Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Can the Redskins Still Make the Playoffs?

So 8 games into the NFL season, the Washington Redskins stand at 4-3-1 after a 27-27 tie against the Cincinnati Bengals in London last Sunday. I've been taking the temperature of those that follow the team and I feel a lot of doom and gloom surrounding fans, and to be fair its not without merit, especially after the suspension of offensive tackle Trent Williams. Outside of that, there are other issues with this team, the defense can and has been had several times this season with both rushing and passing. The red zone offense, a strength of the team last season, has been woefully inconsistent. Special teams kick coverage has been a tad suspect of late, Dustin Hopkins who is still one of the most reliable Redskins kickers in recent memory has been inconsistent lately, and with a real tough stretch of games coming after the bye week, the Redskins could very well fall apart as this season comes to a close, leading to much uncertainty going into the offseason.

And yet....is it wrong that I'm not panicking right now? Yeah I get why some fans are about ready to write the whole dang season off at this point, maybe because they've seen this song and dance before, maybe they're just not confident in the coaching staff...or maybe they're just bitter fans that still won't let 2012 go and think that the Redskins ran Robert Griffin III out of town for whatever reason....yeah I don't buy that for a second. While I certainly don't think the Redskins could run roughshod over any of the teams left on their schedule, I don't see a game left on their schedule right now that I would automatically pencil in as a loss, much the same way fans did with their games against Carolina and New England a year ago. In short, lets go through the remaining games on the schedule and see what I mean.

The Remaining Schedule

After the bye week this week, the Redskins play their next two games at home, certainly a good thing after going winless their last two games away from FedEx Field.

Nov. 13 vs. Minnesota 

This was a game about partway through the season that looked like could be penciled in as a loss...but then Halloween night's Monday Night Football game occurred and all of a sudden, the Vikings don't look like the world beaters that they were initially thought as after starting the season on a tear. The Vikings vaunted defense looked ordinary against the lowly Chicago Bears and Sam Bradford appears to be coming back down to earth after starting the season strong. I will say that Bradford does have a decent history against the Redskins so anything can really happen when the two teams take the field, but I think the Redskins have a decent enough chance if they put pressure on Bradford (which has been proven to work if previous games are any indication) to defend home field against Minnesota.

Nov. 20 vs. Green Bay


A Sunday night game which equals a rematch of January's Wild Card playoff game that the Packers won 31-15. This year so far, the Packers have been see-sawing between pretty good to mediocre and its apparent that Aaron Rodgers is not the sure thing that he has been in years past. Not to say he's bad at all by any means, but he's not taking over games the way he has done in the past and that could mean good things for the Redskins. The nationally televised game however has been a bugaboo for the Redskins in recent years so there has to be some fortitude for the game that has been lacking under Jay Gruden, and this could be a big statement game for the team.

Thanksgiving Day @ Dallas

Though that leads to a short week as the Redskins have their 8th ever matchup on Turkey day against their longstanding rivals. The Redskins weren't that far off a victory in Week 2 against Dallas, losing by 4 points, but the Cowboys have seemingly looked more impressive as the season has gone on, led by an impressive set of starts by rookie QB Dak Prescott filling in for Tony Romo. Even more surprising has been the emergence of another rookie, the Cowboys' top draft pick Ezekiel Elliott. Despite all of that, the Cowboys had to take Philadelphia to Overtime in Week 8 and are dealing with additional injury issues that could come back to bite them. CB Morris Claiborne and S Barry Church have already been announced that they will not be ready when the Thanksgiving game comes around, add to that, possible NFL action against Elliott because of a domestic violence issue, and the Cowboys could be more shorthanded than they seem come turkey day. But another reason to feel confident...the Redskins have won 3 of the last 4 road games against Dallas, and Jay Gruden has coached his team to two road victories against the hated Cowboys. They show no fear going into Dallas and that could be a lift for the boys in Burgundy and gold.

Dec. 4 @ Arizona

After the Thanksgiving day matchup, the Redskins go out west to play one of the most disappointing team in the NFL right now. The Cardinals were a popular Super Bowl pick going into the season, especially with how well they finished out last year, but it seems as though, that Carson Palmer's magic has started to fade a little bit. Now thats not to say that they couldn't find their footing and be the team that so many people thought they would be when the Redskins come to town, but this is not a game that could be penciled in as a loss as many thought that it could be when the schedule was announced. Though defeating the Cardinals will be difficult given how well RB David Johnson would play against Washington's defense, but thats another story.

Dec. 11 @ Philadelphia

Finishing a three-game road swing, the Redskins would go up I-95 to face the Eagles. Probably the team that Jay Gruden has had the most success against in his short head coaching career. After a close encounter in their first matchup in 2014 that went the way of the Eagles, the Redskins are undefeated since, including a 27-20 win this year at FedEx Field that was more lopsided than the score shows. You probably won't see the Redskins as dominant as they were in that victory, but the Redskins, much like how they show no fear playing in Dallas, show no fear going into one of the NFL's most hostile environments. They CAN win this game, no two ways about it.

