The Closing Tag Network

Phoenix Suns fans are celebrating the arrivals of coach Mike Budenholzer and point guard Tyus Jones like they just became the instant favorites to win the west. Raul has some harsh truth for Suns fans. Additionally, Raul has thoughts on LeBron's comments about this year's men's Olympic team being "the best ever assembled" and the Lakers free agency woes continue to mount. Mus...

Raul just got back from the movies, particularly to see Deadpool & Wolverine. Without giving away anything the trailers haven't already, Raul goes into what made this movie so enjoyable and why you should go see it. Also at San Diego Comic Con, there was some MAJOR MCU news that went down regarding the next two Avengers movies. Raul has all the latest. Music by vicelpro37464 from Pixabay R...

The NBA is short-circuiting, as teams are frantically moving to not spend as much money as they once were. Teams like the Lakers and 76ers are trying to not go over what's called the "second apron", while teams like the Suns are frantically trying to shed salary. Raul explains why this is, why it's going to be difficult to shed salary once over the "second apron", and w...

Ben Simmons, laughable now as it may seem, was once a bright, promising player in the NBA. Drafted first overall by Philadelphia in 2016, Simmons won Rookie of the Year, was a runner-up at one point for Defensive Player of the Year, and was even an MVP candidate at one time. But as Raul points out, a series of events (mostly surrounding Ben's unwillingness to improve his shooting) led to his d...

Raul gets deeply personal in this episode, where he discusses why it's important to learn from the mistakes of the past and appreciate how good things are now, while striving to better one's self in the process. Read the blogs at https://theclosingtag.com If you have a question or comment, drop them off at raul@theclosingtag.com Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theclosingt...

Originally known as the Buffalo Braves, the Los Angeles Clippers have had a very tumultuous and complicated history: one filled with scandal, incompetence, misery, a severe case of inferiority complex, and a very brief and recent stint with mild success. But now, further incompetence from the front office and a star free agent's departure may have just doomed the cycle to start all over again....

The first week of free agency in the NBA in 2024 is officially a wrap. Raul gets down into the weeds on some of the signings and trades that have gone on, why the Warriors may have upgraded, the 76ers may have just become a dark horse favorite in the East, and why the Lakers just got owned by the market. Music by Thomas McGrath from Pixabay Read the blogs at https://sports.theclosingtag.com If you...

The 2024 NBA Draft went about as well as expected, and as many suspected, Bronny James was drafted in the second round (4th to last) by the Los Angeles Lakers. Raul lays out why the tea leaves have been telling us all along that LeBron James never intended to leave the Lakers, why the trade market has been disappointingly quiet, why the San Antonio Spurs are legit geniuses, and why the Hawks just...

Alex Meruelo has officially walked away and abandoned any hope of getting the Arizona Coyotes back after the Arizona State Land Department cancelled their land auction that would've all but assured the NHL was coming back. Raul explains why he feels this was one giant con job by Meruelo and why the NHL and commissioner Gary Bettman should be furious. Raul also breaks down the Josh Giddey-for-A...

Raul just finished the last season of Star Trek: Discovery. This episode contains his mildly-spoilery thoughts on the entire show as a whole, his positive (and negative) thoughts, why the show is not as bad as the internet has made it out to be, and why toxic fans (not "woke culture") is ruining the enjoyment of these shows. Music by vicelpro37464 from Pixabay Read the blogs at https://t...

The NBA Finals have concluded and your 2024 NBA Champions have been crowned. Raul explains how we should've seen this coming. Additionally, Raul talks about Klay Thompson possibly already on his way out of Golden State, Caitlin Clark's troubles possibly being media gold for the WNBA, and how Raul would handle possible NBA expansion. Music by Thomas McGrath from Pixabay Read the blogs at ht...

RIP Jerry West The Caitlin Clark drama in the WNBA has reached ridiculous levels, the likes of which have never been seen in professional sports in this country. Raul explains why the Caitlin Clark response is unfounded. Also thoughts on the Salt Lake Entertainment District, Dan Hurley saying no to the Lakers, possible NBA expansion, the media rights deal for the NBA, and more. Music by Thomas McG...

