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MQ Film Study: Oklahoma vs Alabama (1st Half – 2018)
Let's talk about that dominant first half by the 'Bama defense.
The 2018 Orange Bowl was the most appealing contest of the two playoff games. The matchup put the greatest defensive mind in college football (Saban) with arguably the greatest offensive one (Lincoln Riley). It also had one of the more intriguing QB matchups of the bowl season. The efficiency at which both Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray and Heisman runner-up Tua Tagovailoa play it is astonishing. Both are built completely different as well, with Murray listed at 5'10 and Tua 6'1″.
Murray is an absolute legend in the state of Texas, finishing his high school career at 42-0 while competing in the highest division in the state. Tua has become a legend in his own right, taking over for Jalen Hurts in last years Championship Game, and seemingly never looking back. The Tide's offense is just different when he is in the game and has been steamrolling ever since. Overall, the game was a matchup of the two most efficient offenses in the country and one of the best defenses in the country. There was only one thing that didn't fit into the game, Oklahoma's defense, as I pointed out in this pre-game tweet:
One of these is not like the other ⤵
Offense Efficiency: #1⃣ & #2⃣
Defense Efficiency: #1⃣ & #9⃣8⃣#OrangeBowl
— Cody Alexander (@The_Coach_A) December 29, 2018
Alabama's defense has dominated the last decade of college football. Outside of Saban's first year in Tuscaloosa (#36 in Defensive Efficiency), the Tide have been a mainstay in the top 10 defenses in the country. The only outlier being the 2010 team that finished #13 in defensive efficiency. Defensive efficiency is a great way to monitor how well a defense is playing overall because it accounts for every down and judges a defense on whether they stay ahead of the chains. One player that stood out over any during the game was Alabama's interior lineman Quinnen Williams. He consistently was camped in the backfield and early on made it hard for Murray to step up into the pocket. Oklahoma's redshirt freshman Center, Creed Humphrey, played valiantly, but there were multiple times Williams did whatever he wanted and single-handedly blew plays up.
On the other sideline, one could argue, Lincoln Riley is building the Spread of the future. I saw an interview where Bud Foster, long time Defensive Coordinator for Virginia Tech, stated that 12 personnel is the new 21 pers. Except it is much more versatile because of the two TEs. I agree with the 4-2-5 legend. The addition of multiple TEs into the game is something the NFL has been doing since Bill Belichick went to it in early 2000. The major colleges are moving towards it too as defenses are getting "smaller." Hybrid TEs are a completely different animal, and Oklahoma has two of them.
The Sooners offense looked dominant all year, only stumbling to the Texas Longhorns in the annual Red River Rivalry (it's hard to beat a good team twice). Only Army and their slow-paced Option offense were able to keep the vaunted Sooner offense under 30 points. The Iowa State Cyclones and their three-safety Broken Stack were able to even keep Oklahoma under 40 points in Big 12 play. Something no one else did. Needless to say, the offense in Norman was electric all year long. The Sooners based out of 12 personnel for most of the game against the Tide. Riley's combination of Air Raid pass concepts with a power run game has been devastating for defenses. Below is a basic 3×1 look for the Sooners offense, which they ran numerous times versus the Tide defense.
For several years now, Riley has been staying in a 12 pers. look for better parts of most games. This allows the Sooners to have a hybrid TE in #80 Grant Calcaterra (So./6'4″ 220) and a blocking TE in #45 Carson Meier (Sr./6'5″ 254 and is actually listed as a FB). Both can catch the ball, but Riley uses Calcaterra mainly flexed out at WR (what is referred to as a "Joker" TE). Both accumulated over 300+ yards of receiving throughout the 2018 season. By having two larger hybrid players on the field, Riley doesn't have to sub and can use timely tempo to challenge defenses that choose to go small versus the high powered Sooner offense. As stated prior, the Sooners lived in 3×1 for most of the game and mixed in different 2×2 looks as well as some 12 pers. Wing Twin to load the box.
Last year (2017), Riley used two current NFL players in the same way, current Jacksonville FB Dimitri Flowers and Ravens' TE Mark Andrews (who had 500+ yards receiving). This is a trend that is probably not going away. Riley's adaptation of the Air Raid offense to one that has a power run game has paid dividends for the Sooners since his arrival on campus. This year alone, Murray and RB Kennedy Brooks (#26) both had 1,000 yard rushing seasons. Trey Sermon (#4) would accumulate just under 950 yards for himself as well. To see the Oklahoma offense as one that is pass heavy is to miss the mark on what Riley is doing in Norman. In the passing game, Murray threw for over 4,000+ yards and Marquise Brown (#5) and CeeDee Lamb (#2) both had 1,000+ yard seasons. The former in Brown was hurt during the Big 12 Championship and looked off all night against Alabama, being held to ZERO catches on the night.
Limiting Brown (who was averaging over 100+ yards a game) to no production was a coup for the Tide and hindered the Sooners ability to attack through the air early in the game. Riley chose to attack the Tide with multiple 3×1 formations using several different personnel groupings (10/11/12) and moving his "Joker" TE, Calcaterra, around. Lamb would end the night with over 100+ yards receiving, picking on 'Bama's freshman CB in Patrick Surtain II. The Tide would also stifle the Sooners run game, only allowing Murray over 100 yards rushing (Brooks – 35/Sermon – 19). Needless to say, Bama forced Murray to beat them passing, and it paid off in the first half.
Take away the abysmal first quarter for the Sooner offense and the game was evenly matched. A team cannot spot a Saban team 28 points and figure to win the game. This is why the game is played a full 60 minutes! Riley adjusted to the lack of explosion from Brown and a nonexistent run game starting in the second quarter. It was too little too late.
The Sooners couldn't get the stops they needed down the stretch on defense and lost 45-34. Overall, the game was a look into the future. Riley's hybrid Air Raid scheme and Saban's masterclass in adaptability highlighted where football is headed. As I wrote in my latest book, Hybrids: The Making of a Modern Defense, the pendulum is constantly swinging back and forth between offense and defense. As defenses get smaller to counteract the high powered Spread attacks, offenses will eventually get "bigger" to push them around. The Sooners are the epitome of this cat-and-mouse game. The use of two hybrid big-men is evidence that the top offensive minds are beginning to go back to a power game.
The basis of this MQ Film Study is to see how the greatest defensive mind in college football (Saban) chose to attack the vaunted Oklahoma offense (#1 or #2 in O. Eff since 2016). Outside of the first quarter, the Tide really didn't stop the Sooner offense. One thing the Tide did well all night was inhibit the power run game of the Sooners, forcing Murray to do it all by himself. Below is a breakdown of every play the Sooners offense ran during the first half of the Orange Bowl (outside of the last drive of the half). The Orange Bowl was a look into the future of football and how modern defense will defend the "Power" Spread going forward.
1st Drive
The Sooners chose to open the game from an unbalance Trips formation and a Jet Motion by the #2 WR. The play is a nice BAsh, or "back away," concept using Oklahoma's staple run in the Counter (GT). The play reads the DE to the RB's side and the quick motion is used as an arc block if the QB decides to pull it. Bama's DE charges down the line for the RB giving Murray a "pull" read. The play is run exactly as it should be, but the alley running safety (#14) flashes into the vision of Murray and makes him bounce it to the sideline for little gain.
Bama starts the game in a four-down look and putting the ILB to the TE in a "solid" position, or outside shoulder of the TE (on the line). The Mike is playing the "A" gap, while the backside CB is responsible for the "B." As the motion comes across, the two safeties rotate and the CB works outside of the quick motion, keeping his outside arm free. Saban has numbers on either side. The sign of an effective defense.
Mesh had a big comeback in 2018 and could be seen all over college football. Mesh is a tricky pass concept when used in different ways. Whether it be to pick an ILB that has to push with the RB or to get a crossing WR open away from a half-roll, the Mesh concept was used quite a bit in 2018. Below, the Sooners run Mesh out of a nub-Trips formation. The nub-TE looks as though he is going to block, to occupy the CB, then darts inside as the over route. A simple Shallow concept is run from the Trips side. #80 runs the under route and the #3 WR runs a post route to the opposite hash.
Pressure killed the Sooners all night, and Bama's ability to get heat on the QB from a four-man rush allowed the Tide to flood the passing lanes and keep a spy on Murray. In the clip above, the RB appears to be open, but the CB zones off the post route by #1. The Mesh is distributed and the backside safety is poaching the #3 WR as he comes to the opposite has. Every man is covered and Murray has no choice but to step up and scramble. The DE makes an excellent play to grab Murray for a sack. Below is the distribution of Alabama running "Clip" (Cover 2) and the backside safety "poaching" #3's vertical.
Saban chose to heat up the Sooners on their first 3rd Down. This is a simulate pressure because it looks like the Tide are going to bring the house, but only end up bringing four. Saban has always done a great job of mixing up his blitzers to keep the offense on its toes. Below, Saban gives the look of 2-man with a four-down front. The Mike is "mugged" or aligned in a gap on the line of scrimmage (LOS). This forces the offensive line to account for him in the blocking and can create issues when he vacates his gap into coverage.
