Chapter 11
Psycho Studios: The Sprinkler
Chapter Eleven
7.1.2024
Editor – Mr. Z / Content / Technical
Research & Editor – Mr. W / Content
Psycho Studios is an independent Film/TV production company. A multimedia platform with a podcast as well as this newsletter. Feel free to reach out to Psycho Studios through their website/email.
Psycho Studios – Film/TV Production – Phoenix Arizona
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Psycho Studios: The Sprinkler [Newsletter]
Phoenix Arizona
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Forward
Mr. Z & Mr. W are a father & son duo that started a production company about two years ago. They are working on the next phase of their production company and look forward to being involved in feature film making. They rolled out a podcast and newsletter to give their audience a means to hear where they are headed and what they are experiencing. The newsletter [The Sprinkler] is fun, informative and value add! They remind their audience that they leave politics at the door. They want their energy to be positive and wellness based. Share gratitude and be cool to one another!
We hope you will join us monthly as we explore different ways to enrich our lives and have some fun exploring the human race.
We bring old school and contemporary to the table. We bring practical value add life skills to our newsletter to make it worth everyone’s while!
Mr. Z & I are authentic & lucid and we operate with the credo; be cool to one another.
We want to connect with people, and be present while we enjoy this journey. We have embarked on something that is moving in a direction that affords us to display our creativity and love for film & music in our podcast too!
We have a contrasting way in which we were brought into this world and our perspectives meld in a way that is entertaining, rewarding and beneficial to those that trust sage advice.
Come with us as we explore ways to live in the moment and appreciate all we have, rather than what we have not.
Welcome psychos one and all!
The Sprinkler
Film – Music - Wellness – Practical Life Skills – Commentary – Some Sports and Random Headlines
Film
This month’s film section contains several reviews. Summer in the desert is a great time to watch a flick and chill!
We kick this section off with one of our favorite actor’s films. We do a unique dive into the film American Psycho on our latest podcast. Check it out!
My favorite Christian Bale films:
Ford V Ferrari – 2019
The Big Short – 2015
American Hustle – 2013
The Dark Knight Rises – 2012
The Dark Knight – 2008
The Prestige – 2006
Batman Begins – 2005
The Machinist - 2004
Reign of Fire – 2002
American Psycho – 2000
(Honorable mention – Amsterdam – 2022)
Mr. W’s Reviews
The First Omen - 2024 - Rated R - 117 minutes. I remember the first Omen movie, which was not titled The First Omen regardless of its origins. Gregory Peck, Lee Remick and an amazing cast of excellent character actors. The Omen from 1976 was unique, well-acted with a great story and horrifying score! The Omen trilogy taking us from The Omen, to The Omen Pt 2 and concluding with The Omen: Final Conflict with an outstanding performance by Sam Neil! The trilogy is one of the few three-parters I really liked. If I averaged the three films, I would give them a 7.5.
I do my best to have an open mind with new films, and like new rock n roll I wait with baited breath for something that moves me.
The so-called First Omen is a redundant take on so many anti-Christ movies from years gone by. The story is both weak and laborious. The acting is that of cardboard cut outs and the plot is both ridiculous and flat at the same time. I'm unclear what the point was with this film other than to capture some of the magic from the bottle from the first three far more stellar films. Alas I am moving forward and wiping the mind clean of this celluloid debacle! This film clocks in at a 2.
The Strangers Chapter 1 - 2024 - Rated R - 91 minutes. The first Strangers film was creepy and different and gave the vibe it was really based on terrible, true events. We fast forward to this latest installment. Renny Harlin, directed this one and was signed on to complete a trilogy for a total of three chapters. This will go down as it is what it is. Looking at the box office and budget the film(s) are going to make money. This one comes in as a 2 as well. There is no real creep factor or tension. The dialogue is terrible and after the first half of the movie the audience is washed in stupidity and unrealistic scenes of violence and terror. I could break this down in more detail, but why? The Strangers Chapter 1, is just that - strange!
