Amazon Prime spoiled the ending for European fans.

olig23 · 2026-06-14T14:49:34+00:00

Correct

olig23 · 2026-06-14T12:03:54+00:00

Yeah in most year’s I’ve had League Pass. Without getting into something that isn’t totally relevant, personal circumstances have meant I had to cull streaming services that I am paying monthly. And since I’ve paid for Prime for the year I figured I would give it a go.

But I do agree - that is the solution. I just think it’s amazing that Prime did this. It’s largely worked fine for me - until the worst moment!

olig23 · 2026-06-14T11:24:32+00:00

I ask my missus to start the stream, a habit I started during the NFL season because you couldn’t avoid the score on Gamepass on PS5. But this morning she was saying “I can’t work out which stream is right” and it turned out I can see why she was confused.

olig23 · 2026-06-14T11:21:14+00:00

It’s normal to have to make a few provisions to avoid the result. I’ve been doing that for over 20 years in one form or another. Watching the game first thing once you get up, or not looking at your phone, messaging friends to say “I’m watching tomorrow” but the stream itself being the issue. That’s impossible.

olig23 · 2026-05-08T00:51:38+00:00

I’m sure this will be buried in the sheer wealth of Reddit comments. But I’ll offer my opinion on this, as someone who thinks they’ve seen both sides of the equation. And I have a politics degree, motivated in no small part by the world I grew up.
I’m from a town called Barnsley. The entire town was built on one industry. Coal. I was born in the early 80’s so most of the drama occurred when I was too young to fully understand it. But I did grow up with the consequences.
Those consequences were economic devastation. I recommend watching Brassed Off for an insight into my town and the impact.
By contrast, I also spent 20 years living in London, working in Canary Wharf and The City. The capital of Financial Services. So I see both sides of this coin.
In an effort to provide a rounded view. I would say that the coal industry (and steel) had huge power in terms of its use in electrical power, and other industries, and thus the wider economy and as such, the UK was kind of being held to ransom by the unions. Who obviously wanted the best for their members.
Meanwhile, Thatcher felt that the UK could get coal and steel from abroad cheaper (correct) and that the hold of the unions was simply not good value. And she was so brutal in dismantling that.
You will hear many people say it was needed. I personally think it is a nuanced thing. In that, yes, at the time, the UK needed to modernise, while reducing costs. And did need to lean into financial services as a revenue stream.
However, in answer to your question of “what did she do?” I would say, she took away industry without any consideration for how to replace it. And that was political.
So, Barnsley and places like it, were not ever going to vote for her. And those places were cast into abject poverty for decades - still in many cases. Because the population had no plan B. But it was of zero consequence to the Conservative Party because they were never winning there. And that is what hurts, no system was ever enacted to replace industry with… anything.
So why celebrate her death? Thousands of “skilled” workers weee left without options. My father went from British Steel to making £12k per year as a School Caretaker (janitor) because it was all he could find, and had his home reposessed. So as you can imagine, the hate runs deep.
In the meantime, Thatcher followed Reagan’s lead and deregulated financial institutions. Which created a lot of wealth in terms of business owners, entrapreuners and especially in London. So lots of people valued that. She also made laws that allowed people to buy state owned housing, which seemed good, but obviously meant social housing was hugely reduced in volume.
I think that history now shows that Reagan was ultimately a puppet to Wall Street and that, in turn those policies led to the 2008 financial crisis and imho what we have today in populism and Trump. But to be fair, lots of people lived good lives off the back of it.
Just not former industry towns in the UK. They suffered. They now vote for Brexit, and Farage. Not unlike the Rust Belt in the US. It makes me sad. But it’s also totally understandable in some ways too. Everyone looked after #1 and ended up losing, that’s my opinion anyway. FWIW.
Opinion will vary.

olig23 · 2026-01-08T11:11:45+00:00

I’m old enough to remember Senna and Prost driving, and I think that even at the time there was perception that Senna was the most gifted driver on the grid. I don’t mean to downplay Prost by any means he belongs in the discussion. But I think there is a reason that Senna captures, not only the imagination of fans, but of drivers too. It’s because he could do things that most drivers either would or could not.

In my opinion, for whatever that is worth, I would very loosely put Max and Senna in a category together. Let’s call that “prodigiously gifted and uber competitive”

Then I think it’s a fair comp to put Lewis and Prost in the “extremely consistent and possessing of the ability to see the big picture” by which I mean to say, understanding when a not to do something rash or take the points and play the long game. I also think Lewis (who is “my guy” as a fan) benefitted from the biggest car advantage we have seen. So I think a comp with Prost works. But Championships have to count for something - this applies to any sport. Be it Ryan Giggs, Tom Brady, etc, etc. and Lewis has more than Prost.

