comes with a ton of risk, namely his inconsistency, turnovers, dangerous throws across the middle, and his regression last year. I'm not going to sit here and defend the pick too much. I tend not to like QBs who take steps back and throw almost as many interceptions as touchdowns playing in the Mountain West. However, while I personally think there's too much risk for Jordan Love to warrant a Day 1 grade, this isn't a Big Board, it's a Mock Draft, and a lot of people smarter than me have suggested Love is a top 10 caliber talent. If you believe that, then he's certainly worth trading up for and grabbing in the back end of the first round.
MINNESOTA: Jaylon Johnson, DB
After Henderson, it's really a toss-up who you think the next best corner is, but Jaylon Johnson should at least be in the discussion. Utah was quietly one of the best defenses in college football last year and Johnson was certainly a part of that. Johnson is highly instinctive with 4.5 speed and good enough height/length. I'm not sure how much his physicality will translate to the next level given his size, but his ability to read plays and act on them should make him a good cover corner at a minimum. If you need proof, look up his pick sixes on Eason and Huntley last year, where he recognizes the play and makes a change to his coverage and a jump on his ball before it's even thrown. Spielman and Zimmer have shown no aversion to drafting DBs in the first round, and with Rhodes and Waynes departing this off-season Johnson helps the Vikings fill an obvious position of need.
MIAMI: Josh Jones, OL
Miami could frankly use two tackles, but they wait until it makes sense value-wise and take Josh Jones here. Whoever they pick is going to have to be ready day 1, which makes Austin Jackson out of the question. Jones had a stellar senior year and cemented it at the Senior Bowl. Given he blocked for D'Eriq King he should be comfortable outside of traditional pass sets, which could prove useful if Miami picks Tua as this mock draft predicted. Jones has prototypical size and strength to be an NFL tackle and gets right into the shoulder pads of the defense. The Dolphins have a lot of needs, but thankfully spends its first three picks filling the most important ones.
SEATTLE: Julian Okwara, EDGE
Death, taxes, and the Seahawks reaching late in the first round. Even if Clowney chooses to re-sign with Seahawks, the team could use another edge rusher to challenge LJ Collier who put together a whopping two tackles his rookie season. I'm honestly surprised mock draft experts haven't been higher on Okwara. He explodes off the line and uses his length and speed to get around tackles. You need to look no further than his performance vs. Virginia, which he absolutely dominated. His bull-rush is NFL-ready and he has the build and mobility to drop off into coverage as necessary. The criticism will remain given his smaller frame, but the production was clearly there at Notre Dame.
BALTIMORE: Cesar Ruiz, OL
The truth is the Ravens don't have a ton of needs and the top LBs are off the Board at this point. If there's a weakness on the Ravens' offensive line it's at the center position. Ruiz gets out of his stance quickly and stays with defenders throughout the play. Criticism of his athleticism is overblown given he's a center. He's also incredibly young, so there's room for growth.
TENNESSEE: A.J. Epenesa, EDGE
The Titans biggest need is at corner, but given the number that have gone off the Board already the value just isn't there. Instead, Tennessee can address the hole on their defensive line created by Jurrell Casey's departure. Jeffrey Simmons has the size and athleticism to allow for flexibility in how Tennessee constructs its line, and this means Jon Robinson can approach this pick with a little more of a best player available approach. The best defensive lineman on the Board is A.J. Epenesa.
GREEN BAY: Jalen Reagor, WR
Nick Bosa embarrassed the entire city of Green Bay on national television and made clear the need for a new tackle, but I don't think Green Bay addresses that quite yet. Brian Gutekunst comes from the Ron Wolf school of thought about best player available, and the T position is a little drained here. Instead, I think GB chooses to find someone to put opposite Davante Adams. Jalen Reagor's fall into the second round of many mock drafts is hard for me to explain. The production was there in college and the combine only supported what we knew from the tape: Reagor is a superb athlete. I think the biggest knock is drops, which would likely only get worse in the NFL, but pairing him with Adams and Rogers could be absolutely dynamic. His double move is something to behold and he's great after the catch. Putting that next to, and allowing him to learn from, Adams is a match made in heaven.
​
TRADE:
CLEVELAND - 31, 210
SAN FRANCISCO- 41, 77
