“About the New York Knicks, they told me that they wanted me to play strictly [center],” he said, per Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. “So they didn’t want to meet with me. People was saying it was me, but it was both parties agreeing that we shouldn’t meet.” - LaMarcus Aldridge
Uhh, I'm a little confused here. Since when are the New York Knicks in any position to be turning down All-Star players? I don't care if LaMarcus Aldridge wanted to play point guard. If you are Phil Jackson you offer him the ability to do so, even if you have no intention of following through on it. You never attempt to sell a offensive power forward on playing center. None of them want to play center. They may do so under extenuating circumstances (i.e. they are getting paid max money to do so), but battling against bigger, more physical players all the time is not something they find intriguing. It's not a selling point. Phil Jackson could have literally told LaMarcus Aldridge that he wanted to impregnate his mother and castrate his father and had a better chance of coming to terms on a meeting. Don't tell me this team let the fact that they drafted a 7'3 Latvian, that would most likely be best suited as a stretch 4, influence what franchise altering players they would pick up in free agency. That seems like a problem you go about solving after the fact. Gather the pieces first, see where they fit later. Especially when the pieces they have now are all either broken or misplaced. Trying to build a team around the Knicks roster as of now is like trying to fit a square peg into a non-existent hole, but adding LaMarcus Aldridge at least makes it resemble some kind of puzzle. Now granted, with an offer from San Antonio on the table, he wasn't coming to the dumpster fire in New York anyway. However, if your a Knicks fan the fact that Phil Jackson is turning away talent before it sets foot in the door isn't going to make you feel any better. At best, the Knicks would get the first pick and tab center Jahlil Okafor, although Jackson thinks he might not be aggressive enough. “Also, if you look at the guys who came to the NBA from Duke, aside from Grant Hill, which ones lived up to expectations?” I'll say this, Phil Jackson isn't wrong. A large majority of players that were successful at Duke only went on to have average NBA careers at best. The fact that Grant Hill, a player that spent half his career injured on the sidelines, is the only exception to that is a little bit telling. However, if that is all the 'Zen Master' has got in his bag of tricks then this magic show may be coming to an unceremonious end. If that's how Phil Jackson plans on building a team then I could build a team. Any overly opinionated asshole on Twitter could build a team. Any college basketball fan that has an irrational level of hatred for Duke can build a team. "First order of business men. No Duke players. They stink, and I hate them." Why thank you for imparting your wisdom on us Phil. Thanks for shunning a University that craps out NBA level talent on an annual basis. Is that the most otherworldly thing you could concoct in your brain while meditating in your secret garden? Is that what the Knicks are paying you all that money for, to declare a school incapable of producing a All-Star caliber NBA players? Seems like a pretty solid way to be proven wrong. Especially with the most promising Duke prospect in years being drafted one spot before you. I think what's going on here is that Phil doesn't like to be rejected. What better way to avoid getting rejected than by rejecting LaMarcus Aldridge first. What better way to ease a fan base that was up in arms that you won games down the stretch, and cost yourself a shot at Jahlil Okafor, than by telling them that Jahlil Okafor is going to suck based strictly on one year of schooling at one particular university. Turn down the players before the players turn down you. Influence the fans before they get influenced by what they see on the actual basketball court. On second thought, maybe I am the simple minded one for thinking strictly about basketball. Maybe Phil's mind games are just too supernatural for me to understand. Either way, a Knicks team with LaMarcus Aldridge and Jahlil Okafor is far better than a Knicks team without them. No matter what justification the Zen Master chooses to create.
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Gawker- An alleged burglar was arrested as many as five days after sneaking into a New Jersey family’s house this spring when the homeowner heard a noise and found the intruder hiding under his daughter’s bed, WABC reports.
According to police in Spotswood, New Jersey, Jason Hubbard entered the family’s home while the owner was taking out the trash and made his way to the daughter’s vacant bedroom. He then lived hiding under the bed for several days, charging his four cell phones with a nearby electrical outlet. Resident Margaret Adamcewicz says Hubbard dated her daughter five years ago, but she hadn’t heard from him since. “I don’t think he was eating,” Adamcewicz told WABC. “I think he just had water under the bed.” Authorities say the homeowner immediately called police after discovering Hubbard, who they then charged with burglary and theft of electricity. On the surface I can see why this family is so upset. It would startle anyone to find a person that haven't seen in 5 years legitimately living under their daughter's bed. However, to turn around and call him a burglar and have him apprehended as a criminal is completely disingenuous. That's what exes are, this is what they do. They are anchors. They are people you feel indebted to for years after the relationship ends. The social contract requires you to be there when your ex needs someone. Sure, usually they just need someone to talk to about a sick family member, or a new shitty relationship, but different strokes for different folks. If you don't want to be the type of person that has ex-boyfriends breaking into your parents house half a decade later to live solely on water and 'stolen' electricity then maybe don't date people that are likely to end up homeless. Is that too much to ask? I mean, look at that guy. Had to know that life decision was going to come back around to bite you in the ass. Sorry folks, but this one is on your daughter and her terrible taste in men. Don't overreact now, because that same taste in men is likely to cause you more problems in the future. I would start to get a babies room ready for when she accidentally gets knocked up by the gas station attendant down the street. At least that might be worth a discount on premium gas. That's definitely more than the last guy brought to the table. If this doesn't show the lengths that people will go to to charge their phone than I don't know what does. Was this guy even poor? He had FOUR phones. I feel uncomfortable leaving my phone in a public place long enough to charge one half of a cellphone battery. You can't expect this guy to go sit around a bar or restaurant long enough to charge every one of his four phones that he inevitably uses to sell drugs. He needed the comfort of a home, and I would say it's pretty likely he doesn't have one of his own. If you didn't want to open your house to him, either knowingly or unknowingly, then you should have nipped that terrible teenage relationship in the bud. You let it blossom into enough of a 'thing' that now this guy feels overly entitled to your hospitality, just like every ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend of all time.
