unclevlad

I doubt it's sustainable, in the 'bubble' model. As you note, gate receipts are likely low. Correction: non-existent is closer. From the wiki USFL article: You can't build home-town, grass roots support...which probably translates to lower merch sales. (And likely lower ratings as teams get eliminated. There's no baseline support.) Good question in my mind is, how expensive is this for the teams? It might not be that bad, in that they can negociate some pretty darn good rates, you'd think, and they have effectively 0 travel expenses, but still...the clubs are paying room and board for this entire stretch. (Which may make for a problem for some of the players down the line...because those are probably taxable benefits.) Another concern would be whether the players will go for it. For this year? Yeah, OK, but anyone with a family is largely separated from them. I haven't watched any, but...how's the turf holding up? With so many games every week, that would seem to be a major issue. Last, I don't see an NFL city risking antagonizing the far bigger cash cow.

Lots of cases where the pitching is overpowering...until it falls apart totally. Padres-Braves last night was 2-1 after 7. Solid pitcher's duel, right? Padres score 4 in the top of the 8th...then the Braves do the same. More and more, the root problem with baseball is, IMO, how pitchers are handled. Every pitch at 110% until the arm all but falls off. A Met pitcher just hit the IL today with right bicep tendinitis...which is an injury from overwork. Tommy John surgery is routine. Dead arm is another thing you hear about. That overthrowing is why no one goes over about 100 pitches; it's too much. 95% effort is much more controllable and repeatable; that max effort is inherently less so. That's when pitchers miss...both inside the zone (that low and in fastball suddenly becoming thigh high down the middle) and outside (PLUNK!!!). I'm pretty sure trying to take a 97+ fastball the other way is much harder than trying to pull it...and when that's the only thing you ever face...... The hitters get super-specialized.

But by the same token, the entire division right now is 96-70, with every team over .500 today. The teams will knock each other out, but the D'backs and Rockies are only 1/2 and 1 game out of the last WC spot. Even if they're 4th and 5th in the division. That's a Group of Death.

My guess is, I wouldn't want to be on the plaintiff's legal team in front of the judge, trying to justify filing this suit. The story, IMO, characterizes the suit nicely...a legal distraction. The Giants moved there in 1976, and the Jets in '84. The claims are fatuous. And judges don't like that.

Shouldn't happen. The factors that allowed Rittenhouse to skate, aren't present here. No background of unrest. The perp shot people outside, and that might be on the livestream. (Heck, you'd hope Twitch kept the entire stream as evidence.) If the manifesto can be linked to him, too...the bits I saw (no, I know I can't read it, I'd smash the screen if I tried) make it clear that even if someone else pulled a gun...he went there to shoot black people.

I hope the kid enjoys spending the next 10 years (at least) alone. He'd be dead in a week in the general prison population. Can't be executed, tho, unfortunately; the last death penalty law was struck down as violating the state constitution. But he's never getting out. Even if the manifesto isn't his, I'm not sure you could have more evidence, that he did it, and that it's a hate crime. Sometimes I wish we were allowed to go medieval on certain perps. This one would be Exhibit A.

Oh no.... https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/14/us/buffalo-ny-supermarket-multiple-shooting/index.html The shooter came to kill. Looks like, to kill blacks. SON OF A.... THE...................BASTARD LIVE STREAMED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SICKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

In the sense of "a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"?

Same thought had crossed my mind. The improprieties alone...might not force the sale, but if there have been retaliatory firings, that's getting very serious. Mark Davis HAD to know about those. Another factor here is simply the breadth now, of misconduct. Goodell's first charge is Defend the Shield. These are threatening the shield, and there may be a need to take more serious action than would've been the norm just a few years ago. Story also points out that Al's widow is still alive...but in her 90s. Even with good health today, at that age, things can turn badly very quickly. Estate taxes come due on her portion...and that will be massive. The Broncos sale, after Bowlen died, was complicated by some unusual business-related aspects, but no matter what, it's easier to sell a massive asset while everyone's still alive, rather than involve probate.