San Francisco lacks draft capital given their trades for Dee Ford and Emmanuel Sanders, but has needs. The Browns moved back earlier because Ezra Cleveland is their guy. Berry can't afford to let him go and can get back into the 1st round for a fair price given the Niners need for 2nd and 3rd round picks.
​
CLEVELAND: Ezra Cleveland, OL
Cleveland trades back into the first round and addresses its biggest position of need by getting somebody to protect Baker Mayfield. If you buy the rumors that Andrew Berry likes Ezra Cleveland, which I do, then it makes sense to grab him here before anyone else can in the early second.
KANSAS CITY: A.J. Terrell, DB
Brett Veach and Andy Reid have always valued cornerbacks, and despite the re-signing of Bashaud Breeland the Chiefs are still thin at the position. Given this, I think the Chiefs could go with the next best corner available in their mind. Terrell measures out well with good speed. I'm pretty sure Terrell still has nightmares about Ja'Marr Chase, but so do a lot of CBs not named Cameron Dantzler. That performance shouldn't erase years of strong tape otherwise.
Round 2:
CINCINNATI: Isaiah Wilson, OL
NEW OLREANS: Zack Baun, LB
DETROIT: Marlon Davidson, DL
NY GIANTS: Josh Uche, EDGE
LA CHARGERS: Austin Jackson, OL
CAROLINA: Neville Gallimore, DL
MIAMI: D'Andre Swift, RB
TRADE:
NY JETS - 40
HOUSTON - 48, 120
NY JETS: Michael Pittman Jr., WR
SAN FRANCISCO: Denzel Mims, WR
JACKSONVILLE: Antoine Winfield Jr., S
CHICAGO: Trevon Diggs, DB
INDIANAPOLIS: Tee Higgins, WR
TRADE:
MIAMI - 45, 173
TAMPA BAY - 56, 154, Future 4th
MIAMI: Brandon Aiyuk, WR
DENVER: Jeff Gladney, DB
ATLANTA: Noah Igbinoghene, DB
HOUSTON: Raekwon Davis, DL
PITTSBURGH: Robert Hunt, OL
CHICAGO: Kyle Dugger, S
DALLAS: Cameron Dantzler, DB
LA RAMS: J.K. Dobbins, RB
PHILADELPHIA: Grant Delpit, S
TRADE:
CINCINNATI - 54, 167
BUFFALO - 65, 107
CINCINNATI: Willie Gay Jr., LB
BALTIMORE: Laviska Shenault Jr., WR
TAMPA BAY: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB
LA RAMS: Netane Muti, OL
TRADE:
LAS VEGAS - 58, 132
MINNESOTA - 80, 81
LAS VEGAS: Jalen Hurts, QB
SEATTLE: Ross Blacklock, DL
BALTIMORE: Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB
TENNESSEE: Damon Arnette, DB
GREEN BAY: Lucas Niang, OL
KANSAS CITY: Terrell Lewis, EDGE
SEATTLE: Ben Bartch, OL
​
Round 3:
BUFFALO: Curtis Weaver, EDGE
WASHINGTON: Cole Kmet, TE
DETROIT: John Simpson, OL
NY JETS: Jonathan Greenard, EDGE
CAROLINA: Shane Lemieux, OL
MIAMI: Lloyd Cushenberry III, OL
LA CHARGERS: KJ Hamler, WR
ARIZONA: Jonathan Taylor, RB
JACKSONVILLE: Bryan Edwards, WR
CLEVELAND: Ashtyn Davis, S
NEW ORLEANS: Cam Akers, RB
TAMPA BAY: Justin Madubuike, DL
SAN FRANCISCO: Jordan Elliott, DL
ATLANTA: Jake Fromm, QB
NY JETS: Troy Pride Jr., DB
MINNESOTA: Terrell Burgess, S
MINNESOTA: Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR
DALLAS: Adam Trautman, TE
DENVER: Prince Tega Wanogho, OL
LA RAMS: Jordyn Brooks, LB
DETROIT: Tyler Johnson, WR
BUFFALO: Zack Moss, RB
NEW ENGLAND: Hunter Bryant, TE
NEW ORLEANS: Bryce Hall, DB
MINNESOTA: Logan Stenberg, OL
HOUSTON: Jeremy Chinn, S
LAS VEGAS: Malik Harrison, LB
BALTIMORE: Anfernee Jennings, EDGE
TRADE:
NEW ENGLAND - 93
TENNESSEE - 100, 195
NEW ENGLAND: James Morgan, QB
GREEN BAY: Jacob Eason, QB
DENVER: Tyler Biadasz, OL
KANSAS CITY: Matt Peart, OL
CLEVELAND: Logan Wilson, LB
LAS VEGAS: Davon Hamilton, LB
NY GIANTS: Matt Hennessy, OL
TENNESSEE: Van Jefferson, WR
SEATTLE: Kenny Willekes, EDGE
PITTSBURGH: Leki Fotu, DL
PHILADELPHIA: Troy Dye, LB
LA RAMS: Amik Robertson, DB
MINNESOTA: Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR
BALTIMORE: K'Von Wallace, S
-------
​
Trades:
DENVER - 10
CLEVELAND - 15, 77, 118
Andrew Berry wants Ezra Cleveland, but a top 10 pick is a little rich for him. John Elway wants Henry Ruggs III, but he won't be there at 15. Berry moves back, picking up valuable draft capital to secure rookie contracts for when the bill eventually comes due on the Browns players and they can't afford to extend everyone.
​
NEW ENGLAND - 19
LAS VEGAS - 23, 98
Suggesting the Patriots trade up in any mock draft is a dangerous endeavor, but they also have an absurd number of picks in this year's draft. Giving Las Vegas a compensatory third to move up and get your pick of the draft's top LBs isn't too bad a price to pay.
​
INDIANAPOLIS - 24
NEW ORLEANS - 34, 75, 193
New Orleans really doesn't have a lot of positions of need this year, and make fun of me if you will, but I buy that Sean Payton is okay with Taysom Hill playing QB for at least a season if need be. That isn't to say the Saints won't draft a QB, just that they won't reach on one at the end of the first and without a second round pick. The Colts on the other hand will - especially if they value Jordan Love as highly as others have speculated in the past month. Indianapolis gets to take advantage of the Saints wanting to trade down and gives up less than they'd ordinarily have to in order to get back into the first round.
