#3rd down- 0 yards!

[justanechoflower]

Oh heya Frisk! Dunno if your my timelines Frisk but it's good to see ya.

Oh right names LLights. not sure if flowey told ya about me... And about' the thing I gave him.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This home looks like a rocket getting ready to take off, but the 1919 home is Art Deco and is located in Washington, DC. 3bds, 5ba, $1.995M.

The theme is white, black, & red. Look at this entrance hall. Some glass block, curves, and those shiny black floors.

This sitting room has lovely arches.

There are stairs going off to the right, lots of stairs and 3 levels.

There are also large red X's, as well. The living room is nice and airy- look at the glass walls. Unfortunately, the neighbor's fence at first looked like it was part of the decor.

The living room really looks like you're sitting on a porch.

The dining room is large and has a scalloped ceiling illuminated by wall sconce uplighting.

The kitchen has shiny black cabinetry, gray counters, and red accents.

It has a great bump-out Art Deco banquette.

Look at the amazing swirling stairs. We're looking down from the 3rd level balcony with a glass barrier.

The primary bedroom is large.

There's a walk-in closet.

And, it has this amazing en-suite.

Bedroom #2.

Cool red bath.

Bedroom #3 and its en-suite. This home has some cool baths.

There's a little desk area in the hall with a big X on the wall.

It looks like they started to build walls in the basement.

Small brick patio and yard.

https://www.trulia.com/home/1452-foxhall-rd-nw-washington-dc-20007-434905?mid=0#lil-mediaTab

[goldenarmyofficial]

🏆 SUPER BOWL SHOWDOWN – GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. EMERALD TITANS 🏆 - Part 1 : First Half

The Clash for Supremacy – First Half Play-by-Play

The tension in the stadium is unreal. The air crackles with anticipation as both teams line up under the blinding lights, their warriors locked in and ready for battle. The Golden Army roars from one side, a wave of black and gold, while the Emerald Titans' fans answer back in a sea of green.

Two teams. One title. No mercy.

The coin toss lands in favor of the Titans, who elect to receive the ball first.

🏈 1st Quarter – The War Begins

Kickoff – The First Blow

Daniel "Deadeye" (16) launches a perfect kick downfield. Trey "The Jet" (3), the Titans' dangerous return man, fields it cleanly. Ross "Lightning Feet" (10) charges forward, cutting off his angle. But Trey accelerates, slipping past one defender before—BOOM!—Brock "The Guardian" (46) blasts into him, sending the returner sprawling at the Titans' 30-yard line. The crowd erupts.

The first battle is won, but the war is just beginning.

The Titans’ First Drive – The Golden Bastion Holds

Xander "X-Factor" (12) steps onto the field, his emerald jersey gleaming under the lights. He barks out commands, scanning the Golden defense, looking for weaknesses.

On 1st & 10, DeShawn "Tank" (22) gets the handoff. He plows forward like a wrecking ball, but Trevor "The Immovable" (52) and Declan "The Crusher" (57) collapse the hole. Herc "The Gamebreaker" (28) charges in, delivering a crushing hit that halts DeShawn after a short 3-yard gain.

2nd & 7. Xander drops back. The pressure is instant—Ares "The Wrecking Ball" (29) storms off the edge, eyes locked on the quarterback. But Travis "Titan" (76) throws a brutal block, buying Xander a half-second. It's all he needs—he fires a laser pass to Jalen "Blitz" (4), who shakes off Kai "The Shadow" (9) and turns upfield.

Brock sprints in—Jalen cuts inside—BOOM!A bone-rattling collision, but Jalen barely crosses the first down marker.

The Titans grind their way to midfield, but on 3rd & 6, the Knights strike.

Xander tries to find Malik "Flash" (17) on a quick slant, but Herc explodes through the gap!

💥 SACK! Herc brings Xander down for a massive loss!

The Titans are forced to punt.

Golden Knights’ First Drive – The Gilded Legion Strikes

Brody "The General" (11) steps onto the field, eyes blazing. Across from him, Damien "The Fortress" (97) and Marcus "Ironclad" (54) stare him down.

1st & 10 – A Statement Play.Brody takes the snap. Maximus "The Indestructible" (70) crushes an oncoming blitzer, Hans "The Fortress" (69) and Briar "The Bulwark" (50) hold strong against the interior rush, and Brody has just enough time.

Brody launches deep to Ezan "The Speedster" (1)... but Corbin "The Sentinel" (31) reads it perfectly! He cuts underneath and nearly intercepts it—but Grayden "The Wild Card" (84) swoops in, stealing it in midair!

🔥 First down, Knights! The crowd erupts!

But the Titans' defense doesn’t break easily. Damien (97) and Marcus (54) lead a brutal charge, stuffing Chevy "The Bulldozer" (33) on back-to-back plays.

3rd & 9 – Brody steps back. Pressure coming. He needs one clean lane.

Maximus locks into Drone Mode. His footwork is perfect. His hands strike like steel. He holds the pocket.

Brody finds his moment. He sees Grayden. He throws.

Jalen leaps. Corbin dives.

🏈 Grayden reels it in! TOUCHDOWN, KNIGHTS!

🔥 7-0 GOLD! 🔥

🏈 2nd Quarter – Titans Answer Back

The Titans aren’t done. On the next drive, they go full force.

Xander commands the offense like a master tactician.

Quick slants to Jalen and Malik move the chains.

DeShawn bulldozes through Herc for a rare first-down run.

On 2nd & Goal, Xander fakes the handoff—bootlegs left—and fires a dart to Trey!

🏈 TOUCHDOWN, TITANS!

💚 7-7 TIE GAME! 💚

A Battle of Attrition – Defense Takes Over

The next few drives are trench warfare.

Maximus anchors the line, keeping Brody protected as he methodically moves the ball.

Khalil and Damien tighten their grip, shutting down Gold’s run game.

Herc and Ares continue to terrorize Xander, but the Titans QB stays composed.

With 4 minutes left before halftime, the Knights face 3rd & 12 near midfield. Brody sees Brock streaking downfield.

He fires deep—but Darius "The Phantom" (2) reads it perfectly!

💥 INTERCEPTION – EMERALD BALL! 💥

Titans Take the Lead

Xander capitalizes immediately.

Quick hits to Jalen and DeShawn bring the Titans to the red zone.

On 3rd & 5, Marcus (54) bulldozes through Declan (57), clearing a path for DeShawn.

Touchdown run.

💚 14-7 TITANS! 💚

The Golden Army falls silent.

Final Drive Before Halftime – Brody Responds

With 1:30 left, Brody goes into full command mode.

Short gains to Grayden and Chevy move the chains.

On 2nd & 4, Chad “The Bruiser” (24) sneaks out of the formation, makes a tough grab, and bulldozes ahead for a first down.

With 15 seconds left, Brody fires a strike to Ezan, who stretches out of bounds at the 20-yard line.

Field goal range.

Isaac (45) snaps it cleanly to Robert (12), who sets it perfectly. Daniel lines up… KICK IS GOOD!

🏆 HALFTIME SCORE: TITANS 14 ��� KNIGHTS 10 🏆

🔥 First Half Summary:

The Knights struck first.

The Titans answered and forced a critical turnover.

Both defenses are fighting tooth and nail.

⚔️ The battle is far from over. Who will rise in the second half?

🏆 Stay tuned for the conclusion of this epic war! 🏆🔥

[bearterritory]

WE'VE (still) GOT THE AXE!!!