Dec. 19 vs. Carolina

The Monday after that, the Redskins play host to the defending NFC champions with a national audience watching. The Redskins were flat out dominated against the Panthers a year ago, losing 44-16, but this year the Panthers have struggled mightily. Part of that could be the fact the defense lost CB Josh Norman, who of course signed WITH the Redskins, but another part of it is the fact that Panther QB Cam Newton has not recaptured the form that earned him MVP honors a year ago. However, the Panthers DID play very well against the Arizona Cardinals in week 8, so maybe they are starting to turn a corner. Depending on whether or not the Panthers are in the playoff hunt, this could be a game that the Redskins could get one over on the Panthers. But it remains to be seen still.

Dec. 24 @ Chicago

Remember how I talked about the Bears beating the Vikings earlier? Still doesn't change that the Bears are regarded as one of the worst teams in the league this year. Depending on where the Bears are at this point of the season, the Redskins could get a 2nd win in as many years at Soldier Field. In addition, the Redskins have not lost against the Bears since 2003 and have won 14 of the last 17 matchups (including playoff games) against the Bears since 1987. Recent history looks good, but the Redskins will have to show that they can keep that trend going on Christmas Eve.

Jan. 1 vs. New York Giants

To kick off 2017, the Redskins conclude their regular season against the Giants, again this will be purely dependent on which teams, one, both or none, could be playing for their playoff lives come Week 17, but the Redskins have the edge thanks to their 29-27 win against the Giants at MetLife Stadium in week 3. The rushing attack for the Giants has sputtered and you never know what you are going to get with Eli Manning, but always beware of Odell Beckham Jr. who could shred your secondary like cheese the way he did to the Baltimore Ravens. All things told though, the Redskins can defend home turf against this team and could find themselves playing for their playoff lives if circumstances dictate.

What about the suspension to Williams? Well it certainly means that the offensive line isn't going to be as strong for the next four games, but Ty Nsekhe, the second year backup, is someone that the coaches have been high on. If he can be even a fraction as effective as Williams, the drop-off may not be that noticeable, but it remains to be seen. We know that Nsekhe does have a vote of confidence from GM Scot McCloughan when he said in training camp that Nsekhe could start for half the teams in the NFL, so maybe this won't hurt as much as we're thinking. What about that tie? Well at the moment, the tie isn't damaging, but it could become a liability because now the Redskins will have to beat a team full out for a playoff spot rather than hoping they would own a few tiebreakers unless some of the NFC East teams play to a tie the rest of the way. As of right now, the Redskins are seeded No. 8 in the NFC Playoff Picture, behind the Packers, Giants and Eagles (All at 4-3) and ahead of the Lions (4-4) and Cardinals (3-4-1). The playoffs are hardly out of reach at this point...a divisional title MIGHT be a stretch thanks to Dallas' win over the Eagles on Sunday Night Football in Week 8, but the Redskins are definitely in the hunt to go to the playoffs for consecutive years for the first time since a three year span from 1990 to 1992.

How can they reach it

Let me get this out of the way, I don't think the Redskins will run the table and go 8-0 to finish the season. That would be awesome, but I'm going for something a bit more tangible. At the beginning of the season, I said that if the Redskins finished 5-3 through the first half of the season, that could bode well for them going down the stretch. They missed that goal thanks to the tie in London, but finishing the first half of the year with a winning record is something a Redskins team hasn't done since 2008, yes I know that year ended poorly and 2009....we won't bring up, but the Redskins are in a position where they still control their own destiny to an extent. Win against the teams you're supposed to and everything should fall into place for the boys in Burgundy and Gold. How do I think they could get a wild card slot this year? Go 5-3 to finish the year. Seems unlikely? I don't think so, given how well Washington's offense has played this year, I think getting 5 more wins is certainly within the realm of possibility if a few things are tweaked.


Going through the schedule, if I could pick three games that I think the Redskins could lose and it wouldn't hurt them too badly...it'd be Green Bay, Dallas and Carolina. Green Bay because Aaron Rodgers could always come up with a big game, Dallas because the Cowboys have only lost one game in Franchise history on Thanksgiving Day against the Redskins and because Dak Prescott might still have some advantages and the Panthers because if they turn the corner, they could make a big charge for a playoff spot. The other five games I think are winnable, but I also think EVERY game left on the schedule is Winnable. There's not a game left on the Redskins schedule that I feel like they don't have at least a chance in. The last game on the schedule like that was their season opening game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Right now, there are some problems with the Redskins, full stop, but I also think that given what went right for the Redskins in the first half of the season, if the issues are ironed out during the bye week and Kirk Cousins can keep moving the team well and finishing drives, the Redskins could be heading back to the playoffs again. Call me crazy if you want, but I think the Redskins are in better shape than many of you think they are and I think that'll lead to a better second half of the year.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Get em Next Year? A quick overview of the 2014 Washington Nationals



Tuesday night was another example of the heartache Washington sports fans have put up with. The San Francisco Giants defeated the Washington Nationals 3-2 to take their divisional series 3 games to 1. For the Nats it was an abrupt end to a season that looked barely a week prior that it would stretch long into October.

