Andrew Joe Potter

We’ll always have Portland.

Want to feel old? The last velociraptor for the original Jurassic Park just died.

“Doctor, I’ve lost my joy for math — even the weird little patterns don’t seem to matter in the grand scheme”

“I know just the thing. There’s a wonderful mathematician giving a lecture tonight at the university. Go see the great Fibonacci speak.”

“But sir!”

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

To be fair, the issue was more that they truly had no idea what I was referencing.

We’ve officially reached the time of year where the sun sets at the perfect time to wake up from a post-work nap at 6:50 and immediately suffer a small heart attack because you think it’s morning already.

I covered a high school history class that was called 15th century to present day, and I told them, “you best start believin’ in history, kids — yerr in it!”

You could’ve heard a pin drop.

Next time I teach high school English, I’m going to use this for a lesson on foreshadowing.

2022's The Whale made $57.6M worldwide vs. a $3M production budget!

If the Smashing Machine is a "flop," it's not because of the genre in the current film market — it's because this film cost way too much to make and Johnson doesn't quite bring the goods for a strong awards campaign narrative.

If it's not a must-see Rock performance, a la Mickey in 2008, Smashing Machine just has the vibe of a $15M movie that should break even at the box office, and then continue to be something people find on PVOD and streaming for the next decade.

I just think we have to be realistic about how these movies will make their money back.

In 2008, The Wrestler made $44.7M ($26.2M domestic) versus a $6M production budget and hung around from December through May thanks to Rourke's award buzz.

Both films were ... fine.

Not as serious as The Wrestler nor as broad as The Fighter.

Critically ...

King Richard: 76 Metascore, 90% Tomatometer

Smashing Machine: 64 Metascore, 73% Tomatometer

The 2021 film economy was still very murky after the calamity of 2020. King Richard opened to $5.4M domestically versus a $50M production budget.

The Smashing Machine opened to $6M domestically vs. a $50M production budget (and seemingly a zillion dollar ad spend).

King Richard had Will Smith top-lining a dramatic biopic squarely aimed at awards season — one that was closely linked to one of the biggest American sports stories of the last 30 years (the rise of the Williams sisters/Black women in tennis).

I get that The Rock plus UFC seems like potentially a pretty big tent for a wide-release ...

Easy to say in hindsight but I think 2021's King Richard is an instructive comp here...

Hey, keyboard hero …

Jane won’t see this post

But your friend who lost his job at Piggly Wiggly because he wouldn’t stop @-ing Goodall’s foundation until it revealed her true opinion on Better Man will

One of the darkest days in marimba history.

The funniest start to a reader feedback letter I ever got while writing the Toronto Star's morning newsletter.

Watching the Trey Yesavage presser ... he might be the most media-polished 22-year-old athlete I've ever seen.

He's been asked pretty much the same question 14 times in a row now and he's still delivering quality answers.

This guy started the season answering questions from A-ball press!

Just slightly better than Toronto's previous two postseason games.

The Blue Jays' offense has scored 23 runs on 29 hits (8 HR, 6 2B) and 5 walks through the first two games of the ALDS.

12 combined hits (4 HR, 3 2B) between Vladdy and Varsho.

Gausman and Yesavage have combined for 1 earned run on 4 hits and 3 walks in 11 innings.

We're all stars, now, in the Var-Show.

Funny how you never saw anyone constantly writing about how it took Uber 14 years to show a full-year operating profit (and the company still has more than $10B in debt right now).

Man, I wish the Jays had Gabriel Moreno right now.

I can't believe Vlad's takin' Warren's wealth.

Ah yes. Cousin to the Insulindian Phasmid.