THE BIG GAME … – Was first played on a field on the corner of Haight and Stanyan Streets in San Francisco on March 19, 1892, was played twice that year (also Dec. 17), and has been played every year since other than 1915-17 (World War I) and 1943-45 (World War II). – Was the first game played in both Stanford Stadium (Nov. 19, 1921) and California Memorial Stadium (Nov. 24, 1923) with the Golden Bears winning both contests (42-7, 9-0). – Is the sixth-longest active running series between two Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams and the second-longest in the West – The Golden Bears are going for their 4th win in a row over the Cardinal. Except for the pandemic season, Cal has held The Axe since 2019. – Has been decided on the final play five times including The Play - Cal's five-lateral, 57-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in 1982 to give the Bears a 25-20 victory that is arguably the most iconic moment in college football history.   SENIOR DAY – Cal is slated to honor 30 seniors in a pregame ceremony Saturday before their final game at California Memorial Stadium with the list including Mavin Anderson, Jake Arguello, Hunter Barth, Teddye Buchanan, Kadarius Calloway, Xavier Carlton, Ryan Coe, Ricky Correia, Collin Gamble, Trond Grizzell, Marcus Harris, Lu-Magia Hearns III, Dylan Jemtegaard, Liam Johnson, Jeffrey Johnson, Matthew Littlejohn, Will McDonald, David Reese, Rush Reimer, Chandler Rogers, Nate Rutchena, T.J. Session, Victor Stoffel, Josh Stovall, Derek Wilkins, Miles Williams, Myles Williams, Nohl Williams, Lachlan Wilson and Craig Woodson.   2004 TEAM 20-YEAR REUNION – Cal's 2004 team led by head coach Jeff Tedford will celebrate its 20-year reunion and be honored at the 2024 Big Game. The 2004 squad was one of the best in school history, finishing with a 10-2 record to equal a school record in victories and ranking ninth in the final national polls.     CAL … – Will become bowl eligible with its next victory in 2024 to mark the first time Cal has been bowl eligible in back-to-back seasons since 2018 and 2019. – Despite its .500 record Cal has outscored opponents 283-207, with its five wins coming by an average of 20.6 points per game and its five losses by an average of 3.4 points per contest. – Features the ACC's top scoring defense (20.7 ppg) that is allowing 12.1 points per game fewer than the 32.8 it allowed in 2023. – Shares the national lead with 17 interceptions and is among the country's top 15 in a total of five team categories related to turnovers, also including turnover margin (3rd, +14, +1.40 per game), turnovers gained (T6th, 22), fumbles lost (T7th, 2) and turnovers lost (T13th, 8). – Is ranked in the top 40 nationally in a total of 19 team categories, including rushing defense (15th, 105.2 ypg), completion percentage (15th, 67.6), team sacks (17th, 2.90 spg), defensive touchdowns (T17th, 2), net punting (20th, 41.77 avg), blocked kicks (T20th, 2), team passing efficiency defense (21st, 112.88), punt return defense (24th, 4.46 ypr), passing offense (25th, 273.8 ypg), passes had intercepted (T29th, 6), scoring defense (33rd, 20.7 ppg), third-down conversion percentage defense (T33rd, 34.5%) and kickoff returns (T36th, 22.00). – Is 7-1-2 in the turnover battle with its first loss of the season against Syracuse when the Bears threw two interceptions and did not force any takeaways for only the fourth time in their last 48 contests.

[betterbooktitles]

Because I was taller than everyone else on my fifth-grade baseball team, my strike zone was slightly larger than most. That fact alone must have led to a few more pitches going unanswered when I was at bat. It also didn’t help that I was deathly afraid of the ball.

My dad, not the biggest sports enthusiast, took the time in the evenings after work both during and after baseball season to toss small plastic whiffle balls (about a 6th of the size of a regular baseball) at me that I would then swat a sad few feet from where we stood in the front yard. He was always in his dress clothes, and as the sun set behind him, it felt like everyone in our neighborhood was hiding inside during our 10-minute drill.

“Keep your eye on the ball.” he’d say before underhand tossing the practice pitch, having no idea the reason I had watched the last 9 strikes in one game pass the plate in front of me wasn’t an inability to see the ball coming, but the exact opposite: I saw it flying right at me and was frozen by fear.

Recently, I found the baseball cards they’d made for our rec teams. There I am smiling, bat in hand, not an inkling of fear on my face since I was staring down a camera and not a pitcher. The back of the cards featured my weight, height, and various stats, including 0 RBIs. The more impressive numbers reported: I had jumped from 5’1” to 5’11” over three summers.

Being tall at 12, and remaining relatively tall until most kids caught up with me in high school, had its advantages. I played center in basketball and rarely had to jump for a rebound, I was a decent first baseman because I wasn’t afraid of a ball when I had a mitt to catch it in, and adults, simply by virtue of my being the same size as them, mistakenly talked to me as if I were a peer. 

“The problem with this fucking place…” the new head of my community theater confided in me as I sat in the box office and handed a parent her change, “is there are too many chefs!” My new boss kept her flat black hair short and wore fat earrings. She was in her mid-50s and had been given the job after the board fired her friend and colleague of 15 years from the same position. Our new leader had spent much of her career teaching children how to sing in harmony, not fundraising and attending advertising meetings, and she was adjusting. I was 11 or 12, hearing an adult woman vent for the first time about what I had assumed was a nice promotion.

“It’s like that pasta fundraiser we did,” she continued, “Everyone brought in a sauce from home, but imagine if we had mixed them all together? You bring your grandma’s famous recipe in and dump it in with a bunch of Ragu, what does it taste like? It all tastes like Ragu, you know?”

I nodded as if I knew. “I get you.” I said, speaking slowly so my voice didn’t crack. I had recently visited New Orleans and had tried to yell something funny at my family while crossing the street, and out came a high-pitched whistle instead. A man in a suit walking past us mirthfully smiled to himself, knowing exactly what had happened. Since then, I remained cognizant of how deep I needed to keep my voice to not slip. Plus I wanted this woman to keep speaking to me like a coworker. “You don’t want to be watered down.”

“Yes. It’s like that. Imagine that for every person who brought in Ragu, someone else brought in a bottle of piss to mix in. That’s what the board meetings are like. Their ideas are like piss mixed into a pasta sauce.”

I giggled and quickly cleared my throat before saying in a deep voice: “Tell me about it.”

The disadvantage of tallness was that from 3rd to 6th grade, it was assumed that I could do everything myself. They started asking for tall guy favors. Tiny teachers asked me to retrieve supplies from high shelves and old ladies I didn’t know stopped me on the street and asked me to help carry their groceries from their cars. No one was worried about a boy who looked 18 at age 11, but that also meant I had to desperately seek out the right friends if I wanted to talk about Pokémon and anime instead of someone asking if I could buy them porn or cigarettes or firecrackers. Still, like many kids, I wanted to be older than I was and I relished my tall kid privilege. I walked to the mall alone, I walked into R-rated movies without anyone on staff stopping me, and I stood outside the back entrance of my community theater where the director and crew members smoked cigarettes and talked to them about their love lives. Never in my life did older people cover their mouths after they swore or steer conversations away from sex at the sight of me. 

This early independence may have been what my parents wanted.

“We treated you like little adults even though we knew we weren’t supposed to.” My mom revealed to me on a recent trip to see my family in North Carolina. In the open-concept house down the street from where my brother settled after college, we reminisced about Cleveland from afar, my brother chiming in periodically to say how our old neighborhood had changed for the better, what buildings had been demolished and rebuilt because they were a lost cause. Schools had been turned into suburban developments, dilapidated gyms became giant complexes for rec soccer leagues, and a bunch of fuck-up alcoholics we’d known in school had become successful lawyers (who still drank too much).

“We let you decide where we ate and what sports you played,” my Mom continued, “you weren’t supposed to let kids decide all that, even in the 90s.” 

My dad, half-awake in a recliner, said that when he told a friend how he used to leave his 11-year-old alone to make sure his 8-year-old son got the school bus on time every morning, and the friend said that practice was tantamount to child abuse. Whatever trauma I experienced from having time alone with my brother (?) fails to compare to how I feel about adults who spoke to me from age 10-15. 

By the time I was a teenager, I’d fully accepted my early adulthood. When I wasn’t playing a sport or acting in a play, my number one hobby was taking a John Updike book (sorry) to a coffee shop. I frequented a place within walking distance of my house in Cleveland called Talkies. I sat at the front bar with my book and ate a second lunch at 3 PM. I talked to random people sipping coffee and smoking cigarettes inside. One was a researcher at Case Western who studied molecular biology. He seemed to know no one in Cleveland except me and the baristas. Another guy was a white dude with dreadlocks, a gifted actor who bussed tables at the fancy restaurant next door. Every barista was a 20-something woman who told me about their various trysts in graphic detail. Multiple times the men offered me cigarettes or to split a joint outside. No wonder it took me years to finish one of the Rabbit novels. I was soaking up more than enough adult content in my real life than any book could offer.

The oddest encounter occurred at a hotel in Annapolis, Maryland when I was 15...

Read the rest here.

[worldismyne]

Piper Ch 1

Rating: T

Pairing: Harv/Finn

Summary:There is a common misconception that witches steal children. The reason why varies depending on who you ask.

The truth is, when people don't want their children in Cailburry, they'll leave them in the forest and wash their hands of them.

This time, Finn found one.