​
CLEVELAND - 31, 210
SAN FRANCISCO- 41, 77
San Francisco lacks draft capital given their trades for Dee Ford and Emmanuel Sanders, but has needs. The Browns moved back earlier because Ezra Cleveland is their guy. Berry can't afford to let him go and can get back into the 1st round for a fair price given the Niners need for 2nd and 3rd round picks.
​
NY JETS - 40
HOUSTON - 48, 120
WRs haven't fallen off the Board the way many have thought they would at the start of Round 2, but the Niners would be sure to start that trend, potentially with Pittman. As much as Gase likes smaller, fast receivers, the Jets desperately need a big guy who can work with Darnold. Pittman and Darnold have the USC connection already, and it makes sense to move ahead of San Francisco to get him.
​
MIAMI - 45
TAMPA BAY - 56, 154, 173, Future 4th
With WRs beginning to fly off the Board and Brandon Aiyuk still there due to injury concerns, Miami trades up to get him. Tampa Bay, lacking a ton of immediate needs having already added a T, gets extra draft capital in exchange for moving back to a point where at least one of the top four RBs should remain.
​
CINCINNATI - 54, 167
BUFFALO - 65, 107
This is a tough one. There are a number of rumors that Cincinnati is enamored with Willie Gay Jr.'s athleticism and ball instincts. If that's true, there could be legitimate fear that the Ravens could take him at 55 or 60 given their needs. The Bills need picks given their trade for Diggs. The Bengals make the call to get ahead of an in division rival for their guy.
​
LAS VEGAS - 58, 132
MINNESOTA - 80, 81
It's no secret that John Gruden loves his QBs and I think there's a legitimate chance the QB he likes in this draft class that's within reach for him is Jalen Hurts. Getting back into the second round allows him to be the first to take the QBs not projected to go in the first round.
​
NEW ENGLAND - 93
TENNESSEE - 100, 195
There have been rumors that the Patriots' favorite QB prospect in this draft is James Morgan given his arm and the New England climate. Similarly, he's tied to Green Bay who just so happens to be on the clock at 94. If the rumors are true, Belichick should be willing to pull the trigger to move up and get him.
​
By Team:
ARIZONA:
1.8 - Derrick Brown
3.72 - Jonathan Taylor
​
ATLANTA:
1.16 - K'Lavon Chaisson
2.47 - Noah Igbinoghene
3.78 - Jake Fromm
​
BALTIMORE:
1.28 - Cesar Ruiz
2.55 - Laviska Shenault Jr.
2.60 - Akeem Davis Gaither
3.92 - Anfernee Jennings
3.106 - K'Von Wallace
​
BUFFALO:
3.65 - Curtis Weaver
3.86 - Zack Moss
​
CAROLINA:
1.7 - Isaiah Simmons
2.38 - Neville Gallimore
3.69 - Shane Lemieux
​
CHICAGO:
2.43 - Trevon Diggs
2.50 - Kyle Dugger
​
CINCINNATI:
1.1 - Joe Burrow
2.33 - Isaiah Wilson
2.54 - Willie Gay Jr.
​
CLEVELAND:
1.15 - Javon Kinlaw
1.31 - Ezra Cleveland
3.74 - Ashtyn Davis
3.97 - Logan Wilson
​
DALLAS:
1.17 - Jerry Jeudy
2.51 - Cameron Dantzler
3.82 - Adam Trautman
​
DENVER:
1.10 - Henry Ruggs III
2.46 - Jeff Gladney
3.83 - Prince Tega Wanogho
3.95 - Tyler Biadasz
​
DETROIT:
1.3 - Jeff Okudah
2.35 - Marlon Davidson
3.67 - John Simpson
3.85 - Tyler Johnson
​
GREEN BAY:
1.30 - Jalen Reagor
2.62 - Lucas Niang
3.94 - Jacob Eason
​
HOUSTON:
2.48 - Netane Muti
3.90 - Jeremy Chinn
​
INDIANAPOLIS:
1.24 - Jordan Love
2.44 - Tee Higgins
​
JACKSONVILLE:
1.9 - CJ Henderson
1.20 - Kenneth Murray
2.42 - Antoine Winfield Jr.
3.73 - Bryan Edwards
​
KANSAS CITY:
1.32 - AJ Terrell
2.63 - Terrell Lewis
3.96 - Matt Peart
​
LA CHARGERS:
1.6 - Justin Herbert
2.37 - Austin Jackson
3.71 - KJ Hamler
​
LA RAMS:
2.52 - JK Dobbins
2.57 - Netane Muti
3.84 - Jordyn Brooks
3.104 - Amik Robertson
​
LAS VEGAS:
1.12 - CeeDee Lamb
1.23 - Kris Fulton
2.58 - Jalen Hurts
3.91 - Malik Harrison
3.98 - Davon Hamilton
​
MIAMI:
1.5 - Tua Tagovailoa
1.18 - Xavier McKinney
1.26 - Josh Jones
1.39 - D'Andre Swift
1.45 - Brandon Aiyuk
3.70 - Lloyd Cushenberry III
​
MINNESOTA:
1.22 - Yetur Gross-Matos
1.25 - Jaylon Johnson
3.80 - Terrell Burgess
3.81 - Donovan Peoples-Jones
3.89 - Logan Stenberg
3.105 - Antonio Gandy-Golden
​
NEW ENGLAND:
1.19 - Patrick Queen
3.87 - Hunter Bryant
3.93 - James Morgan
​
NEW ORLEANS:
2.34 - Zack Baun
3.75 - Cam Akers
3.88 - Bryce Hall
​
NY GIANTS:
1.4 - Tristan Wirfs
2.36 - Josh Uche
3.99 - Matt Hennessy
​
NY JETS:
1.11 - Jedrick Wills Jr.
2.40 - Michael Pittman Jr.
3.68 - Jonathan Greenard
3.79 - Troy Pride Jr.
​
PHILADELPHIA:
1.21 - Justin Jefferson
2.53 - Grant Delpit
3.103 - Troy Dye
​
PITTSBURGH:
2.49 - Robert Hunt
3.102 - Leki Fotu
​
SAN FRANCISCO:
1.13 - Andrew Thomas
2.41 - Denzel Mims
3.77 - Jordan Elliott
​
SEATTLE:
1.27 - Julian Okwara
2.59 - Ross Blacklock
3.64 - Ben Bartch
3.109 - Kenny Willekes
​
TAMPA BAY:
1.14 - Mekhi Becton
2.56 - Clyde Edwards-Helaire
3.76 - Justin Madubuike
​
TENNESSEE:
1.29 - AJ Epenesa
2.61 - Damon Arnette
3.100 - Van Jefferson
​
WASHINGTON:
1.2 - Chase Young
3.66 - Cole Kmet

