Author: Ian Casselberry

‘Jungleland’ review at Mountain Xpress

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I’m not certain Jungleland is a sports movie, though it does take place in the world of underground bare-knuckle boxing. The story ultimately depends on the outcome of a sporting event, however. So it probably fits into that category.

Regardless, you might not guess that this was directed by Max Winkler, who’s mostly known for comedy work on TV shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

I reviewed the movie for Asheville’s Mountain Xpress:

Jungleland follows brothers Stan (Charlie Hunnam, FX‘s “Sons of Anarchy”) and Walter “Lion” Kaminski (Jack O’Connell, Unbroken) as they pursue success in the underground world of bare-knuckle boxing. Lion was a promising Golden Gloves fighter, but any hopes of a professional career were ruined when Stan tried to bribe a referee.

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WISE Sports Radio NFL spot: Sept. 24, 2020

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Starting off 0-2 is no way for a NFL team to get through a season if it intends to make the playoffs. For WISE Sports Radio‘s NFL segment, we picked the teams that can possibly turn their season around and those that are riding the downward spiral.

Also among our topics were Mike Gore’s Buffalo Bills, off to a 2-0 start with Josh Allen putting up huge passing numbers in his first two games. Is the artificial turf at MetLife Stadium dangerous for NFL players? And should Justin Herbert be the Los Angeles Chargers’ starting quarterback?

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Hey, that Peacemaker guy looks familiar… !

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I can’t remember much useful from school (which inspired me to try and put together a high school reading list while in quarantine), but something that reminds me of comic books I read as a kid gets my brain working.

On Wednesday, HBO Max announced the development of a limited series built around the Peacemaker character that John Cena will play in James Gunn’s upcoming The Suicide Squad film.

But the key art released with the news trigged memories of an image that’s apparently stuck in my brain over the past 30 years. The headshot of Cena’s Peacemaker, drawn like a comic book illustration, looked a lot like John Byrne’s rendition of Captain America for the signature corner boxes that Marvel Comics put on its covers from the 1960s through the 1990s.

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WISE Sports Radio MLB update: Sept. 21, 2020

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The past weekend brought bad news for a former Detroit Tigers pitcher and a now-former Tigers manager. Justin Verlander requiring reconstructive surgery on his right elbow and Ron Gardenhire suddenly retiring due to health concerns were two of the topics we covered on WISE Sports Radio‘s baseball segment.

We also discussed the San Diego Padres, whom I think I’ve written more about than any other team this season in my role contributing to SI.com’s Dodgers site.

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