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andrewuttaro · 5 years

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New Look Sabres: GM 76 - OTT - Not Happy

Do the Buffalo Sabres hate me? Monday night I’m here bearing my heart in a post following a loss defending this club like I believed they weren’t as bad as their results may be showing right now. Then that club goes and lays this egg. The worst team in the league, by standings and draft odds at least, just whopped the Buffalo Sabres 4-0. If it weren’t for all the comments from ownership then I don’t think I would be able to write a full post for you today. This crap… I couldn’t get through the highlights… this crap is unacceptable. But that’s the thing here isn’t it? How many nights have we said this is unacceptable? Barring the tank and Eichel’s rookie season there have been three straight seasons of total underachievement. We call it unacceptable, they call it unacceptable; it was all so unacceptable we chased Ryan O’Reilly out of town over it as if that would help! Three years of this unacceptability! We’ve gotten every kind of disappointment in that time. We got the season that started hopeful and ultimately didn’t move the team forward resulting in a player revolt and a coach’s firing. We got a season that was flaming trash from the start that only had the redeemable factor of winning a Draft lottery after it. Now we have the bait season in which we were all convinced this awful pattern had changed before we got yet another historic collapse! The Sabres can’t be bad next year purely because there can’t be any reruns! What is it going to take? Some of us think Terry and Kim don’t want to fire Housley because they don’t want to be paying another guy not to coach. CAN YOU BLAME THEM? Last offseason we accepted we need better players and it would seem, purely from a talent-on-the-roster perspective, that this season involves a better team. DOES IT? Is another coaching change going to help? It didn’t last time. I suppose you can get two bad ones in a row but dear lord, what is it?

Obviously we’re not doing a game recap today. The only thing from the game I want to revisit is that Anthony Duclair apparently plays for the Ottawa Senators now. I have a soft spot for that player from his New York Rangers days way back when. I hope you’re keeping your head up on that last place team, Anthony. That last place team that can beat the Sabres! Oh my God, what is it with this team!? They’re so bad that they make you question if the good things you see time to time are real or not. They’re so bad that season ticket holders who survived the 1980s Sabres are considering cancelling their tickets. They’re so bad that they got the Pegulas to speak again! I think I speak for every smart hockey fan when I say two things: general rule of thumb in this league is that its usually a bad thing if the owner is talking. The other thing is generally its better if they don’t interfere with the Front Office decision-making. The Pegulas are no Eugene Melnyk so I’m not sounding a five-alarm fire every time a beat reporter tweets a quote from them. However, I really think this mess belongs to Jason Botterill to fix. He’s worth keeping and if its under him he should be given the time to fix it. Terry Pegula said according to Paul Hamilton and Matthew Bove: “The season hasn’t finished yet, but I think Bots has said it pretty well that he supports Phil. Something has to change, but we don’t know what, we have to talk about it… He’s a young coach and was a great player and he can grow as a coach.” Before I get to what Kim said let’s just take this comment in acknowledgement of Botterill’s support for Housley a couple months back is a little concerning until you realize that Pegula wasn’t persuaded to fire Dan Bylsma and Tim Murray until after exit interviews. That said, we have a heavily involved ownership whether we like it or not and that ownership seems to be wanting stable leadership from behind the bench right now. Take that how you will but it was followed by pointing to the example of the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick. I don’t know if Housley is going to grow all that much as a coach but referencing his playing days doesn’t give me more confidence on that front. Moreover, I see no way he becomes Bill Belichick (and holy crap, maybe not the team you want to bring up in Buffalo, eh?). As Terry says though: Something has to change. Oh great, who are we chasing out of town this summer!? Let’s just rename this City Edmonton East well we’re at it.

Kim Pegula has some sway in this too and she made comments as well. She said: “Terry and I are not happy…” Oh good, join the club. I agree with that so much I am going to make it the title of this New Look Sabres. “…I’ve learned in sports to have more patience then I want to have. I don’t want to knee jerk anything. It’s been a long season, but we are not happy.” There is an argument to made for knee jerk reactions in this organization hurting progress. With all due respect a knee jerk reaction would have been firing Housley in January. Firing him in April would be long overdue, Kim. Lord knows these owners want to be involved in all the front office decisions but if they are really concerned about knee jerk reactions than maybe remove yourself from the fray. I can’t imagine this happening again with how the Ted Black Saga went at the beginning of their ownership but maybe it would be smart to put a President of Hockey Operations over Jason Botterill. I hate to reference the Toronto Maple Leafs but there is no better example of how having a President with a vision can make an organization function better. Funny enough, the Leafs lost to the Sens a few weeks ago too. That said, hiring a President of the Sabres also could do jack shit and it seems more likely that would be a symbolic move. Luckily Kim also had some fun stuff to report. On a day like this its nice to follow the pain with some candy. Kim Pegula stated that the Buffalo Sabres 50th Anniversary celebration will start at the NHL Draft in Vancouver. What that means we don’t know but it stands to reason it could mean that we’re getting Sabres Legends announcing picks and… dare I say it: Royal Blue back. Many folks with inside connections have said the organization is gearing up for a return to the classic color and fully original logo. The Winter Classic Jerseys last season and the Sabres Skills Competition jerseys this season were tests of this supposedly. I think a good 50th anniversary celebration is what we need right now.

Just like Kim Pegula dropping that information yesterday it felt like interesting timing when the organization announced Casey Fitzgerald was signed to his Entry-level contract and assigned to the Rochester Americans. This was officially announced before the game but good move either way timing-wise. Fitzgerald is a good right-handed defenseman who actually plays defense in addition to being a great two-way guy. He’s been tearing it up in College Hockey and if he is just as good with the Amerks during their playoff run then he will certainly get a very serious look come Training Camp in September. The current Sabres meanwhile take on Detroit on Thursday before another weekend back-to-back. It’s hard there is still six games left. Who wants that many at this point? I do, I guess since I’m going to the last game of the season in Detroit. Yeah, when I bought those tickets I thought a playoff spot would be clinched right now. I bought them a long time ago. Nonetheless, I’m cheering for more the idea of the Sabres than the team itself right now. What that means is that I’m cheering for and against other teams based upon past Sabres grudges, former Sabres and other fan-level beefs that make this phase of the season bearable. I am really looking forward to writing the Playoffs according to the Sabres to be honest. Before I wrap it up, you can expect the March Amerks Angle to be up tomorrow or Friday. Those guys are so exciting I imagine Will Borgen is eager to get back. Let’s Go Buffalo!

Thanks for reading.

P.S. There’s no way the lottery balls bounce in favor of the Sabres two years in a row, right? At this point our odds are only getting better unfortunately.

#buffalo sabres #hockey #blog #nhl

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sidbecross · 7 years

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Jamie Benn - Always Dreamed Of This

Requested: Yes

Characters: Patrick Sharp, Tyler Seguin, Jordie Benn, Jason Spezza, Jamie Benn x reader

Words: 3,542

Warnings: Language and very intense smut.

Rating: 17+

(Y/N)'s POV

________________________________________________________________

"So, don't forget that you're babysitting Sam on Thursday next week. He's very excited to see you." My neighbor, Katherine said. She has two kids and I babysit Sam, while the older kid goes to school.

"Yeah? I'm excited to see him too. And I have it marked on my calendar." I spoke as I held the phone between my ear and my shoulder grabbing clothes for today's barbecue.

"Well, I'll let you go; I know that the barbecue is today. And all the boys will be there." Mrs. Katherine sighed.

"Alright well, I'll talk to you soon and I'll definitely see you on Thursday." I hung up the phone and threw it on the bed.

I pulled my periwinkle summer shirt off the hanger and pulled some light jeans from a cubby.

I slipped off my pajamas and pulled on the outfit. I paired the outfit with some cute, nude, strappy sandals.

I put on some makeup quickly and straightened my long hair, putting a quick crown braid in to complete the look and I shuffled downstairs.

I grabbed my iPhone off the charger in the kitchen and whipped myself up some eggs and sausage as a late breakfast. It was 11:56 am.

Today was the annual family barbecue of the Benn household. Every year they host a blowout barbecue that has an endless amount of delicious food and shenanigans. The Benn's also know how to throw a party because every year is always better than the last.

I'm Eakin's twin sister, and I've known the team for quite some time now, considering I'm only 25.

Speaking of the devil, my phone rang as I was eating.

'Cody'

I answered, "Yello," as I put a sausage link in my mouth.

"Hey kiddo, what are you doing?" He said.

"First of all just because you're 8 minutes older than I am doesn't mean that you can call me kiddo. And second, I'm eating, why? What's it to ya?"

"Do you want me to pick you up? Because I'm gonna head over about 1-ish." Cody asked me.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks. Is Hanna coming?"

Hanna is Cody's girlfriend of two years. She is the sweetest girl I've ever met. Much better than all of Cody's previous girlfriends.

"Okay. See you at 1. Love you, alright, bye."

I washed up my dishes and plopped on the couch and watched some reruns of 'Friends'.

~ 1 hour later ~

I heard the honk from outside and simultaneously got a text from Cody.

"I'm here. Leggo."

What the hell is Leggo? Isn't it leggo my Eggo? I don't know with Cody half the time.

I grabbed my purse off the counter putting my phone and keys inside and walked out to the car.

~ ~

"No. Kit Kat has no dash, Cody. It's the Mandela effect." I argued with him as we pulled up.

"No, I'm positive on my salary that there is a dash." Cody slammed his car door.

"I wouldn't bet my salary on a dash. Especially when you're wrong." I laughed as we walked on the marble steps.

"I don't know (Y/N). I think you're wrong-er."

"Uhm, Cody wrong-er is not a word." I corrected him.

"Don't tell me how to live my life." He smiled as Jordie opened the door to us.

He enveloped both of us in a big bear hug.

His beard tickled my forehead as he towered over me. I was 5'9, but his 6'2 frame still made me feel small.

