#Get in Loser were going to play dogfight football

[rose-pearls]

Arrow - Part 4

Summary: After a day at the beach an exercise turns wrong and bad memories come back to Rooster.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 - Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Dogfighting was apparently not something you could only do in the air but also on the beach. 

Maverick had all dragged us to the beach to do some football but dogfight style, which was something that I had never heard of, and the others didn’t seem to know what he meant.

After explaining for a bit, the game where offence and defense were played at the same time, he told us to get into groups, while making Hangman and Rooster team captain.

“Alright, Rooster why don’t you start.”, Maverick proposes, and the pilot looks at all of us clearly trying to make it seem like he was trying to find someone. 

“Arrow you’re on my team.”, I roll my eyes at his antics, but I can’t help the smile that appears on my lips. 

“Go on Bagman your turn.”, the boys slowly chose their teams, and we end up with pretty equal teams until Maverick joins our team and Hangman starts to protest.

“Oh, common that’s not fair!”, we all start to laugh at his pouting and even Maverick seems to relax.

“What? The great Hangman scared to be beaten by Maverick?”, Rooster smirks at me and looks at Hangman in false shock.

“You are getting a bit older Hangman, are you sure you are not too old to do this.”, I snort at his remark and the whole team starts to laugh except for Hangman who glares at us.

“Because you don’t respect your elders my team will start the game.”, we all cackle after him before getting into position. 

The game is pure chaos, everyone is running like headless chickens and the ones that are trying to play get tackled into the sand. 

“I am stopping now.”, we all call after Maverick telling him to come back but he just waves his hand at us.

Before I can say anything, else Rooster screams my name and passes me the ball, and I start running. Hangman seems to want to tackle me but luckily Fanboy stops him, and I manage to score. 

“She shoots, she scores, Goal!”, I start laughing before Rooster picks me up in his arms and starts spinning us.

“I can’t believe you just quoted ‘She’s the man’ Rooster.”, he gives me a large grin before sighing dramatically.

“It’s the best movie there is, what can I say.”, I nod seriously, and Rooster puts an arm around my shoulder, dragging me back to the rest of the team.

“This is the final game guys! Get yourself ready.”, everyone starts to get serious before Phoenix speaks up.

“Losers pay the drinks?”, we all smirk at the offer and agree getting ready for the last game.

It is once again chaos as Hangman gets the ball first, but Fanboy tackles him, so Rooster takes the ball and just as Coyote tries to tackle him, he passes the ball to Bob who then runs straight to the makeshift goal and scores.

“That is my fellow WSO ladies and gentlemen! Bob Floyd!”, he is grinning at my words and Rooster takes him on his shoulders to celebrate the win. 

“Bob! Bob! Bob!”, the whole team is chanting his name even the losers and I have to give it to Maverick his plan really did work.

Maverick tells us to get our stuff to go to the Hard Deck and everyone starts talking about the game and I feel Rooster’s arm around my shoulder.

“I have to say this was an effective teambuilding, particularly between us.”, Rooster looks at me in a serious way and I look at him with a straight face.

“I have to agree, I hated you first but now I think I can’t live without you.”, he wipes a fake tear away from his eye and I try not to laugh.

“Oh Arrow! Don’t you ever leave me!”, he takes me into a big dramatic hug.

“Rooster I would never!”, the both of us burst in laughter and the rest of the team roll their eyes at our antics.

----

“The mission has been moved up a week and your time is now 2 minutes 30.”, we all look at each other trying to understand if Cyclone is making a joke or not but he is dead serious. 

“The first to try the course will be Coyote, Bob, and Phoenix. Get into your gear we will be leaving in 10.”, the rest of us leave the room to go to the radio and listen to the exercise. 

“This is starting to feel really dangerous.”, I look at my side finding my sister who looks a bit anxious.

“You’re a great pilot Fire, if anyone can do this it’s you.”, she looks surprised at my words, but a genuine smile appears.