The Sooners use motion to get the three WRs into a Bunch set. One thing some defensive coaches do when they get Bunch formations is to check out of pressure. Because Saban is still only bringing four, his distribution doesn't change and he can stick with the simulation. Post-snap, the defense morphs into a Cover 3 look and the DB who appears to be responsible for the #3 WR charges into the pocket. The dropping DE away from the pressure forces Murray to sit on the over route allowing the frontside DE to fish-hook the Tackle and make a sack. Three-and-out to start the game.
The pressure shown below is a great way to simulate a five-man pressure only to cut the backside DE and Mike back into coverage. The Dime (Di) hits the vacated "B" gap pulling the RB to his side. The use of what I refer to as a "Jet" front, or two 3 tech's, allows the Tide to use movement to waste O-linemen. The 3 tech. to the single-WR side pulls the Guard and works to box the edge. The 3 tech. from the front side gets in the vision of three O-lineman, with the right Guard stepping back to help the RB. The pressure forced Murray to step up to the defense's right because of the line movement. Simple and effective.
2nd Drive
Riley uses orbit motion from the boundary to try and get the Tide to over rotate. The Tide lock onto the motion with #15 and bring him across the formation, leaving the rest of the defense static. Saban chooses to attack the Sooners with a five-man edge pressure on 1st Down. The read by Murray is the correct one. There is man-on-man blocking to the front side and the read defender (#5) blitzes. The result is a hurried throw by Murray and an incomplete pass. Had the throw been on the money, the RB at least had a chance.
The second play was nothing more than #92, Quinnen Williams, being a dominant force. The Sooners run a Draw for a loss. With the Center pulling to long trap the away-side DE, the left Guard has no help and is bowled over. The play is dead from the get. Not a great start to the Sooners second drive.
On 3rd and Long, the Sooners take their first real shot downfield. The Tide drop eight and force Murray into a long throw. The Sooners run a Divide scheme. In a Divide scheme, the offense runs a vertical route in each of the three sections of the field. This pushes the secondary vertical and the QB looks for the weakest matchup. Riley tagged this route combination with a Switch-Go to the right (fake screen) and a Stutter-Go (Double Post) to the left. The result is an incomplete and another three-and-out.
Here's a look at the huge discrepancy between OU's offense and Alabama's offense after the first two drives of the game (not a good sign for the Sooners):
3rd Drive
The third drive saw Alabama stick with the Tite Front against the Sooners Trips Slot look. Much like Todd Orlando at Texas and Kirby Smart at Georgia use the Tite Front with an attached hybrid DE, Saban follows suit against the Sooners. Though it is the Tite Front (three-down), it really functions as a four-down defense. The use of a hybrid DE that can wall the edge of the box, rush the passer, or fold into the box with flow away, gives a defense a flex defender that the modern offense has to account for near the box.
Even though Oklahoma can give away what they are doing by back alignment, below the RB is even with the QB meaning it is most likely Stretch or pass. Riley does a good job of breaking tendencies too. Later in the game, the RB will be deep, signaling a Zone or Gap run scheme, except the Sooners attack the Tide with a Speed Option. Here, the even RB signifies a Stretch play, which the Sooners run for a large gain.
The Sooners don't run a Buck Sweep (pin-n-pull), but they use the proximity of the TE in the Trips Slot look to cross-block with the TE and the "H" who is slotted up. This frees up the play-side Tackle to work all the way out to the CB. Riley does a great job of mixing the splits of the WRs in order to gain leverage on blocks or natural rubs in his pass concepts. As I discussed in my article on how Big 12 teams attacked Texas' Tite Front defense, which is similar to what Saban runs, one of the main plays utilized was Stretch to attack the soft edge away from the hybrid DE. What the Sooners have done is add two hybrid blockers to the mix on the edge. The result is a large gain.
One thing to notice in the clip above is the leverage of the ILBs. The Will is leveraging the RB to the single-WR side. He can easily fit into his "A" gap and thus can widen (especially with the RB even – outside run/pass). The Mike on the opposite side of the box is responsible for the inside shoulder of the slot and is aligned in a 50 (or stacking the OT). In the diagram below, the Sooners cross-block scheme is used to create a lane for the RB between the two LBs.
The next play in the drive saw the Sooners stay in the same formation, but placing it into the boundary. The Tide go with a similar Ni pressure as shown before (first clip). The Tackle in charge of trapping the Mike couldn't get to him. This is a nice pressure versus teams that run Zone and Arc Reads because it essentially makes the Mike a free player. His only duty is to take the QB and make sure the sifting Tackle can't get to him (keep outside arm free). In the clip below, Mike's presence makes Murray bounce it around the H-back's block where he trips and falls. Another negative run play for the Sooners.
Saban chooses to use another "drop-eight" to force Murray to stay in the pocket. A Buck Front (505) is utilized to hold the edges of the pocket. #30 mugs his gap and actually puts his hand down to simulate a rush, he is in charge of the RB and peels with him. The Tide's #47 will play the "spy" and engage the Guard then work back to mirror the QB. This engaging technique by #47 allows the Nose to work to his right because he knows the Guard is going to attempt to block the Mike (#47). This is a clever trick to counter the Sooners' pass pro.
One trend I noticed in 2018 was using "drop-eight" simulated pressures to bait QBs into throwing the hot route near the middle of the box. Below, it appears Alabama will rush four and play coverage. The rusher to the Quads side will engage and then cut to the hook. This baits the QB because he sees the open space in the middle of the formation. Below, #47 takes a couple steps upfield and then drives back into the middle hole. This forces Murray to throw into a tight window. The result is a turnover on downs.
In my article on defending Quads, I talked about how the backside safety (BS) can be a "poach" player and can insert into the box versus QB Draw. In the clip above, you can clearly see the BS trigger into the low hole to help with any over routes. In this case, the Sooners' #2 WR darts into the middle of the formation on the snap of the ball. The Di will fit over top the crosser while the BS will cut it off.
Triangle coverage is used to the Bunch. The CB will take the first out and the Di the first in. The Ni takes the point man, the TE, in MEG coverage (Man Everywhere he Goes). Saban also utilizes what I call "Match" coverage. You see this used a lot in the NFL. This ensures that a LB takes the RB allowing the defense to not waste a coverage man (CB/Safety) on a target that is probably not going to get the ball. The coverage is demonstrated below.
4th Drive
As stated, Mesh was back in a big way in 2018. Oklahoma needed an answer on their fourth drive and got one on this Y-Throwback from a Mesh scheme. The half-boot play-action pulls the defense away from the TE running the under on Mesh. The RB wheels out of the backfield to ensure there is a window for the crossing receiver to the boundary. Defensively, Saban is in a Bear Front and latches the Jack on the U-TE (nub). This concept allows the CB to stay at home for the RB, which he does. The play-action pulls the LBs play-side and the TE does a great job of engaging the edge defender before he releases on his crossing route. Alabama's #33 "robots" or spins into the over route by the "U" and doesn't see #45 crossing underneath. No one is home and the Sooners have their first explosive play of the night.
The "surf" technique is a great way to close down an open gap versus a Read play, but still, give the QB a false read. Below, #47 surfs down to take the RB. This "slow-play" action makes Murray give the ball to the RB. Murray should have pulled it. #47 is the "Dive" player versus an option scheme. The DE has an open "B" gap and will need to close it to take the dive. The OT arcs to trap the Mike, who is a little too aggressive on the Zone. Had Murray pulled the ball it would have gone for a decent gain. The secondary clearly bailed to defend the simulated vertical routes. The Mike, who defeated the sifting Tackle would have been trapped by the arcing H-back.
In an Option offense, QB's are taught to read the shoulders of the read defender. Square ("surf") shoulders mean to give the ball, parallel shoulders (run the heel line) indicate a pull and go. Kirby Smart, a Saban disciple, discussed how you can't live in one D-line technique when taking on the Zone Read in his 2018 THSCA lecture. Sometimes a defense has to charge the mesh or switch responsibilities. "Surfing" the DE works, but if you do it to often, the offense will figure it out and take advantage, especially a team that bases out of Zone and Arc Reads like the one shown above. The Sooners don't live on the legs of Murray running option concepts and would like to not use him as their primary runner. Regardless, the surfing action of the DE forced Murray into the wrong read. Here's how the play should have looked:
The Sooners clearly changed their tone on the fourth drive and chose to attack Alabama from "bigger" sets. The first two plays utilized either a 12 pers. or 21 pers. look. On 2nd & 9, the Sooners stayed with a 21 pers. grouping and aligned in Wing Twin, throwing a Slot Fade for a large gain. 'Bama went with the same Over Solid as shown in the previous clip. The secondary gives the illusion of Match 3 (Rip/Liz). The Jack to the Wing side latches on and the safety is responsible for the TE. To the two speed (WR) side, the CB works inside the #2 WR on the snap.