Tarot - 2024 - Rated PG13 - 92 minutes. I always have my reservations about PG13 horror films. Hell, I have my reservations about all PG13 movies. As Mr. Z and I often say, life is not PG13, how can our movies be as such? One of the few PG13 horror films I have found compelling and interesting to watch is The Ring. Naomi Watts, the atmosphere and setting simply rock that less than R rated horror smash. This film is a different take on Final Destination and more recently Truth or Dare. Those films had an interesting story, decent acting and great special effects. This movie came in at a 2 for me, which sadly is a theme for this blitz of films I have watched in the last week or two. The acting is hollow in this less than stellar rendition of a curse spreading through a group of friends. I was lost, or maybe I should say checked out after about 15 minutes into this make me yawn farce. To each his own, I would rather play solitaire than play with these cards!
Civil War - 2024 - Rated R - 109 minutes. I'm keeping this review short. I wasn't going to watch this film as it is not in a genre I enjoy. In addition, the theme hits too close to home given the state of our union. I want my movies to be an escape, and not hit me in the face with reality. It's a very good cast. Good acting. Good dialogue. Good special effects. It is a lot for a $50 million budget and they have doubled that in gross receipts. I'm giving it a 4, as it falls short in many areas. I've seen this story many times before, primarily in TV settings. I don't understand what happened at the end of this flick. Kirsten Dunst's character is strong, independent, hardened and a professional with war time experience. At the end of the film her character simply folds. I can't comprehend the turn the script took with the ending and it's probably for the best. I kept hearing that terrible rock song by G n R, it fits this feature. I'm being generous with giving this a 4.
Faceless After Dark - 2023 - Rated R - 86 minutes. This wild horror romp stars Jenna Kanell. She rocked it in the first full length Terrifier film! She is great in this twisted tale and for a low budget horror feature. I could not find budget or box office numbers. For true horror fans it is worth a watch, it's different and well-acted. It loses its way at the end, which is a common theme with the films I have watched over the last few years. It is artsy to a degree, and Jenna is worth watching for the duration. I'm giving it a 4, but that is contrary to the fact it was different and interesting to watch.
Wrong Turn - 2003 - Rated R - 85 minutes. I rewatched this flick for a number of reasons recently, and am throwing it into the mix with these newer features. I give this vintage horror a solid 7! The cast is solid, the dialogue is decent, the setting is great and the kills are over the top for this genre. If you haven't seen this, and are a fan of horror you owe it to yourself to watch it!
If you've seen it, a rewatch with some popcorn and a cold beverage are a must this summer! It is a pre-cursor to The Decent, Hostel and more. The rock n roll soundtrack kicks ass too!
In a Violent Nature - 2024 - [Finished shooting in 2022] - Rated R - 94 minutes. This is a Friday the 13th & Jason copycat. Plain and simple! Mr. Z and I along with his girlfriend went to the theatre to see this and it was entertaining and weak all at once. We gave it a 2 across the board. The camera work for a good portion of the movie was interesting for a slasher film. There were long still shots, no movement to speak of. The equivalent of not having actors say dialogue for long periods of time. The pace was interesting, as for a great deal of the movie we are basically walking with the killer. There are inconsistencies with the sound effects, primarily when the killer is walking. It seems like a minor element, but based on the way the film was shot it is an important continuity and quality issue. The acting is marginal, and the dialogue is simple and real to start with, and devolves from there. The overhead shots, one can assume done with a drone were cool to start with, but they go to that well too often. The kills are visceral, and beyond violent with the turn me inside out scene over the top and interesting. The thing that really struck a chord with Mr. Z and I was the blatant copying of Friday the 13th, Jason in his different iterations and the setting of the film. What really resonates with us is the fact, with a few tweaks to the story, and smarter dialogue the movie could have gone from a 2 to a 7 in a blink. Hell, we love horror movies, and the experience of going to the movie with Mr.Z and his GF are still one of our simple pleasures! In a Violent Nature is entertaining. It is frustrating, just like it's title.
Late Night with the Devil - 2023 - Rated R - 86 minutes. I want to start out by saying WTF? Mr. Z and I had wanted to see this film since it was first released. One thing led to another and ultimately, we watched it the other night. Mr. Z watched it with his girlfriend and I watched it solo in the wee hours.