"How are you guys. I've missed you! Get ready to party. Grab a beer and come out back. Jamie is cooking on the grill and Sharp and the wifey is here, along with loner Seguin and last but not least the Spezza's."

"Sweet," Cody said walking straight into the kitchen.

I followed behind in need of a beer to nuzzle for the next hour.

~ ~

"Hey (Y/N)! How are you?"

I turned around to find Jamie coming towards me with food on a platter.

"Good how are you? Food looks great." I said taking a swig of my beer.

"Wait here; I'll only be a sec." He said taking off to the kitchen.

~ ~

Jamie embraced me in a big warm hug when he returned. I could feel all of his hard muscles under his tightly fitted Henley. Which, I'm not going to lie, made me a little hot in the lower regions.

"How's it hanging? It's been a while. Like what, a month or so." He asked.

"Yeah about that. How is the offseason life? I'd imagine you'll surpass your burger intake this year?" I smiled.

"Yeah, I'll eat five this year to make it a challenge for next year." We both laughed.

It was obvious I liked Jamie. Everyone knew but Cody. He was blind as hell to it. Or he just didn't want to notice.

It was just something about how Jamie carried himself in certain situations, his mentality about being positive and not to mention he was hot as hell. And he was freaking amazing with children which by the way is hot as fuck.

We made small talk as we joined Spezza, Sharp and their wives along with Seguin, who looked as if he was on his 5th beer even though it was only quarter to two.

"Hey!" I said as I made eye contact with Jennifer, Spezza's wife, as I went over to hug her.

"How are you, Jen?" I asked.

"Great how are you? Still trying to corral 'you know who' in?" She winked obviously.

Jamie.

"Yes. I think I might be ready to tell him, straight up." I said quietly.

She stopped, "Really?"

I nodded. Jen just smiled at me, "Well, honey I hope it all works out well because you deserve well and we all know you two are perfect for each other."

~ ~

~ Later that night ~

As I laughed at a stupid joke told by no one other than my brother, I got up to put my empty beer in the kitchen.

"I'll be back. Anyone want another beer?" I said brushing off my legs from the chips my drunken brother was eating; or better yet, intentionally getting all over me.

"I'll take one,"

"Yeah me too,"

"Well, I guess I'll have another."

"Don't forget about me!"

"4 beers coming up," I spoke walking to the kitchen.

I immediately headed for the fridge and found an endless supply of beer filling just one of the two refrigerators sitting next to each other.

I could hear Sublime's 'Let's Go Get Stoned', from the other room. I swayed my hips to the beat and sang along,

"Bright lights put me in a trance

But it ain't house music, makes me want to dance

I don't gamble, but I bet

I'm gonna die if I don't get a cigarette...."

I held the empty beers in my hand rocking a slight buzz just enjoying the music; when I heard a snicker and then a full-blown laugh.

I turned swiftly to see Jamie leaning against the center island nestling a beer watching me dance that whole time.

I flushed a slight pink embarrassed at my dance moves.

"Don't be embarrassed. It was cute." He said taking a drink. I watched as the liquid slid down his throat and his Adam's apple bobbed; making me lick my lips.

"I was just getting beer for everyone," I said out of nowhere. Explaining my actions for someone who makes me extremely nervous and by the way, didn't ask.

"Ah. I see." He said moving slowly around the island, setting down his beer and coming towards me.

Oh, shit.

It only took him two big steps to reach me. He's so close to me that I could smell his beautiful cologne. I inhale as subtle as I can without him noticing.

I put the empty beers down on the counter as he grabbed the cans of beer on the top shelf for me.

"Thank you," I said politely and grabbed them from his hands.

Our fingers touched, igniting my skin.

The beers fell to the ground rolling in different directions. Well more like I dropped them, but still. We both bent down to get them.

"Sorry about that," Jamie said as he handed me the beers.

"No, it's cool. I'm sorry." I replied.

Our eyes met in an intense stare when we stood up.

I swallowed hard. Fearing what might happen next.

He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me close, bringing the beers to clunk against his hard thigh.

I inhaled sharply, at the way his hands splayed across my lower back and ass. His hand was so huge and so warm. Comforting, safe and sexy all at the same time.

I knew he was slightly drunk by the way he faintly smelled of bud light and his yummy cologne.

We stayed like that only for a moment, until Jamie held my cheek with his other hand and our lips met.

The kiss itself was hot, passionate, but sweet and loving. My body went lax as he moaned into my mouth. I darted my tongue into his mouth.

My arms flew around his torso, feeling the muscles beneath. Then I ran them up and around his neck.

We stood there making out like horny teenagers. His hands cupped my ass.

For some reason, I felt the urge to go. My body was telling me, no, but my brain screamed 'yes'.

"I need to get these beers out," I said retracting myself from him.

I grabbed the beers and looked up at him before I left.

His lips were swollen and wet, from our little make-out session and his breathing was ragged.

He looked so hot, standing there looking at me. Not saying anything.

I feared that if he said anything to me to come back, I would've.

I had to get out of there.

I don't know why, but I just had too.

PART TWO

STILL (Y/N)'s POV

I re-entered the living area. No one noticed my long absence but they did notice the beers.

Everyone cheered and I cracked mine open, taking a long deserved drink.

Jamie entered the room. My breath hitched in my throat as he burned his gaze into mine.

He sat down on the couch next to Spezza and never took his gaze off of me.

I could feel his brown eyes staring into my soul. I didn't once look at him. I don't know why I left the kitchen. I had wanted nothing more than for Jamie to kiss me, if not take me right on the kitchen island.

I should've stayed.

Jamie's POV

I grabbed her by the waist, letting my hand rest right above her ass. My other hand going to her cheek as I kissed her.

I couldn't believe it. I was actually kissing her. I've wanted this for so long. I'm guessing she did too.

I moaned in her mouth. I couldn't believe i was acting so weak in front of her. Our tongues battled together and we did this for some time.

Her hands wrapped around my waist. Her fingers feeling every muscle making me shiver. She ran them up my chest and ended up around my neck.

All too soon, she ripped away from me,

"I have to get the beers out." And she left.

What the hell?

I was pissed. Did I do something? Or what. I gritted my teeth together and ran a hand through my hair.

I walked out into the living room a minute later and saw her sitting there. Her pretty little lips wrapped around the opening of the bottle.

It went straight to my dick. I had to sit down. I couldn't stop staring at her. I wanted her to look at me.

I sat, and I sat and I sat. Just watching her laugh and joke. She forgot about me once she started drinking again. She was almost completely gone now. Her hair let loose from her braid and her face red.

This always happened when she was drunk.

Her eyes met mine as i got up off the couch. Her laughter ceasing completely. She watched me leave the room and go upstairs. I had to get rid of this hard-on. I couldn't hide it any longer and it started to become extremely uncomfortable.

(Y/N)'s POV

I watched as Jamie got up and left the room. No one else noticed because they were drunk out of their trees. The beers I've consumed over the last hour gave me the confidence to stand. I went to the stairs in pursuit of him, to finish what I should've done earlier.

With every stair, I climbed I wondered where Jamie went off to. This house was so big and I couldn't manage to think clearly due to my drinking. I checked the bathroom, not there. I checked the closet, (a stupid move) not there. Then the bedrooms.

I opened Jordie's first and nothing. Then a spare bedroom nothing, but the third bedroom was Jamie's room at the end of the hall. He had to be in there. I cracked the door, slowly opening it to reveal Jamie sitting at the end of the bed...... relieving himself of a pretty big hard on.

My mouth hung open as he continued his eyes half lidded and his mouth slightly agape, oblivious of my presence.

I bit my lip as I watched intently, feeling myself begin to throb.

My head was spinning, watching him get off. My brain was jumbled, my body stiff as a board.

But my body began to move, my brain getting dragged along as it tried to process my decision.

My feet carried me into the room, his head snapping up as his hand ceased its movement as his face flushed a bright pink.

I swung my leg around his thighs and straddled him. I let my hands run up his arms and wrap them around his neck.

"Was I responsible for this?" I gave a toothy grin, letting my head point down in question to his erection.

He cleared his throat,

"Y-yes." He stated simply as I laughed.

I pulled him towards me fusing our lips together as his hands grabbed at my ass, pulling me closer.

His cock was rubbing against my stomach making me moan.

He was huge. No question I already figured that every time I dreamed that he was the one making me cum, he was always super huge. I wasn't far off.

His hands pulled at the hem of my top and I gladly obliged. I lifted my arms and broke the kiss so he could throw the shirt somewhere.

Good thing I wore my matching bra and panties today or else he would've gotten a glimpse of my granny panties. Not that I think it would’ve mattered.

His eyes rolled back into his head as he saw the silky white lace bralette. I took the opportunity to place my lips on his neck, specifically his Addams apple. I licked and kissed all over his neck.

I kissed right under his ear I whispered to him,

"Take me right here, right now. Please, Jamie.”

I bit my lip as he pulled his shirt off revealing his toned chest and muscles that sculpted his body perfectly. I bit my lip at the sight. I was rid of my pants in seconds after and I jumped him, pushing him back onto the huge bed kissing him feverishly.

His hands gripped my ass as he ground up into me. I groaned as he kissed my neck slowly making his way down to my breasts as he flipped us over. He settled in between my legs, giving my breasts equal attention.

His fingers crept to my back as he undid my bra and pulled it slowly down and off. His mouth instantly latched around my right nipple making my body arch off the bed. I could feel Jamie's smile curving around me.

He switched back and forth sucking, I almost couldn't see straight. Kisses were placed on my stomach, my navel, and right above my underwear making my breath hitch in my throat.

"God, you look so beautiful like this." Jamie's low, rumbling voice told me.

I closed my eyes about ready to burst into orgasm and he has barely even touched me.

His fingers grasped my underwear and he sighed,

"I almost don’t want to take these off; you look so good in them. Maybe model them for me,"

He was getting lost in his dirty, filthy amazing ideas.

"Another time, maybe." I grinned down at him.