Love? Give it six months

Warning: this story will contain mentions of unhealthy relationships and adult themes. The main character also has some character traits that may differs from your own, please do keep that in mind.
Review and comments will be appreciated
(Customisation)
There once was a dashing bachelor
(That looked like )(uses the OH male feces)
Face 1
Face 2
Face 3
Face 4
(Hairstyles)
James Bond (black slick backed)
Don Diego Vega (dark brown wavy hair slicked back long neck)
Steve Rogers (Short blonde side swept hair)
Agent J (Short kinky curls)
Is this him?
Yes
No (go back to customisation)
What is his name?
(Default: George)
(Surname)
(Default: Bishop)
There he meets
A beautiful woman
A handsome man
A beautiful woman
Face 1 (Asian; has pale skin, dark almond eyes, straight black mid-back hair with a mid-part)
Face 2 (Hispanic: has tan skin, deep brown eye and over shoulder-length volumes wavy hair with side bangs.)
Face 3 (Afro-American: dark skin, expressive brown eyes with long blackish brown chest-length kinky curly hair.)
Face 4 (Caucassian: pinkish skin with freckles, clear blue round eyes, collarbone length layered dirty blonde hair)
A handsome man
Face 1 (Asian: pale skin, dark almond eyes, straight black hair put up in a pompadour style)
Face 2 (Hispanic: tan skin, with slicked back wavy hair that always looks like it is coming undone.)
Face 3 (Afro-American: dark skin, expressive brown eyes, with a crewcut with tight natural curls.)
Face 4 (Caucasian: pinkish skin with freckles, clear blue eyes, dirty blonde hair in a Taper haircut.)
As the two peoples eyes lock across the room. The sensation of a pull drives them to get closer to one another.
As the dashing bachelor offered his hand his partner gladly accepted it. Leading into a dance that lasted the rest of the night.
The whole world faded away to the sound of the Jazz band, their breathing and their dancing.
As their lips moved to meet...
???: “Oh come now Joanna, you know that is no way that would ever happen.”
​
(Record Scratch)
Joanna: “Oh for craps sake, George I was getting to the best part.”
George: “Forgive me for finding it uncomfortable that you have decide how my love life is going to go.”
Lance: “He does have a point there sis.”
Joanna: “Way to stand up for your sister Lance.”
Lance “Look I’m all for love conquers and all that jazz but it is kind of difficult to make a love life for someone else.”
George: “Thank you.”
Lance: “I mean he isn’t a completely lost cause. I’m sure some desperate soul will take him.”
Lance: “I mean he’s got dads looks, and he managed to get with mom when they were young.”
Lance: “That might make up for his zero tact.”
George: “Your faith in me is awe inspiring.”
Lance: “Oh cheer up. With your upcoming trip to Vegas, maybe you’ll have luck in love and not just on the poker table.”
Joanna: “Maybe you’ll meet someone special!”
You snort, finding the idea silly.
George: “I wouldn’t bet on it.”
Chapter 1: One night in Vegas
In an underground speakeasy decked out in old decor from the 20th centuries first half. You sit there nursing your drink. After a long day at the office you love nothing more than when you can enjoy your secret fancy. Dressed up in an old-fashioned pinstripe suit and a fedora. You feel like a king, this little piece of haven in Chicago that seemed to be frozen in time.
You feel your friend beside you stir, he himself having to relax from work as well as dreading an upcoming event.
After his fifth sight you opt to actually talk about it.
You take a swing of your drink and decide to talk about the elephant in the room.
Or more accurately you decide to talk about the issue in pre 1940’s slang
George: “Your bear cat of a sister still giving you a hard time?”
Jeremy: “Noneofya.”
He mumbled.
George: “Look Pally, I known you since we were scrubs and had squat. What's eating you?”
Jeremy: “That dame will chisel me out of every dime I own.”
George: “Stephie acting like a Big cheese cause she is getting hitched?”
Jeremy: “She wants everything spiffy and I’m quite sure her ankle biters will be paying the bills. My folks are on my case regarding my dame.”
You think for a moment. Jeremy and Katie had been together for four years. They got one another, they lived together.
George: “Stephie’s lucky her guy thinks she’s the Cat's meow.”
You said reflecting on everything you ever heard regarding Darren, he was a good guy. Definitely not the smartest but he loved Stephanie like she was the only woman alive. You just wondered why anyone would want to spend time with that woman.
Jeremy: “Alright, real talk.”
Jeremy said as he dropped ‘the act’, we were no longer hot shots in the prohibition era. We were now just George Bishop and Jeremy Jackson a financial advisor and a computer wizard.
George: “In all do honesty I do not see why you need to go there? Aren’t bachelorette parties strictly female?”
Jeremy: “They used to be, but I am quite sure I am not going with them to be pampered like the bridesmaids.”
George: “Then your function is?”
Jeremy: “If I were to guess, fall guy and pack mule.”
Jeremy: “I think she is also doing it to brag, that ‘she did it first.’ To rub it in Katie’s face.”
George: “You never really care what your sister does. Why now?”
Jeremy: “Because they are pressuring me and Katie. Not just my family but next to everyone we know. ‘When is the wedding? What is the venue? How many guests? Are you going to have it this year?’ Look I love my girl, but none of us is in rush to walk down the aisle.”
​
Yeah, you know, you were the first one Jeremy told about his plan to propose. You were happy for him but at the end of the day it was up to Katie and Jeremy. Not you or their families. However the rest of the world seemed to think differently.
Mom: “Oh sweetheart, happy valentine’s day! Are you spending it with someone special?”
George: “Mom, you know I am not looking for someone.”
Mom: “Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find that certain someone sooner or later.”
​
Yeah, it isn’t enough your sister is married and your brother is utterly twitterpated with his boyfriend. You need to ensure your oldest is also with someone.
​
Boss: “Mr. Bishop, I must say. I am impressed with your work ethics, but we have decided to go with Mr. Robinson as the face of the company.”
Never minding the fact that you worked twice as hard as said college.
George: “I understand. May I ask what made you choose him?”
Boss: “We did research and found that your college would be favourable, due to circumstance.”
​
Translation: we wanted a man that was married and not the workaholic bachelor.
​
​
Stranger 1: “You see that guy over there?”
Stranger 2: “You mean the one with the RBF?”
Stranger 1: “Yeah, probably one of those loners, will never find anyone.”
Stranger 2: “I mean who goes to a restaurant like this alone?”
​
Honestly? You can’t have a meal alone?
​
​
George: “Yeah, I know that feeling.”
Jeremy: “Seriously.”
Both of you take a sigh.
Jeremy: “But in all honesty. Thank you for coming along, I really appreciate it. Would probably loose my mind if I went alone.”
George: “Of course.”