(Takes place during Finn's 3rd/4th year at WU)

Ao3 link

Finn hated going into the garden by himself, especially at night. He knew, logically, that the rose bushes were no longer looming towers and Hevvin was too afraid to be lurking between them anymore. All the logic in the world did little against the clamor of his heart every time he had to venture more than a foot away from the front door. Mother had a headache and the garbage needed to be taken out, so if he didn't want the kitchen to smell in the morning he needed to venture outside.

He lugged the indoor bin to the refuse heap where their discarded food slowly decomposed into a soil mother used for the gardens. Every light in the house was left on, but couldn't reach the far end of the yard where Finn had to walk. Dewy roses in the shadows always made a chill run down his spine. He dumped out the bin as quickly as he could when something shiny in the brush caught his eye. It was too slick to be one of the yellow roses, too pink to be a stone. Not that mother kept any stones in the flower beds anyway.

He grabbed a spade and tentatively poked it. It was soft, pitting under the pressure of the blade, with something hard underneath the surface. He recoiled, expecting something to jump out or run away. Nothing happened. He nudged it again with the space, this time rocking the mass forward. When it rolled back, more of it fell into the light. Finn immediately dropped the spade. There were few times he'd risk injuring himself to fish something out of the bushes. This was one of those times.

-0-

Harv was used to Finn having a very loose understanding of things like personal boundaries and time. Getting strange phone calls at all hours of the day was a common occurrence, especially when they had a day off from school and Finn was bored. That night Finn was in the middle of working on his midterm assignment, some kind of memorization thing. There was absolutely no reason Finn would want to call in the middle of the night, long after Harv's family had turned in for the evening.

"Can humans drink goat milk?" Finn had asked before Harv could ask him why he was even awake.

"Yes Finn, I- You know my family sells goat milk to people." Harv was ready to hang up the phone, but Finn started talking again.

"But, like, can babies have it?"

"...yeah, if you water it down and cook it." Harv groaned, longing to be asleep again. "Why?"

"I might need a few cups until the lost and found opens up. Someone dropped their baby while walking in the woods." Harv sat up, alarmed and fully awake.

"What do you mean someone 'dropped their baby'?"

"Well, I just assume that's what happened." Finn sighed at him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She was naked and covered in dirt. I don't imagine that happens if you're keeping an eye on where your baby is. It was disgusting. When I was done hosing her off, there was white stuff stuck in her hair. It took three rounds of soap to get it out."

"You really shouldn't use soap on a newborn, Finn." Harv started gathering some of Puck's old stuff. The more Finn told him, the more sick to his stomach he felt. People normally wouldn't leave a newborn baby in that state if they wanted people to find them.

"Well, I wasn't just going to leave her covered in dirt and cheese, Harvey. I'm not a monster."

"I'm coming over." Harv filled a jar of milk and an old swaddle. "If she cries again, just give her something to suck on, like your knuckle." He wasn't sure what all Finn might need to know, given Finn had zero experience taking care of younger siblings. He could only imagine how much Finn would freak out if he had to change a nap. Was the baby even wearing one right now?

"She hasn't made a peep the whole time, but okay, weirdo."

"I'm not-" Harv paused loading up the basket. "She didn't cry when you were bathing her?"

"No, slept through the whole thing." That wasn't good. "Was she supposed to?"

"I'll be there in twenty minutes." He hung up the phone and rushed to the cart.

-0-

Harv pulled up to the large house in the woods, a warm glow coming from the downstairs window. Before he got a chance to knock on the large double doors, Finn had opened the small entrance to the home and lifted a single finger to his lips, his other hand pressed to his chest.

"Mother's sleeping." Finn gestured for him to come inside.

"You didn't-" He received a sharp glare from Finn and lowered his voice. "You didn't wake her up for this?"

"No? Mother has a strict 'outside things stay outside' policy." Harv gave him a mortified look. "I'm not completely useless in a crisis, I can handle a tiny human for twelve hours." Finn rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him. "...but I'm glad you're here, I kinda need to use the bathroom." Harv looked all over the living room. There was a huge mess of blankets on the couch, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Where..." Harv turned and saw Finn open up the strange robe he was wearing and realized Finn's hand wasn't pressed against his chest, but holding the baby. As soon as her pale skin was exposed to the outside air, dark red spiderwebs spread across it. She was smaller than a head of lettuce with a puff of auburn hair. She didn't shiver or make a face, but she was breathing. Finn handed the unswaddled baby over to Harv and ran to the bathroom. Harv wrapped her in a blanket, but the webbing continued to spread up her cheeks. She couldn't keep herself warm. "Finn, how long has she been sleeping?" Finn popped his head out as he washed his hands.

"I don't know, a few hours." He dried his hands and came back into the room. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Finn, I don't know how to tell you this, but feeble babies usually don't..." He bit his lip. "If she doesn't eat, there's nothing we can do." She wasn't reacting to the sound of their voices or touch, but Finn scooped her up none the wiser and put her back against his chest. The warmth of his skin chased away the chill and the mottling in her cheeks disappeared.

"Then get her milk ready."

There was no telling how long she'd gone without food or when she was born, but Harv knew what his brothers looked like and all of them were twice her size and loud. Sleeping babies didn't latch to a bottle or breast. You couldn't just make a baby eat before they were ready. But Finn was insistent and there really was no harm heating up milk just to throw it in the trash.

Harv boiled a small batch on the stove in heavy silence, then poured the milk into a jar and ran it under a cold stream of water until it was a safe temperature to drink. He poured the milk into a small wooden boat called a pap. When he came back into the living room, Finn was cycling through scenes on the crystal ball.

They both tried to offer her the pap. Her mouth was slightly open, but she wouldn't latch or suckle. Neither the smell of the milk or a drop on her lips got her to move.

"Finn..." Harv didn't know what else to say. Finn dipped his finger in the milk and put a drop on her tongue. It rolled down and finally she closed her tiny jaw and gave a weak swallow.

"She's eating." Finn insisted, hoping to inspire confidence, but his expression was far grimmer. "Go get mother."

-0-

Just like Finn had feared, he was in trouble for dragging some strange thing in from outside, even if it was a baby. He had explained to both her and Harv how he'd gone outside to take out the trash and found her in the rose bushes. At first, he thought the unicorn had gone and left one of his 'presents', but when he realized what it was, he couldn't in good conscience just leave her there.

"If I had a nickel for every time a dying kid ended up in my roses..." Leenan said. "What? I'd only have two, but it's weird it happened twice. I mean, the trash can was right there."

"Mother!" Finn knew his mom had a dark sense of humor, but Harv was not used to hearing such horrible things said for the sake of levity. Besides that, it was becoming clearer that she had not just been dropped, but purposefully left behind. Finn understood not wanting to deal with children, but not to this extent. He had managed to get a few drops of milk in her, but after a while, it was too hard for her to close her mouth and she had fully fallen asleep again. "Is there a spell or something you have that could make her better?" Finn said. Leenan sighed and sank into her chair.

"If she was sick, maybe, but she's not. She's just tiny and weak." Leenan said. Finn looked to Harv. He dealt with small living things all the time, but he also seemed to be of the opinion their options were limited. No lost and found or whatever peasants called it would take a child that couldn't eat. "We can keep trying to get her to eat little bits every few hours and hope she finds the energy; other than that, the best thing you can do is keep her warm." Leenan said with a shrug. Finn looked down at the little puff of hair that peaked through the folds of his robes, denial creeping back in. He had seen her swallow. There was still a chance they could make her eat. "You know, Finn didn't eat the first day either." Leenan recalled with a sad smile. "Then he vomited up this clear stuff, next thing I know he's hungry. So, there's still time." He knew she was trying to be comforting, but still.

"Must you embarrass me in front of my friend?"

"It's the middle of the night, you'll be lucky if that's the worst that happens." Leenan warned sternly. "Now then, let's get some tea going, hunh?" She went into the kitchen to grab the kettle and froze. Dirty towels and other gross things had been tossed around the floor and sink. "Finn did you put that baby in the good saucepan!?"

"Where else was I supposed to put her?" Finn shouted back. "She'd sink in the tub!" He heard the pan get tossed in the trash with the linens. "Well, don't throw it away if it's ruined, what if she gets dirty again?" Finn said. Harv pat him on the knee.

"I'll handle the cleanup." Harv could tell this was going to be a long and stressful night. At least they didn't have school to worry about tomorrow. They'd try to feed her again in an hour and hopefully at some point get some rest.