Fire&Ice- After 28 years with the Devils, Lou Lamoriello has resigned from his position as team president to become general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Lamoriello, who will turn 73 on Oct. 21, stepped aside as Devils' general manager on May 4 and named Ray Shero as his replacement. Lamoriello joins Brendan Shanahan with the Maple Leafs. Shanahan, who was the first player drafted by Devils under Lamoriello's guidance in 1987, was named the Maple Leafs team president in 2014. Lamoriello becomes the 16th GM in Maple Leafs history. Lamoriello left Providence College to become team president of the Devils on April 30, 1987. He assumed the title of general manager prior to the start of the 1987-88 training camp. The Devils made the playoffs for the first time in their history the following spring and would go on win three Stanley Cups, five Eastern Conference titles and nine division championships. Lamoriello was incucted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2009. I suppose we should have seen this coming. Maybe our hearts wouldn't let us. Maybe the idea of Lou Lamoniello no longer having an affiliation with the franchise he built from the ground up was too much to digest. No matter how up there in age Lou is, this is what he was born to do. He's not, and will never be, a figurehead president. He went into the Hall Of Fame as a 'builder' because that's exactly what he does. He builds teams. He makes organizational decisions. Watching his 'baby' get run by another man while he sits idly by in a press box is not in his blood. If not being in charge anymore didn't kill him, then watching his players use Twitter, wearing third jerseys and high numbers, and having his other age old concepts be compromised certainly would. He doesn't have it in him to watch HIS New Jersey Devils go through a rebuild. That mentality is what brought three Stanley Cups to the great state of New Jersey. It's also the same mentality that was responsible for signing a bunch of over-the-hill stopgap players in a desperate attempt to stay competitive. He's a winner, and despite what's best for the long term success of the team, if he's not doing his damnedest to lift a Stanley Cup at the end of each and every year then he's not being himself. It's a gift and a curse, but the gift far outweighed the curse. I'm not going to lie to you. All the non-Devilish things that happened over this past offseason pale in comparison to this. David Conte not being renewed at Scouting Director. Scott Stevens being let go from the Coaching Staff. Marty Brodeur not being contacted to work in the Front Office in some capacity. I think all Devils fans could look past those. This one hurts, and it hurts bad. It feels like my own Grandfather just up and choose another family at the age of 72. Change was absolutely necessary, and while that change may have required Lou to be moved to a less hands-on position, it feels like the soul of the New Jersey Devils has been ripped out it's stomach. I feel like I'm mourning the death of a loved one. If someone ever asks me if I have been married before I am going to break down in tears, because Lou Lamoriello leaving the Devils is like going through the worst divorce of all time. I don't disagree with the path that Ray Shero has taken thus far in restructuring this team. The Devils needed to get younger and faster. They needed a year or two without burdening player development by overpaying average to below average 30 year old players to long term contracts. However, I hope Shero is ready, because it's all on his shoulders now. If Cory Schneider thought replacing Marty Brodeur as the starting goaltender in New Jersey was tough, then replacing Lou Lamoriello as the principal decision maker is damn near impossible. I want to blame this on the new ownership, but at the end of the day, it's probably the best move for the on-ice product. It just makes me sick that it feels like Lou was pushed out the door after all he has done for the sport of hockey, and specifically the Devils organization. It just doesn't feel right, and it may never feel right. At least until this new regime brings a Stanley Cup to Newark, New Jersey. We'll miss you Lou, and we will never forget how you were the architect behind every single memorable moment in New Jersey Devils history. It doesn't matter where he goes, to Devils fans he will always be our General Manager. He will always be the heart of The New Jersey Devils. This organization was constructed on the foundation of his principles and if it hopes to have any success in the future, it will maintain those very same characteristics that made this team more than a winner, but a family. BSO- “It’s until the deal is sealed. Absolutely,” the beauty told Kit Hoover and guest co-host Dave Karger when asked if there’s a timeframe, and added that she didn’t feel any type of way when Wilson decided to reveal they’re holding off on sex during an interview.
“It was an organic thing for him and I think he was just being honest about where we are,” she explained. “It’s cool when you get to build a foundation with someone on how much you care for each other and really know each other’s personalities, so it’s really fun.” Is it crazy to think that Russell Wilson is in the friend zone, but neither party realizes it because the option of sex is apparently off the table? I kind of think he is. Either that, or this entire quote from Ciara is a flat out lie. I think I can speak for the large majority of people when I say it is natural to have lustful thoughts about a significant other. While getting to know someone that you are in relationship with can absolutely be fun, it's a lot less fun when all you can think about is the innumerable amount of days until you finally get inside them. Let's be serious. Two months without sex and it literally takes over your brain. There is not a chance in hell Russell Wilson can remember more than 10% of the shit that Ciara has said to him if he has been walking around with a fully loaded chamber this entire time. Just constantly tucking his boner, crossing his legs, and trying to pray the blood out of his penis. Ciara may be having fun, but Russell might be the most miserable man on Earth. No attractive couple is beyond succumbing to the "evils" of sex. Not a one. If Ciara thinks spending time talking to Russell Wilson without fucking him is so amazing than clearly she doesn't think of him in that way. Just BFF's that don't even realize that is all they are because they won't just act like a couple of adults and hit the sheets. Maybe Russell Wilson is gay? Is Ciara a 'beard'? How else would he keep from walking around like he's got a Mag-Lite in his pocket as a celibate man that is constantly arm-in-arm with a smoking hot pop star? Sorry, just spitballing here. I genuinely don't know how a relationship that doesn't feature any sex at all can be so perfect otherwise. It's like a cultural anomaly. Something is up, and I don't know what it is, but if these two are truly not fucking and happy, then the opposite will likely be true when they are married.
Fuck. Why Doc? Why? Not only did I spend two weeks ripping Josh Smith and Pablo Prigioni to shreds at every turn, but they may have been my two most despised players in the entire NBA before the Clippers went seven games with the Rockets. Is this a solid depth move? Yes. Prigioni can shoot the 3 from time to time and has quick hands on defense, but I will be damned if I sacrifice the integrity of this blog by endorsing that little Italian bastard. I'm going to be honest with you. I don't even know why I hate him. I really don't. I think it's probably because he reminds me of the type of person that owns a hole in the wall, Americanized pizza joint, but he pronounces mozzarella 'a-moot-za-rellllll' or calamari 'cal-ah-maad' like he's in the heart of Florence. Regardless, I held this opinion when he was on the Knicks, I obviously stuck with it when he was on the Rockets last year, and I refuse to change it just because we are on the same team now. I gave Josh Smith a pass, but that's where I draw the line on compromising. The return of DeAndre Jordan only buys you so much leeway into my bag of irrationally hated free agents.