His hearty laughed filled my ears and he pulled off my panties in one fluid motion.

"Fuck." I cursed as the cold air hit me, making me squirm.

He wasted no time, sucking my clit making me moan out in pleasure. I gripped the sheets so violently when he stuck two fingers in me.

"Tell me what you want baby. What do you want me to do?" His sweet voice filled my ears and his fingers worked magic on me making me gasp when he hit my g-spot.

"Oh my….." I couldn't form words, and the shit-eating grin on his face told me he knew exactly why.

"K-keep doing t-that."

"Trust me I will. You're falling apart beneath me and I wouldn't miss that."

I was gone in seconds, my orgasm taking over my body making my legs shake.

I moaned his name loudly as I came down.

I pushed myself up to Jamie and grabbed his shoulders, plunging myself down onto him.

"Don't worry; I've been on the pill for years," I spoke as his worried glare ceased and was replaced with hunger.

He grabbed my hips as I bounced furiously on him. Reminisce of my last orgasm gave me shudders as I rode Jamie.

The feeling of Jamie wrapped around me was amazing. Having him buried deep inside was something I'd remember forever.

Jamie's POV

"Are you close?" I asked her in ragged breaths. I tried to act like I wasn't on the brink of an orgasm because I literally just started fucking her. She was too good, and for that reason, I felt like if she did anything sexier than she's already doing now; that I'd cum like a geyser on the spot.

"Yes, very. And by close, I mean that I'm going to cum any second." She squealed the last part.

Thank god, I would've been extremely embarrassed if came before her.

(Y/N) clenched around me as she bit my shoulder to hold in her screams. It hurt like a bitch, but in some twisted way, it felt good with her teeth attached to me.

I wasn't far behind her as I shot my load inside her fucking tight pussy, her nails raked down my back making me grind my teeth together.

"Fuck, (Y/N)." I moaned as I sucked on her nipple, holding her tits in my hands trying to make it as pleasurable as possible.

"Oh good god Jamie." She choked as I kept pounding her, over and over.

I wasn’t going to let her get off that easily. I flipped her onto her back so that she was beneath me.

I fucked her hard. The sound of our skin slapping together filled my bedroom.

My hands pried her legs apart to which she grabbed the bedpost behind her.

She looked so good writhing beneath me. I kept going harder and harder until her eyes were closed and no sound was coming out of that luscious mouth of hers.

I was about to spill over the edge at any moment and then she jerked, letting me know she was going to cum one more time.

"Jamie....." she gripped my forearms as I pounded relentlessly into her sweet core.

"I know," I shut my eyes for a quick second, and then reopened them, "I'm about to cum."

She bit her lip and pulled me close as we came together.

God, it felt so good to cum deep inside her. I've wanted to take her and cherish her like this for so long. I couldn't believe I actually got to fuck her.

"Shit. Jamie!" She screamed.

I moaned out a loud profanity followed by her name as i collapsed on top of her.

She bit her lip looking at me.

"That was great." (Y/N) said, "I'm so glad you fucked me."

REQUESTS

MASTERLIST

#Imagines #SidBeCross #masterlist #requests #jamie benn #smut

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paradoxicalca · 4 years

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r/hockey NHL Power Rankings Week 6: Tropical Depression Edition