However, with all of the disappointment, frustration and anger at yet another Washington team curling up in the clutch, the season should be taken in retrospect as a positive step forward. With a first year manager, an early rash of injuries to veterans and stars, 2014 could have very easily equaled the disappointment of 2013 where the team missed the playoffs altogether. Instead, the Nationals, for the second time in three seasons, won the NL East with the best record in the National League. In addition to that, the three straight winning seasons is a record for ANY Washington baseball team.

Over the last three years, the team has won 280 games, a total greater than any other Major League team. While that doesn’t seem like much consolation for two quick exits from the playoffs, it shows that the Nationals are going to be a team that will be a contender for, hopefully, the foreseeable future. Manager Matt Williams had this team playing great baseball at various points this season, not the least of which included a 19-win September that included a Division-winning game in Atlanta, a team that had given fits to the Nationals the previous year, as well as Jordan Zimmermann’s no-hitter on the final day of the season.



People are inevitably quick to toss criticism his way for what happened in the NLDS for among other things, not changing the starting lineups, pulling J-Zimm with only one out left to get in game 2, leaving some of their best relievers off the field in the deciding game 4. However, I’m not as quick to jump on that. For as good as Williams looked this season, people need to keep perspective over the fact that he was just a first-year manager. He went against a manager in Bruce Bochy of the Giants who has won two of the last three World Series’ and was outmatched. I attribute that to experience and if Matt gets another shot in the near future, he will be better prepared to handle those high stress situations.

As for the players, most of the core staff from the previous season is still under the Nats’ control for the foreseeable future. Hopefully a resolution of the ongoing controversy surrounding the Nationals’ television deal with MASN (thanks a lot Peter Angelos…want me to root for the O’s again? Forget it) will be done in the very near future to help the Nats unlock their payroll even further.

Next year will hopefully see jumps by both Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon. Those two players helped keep the Nats afloat in the playoffs and Harper is positioning himself to take that next step to cement himself as one of the game's best players next year.



In addition, with veteran National Ryan Zimmerman’s flexibility in positioning, the Nationals will have his veteran savvy at the plate, something that was missing in these playoffs.

All in all, I would not consider this season a failure, a disappointment yes, but not a failure. Even then, the disappointment weans realizing the team they lost to, hopefully in the near future, the Nationals will be that team that everyone dreads facing in October because they have the savvy and the experience to give opponents fits.

Til then, we have to wait until next year. But the good news is that Pitchers and Catchers report in about 130 days. Before we know it, it'll baseball time again in D.C. as the chase towards Washington's first World Series since 1924 begins again.


Friday, February 21, 2014

I go off on an Anti-Brony post

I wrote the following in response to a post on Tumblr, I felt it necessary to share here. The post in question can be found here.

"Isn’t it amazing how a group of adult men can completely take over a show meant for little girls; making it virtually impossible to search or do anything related to the show without being exposed to over-sexualized, misogynistic, sexist crap, and they get a documentary that praises them for stepping outside of their perceived gender roles? Meanwhile 45% of the gaming community is comprised of women and I get dick pics and rape threats if I try and go on xbox live."

Do not take what I am about to say as unsympathetic with the plight of female gamers. We have seen, especially in the last year or so with the gross overreaction to someone like Anita Sarkeesian daring to show that maybe game companies have relied too heavily on damsel in distress tropes that misogyny does still run rampant on the Internet.

However, the original author’s conflating of THAT issue with the fact that there are less than desirable pictures on Google image search of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, is shortsighted, outrageous and downright insulting. I don’t deny that there is that element of the fandom that DOES exist, but at the same time I like to believe that that’s not the vast majority of Bronies that are out there. I will put it out here now. I hate stories like ‘Cupcakes’ or ‘Rainbow Factory’, graphical violent and dark natured stories that range on the absurd as to why anyone could ever come up with ideas like that in the world of Equestria. I hate things like the members of the fandom comparing Princess Celestia to a tyrant or a dictator because of interpreting her actions in the show a certain way. I hate videos done by MisterDavie on Youtube taking one of the BEST songs from the series and making one of if not THE most insulting video to the Brony community that I can think of and it BAFFLES me how that has over 4 million views on Youtube. The .MOV series of videos could be seen in a similar vein, but the creators of that series were never trying to make the characters in it like the characters in the actual show.

At the same time however, I realize the people that make the things I hate in the fandom, are only a small number compared to the majority of Bronies that have provided music, animation, fan art, stories and slick inclusions of ponies in real life, seriously one of my favorite series of Brony videos on Youtube. They are also folks that have opened up their hearts to try and prove that this group of young men are doing more than just liking a show meant for little girls, they’re trying to spread the message of friendship, love and tolerance around.

The response by fans to the story of 11-year-old Michael Morones, who attempted suicide after being constantly bullied at school for liking the show, should give any critic of the Brony community pause. A goal of $20,000 was set on a gofundme site, it quickly got over $70,000 and that’s just the biggest example considering that some news organizations are talking about Morones in the same breath as University of Missouri linebacker Michael Sam.