-0-

Finn had dozed off on the couch sometime after sunrise, having been unable to get the baby to take more than a few drops at a time, when suddenly a small sound came from under his robe. It was so quiet and short, Harv thought at first that a cat or a bird had wandered into the yard outside. A few minutes later, another short peep, more of a grunt then a cry. Finn was sleeping through it, but Harv wondered if finally the baby had woken up. He opened the front of Finn's robe and the small babe scrunched up her face and peeped again. As soon as Harv tried to lift her off Finn's chest, there was a hand on his wrist, and Finn sniffed as he woke up.

"What, what happened?"

*peep*

He looked down, shocked.

"I've never heard a baby cry like that, but maybe..." Harv tilted the pap to her lips, both of them too scared to move her. Finally, she took a full swallow of milk. She smacked her lips and stuck out her tongue, unable to root or open her eyes, but hoping another drink was out there waiting.

"Thank god." Finn was too exhausted to cry. She fell asleep after three swallows of milk, but it was more than she'd taken in twelve hours.

"Will you finally hand her over and get some sleep?" Harv asked. Finn looked down at her.

"You're going to hold her, right? You're not going to put her down?" Harv nodded, but Finn was still guarded. "Cause she starts changing colors if she's not on another person, I don't like it."

"I'll hold her the whole time, I promise." Finn sat up and carefully moved her from his chest for the first time in hours.

"Open your tunic."

"What, why?"

"Well, if you're not going to do it right, I'll just..." He went to sit back down.

"No, I'll do it. I just can't really." He lowered the neck of his shirt and Finn slipped her down his front. "Why's this so important?"

"She changes color less against skin." Finn said and yawned. He laid down on the couch, too tired to make the journey upstairs to his own room. Besides, part of him was terrified if he wasn't in the same room as her, she'd disappear or cry the whole time. He didn't want to risk it. He couldn't fight sleep any longer and drifted off as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Harv sighed, and leaned back in the chair, unable to do much now that he was stuck being a baby bed for the next hour or so. He felt her warm back up from the journey from one chest to the other. She opened and closed one of her hands, a single nail scratched gently against his chest. Her tiny breaths synced up with his, and each time seemed deeper and fuller than the last. When he accidentally held his breath too long, so would she. Weak as she was, she was listening to them. She was aware.

His time raising animals had taught him to try and be realistic, to not get too attached to a baby who'd yet to make it a hundred days out of the womb. It was easy to say Finn was being too stubborn when she was just a lump in his robe. It was harder to stay objective with her sleeping on top of him like this.

"If you don't keep eating, Finn's gonna kill me." Harv murmured. She moved her hand closer to her face.

[bisluthq]

buckle up, this will be a LONG ONE. american football 101 from nfl anon. this is kinda all over the place and might not even be 100% accurate but this is just from 2 seasons of watching.

okay so the clock usually runs when they start a play (that is: offense is lined up, they have like 15-20 seconds or something to snap the ball - snapping the ball is when the big guy in the middle (an olineman, the center) throws the ball in between his legs to the quarterback. once they’ve done that, the clock starts ticking. it stops everytime the play ends: that can happen when they fail to move the ball 10 yards (this give them a new set of down: they have 4 in total, they have to get it to the 10 yard line by the 3rd), the defense can intercept the ball (that is when they catch it - they can take it to the house - this is called a pick 6), or if the offense manages to get a touchdown. they usually let the clock run when they’re getting into positions too (like when the offense is lining up). basically: when there’s active play happening, the clock is going. they can reset the clock when a call has been overturned (refs throw a flag and call a penalty) i’m pretty sure. each team has 3 timeout in a half (this is 30 seconds) - they will usually save their timeouts till the end, this helps manage the clock (basically: they throw the ball, immediately call a timeout, clock stops, they line up again, throw, timeout). i don’t fully understand it either but just remember that when active play is happening, the clock runs but they keep stopping it when teams switch for example. one fun thing teams can do: if they are within 2 minutes (meaning 2 minutes on the clock) and they are in the lead, if they can get the ball to the fieldgoal line (on the others team side, i think at the 45 yard line or something) they can kneel 3 times - kneeling basically gives up a play, like i said, they have 4 down, the 4th kneel would give the ball over, they can kneel to win the game. the clock will literally run down to 0 with them already having won the game. this confused the fuck out of me at first, still does ngl.

tackling: well this is still kinda foreign to me but there are rules. the defense will be doing the tackling. each person on the defense has a position. there’s the d line (chris jones on the chiefs for example is a defensive lineman - he puts pressure on the qb by rushing, the oline which is the other teams offensive line is there to stop that from happening), there are the corners which as the fast guys, they are basically the wide receivers of the defense, they are there to outrun the receivers and stop them from catching the ball. there are also safeties who help stop passes just like corner and they also help stop the run game (run game is when they run the ball - barkley on the eagles is like the n1 running back currently). there are linebackers who basically do the same thing, they help the defensive line stop the running back but they also help stop passes. there are many duel positions in the nfl, both on the defense and offense. back to tackling. basically if you have the ball, the defense can do anything to stop you, within reason - they can’t be unnecessarily rough (for example: if the player is down: their knees are on the ground while having possession of the ball, meaning they have a strong grip on it). if the defense runs into someone when they didn’t need to, that’s a penalty. they also can’t hold onto players, that’s pass interference. they also can’t put their hands on the other players facemask, that’s always a penalty. they have to be careful about how they tackle the wb because roughing the passer is an automatic first down for the other team i’m pretty sure. they need to get the player to either drop the ball (they are allowed to hit it out of their hand and take it too) or they have to take them down with it. they can’t hold onto players for a long time tho, they well blow the play.

offsides is anything literally off to the side of the field. there are lines draw up, if you step outside with the ball, they will mark you right where you stepped out, the rest won’t count for yards. if both of your feet (i’m serious) are not in bounds, your catch will not count! if you look up the ravens vs chiefs game from the 2024 season, the racens tight end caught the ball in the endzone but his toes were on the line so it didn’t count as a touchdown. you have to have both feet down, in bounds, otherwise it doesn’t count.

onto passing: anyone can throw to anyone, anywhere pretty much but there positions for these. the quarterback is the one that always throws the ball (they are allowed to run with it too though if they see an opening). they have to be in the pocket (imagine an actual pocket around the qb, it’s like a square in which they can move around in but they have to try to throw it within that pocket because the oline is holding the pocket - if you’re out, the dline WILL tackle you or push out out bounds, this is why qbs will just run for the first down atp if they can). but yeah, travis has thrown balls, they can pass to each other to further the play. if they know they will be tackled but a teammate is close by, they can throw him the ball (this is called a lateral, very underused trick because it’s extremely risky…these players don’t practise throwing the ball so it could easily result in an interception).

who make up the offense and the defense? well, let’s go through the basics: the most important player in the offense is the quarterback. they tell the players the plays (basically: andy reid is the headcoach of the cheifs - he draws up the plays, what this means is that he comes up eith formations, think of it as a dance - you go here, you go here. every play has a name, it’s always some nonsense like zebra cage 123 left pinky going sideways, these are codenames for each position, one tells the tight end how to line up and where to run, the other word tells the wide reciever what do etc). if you look carefully, theres a little screen on the qbs arm, this thing kinda tells them what to do, they also have speakers inside their helmets, this is how the headcoach can communite with them, they tell them what to do exactly. the qb has to memorize all of these codesnames and help the team line up. you will sometimes see a play not start and hear the qb yell something, this happens when the players are not lined up correctly. moving on to wide receivers: just how their name suggests, they are the guys who run very fast and can catch the ball from a wide distance. when you see insane plays like guys catching a ball from the other side of the field, it’s most likely a wide receiver. then there’s the tight end which is what travis is. this is the best example of a dual position. they line up close to the wide receivers and run similar routes. they block and the catch the ball. they are usually bigger than an average wide receiver for this exact reason. sometimes you’ll see travis not catch a ball for almost an entire game - this doesn’t mean he’s not playing, he’s just helping other teammates by pushing the defensive players out of the way or making way for the rusher - this is blocking. then there’s the running back - they are responsible for running the ball. they can catch it too but their main job is to take the ball off the qb and run with it (this is the closest position to a rugby player i think). the there are the offline lineman which are: center (snaps the ball, also blocks, probably the most important oline position), right and left tackle (on the right and left side of the pocket - if they are shit, like the chiefs tackles are, the pocket collapses and the qb gets sacked), there are also guards on either side of the center. onto the defense. there’s the dline aka defensive line - they rush the qb and they also try to sack him. there are the corners like i mentioned, safeties etc. they all basically do the same thing which is to try to limit the offense to mininal points by not allowing touchdowns. their job is to hold them to fieldgoals.