We will get the scoring out of the way; The three of us unanimously give it a 2.
The look and feel of the film are great, with a caveat. Mr. Z and I love films that portray a retro vibe. The 1970s are near and dear to me. The colors, the tones and the set for the TV show were all great! The lead of the movie, playing a poor man's Johnny Carson (David Dastmalchian) is really good in the feature. We have enjoyed him in any vehicle he has been in. Here's the rub, the rest of the cast falls short. Every time a new character was introduced, I was like what the fuck? We get it, it’s not always on the actors and we see that time and again that the script and directors play a huge roll in the end result with any flick. The movie has a very high Rotten Tomatoes score and even though the budget details are scarce the film appears to have made a good chunk of change. There are so many elements I could delve into but I feel rung out by the last half dozen features I have watched. I will say this, the TV show comparison and the rivalry they show between the fictitious Night Owls Show and Carson's Tonight Show was a ruse. The Night Owls TV show was a complete copy of the Tonight Show. I was raised on The Tonight Show with Carson and he would never have tolerated another show being so identical to his own in the 1970s. The story, and the dialogue are paper thin and the main cast members that drive the film are scissors cutting that paper. I know we are going to make a film one day, and the trappings we come across in so many features will not be present. Smart story, sharp dialogue and good acting do not have to cost more.
Music
David Bowie's new single - rating - 9
I Can't Explain [Trident Studios Version]
New album dropping soon [Dropped 6.14 - 67 songs on 5 albums - 3hrs 48 min
This song has such an awesome retro sound to it. We can really hear Bowie's eclectic vocals and the simplicity of this old cover. I was not a Bowie fan growing up, it seemed like the radio stations where I grew up played the same goddamn three songs by him! The song comes in at 2:13 and just when you are digging it, it’s over. I feel that is a metaphor for life! I give this single a 9, and could listen to it for hours. Thank goodness for great music! RIP Bowie. Bowie's new album drops in a few days and we will digest that in detail for sure.
Deep Purple's new EP - rating - 3
Pictures of You - 4 tracks - 19 minutes.
Mr. Z and I are always on the lookout for new rock n roll, something that moves us! I was never a huge fan of Deep Purple, but a few of their old tracks resonate with me including the over played Highway Star. Their Perfect Strangers album from 1984 resonates with me. I almost wore out the vinyl back in the day! Their melodic vocal tones coupled with the hard charging drums and lead guitars drove their early sound and moved them through the 1980s. They have an extensive album catalog, with this EP being the first new music in years. I always want to absorb new music, and let it wash over me several times. I have listened to this EP several times and it simply does not strike a chord with me. The sound is lighter, there is no hard charging drums or guitars and the melodic overtones fall flat. I'm as confused about this EP as I am over the handful of movies I have recently viewed. What the Hell is going on here? That is my best summary. I give the EP a 3 out of 10, wanting and hoping for so much more!
Def Leppard new single – rating - 2
Just Like 73 (Tom Morello Version)
The group states this is inspired by the Glam Rock Stompers of the 1970s.
Really? The song comes in at 3:43 and ends as quickly as it starts. I’m a big Def Leppard fan, having seen them a few times in concert, and cutting my rock n roll teeth on their On Through the Night album. Post their Hysteria album (Which Mr. Z’s mother and I saw in the round for their Hysteria tour) I have not enjoyed their music. I was hopeful this single may bring me back to them. I know these guys are talented professionals, but I don’t know what this shit is! I had to go back to their Pyromania album after listening to this new single just to burn its effects out of my brain! To each his own, this new Leppard track has no claws!
A Couple of Playlists: These playlists were inspired by our unique dive in our July podcast. First up are the songs we dug from the film American Psycho. The second one is based on our exploration of Velvet Revolver’s Contraband album. If you have Spotify, enjoy!
Songs from American Psycho (Psycho Studios – American Psycho)
Stone Temple Pilots - Velvet Revolver (Stone Revolver)
Wellness
Mr. Z has a couple of wellness tips for us this July.