I don’t like the fact that those pictures that the original author wrote about are on google image search where any kid can see them, but lets face reality, its not just the the MLP fandom that has created works that are not made for children. Do I need to talk about the absurd amount of pornographic Japanese doujinshi created based on shows like Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon, Naruto, Pokemon, multiple magical girl shows that could take up much more space down below. Not only that, try searching how long it takes to find a suggestive or explicit pic with safe search even on with any of these series and see how it compares to MLP. MLP may be easier to find stuff like that of because it is an ongoing show and the fandom is still very active, but don’t act as though it doesn’t exist for other shows made for kids. I guarantee it exits for stuff like Dora the Explorer, Nihao Kai-Lan, Littlest Pet Shop and other shows that are explicitly made FOR children.

Again, I am not trying to sound unsympathetic to the people that deal with the tone deaf misogyny, racism and bigotry online, I just take offense when it sounds like I’m getting lumped in with people that make stuff for the fandom that I am uncomfortable with.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Remembering Pokemon: 1st Season Gym Battle Rankings

So after getting Pokemon X this past Christmas, my nostalgia started taking over. My mind went back to the TV series, a staple of my late elementary and early middle school years. For the record, I do pop in on the newer shows every so often on Cartoon Network, but I have the fondest memories of the original Indigo/Kanto series most of all. I was thinking of doing a rant based on what I think is the lowest moment of the series, but that will be coming later. I decided to think back on some of the best battles of the series and my mind immediately went to the Gym Battles.

The Gym Battles, as I believe they should be, were the highlights of the season and showed that Ash was continuing his progress as a young trainer. Some of the battles took place in one episode, while others had a couple of episodes and some even had their own story arcs. As I thought back to some of these episodes I tried thinking about each one individually, what worked for them, what didn’t and based purely on my memory, I’m going to rank each Indigo series gym battle from 8 to 1.

A couple things to note before I begin this, this list is purely on my memories of the show…somehow I’ve been able to retain most of the details nearly 15 years later….god it’s been that long? I’m not against rewatching these episodes at a later date and then going back to redo this list if my opinions of the battle have changed. Next, the battles where Ash doesn’t get declared the winner and is just given his badge will automatically be in the bottom of the list, which contrary to popular belief, does not occur in the majority of the battles from this season. Agree or disagree, let me know constructively what you think of my rankings, I’d love to talk more about it.

In addition, I would like to thank the operators of the Screenshots of Pokemon Tumblr page for being the resource of all of the images that you will see in this post and in future writings about the Pokemon series

Without further ado, let’s begin.

8. Celadon City Gym Battle vs. Erika, Pokemon Scent-Sation (Ep. 26)


I thought back to all the episodes where Ash was given a badge…and this was the most infuriating episode of the bunch. Why? Because everyone gets on Ash’s case for hating perfume….when he’s 10. He makes a big production out of it at a perfume store in Celadon and gets kicked out, sans even Pikachu for some ungodly reason. Then we get to the worst part of it WHERE HE’S BANNED FROM ENTERING THE CELADON GYM BECAUSE THEY MAKE THE PERFUME THERE! 

WHAT KIND OF GYM DO THEY OPERATE?!

What the hell?! When I was 10 years old I didn’t understand what was so special about perfume for girls, so why would Ash get banned from a gym because of saying he hates it, again, AT 10 YEARS OLD!

The battle is nothing special either with each competitor losing in quick succession before Team Rocket shows up and their incompetence causes a fire at the gym. Ash rescues Erika’s beloved Gloom and is rewarded with the badge the next day.

Good badge design, though pink isn't in the rainbow.

Not to say that this is the low point of the series, but this was by far the weakest episode that featured Ash receiving a badge. It does have the funny moment of Ash being so desperate to enter the gym that he actually dresses in drag to get past the guards...

Desperate times I suppose....

But even that leads to the gym fire because it was under suggestion from Jessie and James. All in all the episode is just frustrating more than anything and did nothing for anyone, but just portray Erika and her associates almost like dictators which really clashes with the peaceful lady-like persona of Erika in the games and Adventures manga.

7. Cerulean Gym Battle vs. Misty, The Waterflowers of Cerulean City (Ep. 7)


Lemme get this out of the way, Misty has always been one of my favorite Pokemon characters, if only because I loved the way she and Ash worked off of one another. It’s no wonder why this pair was often shipped together, which…I’ll admit I was a part of (thanks for that little gem Suede). That’s why it’s a little disappointing to look back on her first battle with Ash because there was a lot of potential there, but the interference by Team Rocket really hurts the episode. As background, after leaving Mt. Moon, the group is heading towards Cerulean City, which Misty really wants to avoid for some unknown reason. When they arrive in Cerulean, Misty is nowhere to be found and Brock and Ash split up as Ash looks for the gym, when he arrives there, rather than Pokemon battles, he finds a synchronized swimming show with three sisters, Daisy, Violet and Lily (from left to right in the picture below), also the leaders of the gym.

I wouldn't mind working for this Gym.

When he challenges the trio, they tell him that they want no part of it after getting defeated soundly by the other three Pallet Town trainers. So soundly, the only Pokemon they have available for battle is Goldeen (and ever Smash Brothers player out there knows how worthless that fish is). Because of this, the girls actually offer Ash the Cascade Badge right away. Ash is hesitant at first, which I find to be admirable, because even after finding out that he’s still behind Gary and the other Pallet trainers, he doesn’t want to take the easy way to catch up to them and even when he decides to accept it, he’s not thrilled with it. But before Daisy can give him the badge, Misty shows up and reveals that she’s Daisy, Lily and Violet’s little sister.