Saban and his tree have different hot words to get into coverages post-snap. This helps the secondary look static pre-snap only to switch to something else post-snap. Here, the pre-snap alignment looks like Rip/Liz. The CB is clearly outside leverage on the #2 WR. In Rip/Liz, the overhang will funnel the slot to the MOF safety. In the clip, the CB moves inside on the snap. This indicates man coverage and the WR fades out to the sideline and away from the MOF safety. The result is 1st and Goal for the Sooners.
The Sooners get on the board with a Wildcat Spit Zone. Murray flares out of the box forcing the safety to work with him. The Mike charges the strongside "A" gap on a "pop" blitz. The issue is in the Will who works over to the Mike's side. With Sam and Will on the same side, there is no one in the back door. The RB is patient and finds the vacated hole. Alabama runs a stunt with the Nose, who works to the "B" gap. What looks to be a double "A" gap pressure gets walled and the result is a TD for Oklahoma.
Saban runs Special to 11 pers. Trey and Oklahoma throws right into it. Saban has two ways to run this coverage, Stubbie (CB plays MEG on #1) and Stump (CB plays MOD on #1). The Ni does the same job in both coverages, take #2 up or out. Below, the Sooners run a Bubble screen to the #2 WR, using #80, their hybrid TE, as the main blocker. The true TE, #45, runs a vertical to pull the Mike and the safety to him. The safety midpoints #2 and #3 working to whoever comes vertical, in this case, the TE (#3). The Ni traps the out by #5 (Bubble) and the play is dead. Either the Sooners thought they could catch the Tide in a different coverage or that Brown could win the open-field tackle. The result was an incompletion for the Sooners.
On 2nd & Long, OU pulls out all the stops and tries to hit #80 on a Flea Flicker. The end result is a huge gain by Murray on a scramble. This time, there is no one to spy the QB and Murray finds the opening for an explosive run. 'Bama has a perfect call for this play too. Both safeties bail deep for what looks to be a 2-man scheme. Even though #5 loses track of his man, #80, the high safety negates the throw.
I alluded to the fact that you can pick up some tendencies with where OU places the RB, but Riley also does a great job of changing up the looks and running plays that break with tendency. For instance, in the clip below, instead of a Zone Read, the offense runs a Speed Option. The depth and alignment of the RB is the same as though he would run a downhill Zone.
On the defensive side, Bama is in an Over Front and blitzing the Mike through the "A" gap. The DE to the option side surfs and slow plays the QB. The field safety sinks over top of #3 as the backside safety works to the MOF. As you'd expect in a typical Saban Rip/Liz, the Ni stays outside leverage of the #2 WR and walls the boundary. The main issue here is the Mike blitzing the "A" gap can't read out. This gives man-on-man blocking to the edge and luckily #33 is a beast and runs down the RB along with the CB folding in to help. OU is now ahead of the chains on 2nd Down.
On 2nd Down, the Sooners run a Spread variation of the Midline. Many Spread teams that choose to run Midline from the gun use stretch flow from the RB to get the 3 tech. to chase. If the DT vacates, the QB pulls and inserts in the open gap. This is a clever adaptation and reads a defender that is not usually read in modern football.
To the two speed side, the CB is in MEG coverage while the Ni and FS will bracket #2. With an outside release, the Ni turns and runs with the simulated vertical. On the snap of the ball, the FS turns and walls the MOF in case the play is a pass. In the box, the 3 tech. does a great job of surfing down the line forcing Murray to give the ball. The most impressive part of this play is the Nose, who runs all the way to the sideline to make the play.
Over the Wing set, the secondary is running a Cloud coverage. this makes the CB "hard," or sit in the flat (squat). The BS will take any vertical by the two. This is a typical coverage call to many stack sets that are reduced to the box. Even if an offense runs two verticals, the Cloud (2-Read) concept is naturally designed to adjust to high-low and switch schemes. Plus, you have a hard edge by the CB. The play is shown below.
The clip below is a great example of why a defense needs a "Stay" call for its DEs. Against smaller QBs, especially ones that can run, a DC can give his DEs a "Stay" call to have them sit on the edge of the box and in the throwing lane. #33 (field DE) doesn't charge upfield on a pass rush. Instead, he engages the OT and waits for the ball to be thrown. This technique is great on short yardage downs when a defense knows the ball will come out quickly. For instance, the clip below is on a 3rd and 2. Alabama did this serval times throughout the night to get batted balls on the edge of the box. The result is a 4th Down.
OU ran a ton of 3×1 formations throughout the game, and as stated before, Riley did a great job of moving guys around. On a huge 4th Down, Saban sunk the BS into the box in what appears to be 1 Rat (man-free with a free/spy player in the low hole). The Mike never moves from the middle hole and can act as a spy or poach any crossers. The safety is responsible for the RB. Murray, seeing the safety move down knew he had man coverage on CeeDee Lamb (#2), who had a great game against the Tide's freshman CB in Surtain. Murray throws a great ball to hit Lamb on the back-shoulder. Impressive throw and a big-time play.
For their first play in the Red Zone, OU turns to their staple play in the Counter GT. Saban turns to man coverage and blitzes the backside safety off the edge. Not a bad way to attack that formation, especially with the RB to that side. The issue is there is no line movement and the Tide are a man short to the front. The Mike comes off the edge and boxes the kick-block. The 4i gets doubled by the Guard and Tackle to open up the gap. The Will works over and the play side Tackle comes off. This also eats the puller. Luckily the MOF safety sees run and inserts from depth making the tackle for a four-yard gain.
The Sooners come back to a Counter play, but this time run a Q Counter Draw. The front side is taken care of with four-over-three. The DE to the flare side sees the RB go and works laterally, the numbers on not in the Sooners favor. Murray tucks it and runs with the Counter. #33 for Alabama does a great job of boxing the kick-block and taking him out. The key is he didn't wast himself and forces the looping Tackle to take him. That leaves the CB, who came off of the crack block, for Murray and no gain.
One thing to note in the above clip is the way Saban was able to keep numbers to the front side by sinking in the backside safety versus Trips. This allows the Di to work head up on #3 and not worry about being in the box. With pullers, the BS triggers and is taken up by the crack block. That leaves the CB to crack-replace. Numbers to the field and to the boundary.
This is an interesting concept, shown below, by Saban in the Red Zone. The CB and Ni (over #2) give the illusion of MEG coverage. When the #1 WR runs an out, the CB cuts to the corner of the end zone assuming a Corner route is coming. I've talked about a variation of this in my Quarters Red Zone article, but this variation is different. The Di (#5) and the FS (#15) look as though they are going to bracket #3, but on the snap, #5 turns and pushes with the out of #2.
A big play in the Red Zone out of 3×1 is the Double Stop/In, or in this case, out with a Corner by #3. Riley opts to run almost a Slot Fade concept with the #3 WR. Murray tries to back-shoulder the throw because of the leverage of the safety, who walls the MOF. To the backside, the "X" is bracketed by the CB and the BS. The result is an incomplete and a FG. A definite win for the Tide.
Alabama did a great job early of negating the run game for OU. Though you could argue the Sooners inability to get stops on defense forced them into passing early, there wasn't much going for OU on the ground. The biggest run play early was actually a scramble. Eventually, the Sooners would settle in and adjust the lack of Brown (#5) being a factor. You just can't spot the Tide 28 points and expect to win.
Defensively Saban chose the use of timely simulated pressures and drop-eight schemes to force Murray into difficult situations. One thing I noticed was the "stay" calls by the Tide's DEs. All night they hung around the edge of the box versus the pass and forced Murray to step up or throw into the hands of the Tide's lengthy DEs. This was a great way to contain a mobile QB and make him one dimensional. The use of the Tite Front allowed Saban's Mike to be free most of the night and created predictable situations when the Sooners would run Read plays. Like Texas and Georgia the year before, Saban used a hybrid DE to the boundary and the Tite Front to challenge the Sooners run game.
Offensively, the Sooners stayed most of the night in 3×1 formations, sprinkling in 10 pers. 2×2 and a 21 pers. Wing Twin looks. Riley used timely tempo plays to keep Saban in certain personnel groupings, but overall, the Sooners didn't go ultra fast. The end result was a decent offensive output, but a horrendous first Quarter.
Overall, Saban stayed relatively bland when pressuring the Sooners, choosing to use simulated blitzes and five-man pressures. This was probably due to the ability of Murray. The dominance of the Alabama D-line helped to stay passive as well. Saban used a four-man rush for most of the night. Coverage wise, Saban chose to stay in a two-high shell for most of the night as well, something he has done versus elite spread teams. This allows him to manipulate the coverage post-snap and ensure he has leverage on either side of the box. This is not to say he didn't run any single-high coverages, he did, but usually with some kind of disguise. The end result was another trip to the National Championship and a win against a markee Spread offense.
© 2019 MatchQuarters.com | Cody Alexander | All rights reserved.
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Hybrids: The Making of a Modern Defense
Author MatchQuartersPosted on January 4, 2019 January 4, 2019 Categories Defending the spread, Defensive SchemeTags Alabama, CFP, defending the air raid, Defending the spread, Nick Saban, Oklahoma
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package org.graphframes.lib.org.trustedanalytics.sparktk