1. It would be a shame to lose my partner in crime.
   
2. My boss would be pissed if I didn’t.
   
3. Who would turn down free drinks?
   

Jeremy: “Yeah sounds about right.” *Choice 1*
George: “Remember how we got back at Marcus Thatcher?” *Choice 1*
Jeremy: “Oh, I remember. Too bad he didn’t check the file we sent, it might have saved him some embarrassment.” *Choice 1*
George: “Big tough football star being fooled by ‘two scrawny’ freshmen.” *Choice 1*
Jeremy: “And we were hailed as heroes for a month.” *Choice 1*
Jeremy: “Wait, don’t tell me HR department has been on your case.” *Choice 2*
Geroge: “Yep, too much overtime.” *Choice 2*
Geroge: “Never mind I make sure that everything is quality controlled.” *Choice 2*
Jeremy: “Geesh. Well glad to know I could be of service.” *Choice 2*
Jeremy: “Ah there it is, I knew you had a hidden agenda. *Choice 3*
George: “Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy, when have I ever hid something from you?” *Choice 3*
Jeremy: “Alright fair, you are honest to the point of insult.” *Choice 3*
Geroge: “You asked for my opinion, besides those shoes where ugly as sin.” *Choice 3*
Both of you laugh, you had been in each other’s life since kindergarten. You where the odd ducks, most kids and adults always considered you to be cold or judging. Even if neither of you had that intention.
Jeremy raises his glass.
Jeremy: “To intellectual companions.”
George: “To intellectual friends.”
You said as you raised your own drink in a toast.
​
​
The weekend finally arrived for the trip. You arrived at O’Hare airport with a good three hours to spare. You crack open the book you brought with you.
It was a supernatural detective story you received as a gift on last birthday a few months back. While you applaud your sister for trying, it was still jarring to follow all the supernatural deus-ex-machinas that discarded real detective work.
So that is how a 31 year old was reading a supernatural book in broad daylight.
George: ‘ with gun drawn, Duskraven made her way down the basement, the surroundings smelled of blood and muck.’
Geroge: ‘Romano’s empire was now in full display in front of her. Fae, lined the walls, eyes hollow and only the movement of their chest indicating they were still alive.’
George: ‘Duskraven took out her polaroid camera, it was a risky but if this would ever have a chance to justice. Her leads and information would need to be solid if she wanted to take down the vampire cartel. She just hoped the light for the camera would be noticed.’
George: ‘With a blinding light the entire basement lit up temporarily blinding her, when she regained her sight again a new horror met her eyes. Multiple pairs of hungry red eyes.’
Jeremy: “George!”
You tear your eyes away from the book in your hand.
There is Jeremy and Katie, hand in hand. Seeing them together was always a happy occasion.
Katie and Jeremy met at your favourite speakeasy a few years back. You didn’t blame your friend for becoming interested in the ICU nurse. Curly red hair and big blue eyes. Even if the courtship had started out rocky due to both of them being so shy. They overcame that hurdle and found something they wanted.
Sometimes however you wished you didn’t feel like you were interrupting them.
George: “Good morning, is Stephanie and her friends also here?”
Katie: “No they had a sleep over at Daria’s house. So they will be carpooling.”
You look at your clock and it was about two hours before the plane would take off, your bags where checked in and you were ready to leave and get to the section where the gates would be. But there was still no sign of Stephanie.
As you though you heard a rumbling sound.
Both you and Katie looked at Jeremy as a sheepish grim grew on his face.
Katie: “Told you, a ham sandwich wouldn’t hold.”
Jeremy: “It will hold till lunch, which is a few hours away.”
George: “You sure that is a good idea?”
Jeremy: “Tell you what, I’ll go if you come with me and Katie.”
Katie: “So what do you say?”
McDermott's
· Sure, I could have a bite. (💎12)
· Perhaps we shouldn’t
Diamond Choice:
George: “Alright, let us have something to eat.”
Jeremy: “Good! Airplane food leaves much to be desired.”
Katie: “You always think with your stomach.”
Jeremy: “Yet you love me.”
Katie: “Yes, odd isn’t it?”
You make your way inside and stay in line.
You look at the menu and order
· Breakfast burrito
· Bacon and scrambled eggs
· Fruit and oatmeal
You order your food along with a big coffee. You all slide into the booth, Katie had her yogurt in hand both of you looked worryingly at Jeremy’s breakfast.
(Tilting tower of pancakes)
(Holy crap!)
You swore for a moment both you and Katie was reading each other’s mind.
‘He is going to puke.’
George: “Hey Jeremy, think you can get some napkins?”
Jeremy: “Sure.”
As he left you plied a few pancakes away, making sure that you saved the top one so he wouldn’t notice. Katie making sure the tower didn’t fall.
She gave a thumbs up, thanking you.
George: “So Katie, how have you been?”
Katie: “There is always a lot of things to do at the ICU, sometime I wonder where humanity is headed.”
George: “Really, that bad?”
Katie: “How would you explain having a locomotive lodge up your rectum?”
George: “How did that happened?”
Katie: “They claim they fell on it, if I had a dollar every time this happened I wouldn’t have any student debts.”
You shake your head, you have been thinking a bit about what Jeremy said at the Speakeasy. You had also noticed that something was up with Katie, she was on edge.
George: “Katie…”
1. “Did you want to go on this trip?”
2. “Has Mr and Mrs Jackson been pressuring you?”
3. “Do you want to get married?”
Katie: “In all honesty no, but Stephanie has made me a bridesmaid. I need to partake in these things. Even if I wish I didn’t.” *Choice 1\*
George: “Why?” *Choice 1\*
Katie: “I wish I could care as little about protocol as you do, but she is Jeremy’s sister, if I say no it might affect my relationship with Jeremy and his family.” *Choice 1\*
Katie: “Yes, I mean no, I mean… it’s complicated.” *Choice 2\*
George: “How come?” *Choice 2\*
Katie: “I’m 30 years old George, time is ticking. They want grandchildren to spoil.” *Choice 2\*
George: “And you have to be married to do that?” *Choice 2\*
Katie: “Of course I love Jeremy.” *Choice 3\*
George: “That wasn’t the question, do you want to get married?” *Choice 3\*
Katie: “It is just so big, all those expectations. I… it scares the crap out of me.” *Choice 3\*
George: “Listen, I will tell you something.”
You said using your stern voice.
George: “Jeremy loves you, he chose you. You chose him. That is the truth at the end of the day.”
Katie looked at you, a shy smile graced her lips. She mouthed a thank you.
Jeremy made his way back to you with a great pile of napkins. You all begin to take part of the meal. During the entire meal Katie and Jeremy’s shoulders touched and they looked as content as they could be.
(‘Loving it’ you had breakfast at McDermott)
None diamond choice:
George: “Let us just sit down and relax, we should be in Las Vegas at 1 am. Knowing Stephanie we will probably eat something there before heading to the hotel.”
Katie: “Maybe, I’ll get some water at least.”
Jeremy: “Good idea.”
(‘Not hungry’ you didn’t have a McDermott breakfast)
As all of you wait for the supposed ‘bride’ you hear commotion.
Sure enough you see a brunette with a close to permanent scowl on her face. Followed but two very flustered women.
“There you are! WHERE have you been?!”
Her tone is as pleasant as you remember, nails on a chalkboard.
Jeremy: “We have been here waiting for you.”
Stephanie: “You aren’t even going to help me with my bags. What type of brother are you?”
Jeremy: “Well we are here, we have about half an hour before the plane leaves. So let’s get to the gate.”
Stephanie just huffed. Storming away.
George: “Wow she is in a good mood.”
You state sarcastically.
Jeremy: “Yeah she gets like that some time.”
Jeremy: “Just try not to set her of, she can be a handful.”
Katie: “I mean how bad could it possibly be?”
You were never the very superstitious type, but you were quite sure that Katie just opened Pandora’s Box.
​
​
From the time the plane touched ground in Nevada everything that could set of Stephanie did.
Stephanie: “URRGH!!! where is that shuttle! He is LATE!!”
Jeremy: “They told us like five minutes ago there is traffic jam.”
Stephanie: “Then he should have planned it earlier!”
Stephanie: “I will not wait an hour! WE have a schedule to follow!”
George:’ This coming from the woman that almost missed the plane to her own bachelorette party.’
Daria: “They say it is only another 15 minutes.”
​
​
Stephanie: “I DON’T CAREEEEE!”
Stephanie: “What do you mean that our suits where not booked?”
Receptionist: “You never sent in the deposit for your stay.”
Stephanie: “THAT WAS GEMMA’S JOB!”
Gemma: “I told you, the suits needed to be paid for by the same person that booked them.”
​
​
Stephanie: “You are a bridesmaid, you are supposed to make things work!”
George: ‘Honetly…’
George: “Sigh…”
Stephanie: “THIS ISN’T WHAT I ORDERED!”
Waitress: “Yes it is, you wanted a calamari.”
The poor waitress looked exhausted and probably wanted to be anywhere but here, not that one could blame her.
Stephanie: “NO IT ISN’T! I wanted the pasta with bacon and cheese.”
Katie: “A cabonara?”
Jeremy: “Stephie we are at a seafood restaurant.”
​
​
George: ‘IS she ever satisfied?’
All of us where back at the hotel, Stephanie insisting that they ‘needed’ a new set of clothes for the casino and club they were planning on hitting. Jeremy looked ready to just give up.
George: “You know, you could simply say no to her.”
Jeremy threw an exhausted glair at me.
Jeremy: “If it was so simple neither me, you nor Katie would be here right now.”
George: “And you wouldn’t be here doing this Sisyphean task, which obviously brings you missery.”
Jeremy: “Yeah well, I still want my parents in my life, if I didn’t do this, they would never let me live it down.”
What to wear to the casino?
· Tuxedo 007 (💎 15)
· Basic black
Diamond option:
Jeremy: “You look like James Bond.”
George: “I’ll have a martini, shaken not stirred.”
You said and an amused smile spread across Jeremy’s face.
None diamond choice
“I Think I’ll stick with this.”
“Fair enough, I am too exhausted to care anyway.”
​
​
​
Jeremy said with a tired smile. You both left the room, making our way to one of the pulsing centres of the strip.
There in the golden casinos you thought finally your luck would finally turn for the better. That the glamorous atmosphere would rub off on the soon-to-be bride. Causing her to stop doing her impression of a screeching barn owl and let ALL of them enjoy Sin City.
Well it seemed to have worked, for now.
Both you and Jeremy where at the black jack tables, enjoying yourself. While the ladies were back at the slots machines.
Jeremy folded a while ago, it is just you and one more. You looked down at your cards a jack and an ace. You opponent opposite you had this confident smirk on his face. But you saw how the sweat was running down his face. He was bluffing.
George: “Hum…”