We want to remind all of our psychos to be cool to one another. And just as important be cool to yourselves. If we don’t take care of ourselves, it is much more of a challenge to be there for others. We also recommend sharing with those in your life; family, friends and others what they mean to you. Dropping a quick text, or phone call or even email to let someone know you are thinking of them goes a long way. Let them know not only that you are thinking of them but also how much they mean to you. Gratitude is so very important. Asking those in your life how they are doing and sincerely meaning it can be a game changer.
1]Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
What it is: PMR is a technique that involves tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups in the body. This method helps reduce physical tension and promote relaxation.
How to do it:
1. Find a Quiet Space: Sit or lie down in a comfortable, quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.
2. Start with Deep Breathing: Take a few deep breaths to help you relax. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold for a few seconds, and then exhale slowly through your mouth.
3. Tense and Relax Each Muscle Group:
o Feet: Curl your toes tightly for 5-10 seconds, then release and relax for 15-20 seconds.
o Calves: Flex your calves by pointing your toes upwards, hold for 5-10 seconds, then release.
o Thighs: Tighten your thigh muscles, hold for 5-10 seconds, then release.
o Buttocks: Squeeze your buttocks muscles, hold for 5-10 seconds, then release.
o Stomach: Tighten your abdominal muscles, hold for 5-10 seconds, then release.
o Chest: Take a deep breath and hold, tightening your chest muscles, then exhale and release.
o Hands: Clench your fists tightly, hold for 5-10 seconds, then release.
o Arms: Tighten your biceps by bending your elbows and pulling your forearms up towards your shoulders, hold, then release.
o Shoulders: Shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, hold for 5-10 seconds, then release.
o Neck: Gently tilt your head back, hold for 5-10 seconds, then release.
o Face: Tense your facial muscles by scrunching up your face, hold for 5-10 seconds, then release.
4. Finish with Deep Breathing: Take a few more deep breaths, focusing on how relaxed your body feels.
Benefits: PMR can help reduce stress, anxiety, and muscle tension. It’s a useful tool for managing stress-related conditions and promoting a sense of calm.
2]Creating a Bedtime Routine
What it is: A bedtime routine consists of activities you do consistently before bed to signal to your body that it's time to wind down and prepare for sleep.
How to create a bedtime routine:
1. Set a Consistent Bedtime: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body’s internal clock.
2. Limit Screen Time: Avoid screens (phones, tablets, computers, TV) at least an hour before bed. The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with your sleep cycle.
3. Engage in Relaxing Activities:
o Reading: Choose a calming book to read (avoid stimulating or suspenseful content).
o Warm Bath: Taking a warm bath can help relax your muscles and prepare your body for sleep.
o Gentle Yoga or Stretching: Gentle stretches or yoga poses can help release physical tension.
o Meditation or Deep Breathing: Practice mindfulness meditation or deep breathing exercises to calm your mind.
4. Create a Sleep-Inducing Environment: Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet. Consider using blackout curtains, earplugs, or a white noise machine if necessary.
5. Avoid Caffeine and Heavy Meals: Try not to consume caffeine or large meals close to bedtime, as they can disrupt sleep.
6. Limit Alcohol: While alcohol might make you feel sleepy initially, it can interfere with your sleep cycle later in the night.
Benefits: Establishing a bedtime routine can improve the quality of your sleep, help you fall asleep faster, and ensure you wake up feeling more refreshed and alert.
Practical Life Skills
Mr. Z has a couple of great practical life hacks for us this July.
Please check out our newsletter library as it has dozens of great life hacks that can save you money, time and headaches! Mr.Z does a fantastic job of sharing things he does to improve his life by doing things himself and understanding what to look for when service is required from outside sources. Taking a deep breath and researching things is key to making sound choices whatever the circumstances are.
1]Basic Home Maintenance
What it is: Basic home maintenance involves performing regular upkeep and repairs to keep your home in good condition and prevent larger issues from developing.
How to practice it:
1. Routine Inspections: Regularly check your home for signs of wear and tear, such as leaks, cracks, or malfunctioning appliances.
2. Cleaning and Upkeep: Maintain cleanliness by dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning surfaces regularly. Pay special attention to areas prone to mold or dirt buildup, like bathrooms and kitchens.