/r/Hockey NHL Power Rankings Week Nov 4, 2019 - Nov 10, 2019Thank YouThank you to all of the volunteers doing the power rankings. Each ranker has their own system and have their own reasonings and analyis. It truly is a lot of work.RankersSpoilerOrganizersSpoilerVisualizationThe visualization contains historical data, so you can see how your team has done over time. Hopefully, we can run this for many years in hopes that we can see the rise and fall of teams by /r/hockey opinion.It automatically updates so feel free to bookmark. You can find it hereProcessHow does this work? Throughout the course of the week rankers are able to access an app that will allow them to rank teams. At the end of the period we calculate the average ranking for every team and collate all of the analysis provided by rankers.The app then generates a post that is first proofread and then posted to /r/hockey!Rankings (27/31 Rankers Reporting)Ranking (avg)TeamDeltaOverall RecordRecord This WeekComments1 (1.59)Washington Capitals113-2-32-0-0The boys are buzzin. The top line isn't slowing down and our shiny new second line of Vrana - Kuznetsov - Wilson is tearing up the weaker competition. MacLellan's new look bottom six is still giving teams fits with their mix of speed and size. The defense is the best it's been since Mike Green ran the PP. Samsonov is the prince that was promised. Aside from a surprise mid-season extension for Backstrom there really isn't anything more a humble Caps fan could hope for.2 (3.03)Boston Bruins-111-3-31-2-1Well, this is a slump. Nothing but sloppy, uninspired hockey this week from the Bruins. The fact that we beat the Penguins is a shocker. Lost a close game to the Habs, stunk against the Red Wings, and played 40 minutes of bad hockey against the Flyers after having 10 shots through 40 minutes. Bruins showed signs of life in the 3rd period against them but ultimately fell in the shootout. PS: Pasta, get good at penalty shots.3 (3.68)New York Islanders-12-3-12-0-1Despite the rough loss to the Penguins the point streak is still alive. All throughout the goal-tending has been fantastic by both Greiss and Varly. With Eberle now back we will have to see if he can recapture the magic he has with Barzal, which was missing at the start of this season. Even without Matt Martin, Cizikas and Clutterbuck combined to have an outstanding week. On defense, Adam Pelech is playing like a top d-man. Other teams and fans will hear more about him if he keeps it up, but for now he is one of the most underrated players around.4 (4.76)St. Louis Blues412-3-33-0-0The bad news is that the Blues really aren't playing the best hockey they're capable of. The good news is that we're still winning. Many close games but the duo of DP57 and ROR is dragging us to some wins, our D is stabalizing, and our goaltending is proving good enough to compete. Would like to see some depth pieces begin to contribute more, and the loss of Tarasenko is just beginning to set in, but at the end of the day we're leading the Western Conference and we can still definitely get better from here. There also might not be a more trusted ownership/GM combo in the League than Army and Stillman. It's a fun time to be a Blues fan.5 (6.74)Edmonton Oilers-12-5-22-1-16 (6.76)Colorado Avalanche110-5-22-1-0The Avs have awoken. It took about two weeks, but the Avs finally figured out chemistry against Nashville & Columbus. Bad News two new injuries this week, now with 6 players out with Grubauer the only one set to return soon. Sakic looks smart for acquiring all the depth this offseason. The new top line is fun, not as skilled, but no players work harder than Donskoi and Calvert and Mackinnon benefits from the chaos they create and they benefit from the chaos he creates. Francouz has been sufficient in Grubauer's absence but isn't really playing himself into a potential 1B role. Avs start a Western Canadian Road trip this week and look to keep the momentum from the last couple games. First up a big 4 point game in Winnipeg on Tuesday. Calder Watch: Makar had an insane week, with points in all three games a 3 point night and a 2 goal game with his first GWG. He is now at 17 points in 17 games which ties him for third in scoring amoung NHL dmen, Crazy!7 (9.82)Nashville Predators39-5-31-1-1I'm away from my computer this week so I'll keep this one to a single point: /u/dabz14, I'm a true believer after the Red Wings game this past week. That second period was brutal, and the Preds made sure I understood that by being on the other side of the brutality against the Avalanche.8 (10.26)Pittsburgh Penguins610-6-12-1-0Almost as soon as we got Malkin back, Crosby gets knocked out. Please start wrapping these players up in bubble wrap.9 (10.5)Carolina Hurricanes-59-7-10-3-0The lack of top tier star power is starting to show. Each of the last 4 games should have been winnable but they ended up not even being close.10 (11.53)Buffalo Sabres-49-6-20-2-0Three more games until we hit .500.11 (12.59)Vegas Golden Knights19-7-31-2-1Tough week for the Golden Knights going 1-2-1 on the road trip. Blown leads in the 3rd period has plagued the team lately and really needs to change.12 (12.91)Vancouver Canucks-39-6-30-3-1Ever since rushing to jump on the ill-conceived and somewhat forced "Team Like That marketing campaign, the Canucks have indeed become a team like that. The team like that has since lost 5 of their last 6, with their only win coming against a floundering Sharks team. Over this period the powerplay has lost some the luster shown earlier in the year, and Canucks fans must face the tough reality that a team (like that) might not win 70% of its games this year. The club remains competitive, but this string of losses should slide them down to the middle of the pack in our power rankings - the "playoff bubble" position most anticipated the team would inhabit at the start of the season.13 (13.41)Toronto Maple Leafs29-6-42-1-1The Leafs are a confusing team. The week started with a sloppy 3-1 win against the Kings on Tuesday which made it a two game winning streak, which was extended on a 2-1 OT win against the Golden Knights (Did you see Ceci's beautiful setup for Pacioretty!?), which was won by captain Tavares himself. Unfortunately that streak ended Saturday night, after the Flyers got shootout revenge, highlighted by Marner taking an awkward tumble. After trying to take another shift, he was sent to the dressing room and shut down for the game, and after an MRI, for four weeks. Looks like leaf fans are still gonna annoy r/hockey by saying this team still isn't fully healthy yet :). Is that an excuse for letting up 4 goals in the first against the Blackhawks? Oh it's the second half of a back-to-back. That excuse. Made the game close, but not close enough. Overall, another confusing week for leafs fans14 (13.5)Arizona Coyotes-19-6-21-2-115 (14.18)Calgary Flames110-7-32-0-1The Flames had a good week, getting 5 out of a possible 6 points. The team appears to have a completely different effort level when they are down in the third period, having multiple late goals to tie both Arizona and St. Louis, forcing overtime. If only they could play with the same sense of urgency at all times. Johnny Gaudreau continues a large slump. While he's still getting points, he doesn't look like himself and his turnovers and defensive game make him feel like a liability at times. The Flames have already played 20 games this year, so hopefully their schedule slowing down a bit will give them some time to solve a few issues.16 (15.18)Anaheim Ducks-59-8-10-2-0This season feels like a rerun. Looks like a losing home stand came 1 month earlier than last year. A poor effort against the oilers after 4 days off. Similarly poor effort against the wild. I don’t see the fight. I don’t see the ducks ready to start any game lately. Song of the week: Free fallin’ - Tom Petty and the heartbreakers17 (15.35)Tampa Bay Lightning28-5-22-0-0Hard to take a ton away from just a back to back against the same team, but I did like what I saw from the team. Got some depth scoring, so that was nice. 3/7 on the PP isn't too shabby, and killing off all 4 penalties is quite nice too. Very happy only seeing 4 PP's given up, seems Tampa decided they were just having no fun sitting in the box.18 (15.76)Montreal Canadiens-19-5-32-0-1This week the team made big strides in improving their penalty kill (albeit in large part to Price in the net). Victor Mete is making up for all the goals he didn’t score to start his career and it helping beat the Bruins makes it all the better. Ryan Poehling finally has first few games of the season but if all Julien is going to do is play him for 9 minutes a game I would rather see him getting more time in the AHL.19 (15.97)Philadelphia Flyers210-5-24-0-0Its been a very Fly week this week, not a Die week. Myers has been on fire since scoring his first of the season, Coots, Lindblom, and TK line is actual sex on ice, our goaltending is stabilizing, and we are making teams regret starting their backup against us. 3 games in 4 nights against teams in playoff spots, and having pulled a majority of the points from it means we are doing a good hockey. Giroux with an absolute slapper in the SO, Moose and Hart are being the tandem we need them to be, and the team responding well under AV means things are well. We may never go pointless in a game again. Also PROVY PLEASE JUST KEEP YOUR GAME SIMPLE YOU ARE TOO GOOD TO BE PLAYING AS POORLY AS YOU HAVE BEEN RECENTLY. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk pt.2. Praise Gritty20 (17.68)Winnipeg Jets-10-7-12-0-121 (19.47)Florida Panthers-38-4-51-1-1Panthers' games are absolutely crazy. 4th in GF/game and 4th most GA/game. Half their game have been to overtime...it's not good for my heart. Recap; decent game against the Caps. Good game against the Islanders, should have won but Greiss was fantastic. Good game against the Rangers, Monty was bad, but the team rallied to with it. The Panthers don't give up and that's great.22 (20.74)Dallas Stars-8-8-21-0-1Only two weeks this game. Big win over the Avalanche and a OT loss to the Jets. Standouts? Faksa, Bishop. Takeaways? We played great against the Avalanche, and the Jets loss was hard-fought A 1-1 record doesn't always spell improvement - and it's sure not as good as last week - but we're playing better than our first 10 games. That's what matters.23 (23.56)New York Rangers-7-6-22-1-1Just another week at the office for the New York Rangers. We opened the week by losing 6-2 to the Ottawa Senators. This one was tough and really showed how young this team is, but a game like this was necessary. Next, we bounced back against the Wings by winning solidly 5-1. The next day, we got to see vintage Hank against the Canes. Even though we got outshot 47-19, we somehow walked out with a 4-2 win. To cap off the week, we had a shooting gallery of a game against the Panthers, falling 6-5 in the shootout. Some positives to come out of the week were that the kids are finally catching their stride and really developing. Kakko, Chytil, and Fox have looked great the past few games. Lindgren also deserves a shoutout for his play lately. Strome continues to put up points as well. Here's to another successful and entertaining week (also hopefully Lias gets more minutes).24 (24.41)San Jose Sharks37-10-13-0-0Much better week for the Sharks, but there's still a lot of work to be done. They were able to squeeze out 3 wins, but almost blew late leads against the Hawks and Wild. If the Sharks want to be back in the playoff picture they'll have to clean it up and play consistently tight defence for the next two weeks, with the upcoming divisional games against good teams like the Oilers and Vegas. The forwards are looking better and they've had some periods with really good defence, but they can't have those 10 minute stretches where they almost blow the entire thing, because good divisional teams will pounce on those opportunities.25 (24.47)Columbus Blue Jackets-16-8-31-2-0Bemstrom got his first and his second career goals this week. The two games we were pretty close, which is an improvement over our 5 game skid, but we're still 1-6-1 in our last 8. Things are looking grim if we don't improve by American Thanksgiving.26 (26.5)Chicago Blackhawks-6-7-42-1-1After a disconcerting California road trip, the Blackhawks managed to go 2-0-1 against the Canucks, Penguins, and Leafs. Kane has 5G, 6A and points in each of our last 6 games. Keith has been playing well, and is averaging over 25 min in ATOI, which is around his career average, but is significantly higher than the past 2 seasons. Lehner has been fantastic, and is 2nd to only Greiss in SV%.27 (27.21)Minnesota Wild26-10-12-1-0Wild fans are in this weird spot right now where they want the youngsters to show signs of development but the collective team is being cheered on to tank. Kevin Fiala has shown, to quote the GM-who-shall-not-be-named, "gamebreaker" qualities in the past few games. Jordan Greenway and Joel Eriksson Ek have finally looked in the mirror and realized they have big bodies meant for a physical brand of hockey. Ryan Donato...well, he's still looking pretty lost. Can't win them all I suppose. As much as this franchise needs a number one pick, it did feel good to see four pucks go past Mr. Darcy on Saturday night.28 (28.03)Ottawa Senators36-9-13-1-0With the Sens recording 5 wins in their last 8 games, I'm suddenly feeling a sense of...what's the opposite of "shame"? Less shame. That's it. Make no mistakes folks - even though they've had a good week thanks to the heroic efforts of guys like Pageau and Nilsson playing absurdly well, this team is going to finish in the bottom 5. They NEED to finish in the bottom 3 in any case, so as to have the best chance of picking up a generational forward talent at this stacked draft. This means not winning against other bottom tier teams like the Kings and Rangers, which we unfortunately were unable to do this week. Good games for team morale but certainly not for draft position!!29 (28.26)New Jersey Devils-15-7-42-2-02-2-0 This week, nothing too out of the ordinary. Back in Sept. r/devils did a straw poll about Hynes' leash and most said he had until Halloween to turn it around. A week after the devils are 5-7-4 and severely under-performing for the talent level of the roster. This roster shouldn't be 5-11. Shero should already have a list in his mind at this point to replace Hynes. The Good: Blackwood seems to have rebounded from his rocky start and has taken the starter reins from Cory. Hughes is still playing great. He isnt always scoring, but seeing him play with hustle every shift is amazing to see. The Bad: Hall is cursed. He has 2 goals on 59 shots, only 3%, while his career shooting percent is over 10%. The Ugly: We're still barely 0.500 hockey week to week and sitting at the bottom of the metro, only 1 point above the Sens ins the same 16 games. The talk has already started on Hall's fetching price come trade deadline time.30 (28.56)Los Angeles Kings-55-11-10-2-1I was fortunate enough to watch the Kings play the Leafs in Toronto this past week. We look slower than molasses right now and its a pretty boring brand of hockey almost worse than the ‘wear you down’ of Sutter’s time as coach. Some of the young guys are doing well but its crazy to think that this core won 2 cups.31 (29.59)Detroit Red Wings-16-12-12-2-0Robbie Fabbri and Jonathan Bernier stole the week for the Red Wings. With a jam packed schedule of four games the Wings continued their walk of shame with piss poor effort against the Preds and breakdowns against the Rangers. Jimmy Howard gets the start and the hook in both games. Then the trade for Fabbri happens and Bernier gets the start in both games against Boston and Vegas and now the parade planning begins. In reality, the Bruins were at the tail-end of a 11-2-1 stretch and Vegas was back to back after getting beaten up by the Capitals. However, this is what we should expect from the Wings. The plan is to stay competitive and transition to the next phase of the rebuild. Detroit needs to be in these games against top teams who are struggling and limiting their chances. Boston and Vegas combined for 30 shots against the Wings at 5v5(47 All Situations) which is an incredible defensive performance considering the power those offenses have. r/hockey NHL Power Rankings Week 6: Tropical Depression Edition Source

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reliableremodeling · 6 years

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Smith CIN 8 his last game

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junker-town · 6 years

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5 reasons the 1st week of the NFL preseason is worth watching

Roster battles and brief glimpses of greatness — plus, hey, it’s football!

The 2018 NFL preseason kicked off last Thursday when the Baltimore Ravens fended off the Chicago Bears at the Hall of Fame Game. It was, uh, not especially good football. Neither the Ravens nor Bears gave their regular-season starting quarterbacks a single snap, and as New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick put it: “17-16. It must have been pretty exciting.”

Right.

The good news is this week’s preseason action will supplement last week’s vacuum of quality with a rising tide of quantity. Each of the league’s 32 teams will take the field as the preseason begins in earnest, with 24 showing out on Thursday night. While that will make it difficult to watch reruns of Jersey Shore that evening, there are several promising storylines that threaten to make this preseason watchable or, even better, entertaining.

For better or worse, there are plenty of reasons to tune in Thursday night and throughout the weekend. Here are five that stand out to us:

1. The Bills will take the first step toward untangling the league’s worst QB situation

Buffalo’s current quarterback depth chart looks like this:

1A: Nathan Peterman, the player who threw five interceptions over the course of 14 passes in his first NFL star.t 1B: AJ McCarron, a career backup so underwhelming the Browns once tried to trade for him. 3: Josh Allen, a rookie who completed 56.2 percent of his passes while leading Wyoming to a 16-11 record the past two years.

That’s bad! This offseason, the Bills decided last year’s surprise playoff berth was enough goodwill to satiate their desperate fan base and tore down a nine-win team in favor of starting over from scratch. And while that could pay dividends — getting stuck with the 14th pick each season is a tough way to rebuild — it’s set the stage for a grim 2018.