1. Act as if you have a bad hand
   
2. Act arrogant and self-assured
   
3. Do not react at all and watch the man squirm
   

You decide to let your brows furrow in what would look like frustration. The man opposite you lets the edge of his mouth turn in a smirk. His confidence boosting with every minute. *Choice 1*
You decide to put on the theatrics, giving a smile like the cat that ate the canary you look at your opponent. That is growing more and more agitated by the minute. *Choice 2*
You keep your face natural, a lot of people often comment that you look angry whenever they see you. You could only assume it was true because your opponent was practically squirming in his seat. *Choice 3*
When he reviles his hand, you pause for a moment before reviling yours.
You won.
George: “I’ll be taking these.”
You said as you dragged them back chips and split them evenly between you and Jeremy. You had started with the same amount of tokens. Even if you did work with money daily, this was one of those occasions you allowed yourself to be a bit more relaxed regarding that subject.
Jeremy: “Nice one.”
George: “All in a day’s work.”
Jeremy: “So what next?”
Before you could answer you hear commotion from the opposite side of the casino. The screeching voice meant that Stephanie was somewhere in the middle of it. Both of you sigh, knowing that your happy hour was over.
Sure enough there at the era leading into one of the shows where Stephanie and her entourage, all of them except Stephanie wearing baby pink dresses and Stephanie herself wearing a sash reading ‘all hail the bride’ along with a tacky tiara probably worth a five dollar bill at most.
She was screaming at a bouncer, while all the others tried in vain to calm the soon-to-be bride.
Stephanie: “You are an idiot! What service is this!?”
When we had arrived there was already an audience forming. Yeah this was common whenever Stephanie was involved. ‘Drama Queen’ had been your nickname for her during high school for a reason.
Jeremy: “What happened?”
Bouncer: “Your friend here slapped one of your dancers, something about them stealing from them.”
Stephanie: “I am the BRIDE! I am not supposed to have to pay for anything during my bachelorette party.”
Jeremy: “Stephanie, what about we get some fresh air, okay?”
Jeremy said as he tried to deescalate the situation. He gently grabbed her arm, but Stephanie was having none of it.
It felt like it all happened in slow motion, Stephanie turned around and a closed fist and rage connected it with Jeremy’s face. Your friend flew back and hit his head on the floor pretty hard. Stephanie didn’t even care to check what state her brother was in. Katie flew to her fiancés side and the sight of your friend’s bleeding face was enough to make you see red.
George: “Alright enough.”

