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THIS COMEBACK FOR TIGER IS STARTING TO FEEL REAL
When Tiger Woods announced at the end of October he once again would be mounting a comeback, there was modest excitement. News stations across the country gave it a brief mention. But expectations were tempered. Golf fans had been down this road before, left only with disappointment, yearning for that Sunday charge they had grown so accustomed to seeing that made Sundays appointment television.
Following the final round of the Honda Classic at PGA National, hope has been restored. This time, this comeback, following Tiger's 4th back surgery, is starting to gain momentum and feel like a real possibility.
SHOWING UP
For starters, the Honda Classic was the first time Tiger had teed it up in back to back weeks on the PGA Tour since February 2017. That alone was a positive sign that this time his back, at least early on, is holding up.
Tiger had shown some positive signs right off the bat in this return. There was a brief stint where he actually held the lead in his first competitive golf in 10 months in the Hero's World Challenge. He would eventually finish 9th in the 18-player field.
Official tour event success, or rather progress, would follow shortly thereafter. A top-25 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Since Torrey was a course where he'd won 8 times before, many didn't give Tiger the credit he deserved for the effort. But his 2nd tournament in, and first official event on tour after a 10 month layoff and 4th back surgery, was a pretty good starting point. Tiger also managed to show the flair for the dramatic at Torrey ... providing 4 birdies over his final 9 holes just to make the cut.
Talk, and hope, that this comeback was in full swing, calmed down after missing the cut at Riviera for the Genesis Open. Tiger struggled from the tee, hitting only 13/28 fairways, and 16/36 greens in regulation. He was all over the course in his short stay. But Tiger was quick to point out, Rivera had never exactly been his cup of tea. 
Cue PGA National. Over the last 4 days at the Honda Classic, belief is starting to build that Tiger is closer than most had previously thought to being back.
Tiger said after Thursday's round it was the best he'd hit the ball since his return. Sure it was a small sample size. But it was a positive sign, and he posted a positive result with an even par round of 70.
Friday brought more progress: Tiger makes the cut and advances to the weekend. But it was in the final 2 rounds where the golf world began to see something is different here. Saturday's round of 69 was perhaps a true turning point - Tiger's 1st round in the 60's in an official PGA Tour event in 917 days. 
That led to another building block - one which golf fans had been without for far too long - Tiger playing meaningful golf on Sunday. It came complete with a signature Tiger charge. It began right off the bat, with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par 4 1st to start the day. A 9-footer for birdie followed on the par 4 4th. Another 9-footer for birdie on the par 4 8th. Then came an 18-footer for birdie on 14 to get within 3 of the leader. Here we go.
Unfortunately the infamous Bear Trap (holes 15-17) at PGA National eventually squashed Tiger's bid. The Bear Trap - named so in honor of it's difficulty and in tribute to the Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus - is known to be aruably the toughest 3 hole stretch anywhere on the PGA Tour. Tiger was it's latest victim. He played the Bear Trap +8 over the course of the week, including +3 on Sunday. Had Tiger managed to play that stretch at even par this week, he would tied for first through 72 holes and been part of a 3-way playoff.
Instead, Tiger settled for a 12th place finish - his best since his return. Even more positive than the finish, the way Tiger had command of his irons, the way he was shaping his shots like the old days, and how he appeared locked in like we haven't seen in sometime. 
It was at the Honda Classic back in 2014 where all of Tiger's back issues initially surfaced. That year back issues forced him to withdraw from competition in the final round. Less than a month later he would undergo the first of 4 back surgeries.
Three years later, it's that same tournament that looks to have signaled his return. Tiger's swing speed during the week was just over 128 mph. That was tops in the field. It led to finishing 2nd in driving distance as well at 318.9 yards. He also led the field in proximity to the hole at 29'3". More encouraging, while still in contention on Sunday, he hit 9/14 fairways, and 14/18 greens in regulation.
All positive signs that Tiger is taking huge steps forward at an accelerated rate. With the Masters just over a month away, the timing couldn't be better. Too soon to contend at Augusta? Perhaps. But the signs are there. The first major of  2018 could be the next stepping stone.