import org.apache.spark.graphx.lib.org.trustedanalytics._
import org.apache.spark.sql.types._
import org.apache.spark.sql.{ Row, DataFrame }
import org.graphframes.GraphFrame
import org.graphframes.lib.GraphXConversions
import scala.collection.mutable
import scala.collection.mutable.ArrayBuffer
import org.apache.spark.rdd.RDD

/**
 * Computes the betweenness centrality exactly on the given graph.
 */
object BetweennessCentrality {

  private val betweennessResults = "betweenness_centrality"

  /**
   * Computes the betweeness centrality for the vertices of the graph using Graphx-based betweenness centrality
   * algorithm
   *
   * @param graph the graph to compute betweenness centrality on
   * @param edgeWeight the name of the column containing the edge weights. If none, every edge is assigned a weight of 1
   * @param normalize If true, normalize the betweenness centrality values
   *                  by the number of pairwise paths possible
   * @return the target vertexID, the shortest path from the source vertex and the corresponding cost
   */
  def run(graph: GraphFrame, edgeWeight: Option[String] = None, normalize: Boolean = true): DataFrame = {
    // Convert to graphx
    val gf = GraphFrame(graph.vertices.select(GraphFrame.ID), graph.edges)

    // calculate the betweenness centrality
    val graphxBetweennessRDD = edgeWeight match {
      case Some(edgeName) =>
        val edgeWeightType = graph.edges.schema(edgeName).dataType
        sparktk.BetweennessCentrality.run(graph.toGraphX, getEdgeWeightFunc(graph, edgeWeight), normalize)
      case None => sparktk.BetweennessCentrality.run(gf.toGraphX, normalize = normalize)
    }
    // return an RDD representing the betweenness value on vertices
    GraphXConversions.fromGraphX(graph, graphxBetweennessRDD, Seq(betweennessResults)).vertices
  }

  private def getEdgeWeightFunc(graph: GraphFrame, edgeWeight: Option[String]): Option[(Row) => Int] = {
    val edgeWeightFunc = if (edgeWeight.isDefined) {
      val edgeWeightType = graph.edges.schema(edgeWeight.get).dataType
      require(edgeWeightType.isInstanceOf[NumericType], "The edge weight type should be numeric")
      Some((row: Row) => row.getAs[Any](edgeWeight.get) match {
        case x: Int => x.toInt
        case x: Long => x.toInt
        case x: Short => x.toInt
        case x: Byte => x.toInt
        case _ => throw new scala.ClassCastException(s"the edge weight type cannot be $edgeWeightType")
      })
    }
    else {
      None
    }
    edgeWeightFunc
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


We are inspiring a new generation of professional and amateur scientists through training, citizen science and live science events.
As a leading international scientific research centre we have a unique opportunity to pass on valuable skills in science, curation and public engagement.
Developing a national programme of training in science, curation and public engagement including postgraduate courses and training, UK species identification and recording, and professional training.
Establishing an innovative citizen science programme that combines public participation with high-impact, relevant science. We are also part of the LEARN CitSci project, which is studying what impact citizen science projects have on the young people that take part in them.
Delivering face-to-face and online events that engage the public with contemporary scientific questions and discoveries, building on the success of our Nature Live events, NHM Lates and annual European Researchers Night. We also work with artists who would like to explore our collections.
Species identification experts are a rare breed, but the Museum has a plan to train new species specialists for the future.
Learning more about the UK's whale, dolphin and porpoise populations.
Decode historical records and help us find new bird species.
Investigating how microorganisms survive in extreme urban environments.


text:
Mandy Moore Trading Film Work For Touring
Mandy Moore hopes her new album will turn her into a road dog this year. "I hope to go on the road this fall," Moore, who releases "Wild Hope" on June 19, tells Billboard.com. "We're already doing…
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Mandy Moore hopes her new album will turn her into a road dog this year. "I hope to go on the road this fall," Moore, who releases "Wild Hope" on June 19, tells Billboard.com. "We're already doing some fun, acoustic shows. I think as the record comes out we're going to do some showcases in bigger cities across the country.
"It's so much fun," she adds. "It's just fun to finally be singing my own music and have the band up there. It's a completely different experience."
"Wild Hope" marks the first time Moore has co-written her own songs, in collaboration this time with Chantal Kreviazuk, Rachael Yamagata, the Weepies, Lori McKenna and others. The result is a more mature, singer/songwriter-styled album, and Moore says her shows will reflect that as opposed to the large-scale pop spectacles she was part of during the early days of her recording career.
"This record doesn't lend itself to doing an arena tour," she acknowledges, "so I want to stick to smaller rooms and clubs and just make it more intimate and about the music and some nice banter in-between the songs. Just something fun and low-key."
But she may not completely abandon her past work, either. "Well, we've done 'Candy' a couple times with the band," Moore says. "We have this, like, Stones-y version of it, and that's kind of fun to do, so maybe we'll incorporate that into the set."
Moore will also be logging plenty of time on the big screen this year, with four roles ranging from big-budget comedies such as "Because I Said So" (with Diane Keaton) and "License To Wed" (with Robin Williams and "The Office" star John Krasinksi) to the independent film "Dedication" and the drama "Southland Tales."
Moore says it isn't hard balancing her music and film work — especially since they're cross-promoting each other — but she's holding off on committing to another movie in order to concentrate on the album.
"I really just want to go on tour this fall," she explains. "I'd love to do a film, but it has to be something that makes sense and that I'm really passionate about to take me off the road, 'cause that's really what I want to do right now."
Lori McKenna

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The holistic approach to female reproductive health that promotes female fertility and reproductive health.
It is recommended to use Fertil Support Woman for at least three cycles before expecting significant improvement to fertility health. It can also be taken for as long as it takes to improve fertility and in order for conception to be achieved.


Learn to introduce yourself. This sounds simple enough but a lot of us hold back because of our shyness. Don't be scared to introduce yourself to people at various levels. Once you get past the shyness to introduce yourself, you will find that it is much easier to steer the conversation.
Ask someone how their day is going. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to start a conversation and will help you take the conversation forward.
Get to know how long someone has been working at the company, adding that you have just started. It works very well if the person you start talking to has been working for a long time at the company as they may be able to show you around and introduce you to other people too.
Once you strike up a conversation, ask a lot of open-ended questions ("what books do you read?"; "what course did you do in college?"). This will help you get to know the person better. However, make sure that you are not too intrusive with personal questions.
Use your lunch break to get to know other people in various departments of the company. Joining a group for lunch will help you get to know the company as well as your co-workers, better.


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Anno
 480 o 480 a.C.

Codici
 480 (astronomia) – Codice che designa l'Osservatorio astronomico di Cockfield, nel Suffolk, in Inghilterra

Matematica
 480 – numero

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The secret element in blended learning
The Christensen Institute
Given this fact, it's easy to get caught up in thinking of technology—devices and software—as blended learnings' core, defining feature. Yet the most powerful and important element in blended learning doesn't have a touch screen, fancy graphics, or artificial intelligence; it isn't built by engineers or computer scientists; and you can't buy it online. The most important element in blended learning is one that's been in classrooms for centuries. That element is teachers. MORE
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Given this fact, it's easy to get caught up in thinking of technology—devices and software—as blended learnings' core, defining feature. Yet the most powerful and important element in blended learning doesn't have a touch screen, fancy graphics, or artificial intelligence; it isn't built by engineers or computer scientists; and you can't buy it online. The most important element in blended learning is one that's been in classrooms for centuries. That element is teachers.
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Throughout the world, people struggle with their diet. For some, the issue is managing to eat enough; with a myriad of factors responsible for causing trouble. And, for others, the biggest problem they face is eating too much. Diet is one of the hardest parts of adult life to master. And, as you conquer other areas, you get less and less time to perfect your eating habits. But, it doesn't have to be this way. Instead, you just need to do some planning; then, you can spend as little time on it as possible. To help you out with this, this post will be going through some of the best ways to ensure that you're eating as well as you possibly can.
A large portion of people think that calories are the only important factor when it comes to food. Of course, calories can be a good reference point. But, they only tell a small part of the story. Along with the amount of calories in the food you eat, you also need to be thinking about all of the other nutrients in the food. For example, you could have two meals; both with five hundred calories in them. But, one has is largely cheese and dark meat; and, the other is mostly vegetables and lean meat or fish. The second meal would be much better for you, with more protein and fibre, and less saturated fats. Most governments have good recommendations for the amount of calories you should be consuming. So, you should have a look around to figure out what you should be putting inside yourself.
One of the biggest issues people face with their diet is time. Unfortunately, a lot of healthier options simply take longer to make than the quick and easy ones a lot of people go for. But, in recent times, this has changed. For those that don't mind eating similar food all the time, an option like Huel could be the perfect way for you to keep a good diet on the go. Or, if you prefer to eat real food, you could consider freezing meals in batches. This gives you the chance to have different food each day; while also keeping it healthy and home-cooked.
A lot of people find that they need some help when they're first coming up with a good diet. Thankfully, there are loads of resources out there to help you. To start, whenever you're drastically changing your diet, you should talk to a doctor. This will ensure that you're not going to make any changes which could impact you negatively. A lot of people find it hard to match their diet with good exercise. But, you can answer questions like how many calories does yoga burn? from sites like bestyogablog.com, without having to spend any money. This sort of resource is perfect for those that want fast answers. And, for those who don't have much time to see professionals.
Hopefully, this will give you a good idea of what needs to be done; if you want to balance your diet to perfection. A lot of people don't put this sort of work into their food. But, it's worth it; if you want to be the best possible example of you.