1. Scold her
   
2. Embarrass her
   
3. Give her the evil eye
   

George: “Stephanie, you are way out of line.” *Choice 1*
Stephanie: “No I am not!” *Choice 1*
George: “You have taken no responsibility during this trip, you have been rude to every member of the party, you have caused a scene at every place we have been to. Do I need to keep going?” *Choice 1*
Your voice is like ice, you swear the temperature just dropped a few degrees. As you pointed out everything she has done during the less than 24 hours you been together. *Choice 1*
Stephanie looks angrily at her bridesmaids as is she is waiting for them to defend her. *Choice 1*
They do not, they know you are just stating the truth. *Choice 1*
George: “Your own brother did not want to be on this trip, he begged me to come along. Doesn’t that tell you just how vile you have been acting?” *Choice 1*
Stephanie: “You listen here…”*Choice 1*
George: “No you listen for once in your life!” *Choice 1*
You rarely let your emotions out but Stephanie was a special case. *Choice 1*
George: “If this is how you treat people, do not be surprised when Darren leaves you at the altar. He deserve better than this.” *Choice 1*
With that as a closing line you left, Jeremy might need to get to the hospital. He was worth more than Stephanie would ever be in your eyes. *Choice 1*
As you leave you are quite sure you hear someone applauding. *Choice 1*
With determined steps you made your way to one of the waitresses. *Choice 2*
George: “Excuse me.” *Choice 2*
You hand her a 50 dollar bill as you grab a big jug glass filled with beer and briskly walk back to Stephanie that is still screaming profanities. Because of her back being turned to you she didn’t see you. You saw how people began to take out their cameras and phones. No one made a move to stop you. *Choice 2*
With one quick movement you had poured it over her and a shriek of surprise entered your ears. *Choice 2*
Stephanie: “What the fuck is wrong with you!?” *Choice 2*
George: “Are you done with your little temper tantrum?” *Choice 2*
Stephanie: “What!? How dare you!” *Choice 2*
George: “You have been acting like a spoiled five year old since the moment we landed. I am surprised no one has done anything until now.” *Choice 2*
Stephanie: “You are so not coming to my wedding!” *Choice 2*
George: “It isn’t a loss, I was never here for you. Now excuse me I have more important things to deal with.” *Choice 2*
You left Stephanie to deal with the people that had gathered for the ‘show’ and she began to scream at them and calling them all sorts of names. But no one was intimidated, they found it hilarious. *Choice 2*
You grab hold of Stephanie, until she has no choice but to look at you. She is screeching, calling you every slur and bad name in the book. Your hands are firm on her upper arm, you just hold no squeezing, no pushing. You keep your eyes locked on her, you must have stood there quite a while until finally her defiant stare became weaker and weaker. *Choice 3*
You kept hold of her until she burst out into tears. At that point you let her go. Knowing you had knocked her down a peg. *Choice 3*
​
But Stephanie wasn’t your main concern, Jeremy was. You moved to stay with Katie and Jeremy, the crowd parted as the red sea as you walked by. All in stunned silence. *Choice 3*
​
​
George: “Are you sure you’ll be alright?”
Jeremy grimaced at the questing, blood still trickling down his face from where he had been punched. Luckily the nose would heal, the only question was what colour it would be in time for Stephanie’s wedding.
Jeremy: “I’ll be fine, Katie is here too. She knows what she is doing.”
Katie: “Having your fiancé being a nurse does have its perks huh?”
Jeremy: “Yeah one of many.”
The two of them smile at one another, before Jeremy turn back to you.
Jeremy: “Think you can manage your own?”
George: “I think I can stay out of trouble for one night.”
Jeremy: “Maybe, see you tomorrow George.”
Katie: “Have a nice night.”
With that the two of them made their way up to the hotel rooms.
You decided to check out the hotel bar. Despite being 10 o’clock it was surprisingly empty. Some people where there, some having already had a few to many.
But what caught your eye was a stranger sitting at the end of the bar.
There sitting in a knee-length ocean blue dress was a woman, leaning over resting her elbows at the counter. She had a faraway look in her face as she absentmindedly stirred her drink. *♀*
There sitting a young man, nursing his drink. His blue vest and slacks combo suited him well with the crisp white shirt. His attention seeming being elsewhere. *♂*
You sit down by the bar and is about to call on the bartender when I noticed a man, clearly intoxicated made a move on the man/woman at the end of the bar.
Drunk Idiot: “Hello there, did it hurt when you fell from heaven?”
The person in question just rolled hehis eyes. Clearly not in the mood to be the object of drunk admiration.
Drunk Idiot: “How about you and me go up to my hotel room and get to know each other a bit more.”
Haven seen the man/woman in question do every none-verbal que but slapping the idiot you decide enough was enough. He had disturbed you and the rest of the bar enough.
With the smoothest and coolest tone of voice you could muster you cleared your throat to get the drunk man’s attention. It wasn’t appreciated to say the least.
Drunk idiot: “What the hell do you want prick.”
The smell of alcohol radiating off him, one would think he had bathed in vodka. It was surprising no one had tossed him out from being a nuisance earlier.
George: “I do believe that you are bothering him/her. Please stop.”
George: “Look we are old friends, its noneofya business so bug off.”
George: “Oh really, then what is your friends name?”
Drunk Idiot: ”What?”
George: “What. Is. your. friend’s. name? If you are old friends you should surely know it.”
Drunk Idiot: “It’s ummm… Terry.”
???: “That is not even close.”
With both of you staring straight into him, mentally cornering him.
Drunk idiot: ”Screw this.”
The man declared in frustration and with that the idiot stormed off leaving both of you alone.
After making sure the guy was out of sight you turned back to the stranger.
He/She gave you a grateful smile.
???: “Thanks’ I really appreciate that?”
George: “It was nothing.”
You said making yourself ready to go back to your seat.
???: “Wait!”
The stranger called after you, out of sheer politeness you turned back around.
He/she Seemed a bit nervous, what now?
???: “Can I at least buy you a drink?”
You thought for a moment. You were on your own, Jeremy was probably nursing the bruise with some painkillers and you did not want to risk running into Stephanie or any of the bridesmaids. It also felt wrong to not take the opportunity to experience Vegas however.
So you accepted.
???: “Well What’s your poison?”
He/she asked in a joyous tone.