ok this legit helped me understand but it is still confusing. I might ask more questions next season and watch some more games because I do want to try understand this mostly because I... like understanding things lol and I really felt with this SB game like I understood fuck all. I get it a bit better now. The passing and tackling and stoppage time were most confusing to me because the rules are very different in rugby (in rugby, stoppage only happens for injuries/going back on ref calls, anyone can pass but ONLY backwards and anyone can run with the ball but again can only pass backwards - you can run forward with the ball but you can only throw it to players behind you, there are offsides but they're a little more clear cut and usually the other team just throws it in (the teams line up and one guy is thrown into the air to catch it usually), and you can tackle anyone who has the ball (which again can be anyone) but you can't hold them down or punch them or bite them (this has happened and players get sent off for it) or anything else unreasonable to prevent them from getting rid of the ball - which they can do by passing to someone else if possible or the ref calls for it goes into a scrum where the two teams line up for the ball in, well, a scrum where the ball is in the middle and the guys fight for it and whichever side gets it... gets it, they also don't wear all this crazy gear so it's for the most part a bit more violent although there are rules against active violence/trying to hurt one another)

[bongaboi]

Travis Hunter: 2024 Heisman Trophy Winner

Six days after 12 teams were selected to compete for a national title in the College Football Playoff, a different kind of college football honor was handed out.

The Heisman Trophy is college football’s most hallowed individual achievement, with even the trophy itself — depicting a player throwing a stiff arm — standing as a central element of the sport’s mythology.

This week, four college football standouts — Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Miami’s Cam Ward — headed to New York with dreams of becoming the latest player to join a list featuring some of the sport’s most iconic figures. Ultimately, though, only one of them was able to leave Manhattan with the trophy.

Colorado’s Travis Hunter was presented with the 2024 Heisman Trophy during a ceremony Saturday night in New York.

Hunter won the award after putting together a season with few, if any, peers in modern college football history.

The Georgia native and Jackson State transfer did a little bit of everything for the Buffaloes while leading them to a 9-3 record in their second season under coach Deion Sanders. Hunter played both offense and defense, logging a total of 1,360 snaps during the 2024 season despite missing the second half of Colorado’s games against Kansas State and Arizona with an injury.

Hunter had emerged as the sizable betting favorite in recent weeks, with the most recent odds from BetMGM putting him at -2500 to take home the award. Ashton Jeanty, at +1000, had the next-best odds.

The possibility of winning the Heisman followed Hunter for much of the season as he racked up seven games with at least 100 receiving yards and five games with a forced turnover. He regularly struck the Heisman pose after making a big play, beginning with a September 28 win at UCF after coming down with an acrobatic interception.

As the Heisman race seemingly came down to Hunter and Jeanty, Hunter’s coaches and teammates routinely touted his candidacy. After Hunter had an interception and three touchdown receptions in Colorado’s 52-0 victory against Oklahoma State on November 29, Sanders said his two-way star “clinched” the coveted award.

“You’ve never seen it before,” Sanders said. “He’s the best player in college football. You can find ways to hate and criticize him and you won’t come out of that looking professional because now you’re just searching for something, like the idiots was talking about with the (Jim) Thorpe (Award) that I guess he didn’t have enough tackles. Well, if a cornerback has a lot of tackles, that means they caught a lot of balls. It’s just stupid. Travis Hunter proved today and he proved every week that he’s the best player in college football.

“You’ve got to give me another definition of the award. The award is to go to who? The best quarterback? I don’t know how you could be voted in every category in some sort. I think he’s up for best offensive player, best defensive player, best receiver. Who else has done that ever?”

Hunter is the second Heisman winner in Colorado history, joining the late Rashaan Salaam, who won the award in 1994.

Heisman voting results 2024 Hunter won with 2,231 total points, as compared to Jeanty, who finished with 2,017 points. The 214-point difference is the smallest margin of victory since Alabama running back Mark Ingram beat out Stanford RB Toby Gerhart in 2009.

Here's the full points total, including first-place votes:

1st place: Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter (2,231 points, 552 first-place votes) 2nd place: Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (2,017 points, 309 first-place votes) 3rd place: Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel (516 points, 24 first-place votes) 4th place: Miami QB Cam Ward (229 points, six first-place votes) 5th place: Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo (170 points, three first-place votes) 6th place: Army QB Bryson Daily (69 points, three first-place votes) 7th place: Penn State Tyler Warren (52 points, one first-place vote) 8th place: Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders (47 points, one first-place vote) 9th place: Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke (22 points, two first-place votes) 10th place: Syracuse QB Kyle McCord (nine points) Travis Hunter stats During his Heisman-winning season, Hunter truly did it all for Colorado.

As a wide receiver on offense, he finished with 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. Hunter ranks fifth among FBS players in receptions, sixth in receiving yards and second in touchdown receptions. He also has a rushing touchdown.

While playing for a coach who’s arguably the greatest defensive back in the history of football, Hunter excelled as a cornerback, as well, recording 11 pass breakups and four interceptions, ranking him first and second, respectively, among all Big 12 players. He had a forced fumble, as well, which allowed his team to hold on for an overtime victory against Baylor on Sept. 21.

Heisman Trophy finalists' stats Here's a look at the stats of the four Heisman Trophy finalists in 2024:

Travis Hunter Offense: 92 catches, 1,152 yards, 14 touchdowns; two carries, five yards, one touchdown Defense: 31 tackles, 11 pass breakups, four interceptions, one forced fumble Ashton Jeanty Rushing: 344 carries, 2,497 yards, 29 touchdowns, 7.3 yards per carry Receiving: 20 catches, 116 yards, one touchdown Dillon Gabriel Passing: 297 of 406 passing (73.2%), 3,558 yards, 8.8 yards per attempt, 28 touchdowns, six interceptions Rushing: 63 carries,192 yards, seven touchdowns Cam Ward Passing: 293 of 435 passing (67.4%), 4,123 yards, 9.5 yards per attempt, 36 touchdowns, seven interceptions Rushing: 58 carries, 196 yards, four touchdowns Receiving: One catch, 7 yards, one touchdown Heisman Trophy winners Here’s a look at the past 10 Heisman Trophy winners, with Saturday’s honoree becoming the latest inclusion on the list:

For full list of winners, click here.

2024: WR/CB Travis Hunter, Colorado 2023: QB Jayden Daniels, LSU 2022: QB Caleb Williams, USC 2021: QB Bryce Young, Alabama 2020: WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama 2019: QB Joe Burrow, LSU 2018: QB Kyler Murray, Oklahoma 2017: QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma 2016: QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville 2015: RB Derrick Henry, Alabama

[justjarminsports]

NFL Week 8, Winner and Losers

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Nick Wass

By: BenJarmin Munguia

Date: October 29th, 2024

It's that time of the week again—who made it on the list—the good, the bad, the very ugly, and the very surprising. Week 8 this season had its own surprises. Let's see who made the list.  

Winner

Jameis Winston.

The Cleveland Browns' season has not gone the way they had hoped. They are 2-6 on the season and lost their starting quarterback to an Achilles injury. Nobody had an open thought that they would beat the Baltimore Ravens. 

But… that's precisely what happened; Winston led the Browns to the promised land and knocked off their divisional rivals 24-29. Winston threw for 3 touchdowns and 334 yards during Cleveland's victory; this also marked the first game of the season for the Browns that they scored over 20 points this season This doesn't make the Browns playoff contenders, but it puts a little highlight in their season,

Winner

Jacoby Brissett 

The New England Patriots hosted quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets in a classic AFC East showdown. New England rookie quarterback Drake Maye went out early in the game due to a concussion, leaving Jacoby Brissett under center. 

Brissett took control of the Patriots when needed, completing 15 of his 24 passes for 132 yards, as the Patriots snapped their six-game losing streak and defeated the New York Jets at home 22-25. The Jets' losing streak increased to five games. It's unsure at this time if Maye will be healthy enough to start next week for the Patriots.

Winner 

Jayden Daniels 

Daniels has certainly cemented his case as offensive rookie of the year. Daniels threw a hail mary that was completed to Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown as they upset and shocked the Chicago Bears 18-15. The Bears were down 12-0 before rallying back their last three drives, scoring touchdowns.