What are you going to do? It's not a terrible move. The Clippers bench is actually formidable now. An injury doesn't leave them on the cusp of 6-7 man rotation like last year. They unloaded Spencer Hawes, his mid-life crisis, and his awful contract. They brought in a potential game changer in Lance Stephenson. They brought in the most savvy of vets in Paul Pierce. They kept their very own Big 3 together. No matter what happens after that the offseason has to be considered a huge win. However, I can't help but feel like they are trying to feed me my words by adding players I hate. As they say, be careful what you wish for. I wanted a deep bench and I got a guy that shoots jumpers like he's right handed and doesn't know it, and 40 year old guinea that may potentially knock himself unconscious trying to stand up...
Have we really gotten to this point? It's hard to believe, but I think I am starting to feel bad for Mark Cuban. No, not because DeAndre Jordan left him and his franchise high and dry by deciding to return to the Los Angeles Clippers. I feel bad for him because he can't let it go. After declaring how classy Richard Jefferson was in his decision to sign with the Cavaliers, I suppose it was only a matter of time before he had DeAndre's name in his mouth again. Turns out it was no more than 24 hours later.
Well, jokes on you Mark, because makeup sex is fucking AWESOME. Even successful couples fight Mr. Cuban. It doesn't mean that every argument is a sign of an issue that they can't work past. You want to play with analogies? How about this? If DeAndre Jordan re-signing with the Clippers is make-up sex then the Dallas Mavericks are just a scorned sidechick that thought a little fling was wayyyyy more than it was. Mark Cuban is the girl that goes home with you on the first night and is stunned when you never call again. He is the girl crying into her brunch about a guy that her friends never even met. The Dallas Mavericks are the girl DeAndre was fucking on the side until he realized that all she was good for was sex. He didn't want to meet her parents, or go apple picking with her, or go shopping with her. That wasn't a handshake agreement, it was Mark Cuban grabbing DJ's hand for a quick second before he angrily yanked it away and said "not in public!". The Mavericks provided all the potential benefits of stepping out on your significant other. They provided the metaphorical sex. They wined him. They dined him. They rolled out the red carpet. However, when push came to shove, they didn't provide the things necessary for DJ to enjoy day-to-day life. For instance, a championship level basketball team and a close knit locker room. The Mavericks might have been good for a one-nighter, or two, but they certainly don't have what it takes to be a life partner. At the end of the day, Jordan may have cheated on the Clippers, but they were able to resolve their differences. Probably because the sex wasn't good enough Mark. Either that, or he realized that you can't turn a hoe into a housewife... h/t Larry Brown Sports Yahoo- A T-shirt being sold at Target’s stores and on its website has sparked a backlash online, as many customers are claiming the top is offensive to women.
The black shirt, which has the word “trophy” in bold white letters across the front and costs $12.99, has many slamming the retailer for treating women and girls as objects. A number of customers have been posting photos of the T-shirt, which some say they spotted in the junior’s section, on social media, publicly criticizing what they say is a sexist move on Target’s part. While the shirt has reportedly been on sale since June, it’s only recently gained steam on social media. “Dear Target, why are you selling shirts that describe women as obtainable objects such as trophies?” wrote one user on Target’s Facebook page. “It’s honestly appalling. I’m nobody’s trophy, and I sincerely hope that in your eyes, women are more than something to be won.” One woman has even started a petition on Change.org demanding that Target stop selling the shirt. “The truth is that millions of women and young girls are taken as ‘trophies’ every year in war, sex trafficking, slavery, and rape,” writes Amanda R., the author of the petition. “The perpetrators see women as ‘things’ that are bought, sold, traded, and ‘won’ through force where they are then beaten, abused, tortured, raped, and murdered for the sole purpose of ‘victory.’ The word trophy should not refer to any person, man, or woman because we are not THINGS — we are human beings. Labeling any person as a ‘Trophy’ is demeaning their humanity and objectifying them as a tangible object that can be bought, used, and disposed of.” The petition, which was posted online in June, has received more than 700 signatures so far. Yeah, I understand that it's not right to view women as objects. However, while it's not appropriate to think of a woman as a thing instead of person, if you are going to be objectified I can't really think of a better object than a trophy. If someone told me I looked like a 'million bucks' I would take it as a compliment, not go around whining that someone compared me to a bunch of used, dirty dollar bills. The fact that a trophy is something given to a winner to be put on display has got to count for something, right? How do you think the Second Place woman felt? How about that poor sap in Third that's taking the place of an enlarged penny? The actual trophy, in this instance, doesn't need support. She's content being an object, or else she shouldn't have bought herself a tee shirt deeming her as such. Just like any fashion choice, a tee shirt that says 'TROPHY' isn't for everyone. It's not for the attractive girl with the good job. It's not for the cute girl with the great personality. It's for the unapproachably hot female that has literally nothing else going for her in life. Those women still exist, whether feminists want to argue on their behalf or not. There are still females that try to ride their looks into a lifelong, superficial relationship based on wealth. You think Target would keep a questionable shirt on it's shelves if no one was buying it? Don't be outraged at the product. Be outraged at the people buying the product and therefore endorsing the notion you are fighting against. Target viewing woman as objects isn't the problem. The women that view themselves as objects are the problem. If the concept of a female as a 'trophy wife' was dead than the sales of this tee shirt would be as well. If women can't be bought than how come women are buying shirts that essentially labels them as gold-diggers? P.S. Only a feminist could describe an $10 shirt at a bargain basement department store as a symbol of war, sex trafficking, slavery, and rape. Maybe, just maybe, it's a poorly made piece of linen for woman that don't value themselves highly enough. Insecurity and a low sense of self worth are problems that affect both genders, and they are personal problems, not Target problems. Washington Post- Here’s a research finding that should surprise no one: The men most likely to harass women online … are the men most likely to have their own problems.