We still have some fantastic themed weekends to come, not just here at Whitby Holiday Park, but also in Whitby itself! If you've not already got your caravan or your pitch booked then you'll need to hurry as there are not many spaces left for these wonderful weekend still to come!
We have the Swinging Sixties making a return to both the town and the Holiday Park from the 26th September for the weekend. There will be plenty of your favourite songs from much loved bands of the sixties playing all over the town so make sure you dig out that outfit that you have hiding in the back of your wardrobe as you'll fit right in!
There's a weekend full of sixties tribute bands as well as some classic sixties bands at the Whitby Pavillion. With a line up that includes The Troggs; Nashville Teens; Merseybeats; Ivy League; White Plains featuring Tony Burrows; Amen Corner; Chris Farlowe; Cliff Bennett; Cupids Inspiration; Union Gap; The Stones and many more, it's certainly going to be a lively weekend with lots of singing and dancing! There's even a couple of afternoon shows as well including The Cavern Experience and Rock 'n' Roll Jukebox.
Don't forget there will also be some sixties music playing in the Family Clubhouse over the weekend on site so make sure you pop in and have a pint or three and party the night away!
As usual this is a fun packed weekend full of some amazing and outstanding costumes, with live music stalls and all sorts of other interesting things going on over the weekend!
Wherever you go in town over this weekend you'll be amazed at the sites you see!
The festival was held yearly until 1997, when it became twice-yearly, now held in April and October. It has since grown into one of the most popular goth music events in the world, attracting attendees from across the UK and around the world. The main event is held at the town's largest venue Whitby Spa Pavilion (known just as 'The Spa'), and the popular Bizarre Bazaar 'Goth Market' is also held here along as well as at Whitby Leisure Centre and Whitby Brunswick Centre. Other venues such as RAW Nightclub and The Shambles are used for official fringe events, and various venues including The Resolution, The Rifle Club & The Metropole are used for unofficial events.
Although referred to as a "weekend" it includes events during the day on Friday and Saturday as well as fringe events on the Thursday, Sunday and Monday. These events include additional club nights, markets, and a charity football match between visiting goth team Real Gothic, and local team Stokoemotiv Whitby led by Jon Stokoe the ex editor of local newspaper the Whitby Gazette on the Sunday.
So if you want to take part in either of these amazing weekends, don't forget to call us today on 01947 602664 to get your caravan booked in today!!
Autumn Recipes for all to try!!


Hong Kong-based Chris Dwyer is a contributor for the BBC, CNN and The South China Morning Post.
Tiny but dynamic, Macau is known as the Las Vegas of Asia, though there's far more to the former Portuguese colony than the bright lights of its casinos and entertainment. This city's unique cultural mix means it offers an exciting culinary scene and beguiling hidden corners for anyone willing to explore beyond the obvious. There's no shortage of adventure either, with surprising adrenaline rushes to be had – or a chance to shrug off your stresses with a spa experience.
Surely few experiences can match the gut-wrenching, heart-stopping adrenaline rush that comes with the Macau Skywalk. Think you've got a head for heights? Then the 233-metre-high Macau Tower will test you to the limit, because you need to walk outside – with no handrail. A special harness makes it possible to lean off the edge, sit down or even 'fly' with nothing between you and one very long way down. Did we mention the world's highest bungee jump is also an option?
The city's best-known landmark, you may become somewhat immune to the sight of the Ruins of St Paul's as it graces countless postcards here. Yet it's certainly worth a trip in person to see what is left of the 17th-century Catholic church. Forming part of Macau's historic centre as a Unesco World Heritage Site, St Paul's was one of Asia's largest churches before the dual hit of a typhoon and fire in 1835 produced the now-famous façade that endures. The real draw is the climb up the adjoining stairway, which rewards you with panoramic views across Macau. The intricate carvings, the work of exiled Japanese Christians, perfectly reflect Macau itself with a unique blend of influences from East and West.
Built in 1488 to commemorate the sea goddess Mazu (said to bless and protect fishermen), the peaceful, harbourside A-Ma Temple overlooks the waters of the South China Sea. Legend even has it that the temple gave rise to the name 'Macau' – as the local's name for the bay, A-Ma-Gau, was misunderstood by the Portuguese. With remarkable 400-year-old rock carvings still intact, the temple has been used since by followers of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Expect to enter to a haze of incense.
With its views across the bay, the award-winning Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Macau offers a total escape from the buzz of the city. There is an amethyst crystal steam room, and treatments in the private rooms and Oriental Suite incorporate the Macanese Dragon Experience, which includes Chinese lymphatic body massage. Or plump for the Yin and Yang Delight: a couple's massage, facial and afternoon tea package. Get two spa treatments for the price of one as part of the Bundle of Delights.
Minutes from the high-rollers of Coloane's casino tables, Taipa Village feels light years away. To walk the narrow streets of this former fishing hamlet feels like stepping back in time, though to precisely when would be harder to say, as architecture from very different eras jostles for position here, with grand villas next to Chinese temples and colonial-era churches. Fill up on tempting local street food or classic Spanish and Portuguese dishes. Speaking of Portugal, be sure to pick up some Pastéis de Nata at Lord Stow's Bakery.
With its spectacular glass wall offering views over the South China Sea and Nam Van Lake, nothing else in town can rival the elegant Vida Rica at Mandarin Oriental, Macau. Open throughout the day, you can order slow-cooked Australian lamb rack in hay crust or succulent smoked and braised beef ribs with rock sugar and lime zest.
Treat yourself with one of our enticing packages. There's never been a better time to enjoy Mandarin Oriental, Macau.


