The Losers' Club

Faithful, Too: “Game 7 - The Carson Kelly Game”

Nothing more satisfying than drubbing a new opponent a day after choking away a game. 21 hits and 10 walks led to an 18-3 cakewalk victory over the homeless A’s (promise this will get explained). Another insane offensive effort by Tuck Temporary (no way the cheap Cub owners sign him this offseason) was only outshone by the Cubs backup catcher.

For the first time since Mark Grace in 1993 (who led all of Major League Baseball i...

Faithful, Too: “Game 6 CHOKE”

According to the reliable gregstoll.com, when a visiting team is up four runs in the bottom of the eighth and the team batting has one out and runners on 1st and 2nd, the chances of victory for the visiting team is 93.54%. The Cubs were that very visiting team yesterday…and lost.

These are the ones that sting. Getting shellacked on Friday 8-1 doesn’t matter this early in the season. However, when you have the game in hand o...

Faithful, Too: “Game 5 W”

A note on names of things for things: “Faithful, Too” is obviously a play on being associated in its own way (unofficially, of course) with O’Nan and King’s Faithful, but do you know what the true source of inspiration is? You guessed it: Teen Wolf, Too starring a young Jason Bateman as the boxing cousin of Michael J. Fox’s O.G. Why The Godfather Part II didn’t just go with the “too” will fo...

Faithful, Too: “Game 4 L”

You can have the same offensive lineup the day after you win in convincing fashion, and somehow get blown out. The magic of different starting pitchers. Taillon had a good year for us last year, and while this was a true stinker I remain optimistic about the rest of his season.

PCA has been on base four times in these two Dback games, scored twice, and knocked in a run (today’s lone run for the Cubs, as a matter of fact). I�...

Faithful, Too: "Game 3 W"

It was an early night for me since I'm leaving early for the east this weekend, but I managed to catch the first four innings of the Cubs' (second) Opening Day before bedtime. This will be a recurring theme with games played out the west. While baseball games are considerably shorter than they used to be, sadly my waking life is, as well. Most of these games won't start 'til 10pm EST during my trip, but I'll be following along as bes...

Faithful, Too: "Opening Day"

The MLB season kicks off on Opening Day and today is Opening Day, even though the Cubs also had Opening Day last Wednesday, will have another Opening Day next Monday, and a final Opening Day next Friday.

I promised I wouldn’t complicate things for the baseball neophytes, and I know I’ve failed already. Let me make good.

The Cubs traveled to Japan last week to play the Los Angeles Dodgers in what many considered a good...

Announcing 'Faithful, Too' by Justin Gerber

“Baseball is a good thing. Always was, always will be.” – Stephen King, “Blockade Billy”

It’s impossible not to get nostalgic about the game I’ve loved since I was eight, and especially difficult when it comes to a certain team and their pinstripe blues: the Chicago Cubs. 

My first heartbreak wasn’t when my 3rd grade “girlfriend” Darcy broke up with me, the day after I showed up t...

Oops All Tangents: David Lynch, Experimental Films, and Cults!

Oops! All Tangents is a free-flowin' conversation based on a topic either topical or submitted by our patrons.  This month, Randall, Mac, Jenn, and Pfleegor start out discussing the late David Lynch, only to digress on experimental films, the stuff that profoundly disturbed them as kids, and which of them would be most likely to join a cult.

Stay tuned for the next Oops! down the road...

Oops! All Tangents: Send Us Your Topics!

We're doing another chaotic Oops All Tangents session in March, but we need some topics you want us to digress on. Let us know what you've got in mind, and get wild with it.

Here's our March 2025 schedule!

It's March Madness as kids reign supreme over King's Dominion!

--In our main feed, we're going to talk about the baddest boys King has put to paper, head to Hollywood King to catch up on news, enter The Institute, and celebrate our (penultimate) Kingies?

--Our patrons will choose what we want to discuss on Oops All Tangents and get a new list in which the Losers decide who are the coolest kids -- or perhaps best ...

Stephen King Archives Vol. 17: "The Extra Hour"

Constant Listeners, there is an archives to the Derry Private Library. Thanks to our Losers' Club historian Bryant Burnette, we have unearthed an entire vault of Stephen King material. From unpublished short stories to long-forgotten interviews, dusty manuscripts to alternate versions of your favorite tales, there is much to discuss...