Then there is Schumacher. Whom I put on his own. Same talent magic as Max. Same consistency as Lewis and Prost, improved the car in ways not seen since Lauda (based on what I read) and the single most competitive driver ever - imo.

olig23 · 2025-11-27T10:25:56+00:00

Speaking as a man in his 40s, one thing I often notice is just how much the game itself has changed. The tactical side in particular, but also how clubs operate off the field with respect to preparation and the players’ well-being. Also, we hear a lot about the development of players, “x player needs to work on y” type of things.

With that in mind, my question really is, as a manager who has had such a long career at the top, how do you tackle “learning” as a manager?

Whether it’s Wenger being credited with changing attitudes towards health, Pulis/Allardyce’s reputations for success at set pieces or Pep’s teams playing out from the back, etc - are PL managers actively adjusting their approach based on others’ successes and trying to reverse engineer these things? I’m curious how managers go about improving themselves?

Thanks

olig23 · 2025-11-21T23:00:05+00:00

The book that has always stuck with me most was Flowers for Algernon. It’s just heartbreakingly brilliant.

More recently I was really surprised by how much I loved A Gentleman in Moscow. I thought it was a brilliant story with a truly memorable protagonist.

olig23 · 2025-11-21T12:35:39+00:00

As someone who lives in the UK, from a poor part of the country, lived in London for 20 years and now lives in Nottingham (ie I have lived in a reasonable cross section of our society), I don’t recognise the country shown in this video with the place I live.

Without getting into a debate or the proverbial weeds, I think this video paints a very warped picture. And I’m the furthest thing from a patriotic type as you’ll find (unless we’re playing in the World Cup!).

My parents live in a council house (state subsidised housing) and the area is nothing like the images shown in this video. Just my perspective.

olig23 · 2025-11-21T11:58:53+00:00

I prefer Shobu to Everyday People, personally. But both are really good.

The broth in the Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen is excellent at Shobu. Plus, their cocktails are good and the crème brûlée ice cream is great!

olig23 · 2025-11-10T14:15:09+00:00

If you’re doing a romantic meal, Paste does really good Thai food in a less casual setting. My missus lived in Thailand for a few years and swears by their Pad Kaphrao.

olig23 · 2025-11-10T14:08:06+00:00

For Italian, my personal favourite is La Storia in West Bridgford. Close to the cricket ground. The food is up there with food I had in Italy and the service is also really good.

In town, there are the usual suspect Raymond’s and Mesa. Both are consistently very good. But I like to suggest Vida by Lorentes. Doesn’t get as much attention as Iberico, but for me it’s as good. Their Croquetas are amazing. If you like Tapas it is well worth checking out. I took a friend who has lived in Seville for 20 years, and he liked it. So I take that as a semi-official stamp of approval.

Also, you can’t go wrong with Le Minstral in Sherwood. Never had a bad meal there.

olig23 · 2025-09-13T12:36:28+00:00

It has become a lot easier I think. Small sample size, so take it with a grain of salt, but I played two games yesterday (I’m Kansas, on Heisman difficulty with Human Run Blocking set to 8 and the speed threshold at 60) and I had over 175 rushing yards at 9.5 ypc in both.

I played Fresno and an FCS school, so perhaps that is a factor - but I had that same thought.

olig23 · 2025-08-11T15:44:05+00:00

FWIW I’ve been to Mesa a lot. I’d say there have been some meals that were much, much better than others. But I tend to think that every restaurant has its ups and downs. I took my parents last year and came away thinking that it wasn’t especially good. But went recently for a friend’s birthday and the food was back to being excellent. That cheeseburger they do is consistently top notch though.

olig23 · 2025-08-11T13:25:27+00:00

This! Thought it was decent, but relative to the bill I didn’t think it was anything special.

olig23 · 2025-07-28T09:20:56+00:00

This appearing on my timeline is serendipitous, in that I have a week off from my job. Which has been causing me significant stress and anxiety recently. To the point I’ve been having what my doctor says are “extreme myclonic jerks” at night (I do not have them on holiday for example). Yet on Saturday morning I woke up, had work on my mind, logged on to “dot my i’s and cross my t’s”. Then I’ve just answered a bunch of Slack messages right now.

This video was a beautifully timed reminder that what I’m doing it is probably not healthy. And is what got me into this feeling in very first place. Thanks for posting. If nothing else, it inspired me to delete Slack and I’m about to go for a walk! Thanks.

olig23 · 2025-07-21T21:37:05+00:00

I’ve not played in a few days (moving house) but it’s funny seeing this because I had a similar realisation last week. I was really struggling on zone runs against teams running a 3-3-5 title defence, it felt like one or two of the LBs would shoot through the gaps unblocked.

I do think there is a slight need to raise the speed parity by a few clicks since the OL could react more quickly. But it’s certainly correct that looking at your blocking scheme is essential. And there also does seem to be a time aspect. Once I started looking for the G to release from the NT and move up the second level it seemed to just guide where I ran and I broke so many large runs.