Pictured: One decent trainer and two bullies (in a family sense of course)

After doing the typical ‘big sisters make fun of the runt’ type of routine, Misty offers to take their place as the battler and soon Ash and Misty are battling in the Cerulean pool. While Pikachu refuses to fight Misty, the other battles between Butterfree and Staryu and Pidgeotto and Starmie are actually very entertaining and well animated….that is at least until Team Rocket shows up and wrecks the whole thing with a massive water vacuum which they use to start draining the pool in order to get at the Gym’s 
Pokemon. 

Pikachu finds his way into the water and shocks the Rocketteers and they get sent on their merry way. Ash is given the badge by Daisy, the most likable of the three sisters in my opinion, in gratitude and then it’s off to the next town.
You can thank the Chronicles episodes for saving your character.

Again the Team Rocket interference is where things really hurt the episode, the battle between Ash and Misty was actually very entertaining until they came in and started their rigmarole. If this had been fought to a conclusion I could put it in the top half, but because of how it ended, I can’t in good nature put it any higher on the list.

6. Pewter City Gym Battle vs. Brock, Showdown in Pewter City (Ep. 5)

The very first appearance of Brock, a mainstay on the series for several seasons, came in this episode and we also got our first little bit of battle development for Ash and Pikachu. In this episode, Ash and Misty find their way out of the Viridian Forest and make it to Pewter City. After Ash brushes off Misty’s offer of help, he goes to fight Brock at the gym and he is utterly defeated by Brock’s Onix, a ginormous rock snake, his worst loss of the series to that point. 
.......oh crap

From there he learns more about Brock from a mysterious older man named Flint who says that Brock had been caring for his little brothers and sisters because his father disappeared and his mother passed away….which was retconned right before Hoenn, but that’s another story.
Always the lifesaver, even this early.

Brock has been focused on his family so much that he hasn’t had the chance to strike out on his own. Ash decides to challenge him again, but not before supercharging Pikachu.

In the rematch, this time a 2-on-2 match, Ash loses the first round with Pidgeotto against Brock’s Geodude and when he sends in Pikachu his ultracharging shuts Geodude down. Out comes Onix again which causes Pikachu to shoot his sparks wildly, damaging the gym.
Watch out! WATCH OUT!

Pikachu manages to weaken Onix but not outright defeat him before Brock calls him off, that’s when the sprinkler system activates and weakens Onix further, prompting Ash, with a little help from Misty, to attack Onix nearly to the point of fainting. But he’s prevented by all 9 of Brocks younger siblings from giving the final command. 
Hey how the hell am I still standing here with all this weight on me?!

Ash walks away, knowing that had the sprinklers not gone off he wouldn’t have weakened Onix to that point. Brock later finds Ash and gives him the badge, commenting on his kindness to Pikachu and explaining that rather than being a great Trainer, he wants to be a Breeder but realizes his commitment to his family comes first. 
The first badge we all strive for.

However Flint comes into the picture and reveals himself to be Brock’s father and is willing to take over patriarch duties for Brock so he can go fulfill his dream.
Brock in 15 years...in actual years mind you.

I enjoyed this episode more than the other two previously. This was the first gym battle of the series and using Onix as the primary opponent really gave this episode a larger scale. The battle itself rates higher as well because had the fight continued, Ash would have won even after the sprinklers had been activated. We also see the first time on his journey that Ash has to deal with major adversity during a battle. Granted this episode kind of started the rough ordeal where the logic in the games (electricity having no effect whatsoever on Ground/Rock types) was tossed aside, but for having a pretty compelling battle and some decent development in the face of adversity I can rate this episode the highest of episodes where Ash was given the badge.

Now, we move on to all the battles where Ash WON his badges…whats that? I missed one where he was just given the badge? Just wait til I talk about it, maybe you’ll think about it differently.

5. Fuchsia City Gym Battle vs. Koga, The Ninja-Poke Showdown, Ep. 32

This…is not a very memorable episode, actually check that, it IS a memorable episode…but for PSYDUCK of all characters. 
A Pokemon that crippled one trainer's worth

That’s right, the most inept Pokemon in Misty’s collection got more development in an episode where Ash won a badge. Koga I think really got the shaft in this episode because like the Misty Battle, there’s potential here with a gym leader as a ninja master. To be truthful, the building where the Gym is located in has some good booby trap moments, but all of that goes away when a ninja named Aya appears and challenges Ash to a fight. 
See? Non-stealthy looking ninjas didn't start with Naruto.

Her Venonat is defeated easily with Ash’s Bulbasaur and this is where we meet Koga…Aya’s father….at least until Janine is introduced in the Johto games to be Koga’s daughter. His fight with Ash begins when HIS Venonat evolves in a Venomoth, he defeats Pidgeotto and Ash replaces him with Charmander. The two appear even until the wreckers of the day, Team Rocket show up to disrupt everything…and then the attention gets thrown over to Psyduck.
Star of the episode folks....