This is a moment that will last a lifetime for the rookie quarterback, but it also puts the Washington Commanders in first place in the NFC East at 6-2.

Winner

Kyle Shanahan at finding running backs

Once again, the 49ers' starting running back, Jordan Mason, left in the 1st quarter due to a shoulder injury; Mason has done very well in filling in the injured Christian McCaffery, scoring 3 touchdowns and averaging 5 yards per carry with over 600 yards this season, Mason has done a stellar, job, but hurt his shoulder and never came back during the 49ers matchup vs. the Dallas Cowboys, which the running game was put in the hands of Issac Gurendo. 

Gurendo rushed for 85 yards on 14 carries and a key touchdown during the 49ers victory over the Cowboys 30-24, Gurendo even hauled in 3 catches for 17 yards. The rookie out of Louisville answered when the 49ers needed it and was a big part of the 49er's victory.

Losers 

Tennessee Titans 

The Titans became the first team this season to give up 50 points, being embarrassed by the Detroit Lions 52-14. What seemed like a promising game in the first quarter turned disastrous. Detroit outscored Tennessee 38-0 after being tied 14-14 in the second quarter. 

Tennessee is now 1-6 and dead last in the AFC. Perhaps it's time to consider drafting a quarterback in the first round.

Losers

Chicago Bears

Chicago looked like a different team on Sunday, losing to the Washington Commanders in hail mary fashion 15-18, but the Bears have had opportunities to win.

In the fourth quarter, on 3rd and goal from the Commander's 2-yard line, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus thought it was a good idea to hand off the ball to their rookie center, who then fumbled the ball at the goal line, which resulted in a turnover, Better off kicking a field goal on 3rd and goal.

The stinger is that Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was caught taunting a Commanders fan just before the Hail Mary. Perhaps he was focused on the field; after all, there were a few more seconds left on the game clock. 

It's not over till it's over.

Losers

Cincinnati Bengals. 

Cincinnati has lost every home game this season, and its season is in jeopardy. After their perfect opening drive against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the Bengals seemed to pack up and leave, being outscored 34-10.

The Bengals are even at risk of being in last place. They are currently just a game and a half ahead of the Browns, who beat the Ravens on Sunday. 

Losers

New York Giants 2-point attempt.

The 2 point conversion play definitely reminded me of when the Indianapolis Colts tried to pull the infamous fake punt that was a disaster, Don't need more to say,  

Not sure if this does top the Colts fake punt, but

[theuiucollegian]

A Unique Opportunity for Upper Iowa Football

Written by: Hayden Sathe, UIU Collegian Staff

Written on 9/5/2024

294 days since Peacock football but the long wait is over and gameday has finally arrived. On Friday morning, the Peacocks hit the road for an 8-hour bus ride to Indianapolis for their season opener versus the Butler Bulldogs. Looking to be the first team in program history to beat a Division 1 football team. This is a fun trip for the whole team, traveling to a big city and getting to play in a Division 1 stadium. During the season, road trips are the only time that players can get out of Fayette, enjoy a trip, be able to walk to different restaurants, and play football.

The Upper Iowa University Peacocks are coming off a 3-8 season, going 1-6 in Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) play. Led by 4th-year head coach Jason Hoskins, the Peacocks have high hopes heading into their second season in the GLVC. The offense is led by junior tight end Eddie Burgess. In 2023, Burgess started all 11 games and had 43 receptions for 616 yards with 8 touchdowns. Burgess was named first team all-conference and was an All-American honorable mention. He was ranked the #2 tight end in Division 2 football and is on the elite top 100 watch list. The defense is led by senior defensive back Zacharius Murray. Murray has appeared in 33 games for the Peacocks in his career, racking in 2 interceptions. Last season, Murray was named second team all-conference.

The Butler Bulldogs are led by head coach Mike Uremovich, entering his 3rd season at the university. Butler is coming off a winning season, going 7-4 overall and 5-3 in conference play. The Bulldogs are looking to start their season strong before going into conference play.

Both teams took the field at 1:00 p.m. for kickoff. The Peacocks were getting the ball first led by their junior quarterback and team captain Darryl Overstreet, starting in his second season opening. The game got off to a slow start as in the second possession, the Peacocks were picked off by Butler’s senior defensive back Nick Bafia. Butler started on the Peacocks eight-yard line and three plays later, quarterback Nick Howard ran in it from one yard out to give the Bulldogs an early 6-0 lead. Late in the first quarter, senior defensive back Zacharius Murray intercepts a Butler pass and gets the peacock good field position. Only two plays later, a pass goes through the wide receivers' hands and into the hands of a Butler defender, giving them the ball right back.

Midway through the second quarter the Bulldogs were able to string together some big plays ending with quarterback Andrew Reagan finding wide receiver William Enneking in the endzone for a 16-yard touchdown, putting the Bulldogs up 13-0. After a great defensive stop late in the second quarter, Peacocks were getting the ball with two minutes left in the half. With one minute to go in the first half, quarterback Darryl Overstreet finds tight end Eddie Burgess for a Peacock touchdown. A 23-yard score is just what the Peacocks needed to jumpstart their team and get the momentum on their side. The score is now 13-7 with a minute left in the half. Bulldogs were looking to run the clock down and take it to halftime but after a Peacock penalty, Butler wide receiver Luke Wooten found a hole in the defense and was left wide open for a 70-yard catch and run touchdown. A tough blow for the Peacocks going into the half, especially with Butler receiving the ball and leading 19-7.

The second half picked up right where it left off. The Bulldogs' second possession was only two plays long ending with a 58-yard passing touchdown to put them up 26-7. The Bulldogs’ next possession was similar to the last one, two plays long and ending with a QB scramble for a 22-yard touchdown run, pushing the score up to 33-7 in favor of the Bulldogs, without much action from the Peacocks’ offense in the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs tacked on another touchdown, making the score 40-7. Both teams would exchange interceptions before the ending. The Bulldogs defended their home turf and beat the Peacocks 40-7.

It was a rough first game for the Peacocks to begin their 2024 campaign. Coach Jason Hoskins spoke to the team after the game and said, “They made fewer mistakes than we did, and that is what helped them win this game. I believe we are the more talented team but today they were the better team.” The Bulldogs put up 27 unanswered points to blow out the Peacocks. Quarterback Darryl Overstreet finished with 121 passing yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. The Peacocks offense rushed for 208 yards, the bulk of that coming from RJ Wells and Jayden Mitchell who has 85 yards each. Mante Morrow led the team in receiving, racking in three catches with 46 yards. The Peacocks look to bounce back at home on Saturday, September 7th against Concordia St. Paul.

[luke7277]

Chiefs Super Bowl

This past Sunday February 11th, the Kansas City Chiefs played the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. This was a very heated Super Bowl, with very explosive offenses. Everyone looked forward to the game and thought it was going to be a very intense Super Bowl. The chiefs were the underdog coming into the game being the 3rd seed in the AFC and the 49ers being 1st seed in the NFC. Although a lot of people thought the chiefs were going to win.

In the beginning of the game the 49ers started off hot being up 10-0. But you never want to count out Patrick Mahomes and Chiefs. Because the last 2 times the Chiefs won the Super Bowl they were down 10 points. Going into halftime the score was 10-3 in favor of the 49ers. Quickly after half the Chiefs came back, winning 13-10 at the end of the 3rd quarter. With the 49ers scoring a touchdown and kicking a field goal and the chiefs getting 2 field goals, the end of regulation was 19-19 going into overtime. With new rules in the playoffs both teams get a chance with the ball even if the first team scores a touchdown. The 49ers won the coin toss and chose to take the ball first. They drove all the way down the field and went inside of the 10 yard line but couldn’t get it done so they had to settle with a field goal. The chiefs got the ball and to win the game they needed a touchdown. The Chiefs drove down the field with a big chunk of yards. They got down inside the 10, Andy Reid called a great play with Patrick Mahomes throwing the ball to Mecole hardman Jr. 

With the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl that was their third time in 4 years. Patrick Mahomes has now become 1 of 3 quarterbacks to win the SuperBowl 3 times and have at least 2 Super Bowl MVP. People are now talking about if we can put Patrick Mahomes in the GOAT talk of quarterback. I think he should be able to be in the conversation because he has been in the league for 7 years and started 6 of them. In those 6 years he has brought the Chiefs to the AFC Championship every time and have gone to the Super Bowl 4 times and have won 3. He is only 28 years old and has 3 Super Bowl wins, 3 Super Bowl MVP, 2 League MVP, and one Offensive Player of the Year. 