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TEXANS PLAYER SKIPS PRACTICE AFTER OWER OWNERS INSENSITIVE COMMENTS
To kneel, or not to kneel, while the debate continues, more fuel was thrown on the fire forcing the players hands in speaking out against racial injustice, as the Texans are now dealing with an escalating situation that could rally and strengthen not only the team, but the entire NFL in their peaceful protests during the national anthem.
Wide Receiver DeAndre Hopkins was a no show today at practice. While Head Coach Bill O'Brien told media Hopkins had taken "a personal day," we now know the real reason behind Hopkins mysterious absence just 2 days before Houston faces the Seahawks.
Hopkins intentionally skipped practice after hearing that Texans owner Bob McNair was quoted in an ESPN story Friday referring to NFL players protesting, saying "We can't have the inmates running the prison." Those words were reportedly said by McNair at meetings between team owners and players.
Adam Schefter reported via twitter that Hopkins in fact had purposely skipped practice because of McNair's remarks.
While Hopkins was the only player to skip today's practice, the team was facing a much larger, full-fledged protest from players, in which they reportedly had to be "persuaded" to stay.
As a result of McNair's insensitive comments, Texans GM Rick Smith and Head Coach Romeo Crennel, according to Schefter. would hold a 90 minute open discussion with players after the unrest.
McNair has reportedly apologized for his comments, saying he wasn't referring to the players, and his words weren't meant to be taken literally. If he wasn't referring to the players, then just who was he referring to exactly? If his words weren't meant to be taken literally, which may be fair, it was just a truly horrible choice of words, given the subject matter and the what's being protested. In fact the choice of words probably couldn't have more insensitive.
To his credit, McNair did offer this apology, saying he didn't mean to offend anyone. 
Stay tuned for more on the story and what repercussions this could have throughout the league, and Hopkins status for Sunday.
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THE DUNK HEARD ROUND THE NBA
Sunday night in Dallas, the unthinkable happened. The unimaginable. An atrocious overstep of the lines of decency in the NBA. Oh please! Just stop already.
Sports media and Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle are offended beyond belief at this atrocity of breaking basketball's unwritten rules - don't embarrass an opponent when the game is out of hand. The Macs Dirk Nowitski said it best when asked if there should be retaliation, "Yeah, in old school ball maybe. But it's 2018 almost."
Exactly. It's 2018 almost. Aren't we past unwritten rules? Sports in 2017 aren't just about competition, they are about entertainment. That was entertainment.
With the Warriors up 25 points on the Dallas Mavericks late in the 4th quarter, rookie Jordan Bell blocked Dwight Powell, ran down the floor, and finished with a slam throwing the ball off the backboard to himself to finish. It was awesome! Its was entertaining in a game that was no longer fun for fans. That play was reason to stick around for the finish. 
Lost in everyone's hysteria at how disgraceful this display of showmanship was, was the fact the play was pretty damn incredible. The athletic ability of Bell to block the shot, run the floor and throw the ball off the backboard, in game, to himself to finish? Isn't that the type of play fans pay to come see to be entertained? Or should NBA players tank plays, demure, and just ride things out, disinterested when they have a big lead. Fans don't want to see that. Unwritten rules? This isn't baseball! Which by the way could use some lightening up on it's own unwritten rules too.
It is about entertainment isn't it? Especially basketball. Especially the NBA. Is that not why fans pay these ridiculous prices for tickets? To see players do incredible athletic feats that most humans could only dream of doing. But no, we wouldn't want to offend Rick Carlisle ... so let's stick it to the fans, to the Warriors, and to a rookie who doesn't see the court a lot - they all have to suffer and see a borefest for the final minutes so the Mavericks, or whoever it may be, don't feel slighted.
How about this as an alternative? Show some pride. Finish the game. Play hard to the end. Isn't that what coaches preach to players incessantly? If you're a rookie or a marginal player you have to fight for minutes to see the floor. The way to do that is to play hard, all the time.