This is where the episode really falls apart because this attention on Psyduck comes right the heck out of nowhere. It’s Psyduck of all Pokemon that defeat the Rockets and send them packing and then we get an ultra quick one on one battle between Charmander and Golbat, won by Charmander which earns Ash his 6th badge to that point.
Huh? I fell asleep...WHAT?! Its over ALREADY!?

Again Team Rocket really wrecks this episode, but the worst idea here was to give Psyduck the spotlight. The development that quack got could have been in its own standalone episode but for whatever reason they decided to put that in a gym battle episode. I mean okay the attention shouldn't be on Pikachu ALL of the time but it just felt off that this was the focus of the episode. To make matters worse, this began the longest stretch of episodes before Ash’s NEXT gym battle, 24 episodes, 26 if you include the two episodes in that stretch that were banned in the US. While it wasn't as big problem in Japan considering they air episodes every single week, in America, Ash didn't fight another gym battle for NEARLY A FULL YEAR.
Takes a full year after he won this one.

Granted we got a pretty epic battle at the end of that long layoff, but there was no reason that the battle prior to that should have been so truncated.

4. Viridian City Gym Battle vs. Jessie, Battle of the Badge (Ep. 63)

Initially, I thought this episode was more hurt by the hype for the first movie than anything else. At least I think it would be…except this episode was made in Japan AFTER the first movie premiered, though it did air here in the States before then. Still, why did I think the episode was hurt because of the movie? Well, we all remember that in the original games, Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket was the leader of the Viridian Gym. And during this episode of the show we do get to see him not only as the leader, but he also steps out of the shadows for the very first time in the series. 
Like a boss.

He also had a bad ass Pokemon that at the time we all knew was Mewtwo under all of those metal plates. 
Like a boss.

This was the very first appearance of the creature on screen and he looked amazingly tough, tossing Gary Oak’s Pokemon around like they were nothing and even able to defeat two of his Pokemon at once, giving him his worst loss in a battle and showing us for the first time that Gary isn't unbeatable.
Wait a sec....Gary in a moment of weakness? What madness is this?!

But as bad ass as Mewtwo’s appearance was, we didn't get to see Giovanni face off against Ash, rather we would get Jessie fighting him because of a mysterious plot point that’s never addressed in the series. Granted Giovanni tries to work things in her and Team Rocket’s favor with giving them three more Pokemon to fight with. 
I thought it was one on one? What are we doing this under, handicap match rules?

With those additional Pokemon, and also electrifying the battle platforms to shock Ash when his Pokemon take damage, Jessie takes an early advantage. 
.....not gonna make a shock pun.

But Ash is soon able to turn the tables on Jessie, whose platform is ALSO electrified, and that’s when all the rules get tossed out the window and Ash sends in Pikachu to finish the job. 
And Pikachu comes in for the save.

The battle here is an absolute mess but this episode gets rated higher because we get to see moments that we hadn’t expected. The first on screen appearance of ‘The Boss’ Giovanni, the first appearance of Mewtwo, the first time we see Gary Oak at a moment of weakness and working to HELP Ash rather than just being an asshole around him. It loses points for the battle but it wasn’t as badly truncated as the Violet City battle, so I’m willing to give it a pass here and rate it higher.

......oh wait a sec! I gotta post a picture of the badge!
A feather design for the EARTH badge? Hmm....


3. Saffron City Gym Battle vs. Sabrina, Haunter Vs. Kadabra (Ep. 24)

This is where I think I may get into some controversy here, but it’s my list and you’ll see my reasoning why here in a bit. While I only list the episode where Ash wins the badge, the three-episode Arc where Ash challenges Sabrina I feel as though are some of the strongest episodes of the first season. It starts with 'Abra and the Psychic Showdown' where Ash challenges Sabrina, a cold and calculating gym leader with powerful psychic abilities. She defeats Ash easily and even shrinks the group down and puts them in a model toy town where they are nearly squashed by a strange doll that Sabrina carries around.
If Japan did 'Honey I Shrunk the Kids'

After getting help from another mysterious stranger, they escape. Ash tries to find out a way to beat Sabrina and after the old man denies him help several times, he is inspired by his courage and tells him that possibly the best way to beat psychic types would be to grab a ghost Pokemon from nearby Lavender Town.
Ash ain't too proud to beg.
The next episode ‘Tower of Terror’ is a terrific episode. After reaching the Pokemon Tower, which thankfully in the show is just an old abandoned tower rather than the graveyard it is in the games, 
Though not any less intimidating...

the kids get spooked into running out of the tower, but Ash goes back in to try to capture a ghost Pokemon …almost getting himself KILLED in the process…no fooling! A chandelier falls on both him and Pikachu knocking both of them out…and the Haunter there pulls the two disembodied spirits out of their physical bodies! Holy crap! 
You know, for.....no I'm not gonna say it here, thats not my phrase.

This does lead to one of my favorite moments where Ash picks Misty up and has her levitating in the air before dropping her to Brock. 
Don't let go!

Soon enough they go back to their bodies and wake up and then it’s back to Saffron, but with Haunter in tow no less!