“I think that Rooster and you will get picked, you’re a killer team.”, I nod my head and I don’t know if I want to get picked for the mission, it’s dangerous and if I could choose, I would send no one but someone has to go.

“Common, let’s see how they do it and then we will do it better.”, she smirks at me, and we go join the others around the radio.

The exercise seems to be going well, they manage to get to the target, but they have to drop blind, and it doesn’t work. Now they need to go through the G-lock which is the most dangerous part.

“Coyote, Coyote answer.”, everyone starts to tense up and I can see that it particularly hits Hangman. They seem to be verry close and I can’t imagine how he must be feeling. 

“Coyote!”, Hangman closes his eyes for a bit, and I can’t help but take his hand, he seems surprised, but I look back at the radio.

“I’m okay, I’m okay.”, we all let out a sigh of relief at his words and Hangman squeeze’s my hand. 

They decide to head back to the base, and it seems that we won’t be training anymore until Phoenix voice rings through the radio.

“Bird strike!”, the whole room is back on their feet, scared for Phoenix and Bob. 

“Right engine is on fire!”, I feel panic rise and Hangman’s hand is strong in mine. 

“Phoenix we’re going down, we’re going down!”, the whole group is on their feet hoping that nothing will happen.

“Eject! Eject!”, Rooster turns white at the words and leaves the room. I squeeze Hangman’s hand before following Rooster out in the hallway. He doesn’t seem to hear me and enters a room, it’s a room full of pictures where the other’s probably saw that Rooster’s dad went here.

He is sitting down looking like he’s going to be sick, and I crouch in front of him, trying to calm him down.

“Roo?”, he lets out a shaky breath and I take his hands in mine making him look at me.

“Hey, I’m here.”, he softly takes his hand out of my grasp before taking them in his and he brings his forehead against mine.

“My dad.”, he takes a deep breath of air and I caress my finger against his trying to calm him down.

“He died after ejecting, there was a problem with their plane, and they had to eject.”, I feel my breath get shaky and I hold on to Rooster’s hands even stronger than before.

“This, hearing it it’s like I was living it.”, I take one of my hands out of his grasp and put it on his cheek to brush away the tears that are falling.

“I don’t know how I can help you Rooster but I’m here if you need to talk or if you need anything.”, I feel Rooster nod and taking a deep breath.

“Just being there is already more than I can ask for, thank you.”

“Rooster, you don’t need to thank me. We’re a team, you are my partner!”, he opens his eyes and suddenly I’m looking into his brown eyes, looking at me with sadness but something else is there that I can’t seem to understand. 

Rooster seems to get closer when a knock is heard on the door. I squeeze the hand that is still in mine before getting a bit away from him, missing his warmth. 

“Come in.”, Rooster nods at me before I tell that person to come in that it’s okay with him.

The door opens and I see Maverick come in, Rooster seems to tense up and I hold on to his hand smiling a small smile at Maverick.

“Bob and Phoenix are okay just a few scratches.”, the both of us let out a breath of relief and Rooster seems to breathe again. I can see that Maverick needs some time alone with Rooster, so I look back at Rooster seeing him already looking at me.

“I’ll see you later, alright?”, he nods slowly but it seems like he doesn’t want to let me go. After a couple of minutes, he does, and I squeeze Maverick’s shoulder while leaving the room hoping that the two of them will talk it out.

“Y/N!”, I turn around at hearing my name and see my sister looking frantic.

“Hey, hey what is wrong? Didn’t you heard Bob and Phoenix are alright just a few scratches.”, she shakes her head, and a sob leaves her mouth and if she wasn’t so close to me, I wouldn’t have heard it, but I did and it broke me.

“It’s dad.”

[storeboughtbrand]

I just find it so funny that no one, not even Hondo, was prepared for Mav's opening speech. Like this 5'6-ish, highly decorated dumbass really waddled his way down the aisle to the podium in his Chanel cowboy boots & high waist jeans, got up there, and said, "See this manual? *throws it in the trash* I was lying; there is no manual. The only thing you have to fear...is me. Imma shoot all of you with extreme prejudice."