Bell is new to the league, eager to prove what he's capable of, and enjoying himself. I would bet every single fan who left the arena that night was talking about that play. It made staying until the end of the game, and the price of admission, worth it. I get not showing your opponent up. But I also get having fun and enjoying playing the game. And I also get an over exuberant rookie getting his first chance to let loose. Love them or hate them, the Warriors are one of the most fun teams to watch in the league. Plays like that are what makes going to games fun, and keeps fans coming back.
Even LeBron James weighed on in the incident, siding with the rookie: 
Again, it's understandable why Rick Carlisle was upset. I accept him being upset. But to walk past Steve Kerr when Kerr was offering an apology? Grow up. Get over yourself. Was it was a little over the top? Yes. Chalk it up to a rookie mistake. Kerr obviously didn't encourage it. Kerr has a long, well-earned record of being a classy coach. Accept the apology and move on. But no Carlisle had to hold a grudge.
For Bell, no doubt he got a talking to from Steve Kerr. We likely won't see something like that from the rookie again when the Warriors have a game in hand. So let's leave it at that. A rookie mistake. A fun one for sure. One that did slightly cross the line. But one that was so outside the boundaries, so shocking, that it turned into a pretty fun moment. A moment that can be forgiven, and should be forgiven. Unless of course you're Rick Carlisle, who instead of forgiving the rookie's exuberance, and contrition from Steve Kerr, decided instead, apology not accepted.
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The Future of the NBA has Arrived
When the Milwaukee Bucks used the 15th pick in the 2013 NBA draft to select Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks fans at Madison Square Garden and around the country didn't know whether to cheer or boo, although most were skeptical. Too little was known about the youngest player in the draft that year to have an opinion. Prior to the draft, Antetokounmpo had played outside of Greece only once, and that was just three weeks before the draft took place.
When Antetokounmpo debuted in the league as an 18 year old full of potential, he talked about the chance to guard his idol, Kevin Durant. Now entering his 5th season, Giannis is on his way to becoming Kevin Durant 2.0. Sure, he needs to develop a three point shot. He's nowhere near Durant in that regard. But he reminds many of Durant, only a more athletic, stronger, faster and more versatile version. His numbers through the first three games of the season (the Bucks 4th game is being played as of writing)? A league-leading 38.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.7 steals on 67.2% shooting. Insane numbers. So good, they earned "the Greek Freak" Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors. Granted, we're only 3 games into the 2017-18 season. But damn have those three games been fun to watch! If he stays anywhere in the same zip code with the numbers he's produced to this point, the MVP award is already his. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Even those that followed Giannis in Greece, those who believed that one day he had the potential to one day become a superstar in the NBA, most likely didn't believe that transformation would happen this quickly. Giannis himself has said he's surprised he's become this good, this fast. But here we are, talking about the league's next great superstar. One player was ahead of the curve in seeing what the future holds. Antetokounmpo's idol, Kevin Durant himself, said this preseason that Giannis is going to be the best player to ever play the game. I'm not sure KD realized that his prediction might come true THIS season, however. He's not at that level yet. But he's getting there. Fast.
Before we go any further, excuse me for a moment. The Bucks are playing the Hornets and I need a quick check on Antetokounmpo's stat line: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, midway through the third. Ok, sorry, where was I?
Keep in mind Giannis is only 22 years old, with 4 seasons of NBA experience under his belt. He doesn't even need a three point shot to become dominant. He already is dominant. But imagine if he develops the three ball into his repertoire? Scary thought. Right now, he's leading the league in scoring. There's a long way to go to be sure, but leading the league in scoring without a three point shot? That's almost unthinkable in today's game. That's how efficient Giannis is when he has the ball. Nearly half his shots come from the restricted area, where's he's connecting on 85% of his field goal attempts. And yes, he admittedly needs work, lots of it, on that three point shot. But he's connected on over 44% of his jumpers to this point, and over 63% of his jumpers off the dribble. When he's anywhere near the paint with the ball, he's very difficult to stop.