That bit of validation comes courtesy Michael Kasumovic and Jeffrey Kuznekoff, researchers at the University of New South Wales and Miami University, respectively. For their latest study, published in the journal PLOS One last week, the duo watched how men treated women during 163 plays of the video game Halo 3. As they watched the games play out and tracked the comments that players made to each other, the researchers observed that — no matter their skill level, or how the game went — men tended to be pretty cordial to each other. Male players who were good at the game also tended to pay compliments to other male and female players. Some male players, however — the ones who were less-skilled at the game, and performing worse relative their peers — made frequent, nasty comments to the female gamers. In other words, sexist dudes are literally losers. Well, I guess this confirms what we already knew. Sexist dudes are the ones that aren't having sex. Not the most shocking of scientific research. Although, hopefully it makes marginalized females feel at least a little better about themselves when they get berated by a bunch of dudes who's ass they are kicking in 'Halo'. Listen, generally speaking men are fuel by competition. Some men that can't perform athletically have to take that completive edge to the world of gaming. Men that fail to succeed in a physical and virtual reality have to turn to picking on those they view as the weakest. It may not be true, but a bunch of basement dwelling losers that have seen more tits in an 'R' rated video game than they have on an actual human woman view females as the easiest target. It's not the most acceptable way to look at the world, but guys that can't win at anything tend to view being born with a penis as a victory. If I was 0-Century against any and all forms of opposition I might be a sexist pig as well. Literal losers tend to lash out at those people that show them the least amount of attention. If we are talking about a bunch of guys that devote their lives to a game in which they have a terrible 'kill ratio' than the people refusing to acknowledge their existence typically have vaginas.
CBC- As the Ku Klux Klan rallied outside the South Carolina statehouse Saturday, the state's director of public safety pulled a man with a swastika on his shirt out of the hot afternoon sun.
Leroy Smith guided the man up a flight of stairs and into some shade while the Loyal White Knights of the KKK protested the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the Columbia, S.C. statehouse. The temperature on July 18 reached as high as 37 C. The unidentified protester wore the insignia of the National Socialist Movement Party, one of the largest Neo-Nazi groups in the U.S. according to the Southern Poverty Law Centre. Ahh, the old high road. Probably better known as the road less traveled. I got to say I have an endless amount of respect for this cop. I can't imagine helping someone who's sole purpose in life was not only to hate me, but to attempt to diminish my rights as a human being. If this were me, the best case scenario is that white supremacist gets dragged into an alley to die of a heat stroke. Worst case I am bludgeoning him with the handle of my pistol, watching him bleed out in the street, and claiming self defense. I am certainly not helping him to safety, no matter how good that makes me look in the eyes of the public. That's the difference though. If you have the discipline in you to be the good person, you really make the person that's in the wrong look more awful than they already are. However, let's focus on this weak minded white supremacist that can barely survive a little heat. He had to just get his pink slip from the Klan, right? This fucking guy can't even go for a walk on a hot summer day without the help of a black man. I'm pretty sure it's in the chapter handbook that you can't let a black guy save your life. That's a devastating blow to the organization. Hell, their reputation would have been better off if he just died in the street from a little bit of sunlight. I mean, this is a person that despises an entire demographic based entirely on the color of their skin and it's questionable whether or not that is his biggest flaw. Irrationally hates a race of people and his kryptonite is warm weather. Got to say, that's a pretty awful look for racists. Really takes away their aura of intimidation. First their flag, the only thing they could still call their own, gets taken down and now their limp, helpless bodies are getting carried to the shade by someone that they continue to claim isn't equal. I guess he proved himself right. They aren't equals, this officer is actually a far better human being.
Jezebel- Jesse Eisenberg—an adult man who gets paid millions of dollars to put on funny costumes, pretend to be someone else, and occasionally talk about it in front of fans—did not have a good time promoting Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice at ComicCon.
“It is like being screamed at by thousands of people,” he told a reporter on the red carpet for the David Foster Wallace-focused film, The End of the Tour. “I don’t know what the experience is throughout history, probably some kind of genocide. I can’t think of anything that’s equivalent.” Well folks, this is why there is no college diploma necessary to become an actor. This is exactly why Hollywood's most successful celebrities don't boast a resume that includes a degree in History. We don't need our actors to be smart, we just need them to be adaptable. Read a bunch of words from a script in an entertaining fashion and you can be as ignorant to the real world as you'd like. As dumb as Eisenberg sounds here, I kind of want to give him a pass. Who hasn't tried to use a word outside of their vocabulary range in an effort to sound smart? Hell, if thesaurus.com didn't exist this blog would look like the incoherent rumblings of a prepubescent, dyslexic child. Sure, a large majority of people know what the term 'genocide' means. Hell, almost everyone could tell you it has a negative connotation. However, most of us went to school and learned such things. Eisenberg dropped out NYU to pursue a film. Something tells me he wasn't the best student. Should he be pulling words from the 'Table Of Contents' of a 6th grade Social Studies book when trying to give context to the atmosphere of a convention that was praising his role in a movie? Probably not, but comparing a bunch of cheering fans to ethnic cleansing and the deliberate extermination of a group of people doesn't even make sense. I am pretty sure those that fell victim to the various instances of genocide in our past were dead far before they had to experience thousands of people screaming at them. I know that, you know that, and if Jesse Eisenberg was shown the definition of 'genocide' he would know that too. Seems pretty clear that this was just a Freudian slip that happened to get broadcast to millions. Either that, or he's just a huge dickhead that takes his profession and social standing for granted. When I put it that way, it kind of seems like the latter... P.S. 