1. Matrini
   
2. Old Fashioned
   
3. Red Wine
   

With a quick wave they called the bartender over.
???: “So what brings you to Vegas?”
George: “Bachelorette party.”
???: “Did it have anything to do with that brunette that slapped one of the dancers and had security physically lift her out?”
George: “Bingo.”
???: “No one got seriously hurt?”
George: “Thankfully no.”
With that the bartender served the drink and the stranger slipped a 50 dollar bill.
You lift the glass in a gesture for a thank you. And let the beverage slip down your throat. It was nice, it was a good year and the taste was strong but not overpowering.
You noticed that his/her eyes were on you, almost as if they were trying to decipher your character.
George: “What are you doing?”
???: “Trying to get a read on you, some say what you order is often an indication of who you are.”
George: “Really? Then what can you say about me?”
You asked, deciding to humour them.
???: “I can say that that you are a man that know what he wants and how you want them.” *Martini*
???: “You are an old soul, you probably know your liquor well. My guess you have a great library at home.” *Old fashioned*
???: “You are quite classy, and you can find a way to get drunk before noon.” *Red wine*
With that you give an amused chuckle.
George: “Well there is some truth to that statement.”
You take a look at the drink they self are nursing.
(Dark n Stormy)
(Humm...)
George: “If I were to do the same to you, I guess you have a sweet tooth and might have wanted to be a pirate at some point.”
At that comment the stranger began to laugh. It was the infectious kind of laugh that made someone warm form the bottom of their stomach.
???: “Alright you got me there.”
He/she then stuck out their hand.
(My name is..)
(Default name: Skyler)
George: “‘Skyler’ it is a pleasure to meet you.”
You said as you shook it.
You take in Skyler’s look. You had to admit that they were an attractive specimen of a man/woman.
George: “The name is George Bishop.”
Skyler: “George Bishop, how professional sounding.”
He/ she said as if they were tasting your name in their mouth.
George: “Well I do hope so, would be difficult to be an advisor if people believed I was a joker.”
Skyler: “Ah, so you are one of those people that look at you and stamp ‘rejected’ on every paper?”
George: “I believe that I am fair in my judgement.”
George: “How about yourself?”
At that their eyes fell.
Skyler: “Right now, I’m a 30 year old trying to figure out my next move.”
George: “How come?”
Skyler: “Lost my job due to relationship issues between my manager and her boyfriend. Apparently, me being friendly was mistaken for flirting.”
Skyler: “What, they want a grumpy Greeter at the door?”
George: “That is unprofessional.”
Skyler: “Yeah, well relationships are messy.”
George: “Agreed.”
Skyler: “I must say the way you handled that woman, it was surprising.”
Skyler said in a genuinely impressed voice.
George: “You were watching?”
Skyler: “Kind of hard not to, I’m surprised half the hotel didn’t hear her.”
George: “Someone had to show her she isn’t the Queen of Sheba.”
Skyler: “What are your thought on marriage?”
You shoot up a bit, a bit startled by the blunt question.
George: “My thoughts?”
Skyler: “You seem like a guy that know what he thinks. I want to pick that brain a bit.”
It had been a while since someone had so blatantly flirted with you. To be fair you were a bit surprised. Dating had often been a minefield for you.
George: “Marrige…”

1. It’s an institution
   
2. It’s a partnership
   
3. It’s indescribable
   

George: “Historically it was a way to ensure land, money and heirlooms where added into a new household.” *Choice 1*
George: “It was also a safety for children back in the day, since basterds often faced quite a few challenges from being born out of wedlock.” *Choice 1*
George: “It is a symbol of trust, that you do have someone that you can count on.” *Choice 2*
George: “But at the end of the day, if you are unfair to that partner hey might not stay.” *Choice 2*
George: “To describe marriage is like trying to describe oceans and water. Even with similarities we can see, gathering it all in an explanation would probably not give a fair judgement.” *Choice 3*
Skyler: “To me it’s a promise. ‘To have and to hold’ it is silly in this day and age were people divorce left and right for trivial things.”
Skylers eyes became dark, falling into deep thoughts. You had never been the poetic kind, but there was a sweet sentiment in Skyler’s view on things. Your parents where still married over 30 years now. Your sister was due some time in December, your brother was off celebrating a two year dating anniversary and your paternal grandmother still loved her deceased husband dearly.
To you it just never happened, perhaps it wasn’t for you.
George: “That we can agree on, people are so afraid they will settle. At the first sign of trouble they leave.”
Skyler: “So that woman form before… how long do you think her marriage will last?”
George: “If she acts like she did tonight, I wonder if her husband will even stay for the ceremony.”
You looked at your new companion and in an unusual turn of events you called the bartender over.
George: “Can I buy you a drink?”
​
​
With that Skyler smiled, deciding to keep you company.
Sometime later you awake to the sound of your alarm clock.
You feel a splitting headache, you drag you hand over your face as you do you feel a cold metal band around your finger. Pulling back as your eyes focus you see that it is a plain sliver coloured band.
(is that?)
· Oh no…
Feeling more sober than ever before you realised just what a mess you got yourself into.
George: ‘I just got married in Vegas.’
Well, you’re screwed.