All three have potential, but it’s unclear if Buffalo has a single long-term solution in its three-headed passing attack. Peterman is a lottery ticket, fifth-round pick project with solid mechanics, but he’s also a University of Pittsburgh QB grad not named Dan Marino, so the deck is stacked against him. Allen has an arm strong enough to throw a football over them mountains, but he lacks control and accuracy. In three career college games against Power 5 competition, he threw for 427 total yards and eight interceptions.

McCarron’s claim to fame is not imploding in a wild card game against the Steelers; he signed for just two years and $10 million during a year where teams leapt at the opportunity to throw money at QBs

One of them will have to start in Week 1, and that journey begins Thursday night against the Panthers. The winner of the QB race gets the opportunity to have Kelvin Benjamin throw him under the bus in two years.

2. By God, Andrew Luck is back (and other stars are returning from injury too)

Starters don’t play much in the preseason: It’s too big of an injury risk, and August is mostly for figuring out final rosters anyway. No one has to worry about Tom Brady making the cut, but not even a magical potion from his health guru can protect the 41-year-old from unnecessary hits in games that don’t matter (we think, anyway).

But most players, even the stars, get at least a series during the preseason. That’s especially notable considering how many prominent players are returning from injury after 2017 laid waste to, seemingly, half the league.

Arguably the most triumphant return this entire preseason will be Andrew Luck. Despite Luck’s, and the Colts’, continued insistence that Luck would bounce back from his shoulder injury and would play football again, there was serious doubt about it. It’s been 19 months (or 585 days) since he’s been on the field and the details of his recovery were always vague at best.

For anyone who fell into the “I’ll believe it when I see it” category with Luck, that time has finally arrived Thursday night. Luck will get some playing time — the entire first quarter — against the Seahawks. How will he look (besides unexpectedly jacked)? Will there be any notable difference in his arm strength? Accuracy?

Even if Luck is a little rusty, it’s a huge win to get him back on the football field again, something that even Luck himself wasn’t sure would happen.

Luck might be the headliner, but he’s not the only big name coming back from injury. Deshaun Watson will likely play Thursday night against the Chiefs, 10 months after the Texans quarterback tore his ACL in practice. Ryan Tannehill is also returning from an ACL tear and will see his first action for the Dolphins since December 2016 when they host an intra-state battle against the Bucs.

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook could also be back for this week after — yup, you guessed it — his ACL injury last season.

Even if he doesn’t play Thursday, J.J. Watt is expected to make an appearance this preseason. It’s less likely we see Aaron Rodgers, Odell Beckham Jr., David Johnson, or Carson Wentz until the start of the season, though. That’s OK too: As excited as we are to watch these guys play again, we can wait a little longer if need be.

3. The Browns have to piece together their receiver depth chart

After the draft, the Browns looked to have one of the top receiver groups in the league. Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry, Corey Coleman, and Antonio Callaway seemed to be a strong quartet and for once, the Browns looked to have a steady supporting cast.

Well.

That all changed. Gordon is currently away from the team trying to get himself prepared for the rigors of another NFL season, Coleman was recently traded to the Bills for a future seventh-round pick, and Callaway was cited for marijuana possession over the weekend.

There might not be anything to worry about with Gordon, but until he actually reports with the team, the Browns are going to have to find another receiver to potentially get playing time with the first team (hello Dez Bryant?).

Rashard Higgins might be an in-house solution to their suddenly questionable receiver depth, but he has yet to show he’s a starting-caliber receiver in the league. Landry has a starting spot locked in; the Browns need to see some stability at the other receiver slots.

4. The Packers debut their revamped secondary

Green Bay’s biggest flaw last season, aside from the fragile nature of Aaron Rodgers’ collarbone, was a depleted secondary that struggled to meet the tone set by safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. The Packers ranked 23rd in passing yards allowed and 31st in opponent passer rating (102.0) last fall, meaning the average quarterback left a matchup against the green and gold a shade less efficient than 2017 MVP Tom Brady (102.9).

New general manager Brian Gutekunst took steps to rectify that. He shipped starter Damarious Randall (10 interceptions in three seasons with Green Bay) to Cleveland in exchange for a backup quarterback and spent the team’s top two draft picks on cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson — just one year after former GM Ted Thompson spent the team’s top two draft picks on defensive backs Kevin King and Josh Jones. Gutekunst also brought 11-year veteran Tramon Williams back into the fold to help mentor these young charges.

We’ll get to see what that group can do against Marcus Mariota on Thursday, albeit briefly. Depending on Williams’ role, the Packers could wind up starting up to four first- or second-year players in their defensive backfield in 2018. While there’s a deluge of raw talent there — everyone but Williams was either a first- or second-round draft pick — that will be a volatile group with a large variance between great plays and rookie mistakes. This week’s preseason performances will help set the learning curve for a vital part of Green Bay’s revival.

5. Who’s the odd man out on the Jets’ quarterback depth chart?

Quarterback competitions are always the top story of preseason, and the Jets have one of the most interesting battles. The biggest difference, though, is that New York’s depth chart may affect another team.

For now, the Jets enter their preseason opener with their incumbent starter, Josh McCown, at the top of the depth chart ahead of free agent acquisition, Teddy Bridgewater. Then at the bottom is first-round pick Sam Darnold.

“We’re going to let them play,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said at a press conference this week. “And after the fourth preseason (game), sometime that week, I’ll make my decision and go from there.”

The best guess is that the depth chart will finish where it is now, but each has made a strong case to start Week 1:

"I’m told that some people at the Jets are so impressed with Bridgewater thus far that they are quote ‘obsessed’…They feel like they have three guys for once that they can go into battle with and succeed with." -- @MikeSilver on the Jets

— NFL Media (@NFLMedia) July 24, 2018

Sam Darnold “has a very fair shot” of winning Jets’ starting QB job for regular-season opener, per sources. He has to keep progressing, preseason will be critical, and he probably is a year away, when he turns 22. But Jets love what they see and he has a legit chance to win job.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 6, 2018

Maybe it’s just training camp fodder, but the Jets seem to really think they have three starters. That sounds pretty great, but what it really could mean is that New York is in business if another team suddenly needs a starting quarterback before the regular season starts.

If any player gets traded, Bridgewater is the likeliest candidate. But the Jets’ preseason debut against the Falcons is our first chance to see if that trade scenario has legs. If it does, buckle up.

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livevsongame-tv-blog · 6 years

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Live Update: BC-Sports Showcase Digest,ADVISORY | FOX Sports

New Post has been published on https://livevsongame-tv.com/nfl/live-update-bc-sports-showcase-digestadvisory-fox-sports-4/22144/html

Live Update: BC-Sports Showcase Digest,ADVISORY | FOX Sports

A look ahead to top enterprise and feature stories planned globally by AP Sports. New digests will go out each Thursday and Monday and will be repeated on other weekdays. Please note that story plans may change depending on news and other issues.

For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport(at)ap.org or 877-836-9477. For reruns, call the Service Desk 800-838-4616 or your local AP bureau.

As with all our operations, we welcome and want your feedback. If you have thoughts or questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, deputy sports editor for presentation and storytelling, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

Article continues below …

All times are Eastern.

—

WEDNESDAY, June 27

FBN–BACK TO SCHOOL

ALAMEDA, Calif. – When Bruce Irvin got a multimillion signing bonus after being a first-round draft pick in 2012, the idea of getting his college degree was the last thing on his mind. But after having a son, the former high school dropout made getting that degree a priority and was one of many NFL players this offseason who got to don a cap and gown instead of helmet. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 3 a.m. Wednesday.

THURSDAY, June 28

HKN–HURRICANES-BRIND’AMOUR’S HOME

RALEIGH, N.C. -Rod Brind’Amour came to Carolina in 2000- and never left. He worked his way up from key trade acquisition to captain of a Stanley Cup-winning team to the front office to assistant coach and, now, head coach. Along the way, he became as much a part of North Carolina’s landscape as NASCAR and barbecue – even coaching his son’s T-ball and youth hockey teams in his spare time without drawing much attention. He’s also one of only four coaches in the four major pro sports to earn the top job of the team with which he won a championship as a player. By Joedy McCreary. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 3 a.m. Thursday.

—

Again, if you have questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia at 215-446-6632 or ogarcia(at)ap.org.

Thanks,

AP Sports

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thisdaynews · 6 years

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Breaking News: Love Him, Hate Him: Captain Sergio Ramos Is the Beating Heart of Real Madrid

New Post has been published on https://www.thisdaynews.net/2018/05/31/breaking-news-love-him-hate-him-captain-sergio-ramos-is-the-beating-heart-of-real-madrid/

Breaking News: Love Him, Hate Him: Captain Sergio Ramos Is the Beating Heart of Real Madrid

The man who would become one of the most beloved and most hated footballers in Europe announced himself to Real Madrid with a missile.

Sergio Ramos had come up through the ranks for his hometown club, Sevilla, in the south of Spain. When the two sides met in a league fixture in May 2005, he smacked in a free-kick from 30 metres early in the first half to push Sevilla into the lead. The ball swerved in midair like a heat-seeker.

As he wheeled away to celebrate, Dani Alves, who was playing for Sevilla at the time, climbed up on his back like a jockey. In the stands, Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez, looked on glumly. It was a stunning strike for a defender who had turned only 19 a few weeks earlier. Real Madrid’s players—a group that included Raul, David Beckham and the club’s current head coach, Zinedine Zidane—were among those to take note.

“We weren’t surprised because of his goal; we were surprised because of his level,” Paco Pavon, who played for Real Madrid at the time, tells B/R. “It was like a great player had suddenly appeared in La Liga and also one who was so young. From the first moment, it was obvious he was a guy that had a splendid future.”

Fast-forward 13 years, and what Pavon and his teammates discovered at that moment is what fans all over Europe have learned to expect of Ramos: the unexpected. That 19-year-old would grow into a leader who captains both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, a defender many call the best in the world—and a player who simply demands constant watching to see what will come next, be it a crucial late goal, getting sent off or both.