The day most people didn't think would come has arrived. Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Raul breaks down what this means and what's next for Donald Trump and for the presidential election. Music by AntipodeanWriter from Pixabay Read the blogs at https://theclosingtag.com If you have a question or comment, drop them off at raul@theclosingtag.com F...

The NBA Finals are upon us. Raul explains what both the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics bring to this championship matchup. Raul also goes in on the LeBron/Bronny situation, how badly screwed is Phoenix, and is Johnnie Bryant on his way to Brooklyn? Music by Thomas McGrath from Pixabay Read the blogs at https://sports.theclosingtag.com including the series on If Raul Were the GM If you have a...

The Federal Trade Commission scores a MAJOR win for tech workers throughout the entire United States by declaring non-compete clauses are no longer legally binding. Owl explains why this is a huge win for workers' rights but also exercises caution when listening to the FTC's claims about how this will improve the economy. Music by chrissonnenberg90 from Pixabay Read the blogs at https://th...

Reports of John Malkovich, Ralph Ineson, Natasha Lyonne, and Giancarlo Esposito joining the MCU has Raul very excited, particularly for the on-screen arrival of Galactus, perhaps the next big bad in the MCU. There is also some news about The Last of Us season 2, X-Men in the MCU, and a small spoiler slipped in there (oops). Music by vicelpro37464 from Pixabay Read the blogs at https://theclosingta...

Raul goes over the list of current players that are likeliest to never win an NBA championship and exactly why they will not win one. A fair warning: if your favorite doesn't currently have a championship, chances are they are on this list. Music by Thomas McGrath from Pixabay Read the blogs at https://theclosingtag.com If you have a question or comment, drop them off at raul@theclosingtag.com...

**Recorded on May 8, 2024** In this episode of Bite or Flight, Owl goes to his new favorite curry spot that isn't his kitchen: Curry in a Hurry, where the curry is warm, the rice is warmer, and the only thing better than the curry is the service. Music by Maksym Tkachuk from Pixabay Read the blogs at https://theclosingtag.com If you have a question or comment, drop them off at raul@theclosingt...

With their unceremonious exit from the NBA playoffs at the hands of the Boston Celtics, there are a lot of questions and uncertainty surrounding the future of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and in particular their star guard Donovan Mitchell. Raul goes over the reasoning behind this and what options Cleveland has going forward. Also Raul provides a quick update on the NBA playoffs. Music by Thomas McGra...

On the premiere episode of Bite or Flight, Owl takes a look at a small donut shop called Mountain Donuts, located in Ogden, Utah. Owl explains why, contrary to belief, a good donut is about much more than just the toppings. Check out Mountain Donuts at http://www.mountaindonuts.com/ Music by Maksym Tkachuk from Pixabay Read the blogs at https://theclosingtag.com If you have a question or comment,...

The Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Milwaukee Bucks all face a tremendously difficult period. All three have supermax contracts that have not panned out, all three have no trade manueverability whatsoever, and all three have no draft control until 2029 at the earliest. Raul asks the question: can these teams be saved? Music by Thomas McGrath from Pixabay Read the blogs at https://theclosingt...

Streamed Live on https://twitch.tv/owlthegeek on May 6, 2024 Raul goes into how to build a WordPress site step by step. In today's episode of Tech Time, Raul explains the coming project, what the "customer" needs are, how to do some base research on the competition, what he typically looks at when scouting the competition, and how to set up a WordPress theme and plugins. **This is a...

Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2024! Your hard work has finally paid off! Now comes the real work. It is time to give yourself permission to fail. Raul explains why failing is not only inevitable, it is essential. Read the blogs at https://theclosingtag.com If you have a question or comment, drop them off at raul@theclosingtag.com Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thecl...

South Dakota governor Kristi Noem made headlines recently after her own confession about shooting her own dog came out shortly after rumors of her being a leading GOP candidate for the Vice Presidency. Raul explains how she's only a symptom of a much bigger problem within the GOP. Music by AntipodeanWriter from Pixabay Read the blogs at https://theclosingtag.com If you have a question or comme...

For the first time since 2005, the second round of the NBA Playoffs will not have LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Steph Curry involved. What does this mean for the future of the NBA, and are we now living in a changing of the guard? Raul explains why we should be grateful for the era that preceded but also excited for the next era to begin. Music by Thomas McGrath from Pixabay Read the blogs at htt...