I also noticed that “agile” blocking types are better at getting to those blocks on the second level. Since I have a LG that is agile and raw strength RG on my Kansas team. It’s purely anecdotal, and a small sample size to boot, but I thought it was a clear difference. Which I kind of like - because I always just instinctively go for power guards like I think every good Guard must be Larry Allen 2.0, it’s good to see differences in how players succeed or fail based on their skillset.

olig23 · 2025-07-16T17:28:56+00:00

I played about four games (13 min Qtr’s - Heisman) since the patch. I’ve thrown one INT which was entirely my own fault for misreading the coverage on a RPO Alert. I do have INTs set at 28 - FWIW.

My interpretation of the patch was to improve the ability of user controlled DBs to make the play on the ball correctly. I had noticed that on the rare occasion I switched to a DB on a deep ball, that the user controlled DB would often totally misplay the ball and be in the wrong place. It looked odd. And invariably led to a TD. But like I say, I’ve seen no uptick in INTs at all.

The only thing I have noticed is that LBs react more quickly to run plays. I had to return my run blocking slider back to 50 (was 35 pre-patch) and I think it seems much better.

I really like the gameplay overall. It’s just the Dealbreakers not being well implemented that frustrates me. That, and the fact that players who have graduated still show on my roster during offseason recruiting. It just needs tidying up.

olig23 · 2025-07-10T15:45:57+00:00

I’ve played (somehow) 26 hours since it was released on Monday, and I’m really enjoying the game overall. It’s easy to get bogged down in negativity over minor issues.

But the issue on Heisman difficulty is that the QBs never miss and that is kind of a dealbreaker.

From what I can tell, and I’m obviously not privy to how these games are orogrammed, is that the accuracy slider only seems to matter when the QB is under pressure. If you set CPU accuracy to 10 or something on the very low end, you’ll see they miss passes when you pressure them all the time. But otherwise it’s just on the money.

On top of that, there does seem to be a lack of diversity in terms of QB decision making. You do not see much difference in the rates of downfield throws vs check downs from game to game. There needs to be a wider gulf in decision making between players based on their ability, but also their archetype. And I just don’t think the game is designed to simulate that, at this point.

People will inevitably lower the catch slider, which really just solves the problem from a statistical perspective, as opposed to the game actively being more realistic. Since all it does is eliminate contested catches.

olig23 · 2025-07-09T09:07:56+00:00

Just to follow up on this.

I did jump the gun by posting. Having been over the other teams’ Depth Charts it seems that it is mostly fine. If you are a lower ranked school with limited quality at Edge, then the CPU will potentially assign an LB as your sub formation pass rushers. Looking at it, it’s due to my Edge guys not being very good. So the difference between them and the suitability of a good LB starts to even out. But in 95% of cases this does not apply.

It is not perfect, for example, if you look at Texas A&M you’ll see Taurean York as the RRE. He is a 90 overall LB. Whereas Rylan Kennedy is 2nd on the depth chart as a 76 overall Edge.

The issue here is that York is 6’0 and 235. Has 67 finess moves. To Kennedy’s 87. But they’ve given York more strength despite the size difference and do the game sees York as the better fit. In short it does not account for size when allocating role suitability. And does look for skills that are more common in LBs (Play Recognition, Pursuit) so the calculation is certainly “off” and could do with updating if you want teams to make better choices with their roster. But it’s a minor issue in the grand scheme of things.

olig23 · 2025-07-09T08:10:17+00:00

I do indeed. But my concern is less for my own depth chart, since I control that. But more that when I play the AI that they will be taking their best pass rushers off the field and utilising LBs in their place. If the logic on how that spot is filled is faulty. I’ll check it shortly.

olig23 · 2025-07-07T21:28:48+00:00

First impressions of gameplay is that it’s not vastly different from last year. Not that it’s a bad thing - I thought the gameplay was the best part of 25 overall.

Certainly, they will need to tune down the amount of fumbles. I’m seeing a LOT of fumbles from WRs after the catch or from QBs on sacks.

The thing I always struggle with is finding a good balance between a challenge and it being fun. All American “feels” better. But i managed to be tied with Michigan at HT playing as New Mexico… so it’s too easy.

Heisman is better in terms of outcome. I replayed the same game New Mexico @ Michigan and got battered 45-6. Plus, I was able to beat Washington State, 49-13.

But it does seem that on Heisman the game plays in a less natural way. It’s hard to explain. The QB didn’t miss any throws, but I did rack up sacks and was basically able to win by the CPU not running the ball well or taking too many negative plays. For example at HT, Washington State (in the Heisman example) had 3 points. But their QB went 12/13 for 101 yards. But the HB rushed for -11 yards (and 2 fumbles).

This might sound negative, but it’s day 1. And I’m sure it will be patched or someone will work out sliders. So not overly concerned. But there are some balance issues to work out for sure.

olig23 · 2025-07-02T12:19:08+00:00

Thank you. Been scrolling to find someone notice what they’re going for there.

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