The dysfunctionality of the Raiders is, apparently, even more extensive. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/13/sports/football/las-vegas-raiders.html If you can't read it, it's in everything. Financial messups/no oversight. They failed to pay the electric bill and got the power cut off, in their temp offices right after the move. Overpaying their taxes, underpaying staff. Whistleblower violations. The story paints a picture of a complete train wreck.

Well, it's Mr. P. It's gotta be tough love, right?

That's because you watch the Bronco defense so much.

So, what, come Labor Day, you're buying the round for all of us?

That is awesome. The mechanism makes perfect sense, too. One of the links from that article is to this one: https://www.biospace.com/article/eli-lilly-deals-another-blow-to-diabetes-with-latest-fda-approval-/ And I also noted, at the bottom of that story, this: I note that it's a drug to help with relatively severe cases...sounds like it's a hospital-only treatment...but still, that's a start.

He'll know what's going on....but elucidating it well, that's not easy. (Kobe did a *great* after-the-fact breakdown....but doing it real-time is different.) By and large, tho, yes, it's his personality and delivery I question as well.

Possible, but he's already dumped enough out there that I'm not sure he can do much more damage. Plus, going to trial, they have a chance to refute; and if they win, they'll get more vindication. They may settle, I'll grant; they may also try to out-wait him. Not like this can come to trial any time soon. The Jags have the deeper pockets. Wikipedia notes that after being cut, the Steelers signed him to their practice squad...then cut him 10 days later. That may be for various reasons; the practice squads only have so many slots. But it doesn't look good. And if the Jags drag things out, then it's plausible there'll be more, similar results. Also, even showing that there's little or no interest, is easy to spin into "the guy can't perform." Players get cut, only to sign with other teams, all the time. OH, of note, looking at Lambo's stats for 2021....0-3 on FGs but 2 were 50+. But only 5-7 on extra points. Small sample size, granted, but that's downright bad. Plus according to PFT, and the CBA...he needed to go through arbitration first. That may not hold, but it gives the Jags another route to delay things, where they don't have to answer in open court. So who else missed THIS little tidbit? Fox isn't crying about Aikman and Buck leaving...no. They signed Brady to a 10 year, $375M contract. Yeah...$375M. For *broadcasting*...kicks in once he retires from the NFL. Will it pay off? Initially, I expect so; he'll create a massive amount of buzz. But he has to be a good analyst for it to stick. We'll see how that goes.

Stealing that video for a couple FB groups where Kopi Luwak comes up occasionally...

From what I'm reading, he's got very little chance. He alleges improper termination because he was a whistleblower...but he also went 0-3 on FGs in the opening weeks. He asserts that isn't meaningful because none caused a loss, but that's total BS to me. https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/12/sport/josh-lambo-jacksonville-jaguars-urban-meyer-spt-intl/index.html It feels like the defense is simple: player contracts are personal services contracts, and thus predicated on performance. 0-3 is unacceptable performance. Bye-bye. He might have a case if he could show the toxic workplace led to the performance issues...but that doesn't feel like it's germaine. Could easily be wrong there. I'm not defending Meyer or the Jags, just saying the guy's approach won't work. It shows, tho, that the scheduling methods create seriously uneven schedules. Because on that list...the 4 weakest schedules are the NFC East. Every division plays within the division, against another division in the conference, and against another division in the other conference...that's 14. SOS is based on winning from last season...it's easy to quickly count the games over/under .500 for each division. 3 weakest: AFC South, NFC North, and NFC East. The NFC East is playing...you got it...the AFC South and NFC North. The Ravens have the 23rd weakest schedule. They are the only team that low, that is NOT in the AFC South, NFC East, or NFC North.