'The Social Network' has convinced me that Jesse Eisenberg and Mark Zuckerberg are actually the same exact person. Which makes this quote even funnier because it sounds exactly like something Zuckerberg would say, in the movie or in reality. ProHockeyTalk- “[My game] is going to change in a better way for the team,” Rinaldo said, per the Bruins’ website. “I don’t plan on getting suspended; that’s the last thing I want to do. I don’t plan on taking stupid penalties; that’s the last thing I want to do, is hurt my team. “Changing for the better will happen.” Now with the B’s, he still intends to play a physical game, his acquisition not-so-coincidentally coming after GM Don Sweeney vowed to return “the aggressiveness that was lost in our group.” “I’m going to be the rough, tough Zac Rinaldo,” he said, “but I’m also going to add in more hockey sense.” Good news Bruins fans! Zac Rinaldo doesn't plan on doing literally the only thing he is good at doing anymore! Starting to make trading a 3rd round draft pick for a player that has 16 career points, 572 career penalty minutes, and 3 career suspensions in 223 NHL games look a little less stupid. Emphasis on the word 'little'. Can't say you don't love his intent here. When you trade for an obsolete goon with no offensive potential the best you can hope for is that he isn't a detriment to the team. They should just bring Rinaldo in before every game and tell him to stay away from the puck and all other players by any means necessary. Don't even give him a stick. Just send him out there and tell him to make believe he is open skating at the local pond. Don't get in anybody's way for 30 seconds at a time and then come right back to the bench. If Zac Rinaldo isn't going to get suspended or take dumb penalties then the only other thing he is capable of doing on a hockey rink is looking like a hockey player, you know, until the game actually starts. Don't worry Boston faithful. Zac is going to mix in a little hockey sense. Just sprinkle it right into the recipe. Might want to tell him to pick up some scoring ability or defensive positioning while he's out shopping for things that no amount of money can buy. If only I went to the same Pro Shop that Rinaldo does. Hell, I could wake up tomorrow as the next Mario Lemieux. It might sound silly when Zac Rinaldo talks about 'hockey sense' like it's something that you just develop overnight. However, if there is a team in professional sports that can make you smarter just by trading you it is the Philadelphia Flyers. I'm very hesitant to blame the Flyers organization for turning Rinaldo into a useless piece of shit, but you got to imagine that's what the Bruins were hoping when they traded an actual, meaningful asset to acquire him. Just praying that Rinaldo's lack of skill, and proclivity to being a scumbag, was a product of the 'Broad Street Bullies' mentality that has long been the downfall of the Flyers. How about we just redo this interview when Rinaldo is 3 strides into an eventual boarding penalty? I would imagine if you could just decide before the game not to take dumb penalties or get suspended then dumb penalties and suspensions wouldn't even exist. All the sudden a 4 hour trip North and a little lip service is going to transform a worthless waste of a money shot into a discipline hockey player that holds himself accountable? Count me as a skeptic... “Carmelo Anthony reached out to me after I got drafted,” Porzingis said. “He said, ‘Congrats, welcome to the team.’ I didn’t have his number, so I texted back, ‘Who’s this?’ And then a few minutes later, he said, ‘This is Melo’ with his No. 7 as the ‘l.’ I met him actually when I came for my Knicks tryout for the first time. We’ve talked a couple of times since then.” I know people are going to hate on Carmelo for this, and rightfully so. It's an unbelievably cocky move to just shoot off a text to someone that you have only met in passing and expect them to know who you are. On the other hand, when do you think the last time Carmelo Anthony had to introduce himself was? I'm talking over the phone, in public, through email. It's probably been years. 'Me7o' is so used to being recognized that he is just assumes that the first order of business from the Knicks front office was entering his digits into Porzingus' contacts. Next blog you will be reading about Anthony will be how he feels disrespected that the entire franchise doesn't have him on speed dial. Come on Dolan, you got to be better than this. You know Carmelo Anthony is too famous for introductions. He can't be taking time away from his precious clothing line to identify himself. Greetings are for non-franchise players. Hell, they are probably lucky 'Me7o' was feeling generous enough to even send a second text. He probably sighed so loud when he got the 'who is this?' text that it would have made an overly flamboyant gay man blush. Don't get me wrong, the awkwardness of this exchange is definitely on Carmelo for being a self involved prick. However, if you do, or don't do, a certain behavior for long enough it becomes second nature, and Carmelo stopped doing salutations when he left Syracuse. Second order of business, does Carmelo have his own marketing team, or has he taken that responsibility on his own shoulders? You would think when he was hanging out with 'King James', 'D-Wade', and 'CP3' they could have helped him conjure up something better than 'ME7O'. I'm still trying to figure out what's wrong with marketing yourself as 'Melo'. Seems like a cool enough name to me. Though if the players outfits are any indication I have no idea what constitutes 'cool' in the NBA anymore. Regardless, this whole inserting numbers into names phenomenon is getting a little out of hand. Especially when it doesn't even come close to fitting. I think Anthony spent a little too much time obsessing over the 'RE2PECT' craze during Jeter's final season. I bet you part of him thinks that the only thing that separates him and Derek is having his number somewhere in his slogan. Championships and historical significance to the sport be damned. Jeter didn't start getting hat tips until he had his number in a word, that can't possibly be a coincidence. If he really wanted to keep it a hundred he would have went with 'Mel0' and the 0 could stand for how many time he has legitimately challenged for a championship. Not only does it make more sense, but it's way more aesthetically pleasing. But hell, I don't know, maybe underwhelming athletes have a thing for the number 7... h/t BSO
Is it a little disingenuous that Matt Barnes is saying that Serge Ibaka isn't about that life when he is a habitual shit starter on the basketball court? Yeah, probably a little. As far as the fans are concerned the only altercations we have seen Barnes in were broken up by teammates and didn't escalate past a flagrant foul or an exchange of choice words. With that said, it is kind of refreshing to see a professional athlete stick to his guns, so to speak, off the court. At the very least I feel comfortable saying that Matt Barnes is old school, which is like the biggest compliment you can give a basketball player this day and age. Far too often, players are playing nice-nice and saying whatever is politically correct. Matt Barnes is just here to remind us that it is okay to have some hate in your heart. You don't have to be friends with everybody, particular your competition.
I got to say, as far as the fight goes, it's a toss up in my mind. Sure, Ibaka is a taller, bigger dude, but Matt Barnes strikes me as a no-holds-barred type of fighter. What's that they say? It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog? There is a lot of fight in Matt Barnes. Generally speaking I would rather not fight the guy that would go to any length to win. Plus, Barnes strikes me as the guy that you would literally have to kill to beat in a fight. That person that is just too prideful to say that enough is enough. He's still the underdog, but I would bet if that fight were to take place it would be a lot closer than expected. Who knows, maybe we'll find out...
Larry Brown Sports- Growing up in California, there’s little surprise Pierce was a Lakers fan during his childhood. They had the mystique, storied past, Hall of Famers, and championships while the Clippers were just Los Angeles’ other basketball team. However, instead of choosing the Lakers to spend the final stage of his career with, Pierce opted for the city’s better team.