[defensefilms]

NFL 2024 Wildcard Round Preview & Predictions

While I haven't posted any NFL blogs this season I have been sure to keep an eye on the happenings throughout the league, and we're finally in the part of the season that matters.

So lets dive in to the full plate of nuggets and preview this weekend's games.

1. Detroit Lions vs Los Angeles Rams

Of all the games that will be played on this weekend, this one has the most storylines and subplots.

Starting with quarterbacks who traded places 3 years ago and now face off. Fortunately, this matchup will likely be decided by more than just the quarterbacks.

The Rams appear to have found a remedy to thier run game through Kyren Williams, who is 3rd in total rushing yards, and in contrast the Lions have a more balanced attack with David Montgomerry leading their run game and Amon-Ra St. Brown leading thier pass catchers.

This is a situation where I am opting to pick with my head over my heart, and while I'll actually be rooting for the Lions to win the game because thier story in 2023 has been phenomenal, I am going to pick the Rams and Sean McVay to win in Detroit and upset the team with a better record.

MY PICK: Rams Win 27-24

2. Tampa Bay Buccanneers vs Philadelphia Eagles

I am in a state of near-catastrohic horror at what has happened to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.

What started out as a promising season and Philly repeatedly executing the greatest play ever executed in NFL history, has turned into a late season collapse that started with that really bad loss to the 9ers in week 13.

Thier defensive back issues have now spiralled in to a team that leak points so badly, they lost to the New York Giants in week 17, and it's crept it's way on to the offense, and the Eagles were shutout and put up 0 points.

Then you have to factor in Philly's history against Tampa Bay itself. Flashbacks to 2002 when Gruden's defensive juggernauts domniated Donovan McNabb and the Eagles, as well as the more recent 15-31 demolition at the hands of Tom Brady's Buccaneers in the 2021 playoffs.

I will say this, I am glad that Bruce Arians isn't calling plays in Tampa because he'd air it out on these Philly db's.

My biggest concern though, is that Jalen Hurts has 9 fumbles this season and Tampa safety Antoine Winfield, is joint-leader in forced fumbles with 6, and Tampa have been good at that as a team with 18 on the season.

I'll pick the Eagles to win here, only because I still think the Eagles offense has some life left in it and I am a Jalen Hurts believer.

MY PICK: Eagles Win 21-16

3. Kansas City Chiefs vs Miami Dolphins

Honestly, I don't root for the FIns and I don't even enjoy watching them play neccessarily, but I do enjoy the schadenfreud of watching Tua Tagovailoa, lead the league in passing yards and quarterback a team in the playoffs.

The Chiefs are different story and to be honest with I have enjoyed watching the Chiefs more this year, than any other season of the Mahomes era, at times it's been kind of comical.

The Dolphins are dealing with a bunch of injuries. Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb, Xavien Howard, Raheem Mostert were all out in week 18 and likely in the Wildcard round too.

The Chiefs have to like thier chances and thier recievers can breath a little bit easier, knowing the Dolphins won't be thier usual high-scoring selves. I fully expect the Chief's recievers to drop passes, but this particular opponent can't make them pay them when they do it on 3rd down.

The only issue I see, is Kansas City are not a high scoring team in thier own right either, and while the Fins'injuries are worse.

I want the Fins to win but their too injured and will likely lose a close low scoring game in Arrowhead on Tyreke Hill's return.

MY PICK: Chiefs win 21-17

4. Buffalo Bills vs Pittsburgh Steelers

I honestly think that the Pitburgh Steelers are doing is winning games via witchcraft because just as recenty as week 14, the entire state of Pennsylvania wanted him fired.

The Bills for thier part, started the first 10 weeks of the season with a 5-5 record and have since ripped off a 6 game winning streak that sees them in the 2 seed.

The Steelers offense sputtered badly midway through the season, but since week 16 and putting Mason Rudolph on the field, things have been looking up.

It sucks that TJ Watt won't play, he leads the league in sacks and that matters because the Bills are the best team in 3rd down percentage this season with 49%.

Buffalo finally appear to have found some balance between Josh Allen heroics and establishing the run. To make matters worse, Buffalo also rank as one of the best pass defenses in the league, ranking 7th in opponent passing yards.

What this comes down to, is that the Bills have Josh Allen and the Steelers are quarterbacked by Mason Rudolph, and in contrast to most of the weekend's games, you can't convince me that the favorite isn't winning this.

MY PICK: Bills Win 28-16

5. Cleveland Browns vs Houston Texans

The Browns have been my guilty pleasure all season long, and those sideline-to-sideline videos on thier Youtube channel are honestly awesome.

A team whose defense has been lead by Myles Garret, and has had to find thier identity on the offensive side of the ball becasue of injures to 3 different quarterbacks this season, and while I don't love Kevin Stefanksi's play calling, he does deserve credit for the circumstance he was in this year and how his team kept winning.

The Houston Texans have undergone a rejuvenation in thier own right with newly drafted CJ Stroud under center.

While Deshaun Watson will have to watch his current and former teams from the sidelines as a result of a shoulder injury, Joe Flacco will quarterback the Browns and has since week 14, and with him has come a new confidence to the Browns' offense.

I'll gladly take the Browns and thier newly minted Joe Flacco offense, alongside the best defense in the NFL to win this one.

MY PICK: Browns Win 27-20

6. Dallas Cowboys vs Greenbay Packers

The Packers are in a unique position because of how quickly they've gotten back to playoff contention.

I get that Jordan Love has been given the mantle as appears to have been the plan since he was drafted, and I don't know what to make of him getting the Packers to the playoffs in his first season. It's kind of unreal that the Packers got over Aaron Rodgers this quickly, add to that Love isn't the finished article yet.

The other major storyline is Cowboys head coach, Mike McCarthy playing host to his former team and that will surely dominate the headlines and previews going in to the weekend.

Dak Prescott leads the league in passes completed, as well as passing touchdowns, and CeeDee Lamb leads the league in passes caught.

Plus I like the idea of Dallas' defense against a young quarterback, playing in thier home building and Dallas corner DaRon Bland leads the league in interceptions.

I'm picking Dallas to win, but beware because anyone who picks the underdog is not crazy. Jordan Love is completing 64% of his passes and the sneaky Packers, always seem to come up with something from special teams through Keisean Nixon.

MY PICK: Cowboys win 34-27

[cominy-kiwami]

had a dream i was in a summer break scenario with friends and while we were getting wild we kept having fucked up things happen in the periphery. like we would be at a restaurant and then a rowdy kid would throw a cup out the window at a guy walking his dog and we would run out of the place instantly cause we knew some fucked up shit would happen then as we were walking back around the restaurant later the kid was like mutilated and dead on the ground.

last thing before i woke up was we threw a "rat" (in my dream wellknown slang for a sloppy party) and fucked around on the beach, went bowling, did karaoke, the whole 9 yards (though i was there i also watched it unfold like a found footage thing from my friends snapchat stories), but then around 4am when we were winding down we were at a suburban park (this particular park is a common locale in my dreams) and there was like an adolescent boy walking a dog somewhere and he was randomly letting out angry screams. so we started talking to him, hollering since he was far away, and he revealed he was mad because we beat him in a game of fortnite during our rat so we were kinda joking around and light heartedly taunting him but he just kept intermittently screaming even after he was out of the range we could talk to him and eventually it scared us and we went home quickly. but it turned out he had placed a curse on us.

either it was too fucked up to depict on the level or my brain decided to get artistic with it but the next events were depicted as a drawn slideshow. there were two days of more general fun and revelry, and the pictures were drawn in a childish kind of style, and there was a motif of gold stars in the pictures which made intuitive sense to me as meaning that these days were 5 star days. but then on the 3rd day there were no stars and instead there were scribbled black holes everywhere and all the pictures were just us having black lines sucked from our faces into the holes (like that one "like hell you are" comic) or like in agony crying on the ground or that kind of thing and there were phrases like "LAYER 0" or "EMPTY HEART" on some of them.

it was actually an insane method of storytelling. idk what would have happened because my dad started making coffee really loud and i woke up but i didn't get to see what the misery actually looked like. it was a good dream though, i recognize themes from my real life abstracted into this fictional setting with fictional friends and it was also just captivating plain and simple. i literally love dreaming

[bearterritory]

Bears 3-0 With Win Over San Diego State

Jaivian Thomas Rushes For Career-Best 169 Yards

BERKELEY –Jaivian Thomas rushed for a career-high 169 yards and the Golden Bears held San Diego State without a touchdown until "garbage time" late in the fourth quarter (with nearly all starters resting on the bench) in a 31-10 whitewashing of San Diego State on Saturday night at California Memorial Stadium. The score would've been even more lopsided if two more Cal touchdowns had not been negated by (what turned out to be upon review) "phantom" holding penalties.