The whole Giannis takeover of the NBA might never have happened, if not for a chance encounter with a scout. That scout was Spiros Vellinaitis. Vellinaitis had played professionally in Germany. He had begun looking for standout prospects to develop when Athens experienced a influx of immigrants in the early '90's. When things didn't pan out for Villanaitis after a decade of looking for the next big thing, he called it quits. One week later, he came across a 13 year old Giannis, who wasn't even playing basketball when he spotted him. But Villanaitis saw the potential. He talked Giannis into playing basketball for him and mentoring him, in exchange for finding work for Giannis' parents, who were struggling to make ends meet. Giannis in fact had so little during those days, he would share a pair of sneakers with his brother. Villanaitis eventually talked a club into providing Giannis with a 500-euro monthly stipend - before ever seeing him touch a basketball.
To say the Bucks took a gamble on Antetokounmpo is an understatement. They were swinging for the fences. There were only a handful of scouts that knew much about him prior to his playing outside of Greece just before the 2013 draft. Most of those scouts were largely skeptical of his ability to develop into a complete player, let alone what he has become.
To watch Antetokounmpo now is a thing of beauty on a basketball court. Go watch some of his highlights online. There are plenty of examples of him taking off from the free throw line, and with a mere two dribbles, finishing with a layup or dunk at the opposite end of the court. That's covering approximately 76 feet of court with two dribbles.
In the Bucks 2nd game of the season, Giannis went for a career high 44 points, 17 coming in the 4th. Those 44 points came on 17-23 shooting. His heroics also included a key block on 7'0 Jusuf  Nurkic late in the game that keyed the victory. I think I'm safe in saying there has never in the history of the NBA been a 6'11 point guard with the ability to block a 7-footer at the rim. He's a first of his kind.
If the 2013 draft were revisited now, there's no question Giannis would be the undisputed #1 overall pick. That would mean Giannis would be a Cavalier. Imagine LeBron coming back to play with Giannis. The list of names taken ahead of him in the 2013 draft include the Cavs #1 selection Anthony Bennett (who last season played in the Turkish Basketball Super League); Victor Oladipo, Otto Porter, Trey Burke, Steven Adams, and Shabazz Muhammad. With guts, come glory. And the Bucks were swinging for the fences on potential.
Keep in mind, when Giannis first started playing basketball, he never envisioned becoming this 6'11, 7'0 wingspan superhuman. As a result, he worked at becoming a point guard. And now he has one of the best point guards of all time as his head coach, helping him learn the ins and outs of the position at the NBA level. Having Jason Kidd, one of the best passers the NBA has ever seen, as a mentor, should only help fast forward his progress. 
Credit Kidd too, with making the move to point for Giannis late last season. It was March of last season with 8 games remaining, that Coach Kidd decided to give Giannis the reigns. "We're going to go forward with him handling the ball, and you can call him point guard, point forward, point center, however you want to look at it," Kidd told media. "We'll finish out these last eight and then also look forward to training camp and him handling the ball."
That move has created a player the NBA has never seen. Magic Johnson revolutionized the point guard position with his ability and passing genius at 6'8. Giannis is 6'11, and in a different stratosphere in terms of athletic ability than Magic. He's no Magic yet. Far from it. But a point guard with his size, his athletic ability, able to see over any defender thrown at him - and his still developing game ... he has all the makings of something this league has never been witness to before. 
The Bucks game has wrapped against Charlotte ... excuse me while I check Antetokounmpo's stat line one last time: 32 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks on 13-21 shooting. Bucks win. That gives Antetokounmpo at least 30 points in all 4 games this season. His 147 points through the teams first 4 games of the season? That's the most in team history, surpassing one Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Not bad. Let the MVP talk continues. But yes, we know, it's early.