As it turns out, Pierce’s decision was largely influenced by the team he spent the majority of his career playing for. “It’s a dream come true to be able to come home, finally,” Pierce told the Boston Globe. “I grew up a Laker fan but playing on all the Boston Celtic teams . . . there’s no way I could go there — so this was the next best choice. And it’s always been a dream to play in front of my family and friends.” Quick question. What's the best way to endear yourself to Clippers fans? Yup, you guessed it. Say you would never, under any circumstances, play for the Lakers. You'll fit in just great here Pauly. Sure, you grew up a Lakers fan, but we can look past that now seeing as you hate their entire franchise to your very core. It may not have anything to do with the Clippers franchise, and everything to do with the long standing feud between the Celtics and Lakers, but it's the effect we are concerned about, not the cause. Also, it kind of goes without saying that the only other team Pierce wouldn't play for is one that featured LeBron James. While that has very little to do with the Clippers, it goes a long way in building my personal relationship with Pierce. That attitude right here. That animosity that Paul Pierce constantly plays with. That is what is going to be such a welcomed addition to the Clippers locker room. They need that player that takes things personal. The person that turns mere competition into a heated rivalry. Remember this past year's first round matchup between the Wizards and Raptors? You think there was a lot of animosity between the cities of Toronto and Washington? I'm going to take an educated guess and say no. However, 'The Truth' was able to conjure up some very real contempt between the two teams and used it as fuel to help sweep the Raptors in 4 games. He's a cold blooded instigator that will stop at nothing to get under the skin of his opponent. With the way in which the Clippers bowed out of the playoffs this year, that win-at-all-costs mentality may prove to be vital to their success. At the very least the locker room can become stronger through shared commonalities...like a pure, unadulterated hatred for the Lakers.
ESPN- The Cleveland Cavaliers are closing in on a deal to sign veteran swingman Richard Jefferson, according to league sources.
Sources said Jefferson, who committed to re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks earlier this month, changed his mind in recent days and is finalizing a one-year veteran minimum deal with the Cavaliers instead. Richard Jefferson is backing out of his commitment with the Mavericks with owner Mark Cuban's blessing. Jefferson's free agency has since played out in a similar fashion to Jordan's, with a U-turn on his intention to sign with Dallas to return to the Eastern Conference with the title-chasing Cavs. When reached Tuesday, however, Cuban said that he actually spoke to Jefferson about his change of heart and was not blindsided by the decision as Dallas was in Jordan's case. "He called and talked to me," Cuban told ESPN. "RJ said he had an opportunity with an Eastern Conference team. He said he would honor what he [originally agreed to with the Mavs] but thought the other was a better fit. I told him I was OK with it and understood." Okay, that's it. It's been a few weeks. I gave Mark Cuban and Mavericks fans plenty of time to mourn the loss of DeAndre Jordan. They've had plenty of time to eviscerate his character for the way he went about re-signing with the Clippers. That time is up. It's now to time to kill the narrative that Mark Cuban was only upset because of the way in which Jordan handled his change of heart. It's gotten to a point where people seemingly think his refusal to call or contact Mark Cuban is the sole reason why there is tension, and that's just simply not true. You think Mark Cuban, yeah, the ruthless businessman Mark Cuban, would be any more understanding if DJ had gone back on his word in a classy manner? Come on, let's be serious. Cuban isn't just upset because he got treated like an overzealous teenage girl. He's upset because his team went from being a playoff contender to a potential bottom feeder. He's upset because losing out on DeAndre Jordan all but spells a rebuilding period for his team. He's upset because DeAndre Jordan was the last gasp effort to have a team capable of contending for a championship that was built around Dirk Nowitzki. That doesn't mean Jordan couldn't have been more adult, but it does mean it wouldn't have left Cuban feeling any less scorned. So, no. I don't need to hear about how mature Richard Jefferson was in his approach to turning down the Mavericks for a last gasp at winning a title in Cleveland. You know why? Quite simply, because Richard Jefferson sucks. I actually am a huge RJ fan, dating back to my days rooting for the New Jersey Nets. However, the reality is that he is washed up. He's a solid last man off the bench, a competent defender, and a great locker room, but his play on the court leaves much to be desired. That's why Mark Cuban doesn't care that he's leaving. Not because he was super nice about doing so, but because it's irrelevant to the product Dallas is going to put on the basketball court this upcoming season. The only reason a borderline NBA player changing his mind is news is to make DeAndre Jordan look worse, when the situations aren't even remotely close to being similar. I expect Mavericks fans to keep rubbing DJ's name through the dirt every chance they get. However, it does make them look like an obsessive ex-girlfriend that took a short term relationship way too seriously. Get over it Cuban. Get over it Dallas. Either that or people might start mistaking you for the psychotic girl in 'Swim Fan'. Times- A Kingsport woman told police she was counterfeiting money because she read online that President Barack Obama made a new law allowing her to print her own money, according to a police report. Police were called to a local grocery store on Sunday night in regards to a complaint about counterfeit money. When the reporting officer arrived, he spoke with a gas station clerk who said that just prior to the officer's arrival, a white female had handed him a $5 bill, which he suspected to be counterfeit. The clerk handed the officer the bill and immediately recognized the bill had been printed on regular computer paper and each side had been glued together but was falling apart. The officer asked Downs about the currency and she reportedly said she had received the money from a gas station in Bristol a few days ago. She told the officer the bill was folded over and she never inspected it. Downs was asked by the officer if her purse could be searched, to which she agreed. Inside her purse, the officer found a $100 which was also counterfeit, according to the report. The bill was printed in black and white and the backside of the bill was upside down. A couple of receipts from Walmart were also found inside the purse, showing Downs had purchased copy paper and a printer. Downs was then placed in handcuffs. Downs then reportedly said, "I don't give a ****, all these other bitches get to print money so I can too." She then told officers she read online that President Obama had made a new law that permitted her to print her own money because she is on a fixed income, the report stated. Downs then signed a consent to search waiver, which officers executed at her apartment. Inside they found several items consistent with being used to print counterfeit currency including paper, scissors, glue and a printer. All the items were seized and put into evidence. Several more counterfeit bills, both cut and uncut, were located at the apartment. Officers estimated the total to be around $30,000 to $50,000. Oh, come on. Are we really going to give this lady a hard time? Who hasn't read some dumb shit on the internet and been convinced of it's legitimacy. Hell, I have taken new articles that were complete nonsense, and formed opinions on them that consisted of even more nonsense. No one really, truly pays full attention to news anymore. You know a lot of time you find yourself discussing something you read or saw on television with a few friends. How often does that conversation start "Didn't I see that ______ did ______ over the weekend?" No one is ever sure of anything anymore. No one pays close attention to every detail of every story. It's 2015, almost everyone is just a headline reader, and not even a good headline reader at that. Should this women have known that people on fixed income aren't allowed to just start printing their own money at home? Sure, that seems pretty obvious. However, not everyone is great at weeding through the bullshit. This woman probably only got the internet like a month ago. Of course she didn't know that half the crap on it is exactly that. I bet you if I Google 'Obama Says You Can Print Your Own Money' you can find at least one satire article on the internet that says exactly that. Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner..... I am not saying that this woman isn't a complete moron, but at least she's not a liar. Criminals that counterfeit money get rid of the evidence. They don't keep every counterfeiting supply that you can find at WalMart in their purse. That's a move reserved for people that counterfeit under false pretenses. This women may be guilty of stupidity and over a dozen counts of terrible craftsmanship, but she's not guilty of illegally counterfeiting money, at least not knowingly anyway. The overcrowding of prisons is already a problem, can you imagine if we start locking people up for lack of intelligence or an abundance of gullibility? We'll need more prisons per township than McDonald's.