With the win, Cal is off to its first 3-0 start since 2019 and has won six regular season games in a row for the first time since capturing the final regular season game of the 2006 season and the first five in 2007.

Four different Golden Bears scored touchdowns, including two who reached the end zone for their first time at Cal – running back Kadarius Calloway and tight end Corey Dyches. Wide receiver Nyziah Hunter continued his eye-opening freshman season with his fourth scoring catch of the year.

Calloway finished with 87 yards rushing as the Bears amassed 275 yards on the ground as a team. Jaydn Ott missed the game due to injury.

Cornerback Nohl Williams, who entered the game leading the nation in interceptions, added his fourth of the season in the second quarter. Xavier Carlton had a career-high 2.5 sacks for Cal.

The Aztecs scored first on a 29-yard field goal from Nick Lopez with 5:42 left in the first quarter but the Bears answered immediately with a seven-play, 69-yard drive that culminated in an 8-yard scoring run by Mendoza. The score remained 7-3 at halftime as the teams combined to commit 19 penalties in the first half – including 13 by the Aztecs. One of the penalties against Cal (for holding) negated a touchdown run. Upon review it proved to be incorrect, but holding calls cannot be challenged.

In addition, for the second game in a row the Bears lost a defensive player for "targeting" - safety Craig Woodson was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct when San Diego State's RB ran into him, causing "helmet to helmet" contact. Woodson did not initiate it and simply wrapped the player with his arms as he fell to the ground. The bogus penalty was on a 3rd down play that would have kept the Aztecs out of field goal range. Unfortunately the extra 15 yards they gained and first down allowed them to eventually get all the way down to the Cal 12 yard line where they were able to kick a field goal.

The Bears established some breathing room with two long scoring drives in the third quarter – an 8-play, 85-yard possession that ended with Calloway's 7-yard scoring run, and a 13-play, 90-yard drive that culminated in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Mendoza to Dyches.

A 48-yard field goal by Ryan Coe pushed Cal's advantage to 24-3, and San Diego State finally reached the end zone to make it 24-10 early in the fourth quarter. Hunter capped off the scoring with a 15-yard touchdown catch with 9:48 to play.

The Bears resume play next Saturday when they play their first ACC football game ever at Florida State. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. PT and the game will air on ESPN2.

[jrpneblog]

A fighting spirit but an inevitable end for North End`s Cup hopes

For fifty eight minutes of this game North End were holding their own against the superstars of Chelsea but once Broja had flicked a header past Woodman it was all down hill, North End eventually losing by four goals to nil Just whether we ran out of steam or the hosts upped their game is open to debate. I actually think it was a bit of both coupled with the mentality surrounding North End in recent times after conceding the first goal in any competitive game. To be fair to the players they responded magnificently to the fabulous backing given by the six thousand travelling fans inside Stamford Bridge and for a while those fans were beginning to dream. Three goals in eleven second half minutes sealed the game in quick time for Chelsea but North End showed some excellent application and desire in the first hour of this Cup-tie and that is something the at has been sadly lacking in the past few months.

Ryan Lowe made two changes to the starting eleven on duty at Sunderland on Monday with Osmajic and Keane coming in for Evans and Frokjaer. North End started the game well with Keane having a chance early on in the game. Woodman then saved well from Sterling and when Palmer missed a golden chance from six yards out you were just beginning to think it might be our day. Osmajic shot wide for North End when he just couldn't get quite enough purchase on the ball and later in the half Keane couldn't get a volley away as North End got on top for a short spell in the game. Chelsea always looked dangerous on the break but I thought that Potts and Millar played the Chelsea wide men very well in the first half and North End deserved to go in on level terms at the break after being very competitive in the first forty five minutes.

No changes for North End at the interval as both sides had half chances in the opening exchanges of the second half. With the clock showing fifty eight minutes the game changed irreversibly. Broja flicked home a superb header from a cross from the left and the Blues were on their way. Lowe responded by changing both forwards in his 3-5-2 line but within two minutes Chelsea were two in front. Silva headed home unchallenged at the near post from a corner on the right and North End heads went down. It took just three minutes more for the home side to go three up when Sterling curled a beautiful free kick past Woodman and at that moment I started to fear for North End. However we found some resilience and Lindsay didn`t quite get an effort away which would have been some consolation. Chelsea added insult to injury when Fernandez scored with five minutes to go. The goal was allowed to stand courtesy of VAR after initially being flagged for offside.

So the dream of Wembley falls at the first hurdle and it is now sixty, yes sixty, years since North End appeared in an FA Cup final at the home of football. Things are a bit different now with the Premier League but there have been plenty of teams from lower divisions gone to top flight clubs this weekend and earned themselves a replay. C`est la vie as North End can now concentrate on climbing the league table after slipping to fourteen with an horrendous run of results. The manager said after the Sunderland game that Chelsea was the least of his worries and that all his thoughts were concentrated around the visit of Bristol City to Deepdale on Saturday. Well good luck with that as Chelsea has now been and gone so we all look forward to seeing what the manager been thinking since last Monday and how he puts it into practice against the Robins.

.

CHELSEA 4-0 PRESTON (FA Cup 3rd round)

.

WOODMAN 7

STOREY 6 LINDSAY 7 HUGHES 6

POTTS 7 McCANN 8 BROWNE 7 WHITEMAN 7 MILLAR 7

KEANE 7 OSMAJIC 6

.

Subs:

EVANS 6

RIIS 6

BEST 6

HOLMES 6

LEDSON 6

.

MOTM: Ali McCann

Attendance 39,705

Preston Fans 5,961 (15.01%).

[kakfightingring]

Week 16 Recap

Round 2 Recap

The Six vs. Use Your Hand - From wire to wire, the Six had been the most dominant team in the WHL this season. They topped 140 points an astonishing 5 times and only dipped below 100 twice. Meanwhile Use Your Hand stumbled into the playoffs losing 3 of 4, including a putrid 44 point effort to end the regular season. But the playoffs are a whole new ballgame and coach Zand's squad seemed ready to burst through a wall like the Kool-Aid man.

Inspired by their coach's unique outfit choices, RBs Kyren Williams and Aaron Jones both topped 100 yards while Isiah Pacheco added a TD. For the Six, the stars that brought them this far let them down at key moments. Stefon Diggs (5/29) produced his 5th stinker in the last 6 games, and Alvin Kamara (19/16/0) and Sam LaPorta (3/18) both put up their worst games of the season. After winning the title in 2021, this is now the 2nd straight year that the Six have earned a bye and then lost their first playoff game, leaving coach Desai with nothing else to do but drive home in his McLaren.

Kak Fighting Ring vs. McCaffreystein's Monster - The Kak Fighting Ring were led this season by a dominant group of skill position players, and it seemed like the same would be true in round 2 as Chris Olave (9/123) and Mike Evans (7/86/2) both came up with huge games. But the running game completely abandoned coach Kakkanad as Cook and Etienne combined for just 82 yards. On the other side, coach Haque shook up the league with his late-season acquisition of Christian McCaffrey. After sneaking into the playoffs, the Monsters blasted cheetalive in round 1. This week they were able to overcome crucial injuries to Jordan Addison and Jaylen Waddle by relying on the strong, strong legs of Young Hoe Koo. Koo's 5 FGs inspired coach Haque to remix one of his old team names. Now they enter the Ricky Bowl as One Old Trick & One Young Hoe.

Consolation Bracket Update

You've a heard of a hat trick, but coach Maghamfar pulled off the rarely seen Turd Trick in round 1, beating the Turdburners for the 3rd time this season. The party continued this week as the Tricks made sure there were no bluemonkeyballs left anywhere in the Senate. In his post-game presser, coach Maghamfar was informed of the recent name change by coach Haque's squad. A tear gently rolled down his cheek as he remembered the last time his Tricks had made a Ricky Bowl appearance way back in 2010.