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DURANT DEFENSE MAKING HEADLINES
KD, all defensive team in 2017-18? The way the season has started, it looks like KD has his sights set on seriously stepping up his defensive presence at the rim. Durant had a career high 7 blocks against the Pelicans in the 2nd game of the season. One sequence saw him lose his shoe, toss it to the sideline and then reject Tony Allen not once, but twice.
Perhaps even more impressive, Durant's LeBron-like rundown from behind rejection on Jrue Holiday. The extra attention to defense will be big for the Warriors, as they've shown they are nowhere near the same team defensively when Draymond Green is not on the floor. Having an additional rim protector will be big if Green is resting or in foul trouble.
Durant recently said he "wants to be considered one of the best defenders in the league." Durant has a ways to go to join Draymond on the all the All Defensive Team, but his extra effort on that end of the floor, if it keeps up, could have him in the conversation. Time will tell if his commitment to defense keeps up.
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The Heisman Race Heats up
We're at the halfway point of the 2017 season, and which means we're starting to get some clarity in who's the real deal for the Heisman. There's a long way to go, and plenty could happen. But let's take a look at who's starting to separate themselves as legit contenders from pretenders.
Saquon Barkley, Penn St. He's an amazing athlete, he can hurt you multiple ways: running, catching, returning kickoffs. He may be the best RB in college football. On the downside, his numbers as a rusher just aren't Heisman worthy - at least to this point. He's had two huge games rushing, yes. But 4 of his 6 games he's been held under 100 yards. And while he's 2nd in the nation in all purpose yardage, the man right behind him #3 in all-purpose yardage has nearly twice as many rushing yards as Barkley. There's still time, and the all-purpose yardage is impressive. In addition, few, if any in the game, have turned in as many head-turning, Heisman-type plays to grab headlines. Those Heisman-type moments seem to matter. Barkley remains one of the main contenders.
Bryce Love, Stanford It's finally time for the Stanford speedster to start getting some national attention. All it finally took to earn some respect was back-to-back 250+ yard games, accumulating the 4th most rushing yards through 5 games in FBS history. After his 300+ yard effort against ASU, coach David Shaw, who's not prone to exaggeration, and who recently coached Heisman runner-up & FBS single-season all-purpose yardage leader Christian McCaffrey, said of his performance, "I've never seen anything like that. Ever. It was unbelievable." Love should also get extra credit for putting up 152 yards on the road against one of the better run defenses in the country in Utah. He's now averaging 10.5 yards per carry through 6 games. He's also put up 8 straight games of 100+ rushing yards dating back to last season.
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma  Yes, the Sooners were upset by Iowa St. But all is not lost for Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma. If the Sooners win out, they'll likely be in the thick of the CFB Playoff, especially with likely 3 more games against top 25 teams to come, and the return of the Big 12 Championship Game. In defeat, Mayfield still put up impressive numbers, going 24-33 for 306 yds, and 2 TD's. On the season, he's completing over 74% of his passes - best in the FBS. He also leads the nation in passing efficiency, with his 15 TD's to 0 INT's ... that's beyond impressive. Let's also not forget the Sooners have the most impressive road win of the season - that win in Columbus where Mayfield went 27-35 for 386 yards and 3 TD's. That effort, complete with his flag planting on the Ohio St. "O" as an exclamation point, remains one the most memorable performances we've seen this season.
Luke Falk, Washington State  Why is no one talking about Washington St. QB Luke Falk? While all the preseason hype centered on PAC-12 QB's Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen, it's Falk who leads the nation in passing TD's (although Rosen is right behind him with one fewer game played because of a bye week). He's also one of only 3 QB's in the FBS to eclipse 2000 passing yards, and oh yeah - the Cougs just upset USC and remain undefeated, ranked 8th in the country. Falk's 71.8 completion percentage is tied for 3rd-best in the country, and perhaps even more impressive is his TD/INT rate of 19/2. The downside - WSU's final 3 games are tough. Really tough. They close against Stanford, @ Utah, and @ Washington. If Falk puts up similarly impressive numbers through that gauntlet, he'll be headed to New York.