3. Basic Repairs: Learn how to fix simple issues, such as unclogging drains, patching holes in walls, and replacing light bulbs or batteries in smoke detectors.
4. Seasonal Maintenance: Prepare your home for different seasons by doing tasks such as cleaning gutters, checking heating or cooling systems, and sealing windows and doors.
5. Tool Familiarity: Know how to use basic tools like a hammer, screwdriver, pliers, and wrench. Having a basic toolkit at home is essential for minor repairs.
6. Safety Practices: Ensure that you know how to turn off the water, gas, and electricity in case of emergencies. Keep a fire extinguisher and first aid kit accessible.
Benefits: Basic home maintenance can save money on costly repairs, extend the life of your home’s components, and create a safer living environment.
2]Basic Car Maintenance
What it is: Basic car maintenance involves performing routine tasks to keep your vehicle in good condition, enhancing safety and reliability.
How to practice it:
1. Check Fluid Levels: Regularly inspect and top up essential fluids such as engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and windshield washer fluid.
2. Monitor Tire Pressure: Use a tire pressure gauge to check tire pressure regularly, including the spare tire. Proper tire inflation improves fuel efficiency and prolongs tire life.
3. Change Oil and Filters: Follow manufacturer recommendations for oil changes and replace oil filters as needed. Regular oil changes help maintain engine performance and longevity.
4. Inspect Brakes and Lights: Test brakes for responsiveness and check brake fluid levels. Ensure all exterior lights (headlights, brake lights, turn signals) are working properly.
5. Replace Wiper Blades: Periodically replace worn-out windshield wiper blades to maintain visibility during inclement weather.
6. Learn Basic Repairs: Familiarize yourself with simple repairs like changing a flat tire, replacing a fuse, or jump-starting a battery.
7. Keep Maintenance Records: Maintain a record of maintenance tasks performed, including dates and mileage. This helps track your car's service history and identify recurring issues.
Benefits: Basic car maintenance saves money on repairs, improves vehicle performance and safety, and extends the life of your car.
Some Sports and Random Headlines
In Sports:
- The Green Bay Packers will kick off their 104th season in the NFL with training camp opening on July 22nd. The Packers first preseason game will take place on August 10th, at the Browns at 1:25p
- The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, 4 games to 1. The series was not even that close. This was the storied franchise’s 18th championship
- In the NHL, the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4 games to 3. This was the Panthers first championship. Ice in Florida?
- Let’s not forget MLB, the Milwaukee Brewers are off to a great start to the season under new manager Pat Murphy! Exactly half way through the season the Brewers come in at 48-33 and lead the National League Central Division
- The NBA Draft; The Milwaukee Bucks selected AJ Johnson in the first round. Johnson is a 6’ 6” combo guard who played in Australia last year. I hope the Bucks have shrimp for their barbie!
And Random Headlines:
- Ford recalls over a half million pick up trucks because the transmissions can suddenly downshift into 1st gear! Wow!
- Have you heard of pebbling? Teens are doing this, but many adults do so as well. The term comes from the penguins’ using pebbles for courtship. Human pebbling refers to little signs of love or affection that are gifted to a friend or loved one that you think would enjoy
- Researchers have determined the healthiest fruit; Blueberries are the winner!
- A woman thought she was being nice to her boyfriend by using a power washer on his car. This certainly backfired as she removed large sheets of the vehicle’s paint! Whoops!
- An old story from 2000 shares that a man was eaten alive by a nine-foot shark in his backyard. The man took a dip in the water behind his Florida home one day and a 400-pound share ate him up. Cue Jaws music. WTF is with the old story?
- Software company plans to pay tens of millions in ransom to hackers who have crippled car dealerships all over North America! This is a growing epidemic indeed
- Stonehenge sprayed with orange paint one day before the Summer Solstice. Two men ages 21 and 73 were arrested for spraying the ancient artifacts with washable orange paint to protest climate issues. 73 years old?
- Short men in Hollywood? So many believe famous Hollywood actors have to be tall – check this out: Tom Cruise is 5 7 Michael J Fox 5 4 Elijah Wood 5 6 Daniel Radcliffe 5 5 Jonah Hill 5 7 James McAvoy 5 7 Ben Stiller 5 7 Dave Franco 5 7 Zac Efron 5 8 Ken Jeong 5 5 Mark Wahlberg 5 8 Dustin Hoffman 5 6 and Al Pacino 5 7 Fuck tall!