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Obama to Congress: I Don't Need Your Approval
�We are acting lawfully."
Earlier today, The Blaze reported on the bi-partisan lawsuit that congressional members filed this week against the White House. Now, President Barack Obama's administration is speaking out, claiming that the War Powers Act does not apply to U.S. action in Libya. The New York Times has more:
In a broader package of materials the Obama administration is sending to Congress on Wednesday defending its Libya policy, the White House, for the first time, offers lawmakers and the public an argument for why Mr. Obama has not been violating the�War Powers Resolution since May 20.
On that day, the Vietnam-era law�s 60-day deadline for terminating unauthorized hostilities appeared to pass. But the White House argued that the activities of United States military forces in Libya do not amount to full-blown �hostilities� at the level necessary to involve the section of the War Powers Resolution that imposes the deadline.
�We are acting lawfully,� said Harold Koh, the State Department legal adviser, who expanded on the administration�s reasoning in a joint interview with White House Counsel Robert Bauer.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/v/afiY9HMHNXg?version=3&hl=en_US expand=1]
The administration claims that the U.S. has not been involved in "hostilities" since NATO took the helm on April 7. According to the White House, America is merely providing a "supporting role." Since troops are not in harm's way on the ground, they say there is "little risk" posed to U.S. forces. The Times continues:
The administration legal team considered other approaches, including a proposal to stop the use of armed drones after May 20 in order to bolster the case that United States forces were no longer engaged in hostilities. But the White House ultimately decided not to make any changes in the military mission.
The key issue here is the meaning of "hostilities," as there does not seem to be a clear definition on the books. Furthermore, the administration discusses NATO as though the U.S. is not an integral part of the military alliance. In reality, the country's relationship in the allegiance means that America is, to a degree, still heading operations in Libya.
Obama's opinion on this matter will likely be debated by congressional members on both sides of the aisle and judging from today's lawsuit, there's a good chance the battle may make its way into the court system.
'His art gives us hope' Art dealer claims Hunter Biden 'will become one of the most consequential artists in this century'
Florida man caught on viral video beating his dog gets 3-year prison sentence and is forbidden from owning any animals
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Lead actress of 'Home Improvement' defends Tim Allen over resurfaced clip showing him lifting kilt on set
Airport crew member 'ingested' by plane engine received repeated warnings just before her death, new report says
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Coliving & Coworking
Coliving and Coworking in the United States
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Coliving and Coworking in Australia
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Coliving and Coworking in South Africa
Coliving and Coworking in Portugal
Coliving and Coworking in Romania
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Applying for Visas
Money Matters Abroad
Things to know before visiting South Africa for the first time
1 Comment / South Africa / By Lerato
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If you are planning a trip and you are wondering what you need to know before visiting South Africa? You've come to the right place!
South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and it's no surprise why we welcome over 16 million tourists annually.
With so many amazing things to do in South Africa, it's really important to research what to expect and things to know before visiting South Africa for the first time.
Being a South African abroad, I get asked questions about my home country all the time. Over the years, I've also realized that most people don't know much about our beautiful South Africa and it's our job as locals to educate them.
Where is South Africa
South Africa, the southernmost country on the African continent, renowned for its varied topography, great natural beauty, and cultural diversity.
How big is South Africa
SA is the 24th-largest country in the world. It is about the same size as Colombia, twice the size of France, three times as big as Japan, four times the size of Italy and five times the size of the United Kingdom.
The country has nine provinces and a population of 58 million (2020).
Do I need a visa to visit South Africa?
Most nationalities don't need a visa to visit South Africa but some do.
You can visit the Department of Home Affairs' official website to find out if you need a visa or not.
Important things to know before visiting South Africa
I've made a list of things to know before visiting South Africa, to make the planning stage of your trip just that little bit easier.
Which language is mostly spoken in South Africa
South Africa boasts an incredible eleven official languages, of which English is one. Britain kinda colonized many African countries, so that's why many of us speak English.
South African languages: Afrikaans, English, South Ndebele, Pedi, Southern Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu.
In fact, South Africa is one of the 7 countries (including New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, the U.K, the US, and Australia) where English is considered as a native language. Hence, many Asia Teaching Work opportunities are open to South Africans.
We are also one of the few countries with a national anthem that has more than 4 languages.
Most South Africans are multilingual and the most common language spoken as a first language by South Africans is Zulu, Xhosa, and Afrikaans.
Read: Popular South African names
Currency of South Africa
ZAR (South African Rand) is the official currency of the Republic of South Africa.
Coins available: 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2, and R5 and notes: R10, R20, R50, R100, and R200.
Visa and Mastercard debit and Credit cards are widely accepted. American Express is only accepted in some places.
Vaccinations for South Africa
You won't need any vaccinations unless you are coming from a country where Yellow Fever and Malaria are prevalent.
International Adapter for South Africa
15 amp 3-prong, with round plugs.
Best Time To Visit South Africa
South Africa is a year-round destination. Personally, I travel all year round and always come home in winter (June to August). The weather is more bearable for me as I prefer cooler conditions. If I had to recommend the best time to visit South Africa I'd say from winter (June) to early summer (early November).
Read: Guide to the best time to visit South Africa
Is South Africa Safe to visit for tourists
SA often ends up in the news for the wrong reasons. Yes, it's safe to visit South Africa but there are a few things to know before you come and who better than a local give you tips.
I've shared the ultimate travel and safety tips for South Africa guide and in a nutshell, South Africa is a place where precautions are needed to stay safe.
South Africa Safety Guides
Johannesburg Safety Guide
Cape Town Safety Tips
Is South African water safe to drink
South Africa's water is rated 3rd best in the world.
Apps to download before visiting South Africa
Namola – SA's leading safety app that helps you receive emergency assistance when you most need it." The app also supports a family feature to ensure that your loved ones are safe.
Uber – The best way to get around if you don't have a car in SA.
Bull Horns Panic Button – The app allows you to instantly, silently alert your community and emergency responders with just a shake of your phone.
MySOS SA – a panic button app that supports 2-way voice communication and GPS tracking used by more than 100 000 South Africans. The easy intuitive interface allows you to connect to emergency services.
What are the popular sports in South Africa
South Africans are crazy about sports, it's hard to pick one favorite but the top 3 are definitely rugby, soccer, and cricket. We are also the only country in the world to have hosted the Soccer, Cricket and Rugby World Cup!
Our most popular sports stars include:
Lucas Radebe – SA national soccer team captain who played for Leeds United, where he played 256 matches for the Yorkshire side.
John Smit – mentioning South African rugby and not mentioning this legend would be a sin. He was the 50th captain of the South Africa national rugby team and led the team to win the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Caster Semenya – Our champ from Limpopo is a middle-distance runner and 2016 Olympic gold medalist. She won gold in the women's 800 meters at the 2009 World Championships with a time of 1:55.45 and at the 2017 World Championships in her new personal best, 1:55.16.
Makhaya Ntini – He was the first black player to play for the South African national cricket team.
Charlene Lynette Wittstock – a former South African Olympic swimmer who, after marrying Prince Albert II, became Charlene, Princess of Monaco.
Siya Kolisi – South Africa's first black rugby national team captain. A national treasure!
Chad Le Clos – South African swimmer who is an Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games champion as well as the Commonwealth record holder in the 50 and 100-meter butterfly.
AB de Villers – regarded as one of the greatest players of modern times. He has the 10th-most total centuries scored (47) among all international cricketers.
What's the time in South Africa right now
South African Standard Time is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean (or Universal Standard) Time, one hour ahead of Central European Winter Time, and seven hours ahead of the USA's Eastern Standard Winter Time. We don't have daylight savings.
Is South Africa LGBTI friendly
In 2006, South Africa was the first African country and the fifth country in the world to recognize same-sex marriage.
There are many gay-friendly bars, restaurants, and hotels scattered throughout the country. This doesn't mean it's 100% safe as you will probably meet homophobic individuals but most people don't care about your sexuality.
Is Trevor Noah South African
Trevor Noah is a South African comedian and host of The Daily Show in the U.S. In Trevor Noah's book he details how his black mother was jailed for having a relationship with his Swiss-German father.
He also shares stories from growing up as a biracial child in South Africa during Apartheid. It's a must-read if you want to understand the past and present racial issues" in South Africa.
Interesting facts about South Africa
South Africa has it all: deserts, wetlands, grasslands, bush, subtropical forests, mountains, and escarpments. There is no other country in the world as UNIQUE as South Africa.
1. The only country in the world with three capital cities
Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.
Cape Town is the legislative capital.
Pretoria is the administrative and executive capital.
2. Home to some of the oldest mountains in the world.
Тhe Barberton Mountain range in the province of Mpumalanga is over 3.5 billion years old. Table Mountain in Cape Town is about 600 million years old.
3. 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
South Africa is home to the world's largest visible craters, and the Cradle of Humankind near Johannesburg is where the oldest modern human remains were discovered.
4. Home of the worlds first heart transplant
Professor Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful heart transplant in 1967. CAT Scans and swimming pool vacuum cleaners are also South African inventions.
5. Rich in natural resources
80% of the world's platinum and a fifth of the world's gold, hails from South Africa. In fact, the world's largest diamond (a 3,106-carat stone that weighed 1.33 pounds) was found in my home town of Pretoria on 25 January 1905. Today, it can be seen on top of the Queen of England's Scepter with the Cross in the Tower of London. (thanks for stealing everything from us Britain ????).
6. Wine lovers Paradise
South Africa produces 7% of the world's wine and The Cape Route 62 (or R62), is the world's longest wine route (about 1 000 kilometers long).
7. Rooibos tea only grows in South Africa
Although farmers have tried to grow it elsewhere in the world, the climate, soil, and conditions just aren't conducive… and we'd like to think that nature intended it that way.
8. 80% of the world's dinosaur fossils were found in SA