I can just imagine the existential dread Cyclone was going through when he was forced to watch the Captain that Admiral Thomas "Motherfucking Iceman" Kazanksy chose to teach these Top Gun graduates stand up at the podium and go:

[thecollegefootballguy]

2019 Top Games of the Week: Week 11

We’ve got a pretty solid week of football ahead. A few standouts amid a sea of interesting games. Let’s take a peek.

Oh yeah since the Playoff Committee Rankings don’t come out until Tuesday I’m just gonna have to keep using the AP Poll. Oh well, at least it’s consistent.

The Top Ten Games of the Week

10. #4 Clemson 9-0 (6-0) at NC State 4-4 (1-3)

Ok they aren’t all winners. Clemson is probably gonna grind NC State into powder. The Wolfpack is really falling off.

9. USC 5-4 (4-2) at Arizona State 5-3 (2-3)

USC can claim the South Division if Utah slips up in these final weeks, so the Trojans have to navigate their own way through the end of the season to do so.

8. Missouri 5-3 (2-2) at #6 Georgia 7-1 (4-1)

This one was looking a bit more interesting a few weeks ago. Missouri was on fire until inexplicably falling off a cliff in the past two games. Georgia has now reclaimed momentum in the SEC East following their win in Jacksonville.

7. #20 Kansas State 6-2 (3-2) at Texas 5-3 (3-2)

The Big 12 race is definitely getting more interesting now that Oklahoma has been taken down a peg. Kansas State and Texas are trying to come from behind and force their way into the conference championship game. The loser here will probably fall too far behind the pace, but the winner will stay alive for one more week.

6. #22 Wake Forest 7-1 (3-1) at Virginia Tech 5-3 (2-2)

Wake Forest is having their best season since 2006 and the Demon Deacons are again in the hunt to make the Orange Bowl (under slightly different circumstances). Wake isn’t quite a world beater, the Deacs have scraped by a number of times and will need to do so one or two more times to really ensure themselves that trip to Miami. 

5. Iowa State 5-3 (3-2) at #9 Oklahoma 7-1 (4-1)

I shouldn’t have to remind anybody what happened the last time that Iowa State visited Norman. The Cyclones are trying to repeat their upset against Oklahoma and fully push the Big 12 race into chaos.

4. #11 Baylor 8-0 (5-0) at TCU 4-4 (2-3)

It’s the 115th playing of the Revivalry and the stakes are high. TCU is likely too far behind in the Big 12 race to make the conference championship game, but the Horned Frogs can play spoiler to their detested rival. Baylor is undefeated, but that has come with considerable luck. The Bears have won several games by slim margins and TCU is gunning to knock them off what some see as an undeserved prominence.

3. #18 Iowa 6-2 (3-2) at #16 Wisconsin 6-2 (3-2)

It’s the 93rd playing of the Iowa-Wisconsin rivalry. For most of the year these two were the favorites to win the Big Ten West, now Minnesota has thrown their hat in the mix. The winner here still stands a good chance to beat the Gophers and win the division, but the loser will basically be eliminated.

2. #5 Penn State 8-0 (5-0) at #13 Minnesota 8-0 (5-0)

It’s a battle of undefeateds in the Big Ten. As far as anybody can tell, Penn State is a true Playoff contender, whereas Minnesota is lucky to not have a couple of losses. If the Gophers want to prove that they belong, here is the golden opportunity.

1. #1 LSU 8-0 (4-0) at #2 Alabama 8-0 (5-0)

Well duh. LSU and Alabama enter the game as the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the country, echoing the famed 2011 matchup which previewed their rematch in the BCS Championship Game. I’m not sure that the Committee will put them at #1 and #2, but we’ll see what happens. The loser has a pretty good chance to go 11-1 and make the Playoff, so we could see another rematch in the Playoff.

-

5 G5 Games of the Week

This is a pretty MW heavy G5 list, but that’s what happens when the AAC has bad games.