P.S. There's a 'Down's Syndrome' joke somewhere in this story about Pamela Downs acting mentally handicapped, but I don't feel like stooping that low before noon. P.P.S. This has got to be Obama's fault. No, he never said such a thing, and the article was clearly written in jest without his knowledge, but he's been such a fantastic scapegoat the last 7 years so why stop now? Penn State Doesn't Consider Rutgers A Rival Because Penn State Has Never Valued Rational Thought7/21/2015 NJ.com- I connected with Bob Flounders, who covers Penn State for PennLive.com, for a Q&A on the Nittany Lions.
Q: The Penn State side was mostly dismissive of the possibility of a Rutgers rivalry leading up to last season's matchup. Did the close game change anything? What do you expect the atmosphere to be like at Beaver Stadium for that prime-time matchup? A: I don't believe the Penn State program views Rutgers as a rival and I know the fan base does not. Pittsburgh is the Lions' true rival and the Panthers are coming back on the schedule in a few years. The fact is, PSU hasn't really had a true rival in the Big Ten since it joined the conference. The prime-time atmosphere will be better than the one at Rutgers just because the size of the crowd. One would think this statement would upset a die hard Rutgers fan like myself. That Penn State's refusal to acknowledge Rutgers as a geographical rival and a Big Ten peer would anger those that have supported the program as it's risen to relative prominence. Alas, it does not. Not because I don't think Rutgers has the talent or the draw of Penn State, but simply because Penn State admitting that Rutgers is their equal would be admitting failure. Admitting that Rutgers, once a Division 1 afterthought, is now a middle of the pack Big 10 team is an admission that Penn State has not only failed to progress, but has actually regressed from the traditional college football power that they used to be. First year in a Power 5 Conference, with only a single season of B1G recruiting under their belt, and Rutgers has already finished with a better record than Penn State. Hell, the only thing that even kept Penn State within sniffing distance in the standings was a historically bad performance from Rutgers' quarterback in their head to head matchup. However, leave it to the cult members at Penn State to ignore the obvious. Sure, two schools that are within such a close proximity, constantly compete for players, and now play each other on an annual basis aren't rivals. Probably the same way a kiddy touching ring taking place under the watchful eye of Joe Paterno isn't his responsibility. Whatever you guys say. I'm sure after enough cups of Kool-Aid anything can sound reasonable. Shit, even Hitler had followers. If ISIS can consider their actions logical than why can't Penn State continue to ignore their diminishing place amongst the landscape of college football? I'm not saying Rutgers is a better program than Penn State, but I am saying it's a lot closer than it used to be, and that speaks volumes of which direction the two schools are trending in. We may not be Penn State's rival in their eyes, but we are absolutely legitimate competition, whether they choose to accept that or not. Seahawks- Q13 FOX sports director Aaron Levine recently sat down for a one-on-one interview with Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham.
(On when he realized he might be coming into a really good situation...) “Initially, [New Orleans Saints head coach] Sean [Payton] called me and told me ‘Hey, we traded you’ and I asked him ‘Is that even possible?’ Right after that then he told me where he traded me and honestly instantly I knew that was the best thing for myself, for my career. I saw it as a positive. I’m coming to the best team in football and I’m going to come here and be a part of something special. So for me, from the very moment that I heard ‘Seattle’ I was beyond excited.” (On struggling against the Seahawks defense in the past and now having to play against it every day in practice...) “I welcome every moment of it. To go against Sherm and to go against that ‘Legion’ every day in practice it’s going to make Sunday even easier. For me also offensively, being a part of a team that runs the ball so much that’s going to be incredible. For the last couple years I’ve been doubled almost every third down. It’s not going to be like that here. We have so many weapons here and in that backfield with Marshawn and with Russ and his ability to run the ball and obviously, Marshawn being the best back in the NFL. It’s going to be something special." Oh Jimmy, you are just so damn adorable sometimes. Your naivety actually makes me smile. It reminds me of a time when I had no worries either. When I thought everything was sunshine, gumdrops, and lollipops. Make no mistake, Jimmy Graham thinking he is suddenly going to show up in Seattle and not get double teamed on every third down is the definition of 'ignorance'. I guess I got to give him a pass here. He has only been playing football for 6 years now. Just because he has superhuman physical tools doesn't mean I should expect him to know every nuance of the game already. For instance, knowing that he is very clearly the most potent, if not only, consistent receiving weapon on the Seattle Seahawks offense. If anything that means he will receive more attention in the passing game, even with Marshawn Lynch drawing extra defenders into the box. Something tells me that Graham doesn't really understand how good he had it in New Orleans. A coach/offensive coordinator that catered to his talents (i.e. rarely made him block). A quarterback that had the capability to throw him open, even when he was covered, on any given play. An offense that featured a wide variety of options and a signal caller that spread the ball around, thus opening up more room for Graham on first and second down. Let's be real, there's not a competently coached team in the league that would leave Graham single covered on third down, no matter who he is playing for. Just because Seattle has been a better football team than New Orleans the last year years doesn't mean that Jimmy Graham is in a better position to succeed personally. That's not to say he won't. I think Graham can improve on his blocking and his ability to get open against physical coverage. However, to this point, he has not done so. I still love Jimmy Graham the person, even though I am forced to loathe him as a football player now. However, to think that his job has gotten easier in a less dynamic Seattle offense is simply subjective blindness. The Players' Tribune- Let’s just say that free agency wasn’t what I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be fun. I thought it was going to be like when I got recruited during college. But as it turns out, deciding what your future is going to be like is mostly a headache. For a second, the attention felt good, but after you think about everything and get out all the glitz and glamour from the process, you kind of start to think about what’s really best for you as a player and as a person — on and off the floor.