Ash obviously is planning to use Haunter to win his match...but those plans go out the window when he all of a sudden disappears just as the battle begins, Ash and the gang try to escape, but Misty and Brock get turned into dolls and Ash is saved by the man from two episodes ago. 
The fate Ash escaped

He tells Ash about Sabrina’s backstory where she just focused on developing her powers so much that her emotions manifested themselves into the doll she’s seen carrying around. 

Ash manages to find Haunter, who almost kills Team Rocket in the process, and he gets him to come back with him in the gym….only to have him disappear suddenly AGAIN…god what a dick! 
OH COME ON!!!!

Pikachu gets in there and fights Kadabra valiantly but it’s fought to a standstill. Suddenly Haunter comes out of nowhere and tries to make Sabrina laugh….and it works! 
She's.....actually cute like this

Not only does it work on her, but because her Kadabra is linked mentally to her, Kadabra is rolling on the ground laughing. 
Kadabra not so much

Now here’s where the controversy may come in. The old man, who turns out to be Sabrina’s father, comes in and plays referee for a bit, declaring that Kadabra is unable to battle, thus giving Ash the win. 
Winner by LKO (Laughing Knock Out)

People may consider this another case where Ash was just given a badge, but I disagree, he was declared the winner by Sabrina’s father, and even Brock and Misty approve of him getting the badge when even Ash himself questions whether or not he deserves the badge. 
I still don't know how thats called a MARSH badge...

Bottom line, I still consider this arc to be one of the strongest of the series and while the finish wasn’t in any traditional means, it’s unique enough that I like it quite a bit and can approve of it. Though it is a bit disappointing we don’t see more with Sabrina after she laughs away her problems, but what are you gonna do? It’s still strong enough for No. 3 on this list.

2. Cinnabar Island Gym Battle vs. Blaine, Volcanic Panic, Episode 59

After almost an entire year between watching a gym battle here in the states, and a switch of networks to boot (from UPN to WB...geez wouldn't it be something if they merged...oh wait...), Gym Battles returned with authority in September 1999 when Ash and co. made a visit to Cinnabar Island. At the start in the previous episode Riddle Me This, Ash, with full intention of getting his seventh badge discovers Gary also going to Cinnabar Island……on vacation. Cinnabar has apparently been turned into a resort island with mobs of tourists that are so massive, even the Pokemon Center has no room for our heroes. 
Yeah I know you guys are active trainers, but we have to make room for the folks on vacation, sorry!

While there, they meet another mysterious gentleman (jeez I’m sensing a theme here) speaking in riddles that Misty is able to figure out fairly quickly, they discover that the previous gym has been destroyed somehow. While searching for a place to stay, they find the man’s hotel and after thwarting a theft attempt by Team Rocket, the man gives Ash another riddle to get him to the new Gym. After solving the riddle Ash finds the Gym in a Magma Chamber. First off I love the location of this battle, unique, unusual and all sorts of memorable. The gym floor is literally suspended by chains over the magma adding a real element of danger here as well.
Whoa....what a location

The mysterious man appears as well revealing himself to be Blaine and the fight is soon on….with Ash falling quickly behind thanks to his Squirtle getting KO’d and Charizard acting like a dick.
Yeah, not like I saved your life from an abusive trainer you son of a....

Pikachu manages to make things even….with a very deus ex machina-like attack of a Rhydon’s metal horn (Seriously the game logic is just out the window here). But that’s before Blaine reveals his main Pokemon, Magmar. And Magmar is just awesome through and through.

I could so hear Kane's theme music playing when he enters the match
He reflects Pikachu’s electric attacks and just uses his abilities such as Fire Punch to knock Pikachu back before unleashing a fire blast attack that almost knocks Pikachu off the edge of the gym floor. Ash wisely forfeits the match there, realizing that Pikachu was extremely close to becoming like Anakin Skywalker at the end of Revenge of the Sith. Yeah, six years too soon for that joke, but hey it’s the best comparison I can make.

The following episode deals with Ash trying to find some way to beat Blaine when Team Rocket starts putting the chamber on ice. This begins a series of earthquakes on the island that threaten to bubble over into an eruption that threatens the safety of the island. After half of the gym floor breaks off the chains and falls into the lava, Magmar starts throwing rocks to try and stop the lava flow but he can’t do it all himself. After initially not throwing rocks in, Charizard gets off his lazy ass and starts actually doing something. With assistance from Geodude and some cool off help from Staryu and Starmie, the disaster is averted.
So.....what now?

Ash, after first asking if Blaine is going to give him the Badge, which I don’t blame him for seeing as how he saved AN ENTIRE FREAKING ISLAND, is awarded a rematch with Blaine…ON THE TOP OF A VOLCANO! 
Tell me...this is not awesome

This was just plain AWESOME, setting plays such a role in memorable conflicts and it is a shame that in later seasons of the show the setting for Gym Battles are usually just so standard.

And while Blaine of course is going to use Magmar…Charizard actually stands up and puts himself in the fray. For the first time since evolving from Charmeleon, Charizard is actually going to take part in a full battle and goddamn if it’s not one of the best in the entire series. 
I think the term 'Slobberknocker' was made for battles like this

Both creatures go at it, trading blows and changing up momentum, including a scene where it appears that Magmar gets Charizard submerged in the lava. When they emerge, Charizard unleashes an EPIC seismic toss that clinches the battle and the seventh badge for Ash.
GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY!