5. UAB 6-2 (3-1) at Southern Miss 5-3 (3-1)

UAB, Southern Miss, and Louisiana Tech are making the C-USA West race pretty interesting even if the conference as a whole is pretty boring.

4. Nevada 5-4 (2-3) at #24 San Diego State 7-1 (4-1)

San Diego State has a clear lead in the MWC West race, but the Aztecs still have to face all three teams competing to take the crown away from them, starting with Nevada.

3. Miami OH 4-4 (3-1) at Ohio 4-4 (3-1)

The 96th Battle of the Bricks will probably decide the MAC East, if you care.

2. Utah State 4-3 (3-1) at Fresno State 4-4 (2-2)

Utah State and Fresno State were two of the standout G5 teams last season. They’ve both lost talent and have taken a step back, but they’re also both still in their respective division races. The loser here will probably be eliminated from competition, while the winner keeps their hopes alive.

1. Wyoming 6-2 (3-1) at #21 Boise State 7-1 (4-0)

The Mountain Division still has four teams in a dogfight, including the front-runner Boise State. Wyoming has played their hard-nosed brand of football and can supplant the Broncos with a road win.

-

FCS Games of the Week

4. #23 New Hampshire 5-3 (4-1) at #2 James Madison 8-1 (5-0)

The winner here should get the CAA’s auto-bid to the Playoff as the conference champion. The loser will still make the Playoff in all likelihood.

3. #22 North Dakota 5-3 at #3 Weber State 7-2 (5-0)

North Dakota is trying to crash the FCS Playoff as a football independent, but they’ll have to beat Weber State to have a good chance at making the field. The Wildcats are a standout team of the FCS this year, having still not lost to an FCS foe.

2. #11 Illinois State 6-3 (3-2) at #4 South Dakota State 7-2 (4-1)

The MVFC always provides at least one good game a week.

1. #10 Princeton 7-0 (4-0) vs #13 Dartmouth 7-0 (4-0) in New York, NY

I don’t know how they planned this out but the Ivy League’s champion is likely going to be decided at Yankee Stadium when undefeated Princeton and Dartmouth face off.

[hsrsports]

Premier League lockdown: Winners and losers - Click on link to subscribe my channel https://ift.tt/34vXvMA Facebook - https://ift.tt/2Vjiyz6 Twitter - https://twitter.com/HsrSports Pinterest - https://ift.tt/2ywdZIH Tumblr - https://ift.tt/2z5qwmL Blog - https://ift.tt/2VlBDRu #Sports #SportsNews #Tournament LONDON: The Premier League finally makes its long-awaited return on June 17 following a three-month coronavirus lockdown. The landscape has changed since March -- clubs have welcomed back injured players, others have had a chance to regroup and Liverpool have had to come to terms with a low-key title celebration. A look at the winners and losers as teams emerge from the lockdown: When we last saw Jose Mourinho, the Tottenham manager cut a despondent figure as he admitted he wished he could fast-forward to next season. At the time, injury-hit Tottenham were on a six-match winless run that saw them knocked out of the Champions League and FA Cup, while falling seven points adrift of the top four. However, no boss has benefited more from the three-month break than Mourinho and eighth-placed Tottenham will return rejuvenated after Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Steven Bergwijn, Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko regained their fitness. That should be the ideal boost for the race to qualify for the Champions League, especially with a crucial first game of the restart against top-four rivals Manchester United. United, four points above Tottenham in fifth place, were frustrated when the season ground to a halt. Inspired by influential January signing Bruno Fernandes, they were riding the momentum of an 11-game unbeaten run in all competitions dating back to January. Crucially, the return of injured England forward Marcus Rashford and France midfielder Paul Pogba promises to add pep to their step at just the right time, with the Tottenham showdown followed by another vital fixture against seventh-placed Sheffield United. With dire warnings over the long-term financial health of football ringing in their ears, clubs embroiled in the relegation dogfight have been focused on self-preservation. Feuding over how to decide the season in the event it has to be abandoned, complaining about potentially playing at neutral venues and arguing that the season was restarting too soon have all been public relations own goals from clubs most in danger of going down. Brighton will be under immense pressure to perform, having argued so vocally against neutral venues. Without a win in 2020, they are just two points above the relegation zone and have games against Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City to come. Watford, out of the bottom three by virtue of goal difference, were also vocal critics of the neutral venue proposal. The Hornets would fall into the relegation zone if Aston Villa won their game in hand, but favourable home matches against Southampton, Norwich and Newcastle offer hope of beating the drop. Second-bottom Villa, who have suffered four straight league defeats, have had a chance to regroup at a time when they were in danger of collapsing. Third-bottom Bournemouth, winless in four matches, will also hope the break provides a springboard to survival. Instead of jubilant supporters hailing their heroes for ending Liverpool's 30-year wait to be crowned English champions, the Reds' impending title triumph in an empty stadium is likely to feel anti-climactic. Jurgen Klopp's side are 25 points clear at the top and need a maximum of two wins from their remaining nine games to seal a 19th English title in emphatic fashion. The trophy could be theirs as soon as June 21 if second-placed Manchester City lose to Arsenal and Liverpool beat Merseyside rivals Everton. But with the rest of the season to be played behind closed doors, the mood around the club has gone slightly flat. The prospect of Liverpool having to delay their parade through the city with the trophy until next year due to social-distancing rules is another blow. No wonder former Arsenal striker Alan Smith, who famously won the title at Anfield with the Gunners on the last day of the 1988/89 season, said: "If Liverpool do eventually get crowned, it's going to prove a massive anti-climax. "I can't help but feel sorry for Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and all who deserve every plaudit going for a magnificent effort."