- Top Brit female adult star states that a perfect penis size is around 6.5 inches. She stated bigger is uncomfortable and causes pain after sex! No dick jokes please!
- Science backed trick of consuming mint will have your body thinking it needs to cool down – this is a great tip for the summertime. Check out different ways beyond just mint tea to use this herb for a cool trick this summer. Google MINT
- Architects that were behind the world’s tallest building are promoting new technology that transforms skyscrapers into batteries. This will certainly help with the large carbon footprint skyscrapers are infamous for. Maybe the Rock can do another stupid film!
- DNA here! After discovering skeletal remains in a British cave, they show that a British man suffered a terrible death after heading inside a cave for exploring back in 1959
- On a lighter note, iconic Hollywood restaurant closes its doors after 55 years. No, it’s not a famous steakhouse, or diner or even a famous restaurant in a fancy hotel. The Arby’s on Sunset Boulevard shut its doors recently. This iconic Arby’s still sported the giant neon ten-gallon hat signage that older Arby’s were famous for. Cheers to the woman who ran it for over a half a century! Damn, now I could go for a bag of original roast beef sandwiches and some potato cakes!
Please be safe and have fun everyone!
Commentary
This month’s commentary is around communication and follow through. Mr. Z will tell you I could talk for days about almost anything. A passion of both Mr. Z’s and mine is around communicating with people and following through on the things we say. I promised Mr. Z I would keep this short this month.
I’m not here to get on my high horse (Hey, is my horse high?) and lambast those around me. This is related to our wellness motto of being cool to one another. When we communicate with one another, whether it is family, friends or businesses it is important to be clear, friendly and mindful of what the circumstances are. An example may be helpful in me getting my point across. In speaking with a good friend, they tell me that they are willing to assist with a special project. We arrange a time, and we maintain communication leading to the date and time. The day of the so-called appointment, my good friend does not show. They do not reach out and the day passes with no contact from them. It makes zero sense that one would commit to something, confirm they are going to follow through and then just nothing. We should make sure we follow through on our words, and commitments. It doesn’t matter if it’s a family member, significant other, friend or business. A commitment is a commitment. When someone asks us for help, or they offer to complete a task or appointment, it’s imperative we are honest and honor the commitment. Why say you are going to do something and then simply blow it off? Not follow through. There are numerous quotes about a man and his word. I will refrain from sharing those. If a family member, or friend or business states they will do something, do it! A side note is that if someone does request something, and we are unsure of being able to execute that request just saying; I can’t is always an option. It is better than not following through.
Times are challenging in this country and world. Being cool to one another starts with full circle communication and being mindful of what we say and promise. I challenge all our psychos to follow through on things they say. Our word is all we have in many circumstances. Peace.
Interesting Individual of the Month [IIM]:
This month’s IIM is Jordan Love, starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers.
We thought this would be a good way to get ready for the upcoming NFL season!
Love was born in Bakersfield California in 1998. Love’s father was a police officer, and struggled with mental health issues. When Love was 14, his father committed suicide. Love’s dad had coached many of Love’s sports teams and Love wanted to quit football after his father’s passing. His mother supported his grief and suggested her son take time to process the circumstances. Love returned to football in high school. Love became starting QB for his high school football team midway through his junior year. Love settled on Utah State for his college football career, entertaining the thought of attending Northern Arizona.
Love grew nine inches in height and gained almost 90 pounds on his frame from his freshman year in high school to his freshman year in college. Game changing personal stats indeed!
Love entered the 2020 NFL draft at about 6’4” – 225lbs. Interestingly, his hand size came in at 10.5 inches. Brett Favre (10.375) and Aaron Rodgers (10.125) were considered to have big hands – a favorable attribute for quarterbacks! Love was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 2020 draft, as the 26th pick. His rookie contract was fully guaranteed from a money aspect which was the first time this had taken place. Love was listed as third string for the 2020 NFL season and moved up to second string for the 2021 campaign.