The Karoo region in the Western Cape is home to some of the best fossils of early dinosaurs.
9. South Africa is one of the worlds adventure capitals
Bloukrans Bridge in the Eastern Cape Province is the highest commercial bungee jump in the world. You can go on a helicopter tour of most major cities. Horse riding safaris are a thing and the world's best land-based whale-watching spot is located in Hermanus.
10. There's a country within our country
Lesotho is a country that is surrounded entirely by South African borders and yes, we need a passport to go there. There are many things to do in Lesotho, but it's most famous for its breathtaking mountains and ski resort.
Important South Africa Laws and Customs to know
Always carry your identity documentation or a copy of your passport.
The legal drinking age was changed from 18 to 21 in 2017.
South Africa has a tipping culture, and common courtesy is to include at least 10% of your bill.
You don't have to pour your own gas (petrol), we have petrol attendants. Don't forget to tip them too!
When on a safari, don't feed or touch animals! If you do this and you die (this mostly happens to tourists), it's honestly your fault! There are signs everywhere but no one obeys the laws.
Don't geotag your location, unless you want to be part of a shoot out with poachers trying to kill elephants for ivory and rhinos for their horns.
Don't try and bribe the cops. Some locals might do this, but this doesn't mean you should, even if the police ask for a bribe, say no!
South Africans are usually very respectful of older people and treat them with respect. Older men are frequently addressed respectfully with Tata (Xhosa word for father), Oom (Afrikaans word for uncle) or sir. Women elders can be heard being called Mama (Xhosa word for mum) or Tannie (Afrikaans word for aunt) or ma'am. Though this may seem odd to some, by speaking like this people are showing respect for their elders.
Expat Tax comes into effect in March 2020. Learn more about South Africa's New Expat Tax HERE!
It's illegal to show public displays of affection (PDA) if you're under the age of 16.
If you are ever driving in South Africa and a herder and his cattle want to cross the road, you must yield! Herders have the right of way on the road.
If you're under the age of 18, it's illegal to sit more than 12 inches from strangers when wearing swimwear.
Drugs are illegal. Medical marijuana is legal though!
How to get around in South Africa
Many people choose to rent a car during their time in South Africa. This provides you with more freedom and flexibility during your travels, but there are some things which you should be aware of.
Rental cars are available almost exclusively with manual transmissions. Automatic cars are more expensive.
Our public transport isn't that great especially in the rural areas of the country. You can also opt to Cycle in South Africa, not only will this be a great way to save money on transportation, but it's another great way to travel in South Africa.
Read: Guide to driving in South Africa
Annoying FAQ South Africans get asked abroad
The ignorance and stereotypes regarding Africa are alarming and I find it scary that most of these questions are asked by adults.
What is Africa like?
I honestly never know how to answer this. Like where do I even start? Do I tell people that Africa is not a country? Africa is the second-largest continent and home to 54 independent countries. Despite international artists announcing "world tours" yet Africa is never on their list. *side-eyes Beyoncé*. There is no way to describe Africa as the countries are different.
I know someone who lives in (insert place). Do you know him or her?
South Africa is not a village or a small town. It's a country with a population of 58 million+. Our country is the 24th largest country in the world and twice the size of France. Your friend and I somehow knowing each other would be a miracle!
Are there white people in South Africa
My friend gets this all the time: "You're from South Africa, why are you white?"
South Africa was colonized by the Dutch starting in 1652 and became a major British colony in 1795. South Africa is a diverse country with a population of 7.8% – white, 80.9% – black, 8.8% – colored (mixed race) and 2.5% – Asian, we are known as the "rainbow nation", and rightly so. African is not a race!
Some famous white South Africans:
I watched Blood Diamond. {insert comment about the sad story}
Blood Diamond is actually set in Sierra Leone during the civil war. The story of the film is pure fiction however, the brutality portrayed in the film is accurate but does not depict the daily occurrences in South Africa. Apart from having a few South African actors, the movie has nothing to do with South Africa.
There are animals galore
I have been asked on so many occasions if I've seen a lion and the answer is no. Believe it or not, there are people who live in SA and have never seen wild animals as they are kept in zoos or game reserves. So no, there are no wild animals roaming our streets, and yes, we have to pay to see them.
South African has more wildlife than anywhere else on the African continent. We even call our national rugby team, "the springboks" – a medium-sized antelope only found in Southern Africa.
SA is also home to the largest game reserve in the world – Kruger National Park. If you want to swim with crocodiles, go shark cage diving or even see African penguins at the beach, South Africa is the destination for you!
Get Insurance before traveling to South Africa
Use travel insurance while visiting SA so you are covered for theft and medical expenses. There are a lot of adventurous activities to do in South Africa, and it's best to have peace of mind while swimming, hiking and trying some of the best food in the world.
Find out why I recommend World Nomads, check out my World Nomads Insurance review.
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a booking after clicking on a link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you!
1 thought on "Things to know before visiting South Africa for the first time"
Question 3!! Wow people are really ignorant
Hi, I'm Matt and I've been an on and off digital nomad and tourism marketing professional for more than 10 years.
I love helping people achieve freedom through their work and travel, hopefully through both. You will find plenty of articles about slow travel, visas, immigration, co-living, and co-working. For more info, view my about page.
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10 Best LGBT-friendly Places in the USA
US Cities Where Love is Love is Love
The USA has become a friendlier place for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual community since 2003 when Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage. Over 35 states, together with the District of Columbia, have since followed suit in this progressive movement.
Various US cities have welcomed the LGBT community with open arms, celebrating the community with colorful parades, events, and establishments catering specifically to this group. Some metropolitan areas are hubs that are suitable for gay-friendly living, travel, and retirement. From Washington DC to New York, here's our guide to the most LGBT-friendly places in the USA.
The gay capital of the world
San Francisco has long been considered one of America's most LGBT-friendly cities. Nicknamed 'the gay capital of the world', San Fran is home to one of the largest and most prominent LGBT communities in the country. There are rainbow-clad streets, gay-friendly districts, and some of the most prominent LGBT festivals and celebrations.
San Francisco's Pride Festival takes places every June and welcomes over 50,000 people from around the world. Supporters, performers and vendors alike come together during this 2-day event to celebrate the LGBT community. Some of the most popular gay-friendly venues in San Francisco include the Castro District, Mission Dolores Park, and Juhu Beach Club.
Enjoy 6 days of parades at Southern Decadence
New Orleans is home to Mardi Gras, the French Quarter, and some of the best LGBT-friendly tourism in the USA. Southern Decadence, the largest LGBT celebration in the South, began in 1972 as a simple going-away party. It has since expanded into a 6-day event that takes place over the Labor Day weekend, complete with drag queens, colorful parades, and celebrity performances.
Diversity is a big aspect of New Orleans, and it's most prevalent in the French Quarter's 'Lavender Line', a stretch of St Ann Street full of LGBT-friendly bars. Here, you'll find Café Lafitte's in Exile (one of the oldest gay bars in the USA), Lucille's Golden Lantern, The Oz, and Mag's 940.
photo by MusikAnimal (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
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Enjoy a wide range of films at the Portland Queer Film Festival
Portland is one of the most gay-friendly cities in the USA – this northwest queer oasis is home to a population where over 5% of people identify as LGBT, which is much higher than the national average. Thanks to the city's progressive political views and accepting attitude, Portland's LGBT community enjoys a variety of gay bars, parades, and even film festivals.
Portland's Pride Festival includes 3 days of festivities at Waterfront Park, followed by Peacock in the Park, a beloved drag show that takes place at the Washington Park Rose Garden Amphitheater. The Portland Queer Film Festival takes place in October at Movie theater 21 and highlights the cinematic contributions of LGBTQ filmmakers.
Enjoy parades and parties at NYC Pride March
New York City is known as one of the earliest LGBT hubs in the US, with gay-rights protests beginning as early as 1969 when the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village kicked off the modern gay rights movement we recognize today. New York City is home to more than 270,000 self-identifying gay and bisexual individuals, as well as over 50,000 transgender people (the largest in the country).
New York City celebrates its LGBT community every June during the NYC Pride March when colorful floats parade down Fifth Avenue, flanked by performers, supporters, gay-friendly sponsors. The city also hosts the New York City Drag March, Queens Pride Parade, and Youth Pride.
Celebrate Disney's Gay Days and Come Out with Pride
Orlando's thriving LGBT community is the 3rd largest in the USA, and the biggest in the state of Florida. With widely popular events such as Disney's Gay Days and Come Out with Pride, it's no surprise why Orlando is so popular with LGBT locals and travelers.
Disney's Gay Days is a week-long celebration that takes place every August at Magic Kingdom, where over 50,000 attendees dressed up in red in support of the LGBT community. Come Out with Pride is a mile-long parade through Downtown Orlando, celebrating the LGBT community and honoring the 49 lives lost during the 2016 tragedy at Pulse, a popular gay nightclub.
Home to the first all-LGBT city council in the USA
Palm Springs, with its vibrant gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community, is a well-known LGBT travel destination in the USA. You'll have plenty to enjoy around town, including gay-friendly hotels, events, and nightlife options. Palm Springs is also home to America's first-ever all-LGBT city council.
The lesbian community is particularly well-represented in Palm Springs, with events such as the Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend and White Party. Some of the best gay bars in Palm Springs include Toucans Tiki Lounge and Starlite Lounge, as well as The Terra Cotta Resort which doubles as a clothing-optional, adults-only lodging option.
Miami Beach, Florida
Home to dozens of gay-friendly bars and clubs
The Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade takes over the city every year, with over 145,000 people coming out to celebrate the LGBT community. This 2-day event takes place in April, transforming the city into a rainbow-colored LGBT haven. Miami Beach also has plenty of annual events such as The Winter Party, The OutShine Film Festival, and The Miami Recognition Dinner.
Miami's drag scene has grown significantly over the past few years, with 'queer parties' and 'queer nights' popping up in clubs and bars across town. Some of the most popular gay bars in Miami include Twist, Palace, WaterLOO, and The Manor.
The first state in the USA to legalize same-sex marriage
Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage, and they sure know how to celebrate that milestone. The popular Boston Gay Pride Festival is preceded every year by a whole week of events paying tribute to the community's diversity and social progress.