[junker-town]

THIS WEEK IN SCHADENFREUDE, Texas is just hopping mad

Texas leads a wide-ranging tour of the angry college football internet after Week 9.

Welcome back to THIS WEEK IN SCHADENFREUDE, your weekly rocket ship ride through the most infuriated regions of the college football galaxy. Last week, this page focused exclusively on Ohio State, because that was the only logical choice. This week, we’re taking a journey around a small handful of furious fanbases on the internet.

Texas lost to Oklahoma State, knocking the Longhorns out of the top 10.

Though they remain in the thick of a chaotic Big 12 race, it’s a disappointing moment for Tom Herman’s bunch. Said one Longhorn fan afterward:

I don’t want to watch football anymore

That was the title of a message board thread. This was the profound body:

.

And there you have it.

A former Texas linebacker got into a fast-escalating online beef with a current Texas cornerback, who’d been suspended for the first quarter.

Ex-Horn Emmanuel Acho initially defended the suspended Kris Boyd, because Texas sitting down a starting cornerback had the side effect of helping OSU get lots of yards:

I understand all the, “teach your players a lesson” tweets, but YALL understand, if Saban benched players everytime they violated team or American laws, Bama might not have a single national title.

— Emmanuel Acho (@thEMANacho) October 28, 2018

But then Acho — who’s now an ESPN analyst — got rougher.

Bruh, you can’t be late to meetings THEN come out here and get mossed. Your team needs you. #Texas #OkState

— Emmanuel Acho (@thEMANacho) October 28, 2018

And then he used the “trash” word ...

I can’t watch this dude play defense anymore. It’s actually trash. If you know. You know. #Texas

— Emmanuel Acho (@thEMANacho) October 28, 2018

... and said he wasn’t talking specifically about Boyd, but, uh:

Naw I feel u, and I didn’t say I was talking about Kris, I would never put nobody on front street like that... but anybody who feels that tweet applies to them should probably step up. I played hella trash games in my day lol. U grow and move on u feel me

— Emmanuel Acho (@thEMANacho) October 28, 2018

How’d Boyd respond? Aggressively.

Boyd going straight after Acho on Instagram. Smart. pic.twitter.com/0LuqqMGzl4

— Burnt Orange Nation (@BON_SBNation) October 28, 2018

Fortunately for Boyd, INSTAGRAM ASSAULT is not a violation of team rules.