The pick caused a shit storm within the Packer’s nation. Aaron Rodgers was playing at an MVP level. New coach Matt LaFleur was hitting his stride and the Packers were in Super Bowl mode. The fan base was mostly soured on the pick feeling that the Packer’s GM Brian Gutekunst should have stock piled more talent on the offense side of the ball for Rodgers. The Packers have this incredible lineage starting with Favre in 1992, and continuing with Rodgers. Their two hall of fame quarterbacks kept the Packers in Super Bowl contention for 30 years!
The pandemic was in full bloom the season Love was drafted and the season (for rookies) was more or less lost in many ways. The bulk of the off season – training camp and the like were conducted by Zoom meetings and distanced meetings. The plan on the Packer’s end was to have Love sit behind Rodgers and learn all he could from the future Hall of Famer.
Love sat behind A-Rod for the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons. From all reports Rodgers helped the protégé in many ways and was a great mentor to young buck Love. The 2023 season was looming and there was speculation that head case Rodgers was going to be traded. Sure enough, Aaron was traded to the New York Jets before the 2023 NFL training camps started.
Love’s inaugural season as a starter marked only the third Packer’s starting quarterback since 1993. This was unpresented! Love started the magical rookie season with a win over the hated Chicago Bears in their house! The season was a display of highs and lows, to be expected for a first time starting QB. In addition to Love’s greenness, the Packers offensive line up was full of rookie and second year players. The Packers fielded the youngest roster in the league in Love’s first season! The second to the last game of the regular season for Love’s first time around was against the despised Minnesota Vikings and a win over that purple group brought the Packer’s record to 8-8. The Packers finished the season as they had started against the rival Bears. This time the game was in Green Bay, and a win against their rivals secured a playoff game for the very young Packers! Packers 17-9 win over the clawless Bears! The game wasn’t as close as the score indicated.
The playoffs found the Packers traveling to the Dallas Cowboys, another storied franchise that most Packer’s fans can’t stand! The Packers were heavy underdogs against former Packer’s head coach Mike McCarthy and a veteran squad of very talented Cowboys players. As a Packers fan it was the kind of game you had to constantly pinch yourself because you could not believe what you were seeing. Love played out of his mind as did the rest of the Packer’s squad. Love ended the beat down of the Cowboys with the following stat line – 272 yards and three touchdowns with a near perfect passer rating. [If not for a lame end of game call by the head coach]. The game was nowhere near as close as the final score indicated, Packers 48 Cowboys 32. This was the first time in the modern era that a seven seed won a playoff game. The season came to a screeching halt against the San Francisco 49ers in their park. The Packers played them tough, but Love’s two interceptions and a field goal miss by rookie kicker Anders Carlson sealed the fate on a magical first season with Love at the helm. They finished 10-9.
Random; Love and two of his college teammates were busted for marijuana possession in 2019. The charges were dropped based on a lack of evidence! I Love you Sweet Leaf?
The new season is going to be kicking off with Packer’s training camp scheduled to start on July 22nd and their first preseason game slated for August 10th.
From all indications Love is poised for a great season and with the majority of the skill players returning from last season anything less than 10 wins and a playoff run will be disappointing.
As a die-hard Packers fan for decades and an owner I am all for Love! Good riddance to the poor character guy Rodgers! Love comes across as humble, and also appears to be on his way to being a great leader. I never look to sports or entertainment figures for my role models or someone to look up to. I will say that negative character issues do tarnish anything the great ones have done on the field or court. We all have our quirks and flaws but some things are simply beyond that.
This season is going to be awesome to watch, and we see where Love takes us! As the Beatles so aptly put many moons ago; All you need is Love, Love is all you need!
Closing
Thank you for taking the time to read Chapter Eleven of Psycho Studios; The Sprinkler. We always look forward to sharing our thoughts, ideas and more!
Be safe and stay psycho!
We would love to hear from our audience. Comments, feedback & suggestions are welcome!
Email us at - psychostudios66@gmail.com
Reach us at our website - psycho-studio.com.
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Mr. W ~ Mr. Z
Psycho Studios ~7.1.2024