They’ve come to love, or hate, a man whose attitude on and off the field can wind up opposing fans like few others, which just makes his supporters love him all the more. Like a European version of Draymond Green or Odell Beckham Jr., he has an edge that can be divisive but is part of what makes him great.

Real Madrid pursued Ramos that summer. He was close to signing for the club when he went on international duty with the Spain national team in August. He arrived at camp wearing sunglasses and a white suit, the color that is synonymous with Real Madrid, Los Blancos. In a documentary about his career, Ramos would later describe the suit as “tacky.” He wore it to stir the pot. The news corps from Spain’s television stations lapped it up, filming him on arrival. It was an audacious maneuver. A couple of weeks later, he was unveiled as a Real Madrid player.

Ramos took on Real Madrid’s No. 4 jersey, which had been vacated a couple of seasons earlier by club legend Fernando Hierro, who played in the heart of Real Madrid’s defense for 14 seasons—and who, like Ramos, captained his club and country and is from southern Spain. It was another message.

“Sergio reminds me of Fernando Hierro,” says Pavon, who partnered with Hierro in central defense. “They’re two similar personalities. They both have the same integrity. They assumed leadership in a similar way. You can see the way Sergio treats his teammates. He’s an example for them. He’s the spokesman for the team. He always puts the team before anything else. That’s why all his teammates are with him until death.”

Hierro was a strong presence in Real Madrid’s dressing room, but he flew too close to the sun and was bombed out of the club in the summer of 2003, per Steve McManaman’s memoir, El Macca. Ramos—who came close to joining Manchester United in 2015, according to the documentary, Informe Robinson – Capitan Ramos—has even greater power in Real Madrid’s dressing room. He is not shy about standing up to coaches, once, for example, deriding then-Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho because Mourinho was “never a [professional] player” during a training ground spat in January 2012, per Marca.

“Ramos has more influence in the dressing room than Hierro,” says Diego Torres, a journalist with El Pais. “[Real Madrid president] Florentino [Perez] got rid of Hierro. Florentino couldn’t get rid of Ramos, who is a footballer that is cherished and very respected by his teammates.”

Ramos uses his influence to smooth the rough edges in Real Madrid’s dressing room. He sees eye to eye with Cristiano Ronaldo, the team’s franchise player, although the pair locked horns publicly earlier this season over the lack of experience (as Ronaldo saw it) on Real Madrid’s squad.

Paul White/Associated Press

After a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League in November 2017, Ronaldo complained that the club shouldn’t have offloaded Pepe, Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez in the offseason in favor of promoting several young Spanish players, per Marca.

Ramos disagreed that the squad was “weaker.” When Ramos was asked shortly afterward about what the future held for Ronaldo—who is locked in stalled contract renewal negotiations with the club—he was dismissive: “Is Cristiano leaving? Ask him. I don’t know about these things,” per Marca. Ramos then made peace, however, in a television interview before Christmas, citing their “great friendship.”

“Sergio has quite a good relationship with Cristiano,” Torres says. “They have passed through a complicated moment. In other seasons, they had a better relationship than now. Now they are a bit further apart. Cristiano is colder, more distant. Cristiano is [battling] with the club. He’s trying to improve his contract. He’s distanced himself a bit from the team. He hasn’t played as many games. He’s not aligned with Sergio Ramos.

“But in general they get on very well. They have a professional relationship that is very good. It’s one of the keys to the success of Real Madrid.”

Another key to Real Madrid’s domination in Europe and a five-trophy haul in 2017 is the goals Ramos gets. He scored 10 last season in 44 games, per Diario AS, a remarkable haul for a defender. He has a knack, too, for scoring clutch goals, including an injury-time equalizer against Atletico Madrid in the 2014 UEFA Champions League final. It typified his never-say-die attitude. Ramos now has a “92.48” tattoo—the time on the clock when his header flew into the net—to remind him of the moment, per El Mundo.

“Sergio has that character which is essential to be an idol in Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium. He has what people call ‘the Juanito spirit,'” says Ramon Calderon, a former Real Madrid president, referencing the club’s beloved winger Juanito, who died in a car crash in 1992 at age 37.

“Juanito was a player like Sergio, a very strong character with a lot of stamina who gives until the last gasp when playing. That’s why Sergio was able to score a goal in added time in Lisbon, because he gives everything he’s got on the pitch. That is very important in our club. It’s what our fans are always looking for. They can’t forgive a player who is wearing the white shirt if he doesn’t give 100 percent.”

Ramos’ commitment means he often steps over the line. He has collected 24 red cards in his career with Real Madrid, including a league-record 19 in La Liga, per Guardian, although curiously he has never been sent off in 151 appearances for Spain.

TF-Images/Getty Images

“The red cards aren’t a problem,” Pavon says. “It’s his way to play. He goes to the limit. A lot of times, he’s the team’s last defender. He has to make fouls. Also, he has infamy, so when there is a doubt, he gets a lot of cards that he doesn’t deserve.”

One of Ramos’ darkest moments with Real Madrid was when he missed against Bayern Munich in a penalty shootout in the 2012 UEFA Champions League semi-final, which cost his team a place in the final. The manner of the miss stung. His ball flew so far over the crossbar that it launched a thousand memes on social media, including pictures of the ball flying toward the moon past E.T. on a bike.

Ramos found redemption two months later by cheekily scoring a Panenka—a penalty kick that is lobbed gently down the middle of the goal—in a penalty shootout for Spain against Portugal in the UEFA Euro 2012 semi-final. He’s got a pair of stones.

Whenever Ramos makes gaffes—like when he tweeted “congratulations” to Spain’s female water polo team for winning gold at the World Championships in 2013, not realizing he was watching a rerun of their final match on television, almost a month after their win—he is quick to laugh at himself. This endears him to fans. He is, however, a figure of fun for many Barcelona fans in Spain. On the Catalan satirical television show Crackovia, for example, Ramos is mocked for being a philistine and for having a thick Andalucian accent.

“Possibly in Barcelona, they compare Ramos to [Barcelona central defender] Gerard Pique,” says Torres. “Pique is urbane. He’s from the city. He’s a footballer who he wants to study, to travel, to learn languages and other subjects apart form football. But why don’t they compare Ramos to Carles Puyol or Samuel Umtiti? Ramos doesn’t compare so badly in this type of comparison in terms of cultural education.

“Ramos is more rustic than an urbanite. He’s a footballer that likes the countryside. He likes bulls, horses, animals and nature. He’s a bit like Tarzan. In this way he’s very like Puyol. Puyol is a guy from the countryside, from a village, and his hair is more spectacular than Ramos. Ramos is very intelligent. He knows how to use his influence. There are many men who are intelligent and cultured, but they don’t know how to wield power. Ramos knows perfectly how the world works, how to use his power, which you don’t learn at university.”

Calderon, the team president, gave Ramos the nickname Tarzan. “He likes it,” Calderon says. “He’s always laughing when I see him. He remembers it: ‘Well, you gave me the nickname Tarzan,’ he says. Many of his teammates called him it because of his strength and his muscled body.”

Ramos owns a stud farm in Andalucia. It’s his bolthole, where he can escape with his family from the rush of life in the public eye in Madrid. One of his horses is called “Capitan Ramos,” per Informe Robinson – Capitan Ramos.

Calderon says Ramos is a quintessential guy from Andalucia, with a passion for its two great pastimes. He recalls Ramos singing flamenco “very well” during a party to celebrate the first league title win under his presidency in 2007, and he has also watched Ramos bullfighting.

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

“Sergio likes bullfighting,” Calderon says. “He’s an aficionado. Of course, professional footballers are not allowed to do it because of the risk of an injury, but he has done it sometimes when he’s on [holidays].

“I’ve seen him at the small fiestas that are organized in the farms where the bulls are being bred, and he does it quite well with small bulls. He has got good style. That’s why you see Ramos when the club wins a title—the league or the Champions League—he takes a cape with the logo of Real out on the pitch and simulates fighting a bull. Fans like it. It’s fun.”

At least, his club’s fans do.

Fans from Liverpool, Real Madrid’s opponent in Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final, might not be so fond if Ramos gets to unfurl his matador’s cape.

#Beating #Captain #Heart #Real Madrid #Sergio Ramos

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flauntpage · 6 years

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A Bandwagon Guide to the Unlikely Capitals-Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final

So you're not a fan of the Washington Capitals or Vegas Golden Knights, huh? You don't have any interest in watching them play for a championship, huh? Stanley Cup Final ratings year after year indicate the neutral observer would rather watch Scrubs reruns than a game involving two teams he or she doesn't care about but maybe that's because nobody has given you a compelling case to hop on a bandwagon.

This year's Super Bowl involved the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, which was like choosing between watching your parents ripped apart by bears or Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; no matter what happened, you were going to be irrevocably psychologically damaged. With the Capitals and Golden Knights, we get to pick between two likable teams looking to cap off unexpected championship seasons.

The only proper way to decide your allegiances is to look at what the Capitals and Knights offer and hitching your wagon to the team you want to call your own for a couple weeks. Let's break down each team in some very important categories that were not chosen specifically as vessels for jokes. How dare you even think that?

THE CITIES

On one hand you have Washington, a city without any casinos, sports books or a mass transit system that runs after the sun goes down. On the other hand, you have Las Vegas, which hasn't shut down since it opened.

Which is better? Each city is a place filled with people looking to hustle you out of your hard-earned money but at least Las Vegas gives you free booze while they do it.

THE DOUCHEBAGS

On one hand you have Tom Wilson, a player without any conscience, regard for human life or the power to keep his city's mass transit system running after the sun goes down. On the other hand, you have... James Neal? He did knee Brad Marchand in the head that one time. Alex Tuch wore a border control costume this Halloween, which is extremely douchey.

Which douchebag is bigger? Wilson has run more people into the ground than a sadistic cross country coach and doesn't seem to give two shits about it, so it's another easy answer.