In the latest issue of Cemetery Dance, Stephen King has a ...

Sometimes They Come Back for More: The Monkey Expanded

Sometimes They Come Back for More is a new feature of The Barrens that allows the Losers to expand upon recent or prior topics. This week? The gang has more to say about Osgood Perkins' The Monkey, particularly how it relates (or doesn't) to Stephen King's original short story.

Stephen King Archives Vol. 16: The Pop of King: 2007

Constant Listeners, there is an archives to the Derry Private Library. Thanks to our Losers' Club historian Bryant Burnette, we have unearthed an entire vault of Stephen King material. From unpublished short stories to long-forgotten interviews, dusty manuscripts to alternate versions of your favorite tales, there is much to discuss...

In 2023, we began discussing Stephen King's EW column, The Pop of King...

Here's our February 2025 schedule!

In February, our hearts are elevated...

--In our main feed, we're going to share our crushes in King's Dominion, finally discuss that Langoliers re-edit dubbed The Timekeepers of Eternity, check out Osgood Perkins' The Monkey, and enjoy a slim read in Elevation.

--Our patrons will continue their journey through Stephen King's Entertainment Weekly column (the episode is recorded and coming - we ...

Oops All Tangents: 2025 Pop Culture We're Psyched For

Oops! All Tangents is a free-flowin' conversation based on a topic either topical or submitted by our patrons.  This month, Rockin' Randall is kicking off the new year with Justin Gerber and Dan Caffrey as they share all the pop culture they're looking forward to in 2025.

Stay tuned for the next Oops! down the road.

Here's our January 2025 schedule!

In 2025, we reach the end of the beam... and then wait for it to expand.

--In our main feed, we're going to preview our exciting final lap of Stephen King books to cover (before he writes more); head to Hollywood King to catch up on a few headlines; and start our coverage of The Outsider. And yes, we'll be re-reviewing the HBO series.

--Our patrons will continue their journey through Stephen King's Entertainment...

Oops All Tangents: Happy Holidays 2024

Oops! All Tangents is a free-flowin' conversation based on a topic either topical or submitted by our patrons.  This month, Rockin' Randall is keepin' things warm and cozy with a holiday-wrapped edition featuring Justin Gerber, Dan Caffrey, and Dan Pfleegor.

Stay tuned for the next Oops! down the road.

Stephen King Archives Vol. 15: Uncollected Stories Vol. 1

Constant Listeners, there is an archives to the Derry Private Library. Thanks to our Losers' Club historian Bryant Burnette, we have unearthed an entire vault of Stephen King material. From unpublished short stories to long-forgotten interviews, dusty manuscripts to alternate versions of your favorite tales, there is much to discuss...

Today, Randall, Jenn, and Michael gather around the fire and sort through some of St...

Oops All Tangents: Holidays Edition

We're doing a Happy Holidays special version of Oops All Tangents this month, but we need some topics you want us to unwrap. Let us know what you've got in mind, and get saccharine with it.

Here’s our December 2024 schedule!

This December, we’re feeling nostalgic...

--In our main feed, we've got two unlocks! We're celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Shawshank Redemption by unlocking our commentary track and sharing some Christmas horrors through a dusty Soul's Midnight from a couple years back. We're also ringing in the year with another Kingmas holiday episode and finally doing a deep dive on Maximum Overdrive.

-...

Stephen King's Most Disgusting Moments

Right as you're about to fill your gullet with all sort of tasty treats and starch-stamped delicacies, we're here to revisit the foulest and most disgusting moments in King's Dominion. Grab a barf bag, folks.

Sleeping Beauties [Early Access]

We're giving our patrons a week-long jump on our next book episode: Stephen and Owen King's Sleeping Beauties.

Halloween Hell 4 Pt. 2

Randall, Mel, Justo, and Caffrey are back for part 2 of Halloween Hell 2024. In the second of two episodes, the fearsome foursome breaks down the back half of their spooky movie binge, which includes a visit with the Garbage Pail Kids, a Fortean streak, and some thoughts about YouTube's encroaching influence on cinema.

They also discuss several 2024 releases, including Trap, Smile 2, Strange Darling, I Saw the TV Glow, In a...