Lamar Jackson, Louisville  There will not be a repeat Heisman winner this season. It has nothing to do with Lamar Jackson's production - in fact his completion percentage is better than last year, and he's throwing for 331.7 yds/game compared to 272.5 last year. But that increase in passing yardage may be part of the problem. Jackson is throwing more, and running less - helping his future at the next level, but hurting his chances for a Heisman repeat. Staying in the pocket to deliver more throws equals less Heisman highlight reel plays. After Jackson struggled against Clemson, and a 2nd loss to N.C. State, it would take herculean numbers to put him back in the running, especially with no big hitters left on Louisville's schedule to impress voters.
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Always Dreaming wins the 143rd Kentucky Derby .. .. .. #AlwaysDreaming #Kentucky #KentuckyDerby #KyDerby #ChurchillDowns #derbyday #derby #Derby143 #horses #horse #horseracing
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Greg Wolf takes the Wonderlic challenge. Not a fan of the test or what it reveals for NFL players, after taking the test, Greg is in for a shocking reveal.
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Greg Wolf runs down his top 10 Kentucky Derby contenders for Saturday's run for the roses.
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The #Titans select #UCLA LB Jayon Brown. Greg Wolf sits down with former UCLA LB Jayon Brown ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft to talk about the combine experience, the NFL Draft, and his UCLA career that culminated in leading the PAC-12 in tackles and 1st Team ALL PAC-12 as a Senior.
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Jayon Brown is taking his talents to the Tennessee Titans. Congratulations! .. .. .. #DraftDay #NFL #NFLdraft #NFLdraft2017 #Football #Sports #VelocitySports #collegefootball #UCLABruins #UCLA #Bruins #UCLAfootball #GoBruins #NCAA #Pac12 #BruinsFootball #4sUp #8Clap #BruinsNation #Tennessee #Titans #TitanUp #TitansDraft #Smashville #standwithus #TitansCheers #TennesseeTitans #TitansNation (at UCLA)
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The Tennessee @Titans select UCLA linebacker @jayonbrown12, congratulations Jayon! .. .. .. #DraftDay #NFL #NFLdraft #NFLdraft2017 #Football #Sports #VelocitySports #collegefootball #UCLABruins #UCLA #Bruins #UCLAfootball #GoBruins #NCAA #Pac12 #BruinsFootball #4sUp #8Clap #BruinsNation #Tennessee #Titans #TitanUp #TitansDraft #Smashville #standwithus #TitansCheers #TennesseeTitans #TitansNation
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Jets select: Marcus Maye, S, Florida .. .. .. #DraftDay #NFL #NFLdraft #NFLdraft2017 #Football #Sports #VelocitySports #collegefootball #jets #nyjets #jetup #Florida #gators #FloridaFootball #floridagators #gogators
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Chargers select: Forrest Lamp, OL, Western Kentucky .. .. .. #DraftDay #NFL #NFLdraft #NFLdraft2017 #Football #Sports #VelocitySports #collegefootball #Chargers #LAChargers #LosAngelesChargers #FightForLA #WesternKentucky #WKentucky #WesternKentuckyUniversity #Hilltoppers #WKUFootball #ThePursuit17 #WKU #GoTops #ProTops #TopperTakeover (at Los Angeles, California)
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Bills select: Zay Jones, WR, East Carolina .. .. .. #DraftDay #NFL #NFLdraft #NFLdraft2017 #Football #Sports #VelocitySports #collegefootball #Bills #buffalobills #buffalo #buffaloNY #BillsMafia #BillsDraft #GoBills #Card #Pirates #EastCarolinaPirates #EastCarolina #EastCarolinaUniversity #eastcarolinauniversityfootball
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Cardinals select: Budda Baker, S, Washington .. .. .. #DraftDay #NFL #NFLdraft #NFLdraft2017 #Football #Sports #VelocitySports #Cardinals #arizonacardinals #arizona #Washington #PurpleReign #UWFootball #UW #UniversityofWashington #Pac12 #azcardinals #BeRedSeeRed #CardsDraft #BirdGang #TheCards
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