As everyone knows, I struggled with it. It was nine or ten days of intense pressure. Every night I would have a different scenario in my head, of the city and team where I thought I would fit best. I had several meetings with teams and even more conversations with my family and friends. I kept thinking about what it really meant to be “home” and I would go back and forth. It seems crazy, but I’m actually the “oldest” Clipper — I’ve been here for seven years. When I was a rookie we went 19-63. We were really bad. It’s a terrible feeling to lose 63 games in a season. Then we got Blake and things started to turn around. We became a destination where people really want to come and play and contend for a championship. When we traded for Chris, it was on. I love Chris, man. Chris is a big brother to me. When you play sports, you’re competitive — especially when you play them at as high a level as we have these last few years. And of course, yeah, we all bump heads during the course of the game. But we know that whatever criticisms or arguments we have on the floor, they’re about one thing: winning. Don't take this the wrong way, Clippers fans, because I love DeAndre Jordan. Not only that, I know he made the right decision not only for him, but for the future success of the franchise. With that said, I don't think it's a stretch to say that he is, at best, highly impressionable, or at worst, a mental midget. Jesus Christ DeAndre. You can't become the star of the biggest free agency show, potentially in sports history, then complain about the publicity you get from it. Especially when the payout from one episode is $88 million dollars over the next four years. Don't tell me that all the casual viewer saw was the glitz and glammer of you being wined, dined, and pampered for a week when basically all that happened during that week was you getting wined, dined, and pampered. DJ pretty much sounds like he is giving an 'E!: True Hollywood Story' on himself, except the low point of the show was when he had to make a decision on who would pay him over 80 million dollars. Not the most tear jerking episode if you ask me. Free agency IS fun. That's why all players look forward to making it to that point of their careers and exploring all their options. However, it is stills boils down to making a decision on your future. Just because you couldn't look past the lavish gifts and promises made by Mark Cuban doesn't mean you had to incur some unforeseen level of stress while choosing a career path. That's the tradeoff for having a bunch of teams treat you like a God for a few days. I compare DeAndre Jordan's original decision to being on a gameshow. The host basically offered DJ a car or whatever is behind door #2. Sure, the car is functional, durable, and will get you where you want to go, but whatever was behind door number two was the unknown. For a period of time, that unknown was too intriguing for Jordan to say no to. However, no one is going to feel bad for the person that passed on the car then reconsidered. I don't think there are too many people out there that don't understand why he did what he did, but it doesn't mean that they have to like it. Especially if they aren't Clippers fans, or if they are a fan of literally any other team in the Western Conference. Fire&Ice- Contract talks with Devils' 2015 first-round pick Pavel Zacha continue to progress to the point that general manager Ray Shero did not rule out today the possibility of an agreement being reached before the completion of the team's development camp this week. Whenever Zacha is signed, however, it appears the Devils will have to pay a $100,000 transfer fee to his team in the Czech Republic for him to be eligible to play in the NHL in 2015-16. As part of the agreement between the NHL and the European professional leagues, any 2015 draft pick that is under contract with a European club had to be signed by 5 p.m. on July 15 (Wednesday) to play in the NHL in the 2015-16 season. The NHL team can still extend the deadline until Aug. 15 by paying $100,000 directly to the European team that owns the player's rights. In Zacha's case, that team is Liberec, for which he put up four goals and four assists in 38 games as a 16-year-old in 2013-14. Zacha played in the OHL for Sarnia in 2014-15 under a limited one-year release from his deal with Liberec. Although Zacha's agent, Patrik Stefan, stated, “there is no contract” with Liberec, a source familiar with the Czech Extraliga said Zacha, the sixth pick overall in this year's NHL draft, is signed with the Czech team for 2015-16. Shero said “we have an idea” of whether Zacha is under contract with Liberec, but would not say definitively either way. “I don't think it matters,” Shero said. “There's nothing that's going to stop us from signing Zacha. All I'll say is we're continuing to try to work on something with Pavel Zacha. If and when there is a deal that makes sense for both parties, we'll sign it. Our goal is to sign him, it always has been and it doesn't matter because it's all part of he bigger picture in terms of what's best for Pavel and the hockey team. It's the same thing about whether he's going to play on our team or not (in 2015-16). That's all. Jesus, quite an indictment of the Czech Republic, huh? Hell, if we are being honest, it's pretty much an indictment of any country that isn't the United States or Canada, since we are talking hockey. How bad must things be over there if team's are giving away NHL caliber players on loan for a measly hundred thousand dollars? This is like the sports franchise equivalent of subleasing your apartment. Except the only people that sublease their apartment are those that aren't in need of an apartment for a long period of time, or those people in their 20's that are living paycheck to paycheck. Safe to say a professional hockey team in the Czech League is certainly in need of every talented hockey player with endless potential that they can possibly get their hands on, and they certainly shouldn't be dependent on a 6 figure payout to sustain themselves. Zacha's Czech team, Liberec, demanding $100,000 dollars for his services is the most laughable asking price in history. It reminds me of when Dr. Evil asked the United Nations for a million dollars in 'Austin Powers' and they damn near laughed him out of the building. $100K may seem like a lot to pay for one year of a player's negotiating rights to you or me, but it's basically pocket change to the Devils' ownership group. It's almost not even a large enough sum to be a story. Joshua Harris, principal Devils' owner, is worth like 2 billion dollars. Asking him for a hundred thousand dollars is like asking him to tip a stripper. It's like dropping a dime, a nickel, and a couple of pennies into a tip jar at the local deli. It more closely resembles charity than it does an actual financial obligation. Anything under seven figures is considered 'hush money'. Not like criminal hush money, like 'I'm too rich to take your phone calls and listen to you speak' hush money. Sure Liberec, here you go. It's all there. In cash. You pheasants. Don't spend it all in one place. If anyone thinks that a couple of shekels, relatively speaking, is going to change how the Devils handle a player that is so imperative to their future success then they are beside of their mind. P.S. This could also potentially make Pavel Zacha eligible for the AHL next year. Which means that he would likely be playing professional hockey in North America next year. That's something that should please all Devils' fans. Especially if his performance at prospect camp is any indication.... |
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