THE BELEAGUERED STARS WITH SOMETHING TO PROVE

Alex Ovechkin has taken the blame for everything wrong with Washington since he arrived in 2005. The playoff failures, the participation banners hung in the arena, Nicklas Backstrom's failures, the outdoor game uniforms, government shutdowns, Kirk Cousins' contract situation and departure, the lack of a mass transit system that runs after the sun goes down, Dan Snyder's existence and the Capitals' lack of a Stanley Cup. With four more wins, Ovechkin can play the rest of his career and chase the all-time goals record in peace.

Marc-Andre Fleury has three championships—one as a starter, one as a backup, and one as a helper—but was cast aside in Pittsburgh after last season when Matt Murray took his job and made him expendable. Fleury was the scapegoat for the Penguins' failures between 2010 and 2013, which means a Conn Smythe Trophy and Stanley Cup would complete his redemption story.

Who is more worthy of your love? Fleury lost his job fair and square in Pittsburgh and come on, he has three Cups. Ovechkin has zero and who knows if he ever gets this far again. You should be pulling very hard for Ovechkin.

FAN BASES MOST UPSET BY THE OUTCOME

If the Capitals finally win a Cup, the most pissed off people will be Penguins fans and Rangers fans; Penguins fans have forged an identity through laughing at the Capitals and that will go away completely. Rangers fans have the goaltending version of Ovechkin, and if the real Ovechkin wins a Cup, that shines (an equally dumb and unfair) spotlight on Henrik Lundqvist's lack of a Cup.

If the Golden Knights win a Cup in their first season, it will piss off [Gary Oldman in The Professional voice] EVERYONE. I believe it should be something to be celebrated by everyone but I know it won't be. Fans across North America will spend the offseason wandering the streets, lost, confused, muttering to themselves about a rigged expansion draft.

Which is better for you? This really comes down to how much you hate the Penguins and Rangers, which, based on my online experience, is a lot. If you have those fans in your life, sure, I get why you want them to suffer. But what's best for everyone is chaos, and that's what Vegas winning the Cup will provide. This decision is between you and your heart.

CANADA'S LEVEL OF ANGER

If Canada can no longer hold the whole no Cups thing over Ovechkin, the nation may collapse. The Ovechkin Isn't A Winner takes make up 45 percent of the Canadian economy and there's no telling what a collapse like that will do to the global markets. Does Don Cherry have enough money saved in the event of an Ovechkin Take Crisis?

It's been 25 years since a Canadian franchise has hoisted the Cup and there's no telling what a first-year franchise in a desert community winning it will do to Canada. My guess is Canada is so numb to losing the Cup every year that the acceptance of American hockey dominance happened a long time ago and they won't even feel it when Deryk Engelland takes the Cup from Gary Bettman.

Which is better for you? I lean toward Ovechkin winning the Cup, because it will lead to a whole bunch of people apologizing or inventing new crazy takes to survive. "Ovechkin has one Cup... but he should have more!" "Ovechkin's Cup came against an expansion team, and that's why it shouldn't count!" There's way more upside to a Capitals championship.

SHIT YELLED DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

During the sacred ritual that is singing America's theme song before a sports game, each teams' fans scream one of the lyrics during home games. In Vegas, it's "gave proof through the KNIGHT" because of the Golden Knights and in Washington it's "rockets' RED glare" because the Capitals have the color red in their uniforms. So when Seattle joins the league and becomes the Vampire Wolves, they will go with, "At the TWILIGHT'S last gleaming."

Which is better? Neither! What are you people doing? Either sing the entire song from start to finish or keep your traps shut. Every fan base is looking for some gimmick during the anthem and they are all stupid. Rangers fans mumble a disorganized "LET'S GO RANGERS" and Jets fans scream "TRUE NORTH" during "O Canada" to honor the corporation that owns the Jets, which seems like a gag they'd do on Silicon Valley at Hooli. How long before Flyers fans start yelling "BROAD stripes" at home games? This is a PUSH (I was listening to Matchbox Twenty while writing this).

PREGAME ARENA SHOWS

Vegas offers a free Medieval Time show before every game where a fancy knight on skates has a sword fight with a person or something like a jet plane. I have no idea what even happens in Washington. Does a guy dress like Ben Franklin and read from the Constitution? Who cares?

Which is better? Unless the Capitals get some dudes with muskets shooting at each other, this is a no-brainer.

TEAM SLOGANS

It's #ALLCAPS vs #VegasBorn in what has to be the dorkiest hashtag matchup in Final history. Of course you're "Vegas Born"—your team was born in Vegas. What sort of lazy-ass slogan is that? What stops any other team from doing this? I guess all the relocating. Yeah, that's the answer to that question. I take it back.

Which is better? All earnest hashtags are bad. That's the lesson here.

WHICH OUTCOME IS FUNNIER

The Capitals finally getting a Cup with what is objectively a worse team than they had the previous two years is hilarious. Barry Trotz pooped all over Kevin Shattenkirk this season and essentially blamed him for the Capitals' losing in the second round last year and it turns out maybe he had a point. Braden Holtby was so bad that he wasn't even the starter when the playoffs began and now he has a chance at winning the Conn Smythe. There are a lot of laughs packed into a potential Washington victory.

But the Golden Knights winning it all in their first year is the Monty Python and the Holy Grail (or whatever movie you find really funny, I don't care) of sports comedy. You won't ever laugh like this in your life. Literally nobody—not me, not you, not team owner Bill Foley—thought this was possible and now the Knights are favorites in the Cup Final.

And this last answer is all that matters. You should be pulling for Vegas. Thinking about every NHL GM staring at his TV as Brayden McNabb hands the Cup to Luca Sbisa, who hands it to Ryan Reaves, who hands it to Colin Miller, who hands it to Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith at the same time, who put down the Cup and hold up a sign that reads, "THANK YOU DALE" is something too good to pass up.

There's plenty to enjoy about a Caps win but nothing in the history of hockey will be more pleasurable than the Vegas Golden Knights being crowned Stanley Cup champs.

This article originally appeared on VICE Sports CA.

A Bandwagon Guide to the Unlikely Capitals-Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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amtushinfosolutionspage · 6 years

Text

A Bandwagon Guide to the Unlikely Capitals-Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final

So you’re not a fan of the Washington Capitals or Vegas Golden Knights, huh? You don’t have any interest in watching them play for a championship, huh? Stanley Cup Final ratings year after year indicate the neutral observer would rather watch Scrubs reruns than a game involving two teams he or she doesn’t care about but maybe that’s because nobody has given you a compelling case to hop on a bandwagon.

This year’s Super Bowl involved the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, which was like choosing between watching your parents ripped apart by bears or Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; no matter what happened, you were going to be irrevocably psychologically damaged. With the Capitals and Golden Knights, we get to pick between two likable teams looking to cap off unexpected championship seasons.

The only proper way to decide your allegiances is to look at what the Capitals and Knights offer and hitching your wagon to the team you want to call your own for a couple weeks. Let’s break down each team in some very important categories that were not chosen specifically as vessels for jokes. How dare you even think that?

THE CITIES

On one hand you have Washington, a city without any casinos, sports books or a mass transit system that runs after the sun goes down. On the other hand, you have Las Vegas, which hasn’t shut down since it opened.

Which is better? Each city is a place filled with people looking to hustle you out of your hard-earned money but at least Las Vegas gives you free booze while they do it.

THE DOUCHEBAGS

On one hand you have Tom Wilson, a player without any conscience, regard for human life or the power to keep his city’s mass transit system running after the sun goes down. On the other hand, you have… James Neal? He did knee Brad Marchand in the head that one time. Alex Tuch wore a border control costume this Halloween, which is extremely douchey.

Which douchebag is bigger? Wilson has run more people into the ground than a sadistic cross country coach and doesn’t seem to give two shits about it, so it’s another easy answer.

THE BELEAGUERED STARS WITH SOMETHING TO PROVE

Alex Ovechkin has taken the blame for everything wrong with Washington since he arrived in 2005. The playoff failures, the participation banners hung in the arena, Nicklas Backstrom’s failures, the outdoor game uniforms, government shutdowns, Kirk Cousins’ contract situation and departure, the lack of a mass transit system that runs after the sun goes down, Dan Snyder’s existence and the Capitals’ lack of a Stanley Cup. With four more wins, Ovechkin can play the rest of his career and chase the all-time goals record in peace.

Marc-Andre Fleury has three championships—one as a starter, one as a backup, and one as a helper—but was cast aside in Pittsburgh after last season when Matt Murray took his job and made him expendable. Fleury was the scapegoat for the Penguins’ failures between 2010 and 2013, which means a Conn Smythe Trophy and Stanley Cup would complete his redemption story.

FAN BASES MOST UPSET BY THE OUTCOME

If the Golden Knights win a Cup in their first season, it will piss off [Gary Oldman in The Professional voice] EVERYONE. I believe it should be something to be celebrated by everyone but I know it won’t be. Fans across North America will spend the offseason wandering the streets, lost, confused, muttering to themselves about a rigged expansion draft.

Which is better for you? This really comes down to how much you hate the Penguins and Rangers, which, based on my online experience, is a lot. If you have those fans in your life, sure, I get why you want them to suffer. But what’s best for everyone is chaos, and that’s what Vegas winning the Cup will provide. This decision is between you and your heart.

CANADA’S LEVEL OF ANGER

If Canada can no longer hold the whole no Cups thing over Ovechkin, the nation may collapse. The Ovechkin Isn’t A Winner takes make up 45 percent of the Canadian economy and there’s no telling what a collapse like that will do to the global markets. Does Don Cherry have enough money saved in the event of an Ovechkin Take Crisis?

It’s been 25 years since a Canadian franchise has hoisted the Cup and there’s no telling what a first-year franchise in a desert community winning it will do to Canada. My guess is Canada is so numb to losing the Cup every year that the acceptance of American hockey dominance happened a long time ago and they won’t even feel it when Deryk Engelland takes the Cup from Gary Bettman.