So if this is as epic a match as I’m describing, why is it only No. 2 on this list?
....thats the last time I save a Pokemon from an abusive trainer....until Unova.

Yeah Charizard just wanted to fight Magmar and didn’t give a damn about listening to Ash. What happens a little further down the road also plays into why this isn’t No. 1 but the bottom line is that this is just poor writing once again. This SHOULD have been where Ash and Charizard got on the same page and Charizard starts listening to Ash full time, but that doesn’t come for about another 50 episodes. Believe me, I’ll be talking about this in one of my next writings.
Until then, here's a badge that should reflect my opinion of what comes later this season....

Despite my gripes about the aftermath of this battle, it’s still one of the most memorable fights in Pokemon history I think and I look forward to watching it again another time if I decide to redo this list later.

I think it’s pretty obvious what No. 1 is now, but I’m still gonna go over it.

1.  Vermillion City Gym Battle vs. Lt. Surge, Electric Shock Showdown, Episode 14


I think back on the whole series of gym battles from the first season and I can’t think of a better overall episode than Electric Shock Showdown. Everything about this episode works. We start off as an exhausted Ash and friends take a trip to the Pokemon Center after finally arriving in Vermillion City. When they arrive there we see several Pokemon laid out on hospital beds, all defeated by the City’s gym leader Lt. Surge.
Even a Sandshrew got beat down....damn that must be a powerful creature

Ash shakes this off this thinking Pikachu won’t have a problem, typical of his early over confidence. When they arrive at the Gym we get our first look at Surge and you can tell right away that he’s a force to be reckoned with, TOWERING over the group. 
Seriously, I'd be scared out of my wits if I saw a man that size.

After mocking Ash’s Pikachu, he reveals his main Pokemon to be its evolved form, Raichu. 
.....what is with this gym and size?

Surge brags about its increased electrical powers and when the fight occurs it’s apparent that Pikachu is overmatched as he loses quickly.
And I thought the loss to Onix was bad....

While Pikachu is recovering at the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy brings up the idea of evolving Pikachu using a Thunderstone that she obtained. Ash is conflicted and leaves the choice up to Pikachu who rejects the idea of evolving outright. 
Not here, not now, not ever

Soon enough, Pikachu is ready to go for his rematch and while initially it looks like it will be a repeat of the first match, Pikachu unleashes its speed to start to run circles around Raichu, leaving it completely in the dust since Surge evolved Raichu so quickly that it didn’t learn any speed attacks.
Stand still so I can crush you!

After avoiding a last ditch Thunderbolt attack that’s so powerful it blows out the windows of the Gym, Pikachu finishes Raichu off with a quick attack and an electrified slap of its tail across Raichu’s face. Raichu, weakened by the previous attack falls to this attack and Ash wins his third badge.
No snark here, the episode is that good.

All told this episode showed the best of the franchise and some surprisingly mature conflicts for this show. We see Pokemon getting seriously hurt and left severely bandaged by Raichu’s attacks. Surge and Raichu themselves offer a big intimidation factor aided in large part to the lighting when we meet them for the first time. Vermillion’s gym did not turn on the lights until AFTER the fight was about to begin and when we see both Surge and Raichu for the first time, they are not fully in shadows, but also not fully in the light. Even during the battle the lighting is rather subdued, almost as if the battle would occur at night.
All we need is a good announcer and this has a more epic feel if thats possible.

Also in this episode, Team Rocket DOESN’T go after Pikachu…in fact, they ROOT for him to win against Raichu 
If you can really call this rooting.

It’s an interesting swap of circumstances that shows that while Team Rocket can be bumblers, they have an immense respect for Pikachu and its abilities.

I think even going back and watching all these episodes, I don’t see this one moving from this spot, even when I was a huge Poke-fanatic this was the episode I looked forward to seeing the most multiple times. It showed that Pikachu could still be at a disadvantage but find a legitimate way to win a fight, minus any shenanigans and breaking of in game logic (not counting specific stat numbers here).

This was also Ash’s first official victory over a gym leader and you can tell that while he knows he has two badges already, he’s well aware that he was given those two and has yet to fully win. This is what makes his decision to let Pikachu choose whether to evolve or not more impactful. He WANTS to win not only for himself but to prove to both Misty and Brock that he has progressed as a trainer. In addition, he also wants to be sure that the one Pokemon who’s been with him since the beginning of his journey is on board with it.
The animation of the battles also deserves mention here, I have a problem with most mainstream shonen shows for having vastly inconsistent fight animation because of budget, but here the animation of both creatures fighting deserves to be applauded, especially since it was the first time Pikachu got to run like a speed demon.


So that’s the list. I welcome any constructive criticism on this list and I’d be willing to chat more if people would be willing to listen. Next time I write, I will be talking about a moment from the end of the original Indigo/Kanto season that still makes me shake my head and wonder ‘what the hell were the writers thinking’. There are some hints as to what that could be in this piece, so keep that in mind. Until next time, I’m the OtakuJock and its time to Catch Em All again!