Quad Culture

If you have come here because you read the title of this article and are a die hard Taylor Swift fan ready to defend your favorite songs that didn’t make the list, you’ve come to the right place. Let me preface your reading experience by first saying that I have always been one to have a few unpopular opinions and I am subject to bias (who isn’t about something so close to your heart?). I have favorite albums and albums that have been clouded by my sister overplaying two songs from it that have led to its untimely grade in my overall ranking of Taylor Swift albums. Feel free to disagree. Or agree. But first, let me explain why this article has been placed in oh-so-capable hands. My sister and I have been Taylor Swift fans since her debut album (one ‘Taylor Swift’) was released in 2006. We listened to it obsessively on our bubblegum pink Hello Kitty CD player on a continuous loop. Times haven’t changed much; now we just listen to the Tortured Poet’s Society and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) o...

          Whether it’s Vegas, Oakland, or Los Angeles the name Raiders use to represent something real. Something tangible. It’s been almost a quarter century since the Raiders last were in the big game. The AFC Championship prior to that Super Bowl whooping at the hands of former Raider Jon Gruden is the last time the Raiders won a playoff game.  There is a generation of fans that only know mediocrity at best when it comes to the Raiders. A generation of fans who only know the revolving door of coaches and quarterbacks. A long fall from grace for one of the NFL’s most important franchises.  If you're not up on your NFL history here's a crash course. In the early days of the Super Bowl era NFL the league was popping but it needed a villain and who better than the team with the pirate on its helmet that wore silver and black. The Raiders of those days followed one rule, “cheating is encouraged” this for many Raiders of the day meant literal che...

            In 2014, Chuck Noll was mentioned in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It was the year of his death with the issue coming out as a beautiful homage to the late coach. Or, to be more precise, it would have been a beautiful homage if his name hadn’t been spelled wrong. How was it possible that someone who built a legacy and transformed Pittsburgh's athletic identity could become overlooked almost immediately? Forgotten by the wider public, perhaps his work didn’t stand the test of time when flashier football coaches with larger personalities came onto the football scene. He wasn’t one for flashiness, wasn’t even one for high fiving his players on the sidelines of a game when they made a good play. Chuck Noll, however, led the Steelers to win Super Bowl IX, X, XIII, and XIV. He won four championships in just six years and made complete legends out of his players.   Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers had watched Chuck Noll lead them to victor...

          Tis the season for optimism but w e are sort of nearing a tipping point. The war rages on between the cinema and streamers with no true end in scope. Yet in a time where many have chanted to survive till 2025 we are finally here and my normally pessimistic self can’t help but feel excited for what is to come. From Cruise to Marvel here are the 10 movies you should be excited for. 10: 28 Years Later  A sequel not quite 28 years in the making presents a stacked cast with Aaron Taylor-Johnson to name one. Not to mention the new and innovative way of filming could change the game of how movies look from here on out.  9: F1 Brad Pitt, an old movie star, pairs up with the director of Top Gun Maverick for a high speed racing movie in the world of one earth's fastest growing sports. Hell. Freaking. Yeah.  8: Micheal  Music bio picks may feel the same each time yet we keep on going and they keep getting awards buzz. Expect no...

         About three years ago Russell Wilson was an unquestionable hall of fame player or at least just had to sustain a gradual decline into his twilight to get to the hallowed hall. Then things got sticky in Seattle and Russ once the toast of the town found himself steering his way to Denver. At first the voices were quiet, some Russ is a weird guy accusations and such but nothing extreme. Then things imploded in Denver and all the sudden it seemed to be time for everyone to get their lick in in on Russ. Prior teammates, current teammates, and the media all lined up to pour some more dirt on the career of the once MVP candidate Russell Wilson. When the team benched Russ, cut him, and payed him a ton of money to basically fuck off it was hard not to think the Russ of old was essentially dead along with his career. Russ semi-quietly found himself in Pittsburgh this last offseason. Him and youngster Justin Fields formed a qb room that could only be descri...

          A few years ago pre the virus that trapped us all in the house Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson might have been the biggest and most bankable star in Hollywood movies. Fast forward however and while his career is not necessarily on life support there has been a definite staying from the limelight. How did we get here for the WWE superstar and can the man we call The Rock ever find his way back among the Hollywood royalty.  The Rock has an extremely dynamic personality. His ability as an actor may vary based on who you ask but his charisma can’t be denied. Since his days in the WWE Johnson has always effortlessly grabbed the attention of the screen and while it took a while for that spirit to find its way to the big screen once it did it was clear that Johnson had the juice. While his hits may not be critical darlings they are crowd pleasers and it's hard to not think he could be this generation's Stallone or Schwarzenegger. At his peak Johnson ...

               The NFL season has passed its midway point and you know what that means we are past the hopefully faze the real phonies are out aka the jets and the contender field has gotten smaller. While the world wonders who might be Super Bowl bound it feels like it might still be up in the air. Yet still there are a few fakes and some sneaky contenders out there. So let’s jump into 4 contenders and 4 pretenders.  Contender #1 Chiefs       As much as I want the Chiefs to lose, they just keep winning. From a young age I was taught to be the champ until proven otherwise. So I’ll follow my teachings on this one. Pretender #1 Commanders       I don’t mean to be a downer but rookie QBs, even great ones, don't typically make it all that far in the playoffs. For the first time in a longtime the future is bright in Washington I just don’t think this year screams Super Bowl for the nation’s capital...