Which is better for you? I lean toward Ovechkin winning the Cup, because it will lead to a whole bunch of people apologizing or inventing new crazy takes to survive. “Ovechkin has one Cup… but he should have more!” “Ovechkin’s Cup came against an expansion team, and that’s why it shouldn’t count!” There’s way more upside to a Capitals championship.

SHIT YELLED DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

During the sacred ritual that is singing America’s theme song before a sports game, each teams’ fans scream one of the lyrics during home games. In Vegas, it’s “gave proof through the KNIGHT” because of the Golden Knights and in Washington it’s “rockets’ RED glare” because the Capitals have the color red in their uniforms. So when Seattle joins the league and becomes the Vampire Wolves, they will go with, “At the TWILIGHT’S last gleaming.”

Which is better? Neither! What are you people doing? Either sing the entire song from start to finish or keep your traps shut. Every fan base is looking for some gimmick during the anthem and they are all stupid. Rangers fans mumble a disorganized “LET’S GO RANGERS” and Jets fans scream “TRUE NORTH” during “O Canada” to honor the corporation that owns the Jets, which seems like a gag they’d do on Silicon Valley at Hooli. How long before Flyers fans start yelling “BROAD stripes” at home games? This is a PUSH (I was listening to Matchbox Twenty while writing this).

PREGAME ARENA SHOWS

Which is better? Unless the Capitals get some dudes with muskets shooting at each other, this is a no-brainer.

TEAM SLOGANS

It’s #ALLCAPS vs #VegasBorn in what has to be the dorkiest hashtag matchup in Final history. Of course you’re “Vegas Born”—your team was born in Vegas. What sort of lazy-ass slogan is that? What stops any other team from doing this? I guess all the relocating. Yeah, that’s the answer to that question. I take it back.

https://sports.vice.com/en_ca/embed/article/mbxw9v/the-expansion-vegas-golden-knights-are-stanley-cup-favorites-and-make-absolutely-no-sense?utm_source=stylizedembed_sports.vice.com&utm_campaign=qvnvmd&site=sports

Which is better? All earnest hashtags are bad. That’s the lesson here.

WHICH OUTCOME IS FUNNIER

The Capitals finally getting a Cup with what is objectively a worse team than they had the previous two years is hilarious. Barry Trotz pooped all over Kevin Shattenkirk this season and essentially blamed him for the Capitals’ losing in the second round last year and it turns out maybe he had a point. Braden Holtby was so bad that he wasn’t even the starter when the playoffs began and now he has a chance at winning the Conn Smythe. There are a lot of laughs packed into a potential Washington victory.

But the Golden Knights winning it all in their first year is the Monty Python and the Holy Grail (or whatever movie you find really funny, I don’t care) of sports comedy. You won’t ever laugh like this in your life. Literally nobody—not me, not you, not team owner Bill Foley—thought this was possible and now the Knights are favorites in the Cup Final.

There’s plenty to enjoy about a Caps win but nothing in the history of hockey will be more pleasurable than the Vegas Golden Knights being crowned Stanley Cup champs.

This article originally appeared on VICE Sports CA.

A Bandwagon Guide to the Unlikely Capitals-Golden Knights Stanley Cup Final syndicated from https://australiahoverboards.wordpress.com

0 notes

buddyrabrahams · 6 years

Text

Le’Veon Bell says he will not sit out 2018 season

Le’Veon Bell has been adamant that he does not want to play under the franchise tag for a second straight year, and he has even hinted that he would rather retire or sit out the entire 2018 season. Apparently the star running back has softened his stance a bit.

As Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes, Bell told fans in an Instagram Live chat on Wednesday that he will not skip games if he still does not have a long-term contract extension in place. Bell will almost certainly hold out from training camp if he doesn’t get a new deal, but he insists he won’t leave his teammates hanging come Week 1.

“Honestly, no, I’m not going to sit out,” he said. “I’m going to be in the facility Week 1,” Bell said. “It’s going to be a rerun of last year. I’m not going to [training] camp. I’m not doing nothing else extra, OTAs, none of that. …

“I’m going to strictly go to what I have to go to. I want to win every game. I want to have the best statistical career that I possibly can, so I want to play in every game that I can possibly play.”

Bell said as recently as Monday that retirement was still an option as was sitting out until Week 10, so it’s unclear which remarks were the truth. Perhaps he doesn’t know just yet.

One other star Steelers players already made an adjustment to his own contract that could help the team re-sign Bell, so we’ll see if that comes into play this offseason.

from Larry Brown Sports http://ift.tt/2oTWA5a

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theonewiththebaseball · 6 years

Note

i know you get anons like this all the time but like i just wanna know how there’s still well over 100 days of the offseason left because i am sUFFERING and i would give anything to watch a baseball game that isn’t a rerun smh

I'm so so SO ready for next season. But I have been enjoying the offseason... much more than I thought I'd be able to. Like we've all been saying, this was one of the best seasons in a long time. But yeah, I miss it. 😐

0 notes

neoraven · 7 years

Text

What’s Joe Watching - Summer 2017 Misc

Here’s some other random stuff I’ve been watching and DVRing over the summer.

The Price is Right (CBS) Classic great TV game show. It's pretty much just a blatant commercial and the prizes are not even that great or generous. But I like to play along, and most of the games are incredibly fun. Plus the showcase showdown and fan enthusiasm is a ton of fun. I basically keep a rolling 5 episodes or so on the DVR to watch sometimes. Heavy fast forward button helps get through fast to the actual games and skip some of the banter and stuff. No offense to Mr. Drew Carey.

WWE RAW (USA) WWE Smackdown These are separate "brands", but I'm still comfortable lumping these two together. I'm not gonna turn my TV thing into a wrestling thing, BUT there is a staggering 5 hours of live wrestling on cable TV per week, every week, for years in perpetuity. USA is able to get pretty solid (if declining) ratings with a show that has no offseason, and no reruns or off weeks, give or take an awards event or dog show. I can't imagine watching this live with the ratio of talking/bullshit to wrestling. I heavily fast forward through any talking that doesn't include my faves. There's a lot of commercials during the actual matches too, but at least some of them do a nifty picture in picture deal that only deprives me of the (shitty) commentary. Anyways, I've been DVRing wrestling and watching anywhere from 10-60% of the shows depending on how much I skip through.

The Gong Show (ABC) 2017 and its rise of recreational drug use are a great match for the revival of this show. I haven't seen that many of the old episodes, but I can get an idea for them watching this one. Mike Myers (spoiler) is fun doing his thing as the host, and usually the panel is able to save us from the most terrible and bizarre acts. I have been lazily DVRing this and watching it sometime within the week. I hope it's renewed, but would be happy to see it never rise above bizarre summer TV curiosity.

Big 3 (FS1) The elevator pitch for this would be "Ice Cube's 3-person pro basketball league". It fills a pretty interesting niche in the gulf between college and pro ball. And the tweak to basketball - half court and three players instead of five - is just enough to be juuust different enough to disguise that it's such a step down in play quality from the NBA. Ice Cube's star power helped, along with some of the interesting segments going along with the games early on. The tape delay that could normally kill sports didn't really hurt this as much as it could have. The league also proved flexible to change things that didn't work and adapt to curveballs. After week one, they adjusted the scores for half/full time to make the game flow better and not drag as much. After star player/coach Allen Iverson completely no showed a week's taping, they responded quickly and decisively with a reasonable suspension. I didn't see every week of the season, but this was a fun first effort that I'm hoping continues next summer, hopefully with fully live games.

Family Feud (GSN) Steve Harvey has gone through the meme ringer for different reasons, some justified and some not, but what's undeniable is that he's a fine host of the Family Feud. Across three different syndication networks and GSN, he is everywhere hosting the game show that you would care to look. Earlier this month, we got a new/fresh DVR with a much higher capacity (can't you tell from all the mentions of it?), and one of the first season passes was for the Feud, so I could have a bunch of episodes to watch without commercials. The sheer massive volume of episodes airing per day quickly overwhelmed me, and I had to cut it to only keeping a few of them per day. BUT stupid story aside, the show is really fun, and has a great evergreen format. The answers are usually funny, and guessing and playing along is great. It's cool how the answers aren't something absolute, like facts or true false things. Going deeper than the clips that end up in Harvey's youtube compilations, he's really a good host and ringmaster for his colorful circus.

Hard Knocks: A Season With the Tampa Bay Bucs (HBO) This could fall under prestige TV, being an HBO documentary, but I'm kinda dropping it in here. This season has been pretty okay, with a little bit too much focus on Jameis Winston for my liking. The kicking competition through episode 2 seemed really sadistic. Also, it's a little unfair to judge too much of this when it's still dead center in the season. But I'm still including it, since it's something I've been watching that hasn't really fit in anywhere else to talk about sports stuff and sports media. Being HBO and having a bunch of money spent on it, this season has seen some really great shots and images. The post credits part with the players talking about and trying out the eclipse glasses stood out pretty cool to me.

Pool Kings (DIY) Scramble to find the DIY Network on your cable box if you want. I am not a perfect TV watching robot. I get sucked in to crappy reality TV marathons in moments of weakness. And my weak moments led me here to "Pool Kings". Part of the appeal was that even after I DVRed a marathon, I noticed all of the short-ish season was already on demand even with fast forward capabilities. Awesome! So, this is just a bunch of dudes building a big, elaborate pool that costs more than most houses. They all look really cool and take a lot of work. Also it helps a little that about 1/3 of the episodes take place really close to me, and I like thinking about these guys just building pools all over my area.

NFL Preseason Football (NFL) The NFL Network shows every single preseason game for every team, from week 1 to week 4. When they mention this, it's a promise and a threat. I DVRed way too many of them to watch on fast forward and to watch just until the starters screwed off. I don't have much to say about it, but it was fun to see all the different presentations for different home teams, since most of these games were not national. Also, as dorky as this might sound, I used these to practice my fast forwarding to get myself in regular season form.

#the gong show #family feud #pool kings #nfl #the price is right #hard knocks #big3 #wwe #wwe raw #wwe smackdown

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