Rainbow flags decorate many streetlights and buildings, while straight bars and lounges host 'gay nights' throughout the month of June. Boston has several neighborhoods with sizable LGBT populations, with South End being one of the most notable, as well as Savin Hill and Melville Park.
Washington DC, District of Columbia
Home of the Capital Pride Festival
The nation's capital is home to a vibrant LGBT community, complete with historic LGBT sites, clubs, bars, and festivals. Dupont Circle is where Lambda Rising, the city's first gay bookstore, opened back in 1974, while Logan Circle and Adams Morgan are home to plenty of queer-friendly establishments that suit just about any alternate lifestyle.
Capital Pride is Washington DC's largest pride festival, taking place every June and showcasing more than 200 rainbow-colored parade floats. Allies, politicians, and local businesses from all over the state come together to celebrate the capital's LGBT community. In 2015, the White House was lit in rainbow colors following the Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage.
Voted one of the best places to retire for LGBTs
West Palm Beach is one of the best cities for LGBT people to retire. With over 65 km of fine-sand beaches and a small but thriving gay nightlife, the city is also a popular vacation spot for many people, regardless of sexual orientation. Palm Beach Pride, formally known as PrideFest of Lake Worth, has grown from a small gathering to the second-largest event of its kind in South Florida.
Colorful parades and a diverse line-up of live entertainment take this celebration well into the night. The award-winning International Gay Polo Tournament also takes place in West Palm Beach, kicking off the annual polo season every April.
Fiorella Bertola | Contributing Writer
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The Meister
Meister Music
BEST OF 2020 – The Meister (Radio DJ/Podcast Co-Host/Writer)
January 8, 2021Written by The Meister
BEST OF 2020 – The Meister
This year CGCM decided to include EP (previously they were excluded from Top Ten Albums). Live albums and re-records were still disqualified, new music only for Best of Year. We also instigated a (highly complex🤣 – 1 point for 10th place through to 10 points for 1st place) rating system throughout all individual lists to culminate a Collective Best of 2020.
You can find the Collective List as well as all our Best of 2020 content including contributors' individual lists, podcasts and radio DJ shows here: CGCM's Best of 2020 (Year in Review)
Best of 2020 – Rich "The Meister" Dillon (Radio DJ/Podcast Co-Host/Writer) 🇨🇦
Always a monumental task, yet at the same time so exciting and invigorating. Choosing one's favourite albums of the year. This round, even with the pandemic halting life as we know it and providing much ample extra time for listening, I have had much less opportunity than a normal year. I blame CGCM Radio. I never thought I'd ever listen to the radio (satellite nor terrestrial) ever again. But I must file out massive accolades to all at CGCM for helping make CGCM Rock Radio – What Rock Radio Should Be.
And so, I found myself starting some heavy prep at the end of November. Garnering info on albums released, making lists, getting recommendations and most of all listening to some great tunes. For this year's list, I considered a whopping 450+ albums. I took a "listen" as 3 full songs and by that point, if my pants didn't tighten with a massive rock boner, I moved on. Some went onto a "retry list", some went to "no chance", and still others to a "contender". Maybe a few of these would have fared better if I'd been able to live with them longer. Play them more often. But overall I think I did more (or at least tracked better) research and listening than in previous year's top lists.
These are my favourite of 2020. You may disagree and that's cool, but for my ears, these were the most boner inducing albums.
#10 – LADY BEAST – The Vulture's Amulet 🇺🇸
I realize that I have perhaps become biased where it concerns Lady Beast. I really do love the band's music. But they are also amazing people as well, and proud to say, my friends. That friendship came out of my love for their music originally. It's now all melded together and I fully believe they could record a record of their bathroom noises and I would put it as my number one of the year. That's biased. I tried to separate better for this exercise and I said I was not going to consider The Vulture's Amulet for my best of the year because of that.
I have no choice but to include it. It's a great album. Since its release, I listened to it a helluva lot! I put it on to cheer me up when I'm having a rough day. I put it on during a great day and rock out happily, fists high in the air (even if I'm on the bus to work…yes, I get stared at a lot). And that's the power of music and The Vulture's Amulet, based on that should probably even be higher in this list.
CGCM Album Review: Lady Beast – The Vulture's Amulet by The Meister.
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#09 – THE WILD – Still Believe in Rock and Roll 🇨🇦
From B.C. Canada, The Wild! are an incredible feat to witness on stage. Be it on a large scale such as at Sweden Rock Festival where they slapped the early morning audience into wakefulness or in a small sweaty club such as The Bovine Sex Club in Toronto earlier this year. And they have the music to back it up as well. They are real rock and roll, no frills, no bells, no gimmicks, just straight-ahead punch to the gut hard rock! Links to articles on both can be found on this website.
The whole slab of tunes is awesome, leading out with the raucous "Bad News" through to the closer "Gasoline" but "Goin' To Hell" is my favourite cut.
CGCM Album Review: The Wild! – Still Believe In Rock & Roll by The Meister
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#08 – HIGHRIDE – Excellence & Decadence 🇸🇪
I don't know a ton about Highride really other than they hail from Stockholm, Sweden. According to their Facebook page, they are a "unique blend of Punk, Sleaze and Hard Rock". They have at least one other release in 2013's Highride self-titled. I don't recall that album, so I assume it didn't leave an impression on me, but it's in my library. Excellence & Decadence however took me straight away with "Superstarblind" and maintains pace throughout. A welcome listen on many lengthy bus ride to work commutes.
Top choices of tracks include "Superstarblind", "A Good Day (To Die)" and "No Plan B".
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#07 – CATALANO – Nightfighter 🇦🇺
I had no idea what to expect here and it wasn't until December that I would get to Catalano's Nightfighter. And mostly I only got to it as I saw a fellow CGCMer considering placing it in his best of 2020! Thanks, Brian Ronald, this may have slipped by otherwise.
The opening track "Livin' It Up" had me perched on the edge of my seat before we were 30 seconds in. Aside from one mid-tempo affair that still rocks, the album doesn't let up from there. Loaded with juicy riffs and snarling raspy vocals all packaged with melodic sing-along ability, fists high in concert here kids!
#06 – H.E.A.T – II 🇸🇪
Finding H.e.a.t some years back on the Address the Nation album I became hooked. I took pride in sorting out friends who were unsure of their abilities. Frontman Erik Gronwall is simply a magically mesmerizing performer. He sells every show. I enjoy the earlier outputs of the band with original singer Kenny Leckremo who has now stepped in once again as Erik goes on to other ventures, but I'm dubious of his ability to match the stage presence.
Only one ballad to skip on this album and everything else rocks with my favourite being "Dangerous Ground". I didn't gel too well with 2017's Into The Unknown, but H.e.a.t return to crushing form here…just not sure why the album is titled II.
CGCM Album Review: H.E.A.T – II by Trevor "Psychoone" McDougall
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#05 – SHAKRA – Mad World 🇨🇭
Swiss band Shakra consistently issue top-notch thumping Hard Rock. The band formed in the late '90s with a back catalogue of twelve albums. I was fortunate to see them twice perform setting the stage for Krokus and Gotthard in Switzerland a couple of years back.
Foot tapping, fist-raising anthems are all over this album as expected, all led by the distinctive vocal tones of Mark Fox. Eleven of the 12 tracks exhibit this style, with one blemish ballad. Thankfully Shakra smartly tacked the blemish on at the end for easy skipability. Tracks to check out: "Fireline", "Too Much Is Not Enough", "Mad World", "I Still Rock", and "Fake News"
CGCM Album Review: SHAKRA – Mad World by Tom Cornell
#04 – LACI VIOLETT – Laci Violett 🇺🇸
Out of the San Francisco Bay Area comes a fine collection of sleaze/glam anthems courtesy of Laci Violett and their debut self-titled. The hooks on this one dug in deep before the initial listen of the first cut was complete. The familiar (especially for someone who had hair and used the product a lot in days of youth) sound of an aerosol hairspray can greet the listener. This quickly erupts in "Hairspray Running Low", exhibiting an infectious, catchy groove that keeps sets the tone of the release. That same groove follows throughout the eight tracks. Track 9 is a, frankly, pointless and annoyingly useless "Outro" that thankfully at only 0:46 doesn't detract from the rest of the awesomeness.
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#03 – OZ – Forced Commandments 🇫🇮
Finland delivers! Much like my number one album, OZ reformed and issued their first album of new material after 31 years back in 2017. I then saw them at Sweden Rock and they were overly impressive on stage. This year they offered up Forced Commandments, a slab of hard-hitting metal loaded with rhythm and melody.
My dislike for intros and outros is softened here with this one attached to the opening track "Goin' Down" serving as a perfect lead-in. With "Goin' Down" as my favourite, others to spin are "Switchblade Alley", and "Liar".
CGCM Album review: OZ – Forced Commandments by Sparky
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#02 – TOKYO BLADE – Dark Revolution 🇬🇧
I knew the name and had heard a song here or there maybe prior to that, but these guys were impressive a couple of years ago at Brofest Festival in UK. My best of 2018 list saw Tokyo Blade's Unbroken album taking #1 and nearly impossible to follow up.
The classic NWOBHM band strikes back with Dark Revolution. making a valiant effort here, but it's just slightly below Unbroken for my ears. Still awarded the second spot in my 2020 list is nothing to sneeze at! Top cuts to check out: "Story of a Nobody" and "Dark Revolution".
CGCM Album review Tokyo Blade – Dark Revolution by Sparky
#01 – TORCH – Re-Ignite 🇸🇪
Another band I was fortunate to see on stage thanks to Sweden Rock Festival. I was not super versed in Torch's material prior to that gig at SRF. They were awesome and collecting Electrikiss on vinyl (actually purchased off Diemonds frontwoman Priya Panda) was….electrifying!
The band's first release in something like 35 years! From the first sounds of a needle softly touching down onto vinyl and the explosion of the beginning riffs of "Knuckle Duster", Torch's Re-Ignited had me straight away. The energy and pace keep up throughout the nine album tracks just the way The Meister likes…with no ballad flaccidity!
Find more of my album reviews here: Meister Music
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Don't forget to take a look at all our Best of 2020 content including the COLLECTIVE BEST ALBUMS LIST (culminated via the ratings in the individual lists), all our contributors' individual best lists, podcast episodes and Radio DJ shows CGCM's Best of 2020 (Year in Review)
2020, Best Of, Meister Music, The Meister Catalano, H.E.A.T, Highride, Laci Violett, Lady Beast, OZ, Shakra, The Wild!, Tokyo Blade, Torch
CGCM Podcast Ep#126 Top Tens of 2020!
Looking back at the year 2020, there is certainly lots to discuss and reflect upon. A year of challenges is an understatement. A year of political turmoil it certainly was. It was also, a year of amazing music being released around the globe. Grab a cold one, make yourself comfortable and join the Canadian Geeks […]
BEST OF 2020 – Brian Ronald (Photographer)
This year CGCM decided to include EP (previously they were excluded from Top Ten Albums). Live albums and re-records were still disqualified, new music only for Best of Year. We also instigated a (highly complex🤣 – 1 point for 10th place through to 10 points for 1st place) rating system throughout all individual lists to […]
BEST OF 2020 – Tom Cornell (Writer)
THE STRADDLERZ – The Straddlerz (January 29, 2021)
Age Of Reflection - Manchester 201915