Wouldn't change their dysfunction index any. But...nah....they don't have the cap space. Pity, that. In other news, watching Dallas eclipse the Suns...it's been 15+ for most of the game, it seems...and with the WNBA starting, Mark Jones made a side point. We've probably mostly forgotten...but Brittney Griner is still being held in Russia. It's approaching 3 months now. The detention is scheduled to end on the 19th...the 3 month mark...but she's scheduled to appear in court...tomorrow, I believe...and that court can extend the detention indefinitely. And is largely expected to. EDIT: the gentlest comments are that Harden's suffered from leg injuries, and simply general aging. The other end: he quit. Again. And he's got a player option for next year, for $47.4M. Which is probably $10-15M more than anyone else would give him. Joel Embiid has serious longevity questions of his own. He missed 2 full years with the foot problems; he actually played in the most games of his career this year, and still only played in 68. If Harden's still there next season? I'm not giving the Sixers any chance, especially if Harden's sticking them for the full tab. Harden's limitations have been consistent...low effort, low defense, generally ball heavy. Without the threats of the stepback, of the drive...he's got nowhere near enough to be a team's #1 or #2. Tomorrow night....mutual mugging, round 6. AKA Celts-Bucks.

And James Harden does it again. Embiid's been hurt. Danny Green suffered a knee injury that forced him to be carried off, knee elevated. No further word but he was obviously gone. So, facing elimination, Harden has to be The Man. In 43 minutes...9 FG attempts...total. 11 points. -16 overall rating. In the second half, for the first 22 minutes...1 shot. As a 1 point game turned into a 20 point blowout, before the Sixers made a bit of a run. Final margin was 9. Postgame, Jalen Rose offered a litany of Harden failures of effort, sloppy play, no defense...all of which have been cited over, and over, and over again. And this is the player that not one but 2 teams felt was the piece to get them over the top. Both are, of course, out. Max deal? I don't want him as a backup on a min contract. He's a total team wrecker. The only other player in his class is Kyrie.

Well, there are some bridges (over highways) quite near the stadium in Denver.

Oh boy...... Italian Open quarters. Nadal blitzes Shapovalov in the first, 6-1. Then, halfway through the second...his foot problem recurs. Shap takes the 2nd in a tiebreaker, then 6-2 in the third. In the post-match...one thing you have to give Rafa, he does NOT dodge questions. His foot is a serious, chronic, intermittent problem. His tone was very much suggesting, to me, that he *wants* to continue.......but whether he can, is by NO means a given. Can't practice some days. Couldn't play effectively today. And there's not much to be done. Not my opinion there...his own words. My take was, he's gonna continue to try....but also that, if it's not meant to be, that's OK. Makes me feel that the biggest mental hurdle stopping any athlete from retiring, may have already been passed. He also lost all the rating points...he won it last year. So it drops him to #5, with Alcaraz in the rear view mirror now. Which would also mean Nadal would no longer be the #1 ranked Spanish player. Probably the first time for that, barring periods he was injured.

I don't think the Seahawks had much choice with Wilson. The salary situation...they were actually $11M under the cap. Question was really, whether the rest of the roster was ready to compete. I'm also not sure they know the direction they want to take. It's also just very tough to stop a talent slide after a burst of high-level success. Winning consistently in modern American sports is RARE.

If the feds can pass one, then the states will sue on states' rights grounds, I expect. If such a bill DOES get passed and upheld, then.........I don't know. The Blue states aren't that uniform in the first place, and they're isolated from each other. Secession, or something like that? It doesn't feel practical. That said...remaining within a broken US may well feel equally non-viable VERY quickly. Oh, and I agree with LL. The Republicans aren't giving lip service. It's what they want to do. It may have *seemed* like lip service for a long time, but nope. They were way behind, so it appeared to be nothing but a talking point...but they've played a long game.

Whatever floats their boat...and can be used to sell tickets to the events around the induction. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame#Criticism BTW: Parton asked to be removed from the ballot, feeling she hadn't earned that right...I presume, in rock and roll. No one's going to dispute her stature in country music. She's in anyway.