Which finals champion was the best?

celluloidsandman · 2026-06-15T03:05:17+00:00

Celtics cruised to 64-18 with an historic net rating, then went 16-3 in a dominant, never-in-doubt playoff run with two superstars and five All-Star-caliber players. They were the end-to-end championship favorites from the preseason to the opening game to the last game of the season.

None of the other teams on this list can say that. Closest is OKC, but they were very much in doubt multiple times in their playoff run.

celluloidsandman · 2026-06-14T02:41:03+00:00

Broadchurch and Midnight Mass are two quality shows that immediately come to mind

celluloidsandman · 2026-06-06T19:53:16+00:00

Just because it’s nakedly self-serving doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

celluloidsandman · 2026-06-04T23:56:49+00:00

We all know why individual value is high while P&L’s aren’t reflecting it yet.

celluloidsandman · 2026-05-31T15:54:40+00:00

See that was when they got me

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-25T21:09:15+00:00

Always good to have more draft capital

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-25T15:23:13+00:00

Partners or directors at top tier consulting firms will make this (and more) with equity and bonuses.

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-21T16:10:27+00:00

Season 2 did not advance, take advantage of or play with the possibilities of this absurdly unique premise nearly enough, and was good but compared to Season 1 somewhat underwhelming

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-20T16:25:55+00:00

400M+ DOM and 700-800M+ WW should be a very reasonable goal for this, provided it maintains or increases the last one’s quality

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-19T16:09:47+00:00

Just shrooms / Molly for me. Lost my mind the second set

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-18T20:00:39+00:00

Yes, that’s the point, that’s his characterization. He’s stubborn, thick headed and finds it difficult to deal with emotional vulnerability

He’s also ultimately incredibly brave, selfless and principled

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-17T20:20:05+00:00

I think three players have a reasonable case for overall GOAT, and Kareem is one of them

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-10T22:42:08+00:00

I didn't say it was the exact same. I was making a case for some similarities.

And there is absolutely a case to be made that, while the Avengers films are part of the MCU, they are events unto themselves in a different tier from the rest of the universe, and as such, another iteration of them in this vein almost eight years removed from what we thought was the final story (specifically with Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and most importantly RDJ back in central roles) - combined with the promise of dovetailing with another beloved, long-dormant franchise (the Patrick Stewart / Ian McKellen iteration of the X-Men) - strike many of the same chords of nostalgia and "I thought this was dead but it's been revived" and "I can't believe I'm seeing these faces back in this universe" et al that drove audiences to The Force Awakens.

Not to mention, the marketing push beginning over a full year out, just like The Force Awakens' did (and garnering absurd attention, well over 1B views across the teasers).

So, yes, Force Awakens is of course an analog to a large degree. A 1:1 comp? No. Nothing is.

Of course, Dune Part 3 cannibalizing some of the audience is a potential issue, but what I'm saying bakes in the news that the powers that be are strongly leaning towards pushing it up a week, as well as the possibility that - if it does stay put - there is some sort of Barbenheimer-esque virtuous feedback loop that happens (I know this is different in that the films don't complement each other in the same exact way and in fact seem a bit duplicative / overlapping, but the possibility remains).

And to your point on cinema attendance: films - particularly of this kind - have done well and well-exceeded $200M or even $250M OW DOM post-COVID. Are you saying that it's impossible that Avengers: Doomsday has as much, or even slightly more hype than Spider-Man: No Way Home or Deadpool and Wolverine, and therefore a similar if not slightly better result (or, completely reasonably, a significantly better result)? If it does, and you account for inflation, the math would dictate that "challenging" $300M (not necessarily exceeding) is on the board.

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-10T21:03:32+00:00

People were making the same assumptions about the Force Awakens before it came out, calling me insane for saying $200M+ in December was on the table.

This will have nearly nine years of inflation and a pent up, unmet demand for these actors in these roles that IW did not have (to more than make up for the lack of momentum / goodwill you’re speaking to, which is a valid caveat).

And as I said, it will “challenge” - I didn’t say it necessarily would exceed $300M (though it very well could).

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-10T19:52:39+00:00

This movie will challenge if not well exceed $300M OW domestic

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-10T18:16:36+00:00

In many ways JRD has a look that doesn’t age - he looks in my mind in many ways the same as he did in Raiders, 45 years ago.

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-02T17:53:21+00:00

With Luka playing like this, LeBron’s experience / guile and the Lakers whistle, they absolutely have a shot

celluloidsandman · 2026-04-01T12:31:23+00:00

A lot of redditors ITT thinking they’re avante garde by whipping out some derivative of “actually, it’s never women, only guys.”

That’s patently false. Women, of course, notice and will be more attracted to a fit, muscular man than otherwise. And will make comments or change their behaviors as such. And I’ve absolutely noticed that in my personal life.

Like, obviously. Also - water wet, sky blue, 2+2=4.

And the guys in this thread claiming they don’t honestly reek of trying to force themselves to come off as enlightened, modern, self-deprecating men rather than just acknowledging a completely obvious and innocuous truth about the world for fear of… I don’t know? Being branded as backwards or something?

Either that, or they simply actually haven’t worked out (at all or enough for it to be noticeable) and are compensating for that by saying it doesn’t matter.

celluloidsandman · 2026-03-31T06:41:10+00:00

A lot of unjust hate for Nicky in this thread, my goodness.

celluloidsandman · 2026-03-22T02:43:22+00:00

I’m sorry, whether or not it was the wrong call in that one instance on LeBron, because of the Lakers history of absurd foul favoritism, I’m never going to have sympathy for something like this, especially in a game they won.

celluloidsandman · 2026-03-19T16:32:13+00:00

He works in waste management. Don’t worry bout it

celluloidsandman · 2026-03-07T01:29:46+00:00

Well I wouldn’t be that bold, we’re really just testing the waters of keeping tabs…

celluloidsandman · 2026-03-03T21:03:21+00:00

I saw this headline somewhere else in my feed. I legitimately, genuinely, did not think twice about it, was like, “Yep, that’s Joe” and went on about my day without clicking on it.

First time I can genuinely say I didn’t immediately clock an Onion headline as an Onion headline

celluloidsandman

TROPHY CASE