One fan had a spicy take about what should be done to the game’s officiating crew: They should all be handed over to the mob.

Refs are screwing us again

The offsides on that 4th down was f%<*¥ing criminal. Somebody send the mafia to threaten the refs to pay these dickheads back for 2015.

Texas fans were livid at the officiating in 2015’s OSU-UT game, when a few apparent officiating errors went against the Horns. Every other Big 12 fan in the universe thought it was deeply ironic to see Texas fans upset about refs.

(Texas actually had a legit beef about that offside call, yeah. Oklahoma State sent a bunch of guys in a “motion” that looked a lot like emulating live play, and refs didn’t call a false start, but instead penalized the Horns for jumping off. The Horns also probably got away with a penalty in their end zone later in the game. Either way, Sicilian crime families must get involved.)

This Horns fan was MAD and only got MADDER when nobody wanted to join in being EXTREMELY MAD.

User TexasHorn started this thread on the team’s 247Sports message board before Texas’ body was even cold, while it was still the second half:

A COMPLETE JOKE

Dan Neil, we have our answer, NO, Texas is not mature enough to handle success

Being destroyed on national television - not sure if the Horns can recover before next week because wvu has a better team than osu

Nobody responded, so they added:

Sorry for being honest - where am I wrong guys, seriously?

Any one thrilled with this performance?

Still, nobody responded, so they added again:

Explain the off sides guys - want to argue the complete joke comment?

So tired or posting without any response - gutless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally, someone replied:

We’re playing scared like a bunch of pussies. Coaches and players.

Persistence always pays off.

THIS WEEK IN SCHADENFREUDE is usually about fans, but Tom Herman is now the second head coach to make an appearance, thanks to the end of the game.

This is the sort of sprinting velocity that can only be generated by pure anger.

Recap of Tom Herman & Mike Gundy in the late scrap, their postgame handshake and Gundy's interview explanation pic.twitter.com/CMzJpKwzpw

— CJ Fogler (@cjzer0) October 28, 2018

(Herman and Mike Gundy are fine.)

Herman joins Jeremy Pruitt, who kicked a whiteboard and was thus included by rule:

Hey Knoxville... how's it going? #UFvsUT pic.twitter.com/HxplOn0uRQ

— Mike Gillespie (@MikeABCColumbia) September 23, 2018

Washington lost to Cal as a disappointing season became a total failure.

The Huskies are not even making a New Year’s Six bowl in Jake Browning’s senior year, two years after getting to the Playoff with him as a sophomore.

In some corners of the web, faith’s running short in Chris Petersen.

At HardcoreHusky.com, someone started a thread: People you have more faith in than CP, reflecting the fanbase’s growing impatience with Petersen, whose job titles are head coach, Guy Who Won a Million Games at Boise State, and Guy Who Got Washington to the College Football Playoff.

This was the only thing there:

Photo by Stephen Chernin/Getty Images

This was another fan’s measured response:

FUCK THSI PROGRUM IM FUCKING OUT

WE SUCK SND SHOULDNT LOSE TO CAL. WE ARE A LOSER PROGRUM. UPPER CAMPUS DGAF ABOUT WINNING. FIRE PEENERMAN. END TNIS FUCKING TEAM.I WANT DONG JAMES BACK. I WANT TO FUCKING WIN. NO JUAN IN THIS FANBASE HAS DTANDARS EXCEPT FOR THOS SITE. YOU GUYS GET ITZ PETERMAM DOES NOT. FUCK EVERYTHING.

Someone urged this poster to say calm:

Stay positive! Fuck Petersen!

But this blunt response to the loss pretty much summed it up:

We lost to cal

Lol I’m done. Fuck Husky football. Fuck Petersen. Fuck Browning. Fuck Haener. Fuck everything. Roll tide.

Maybe that sounds harsh, but UW fans have wanted Bama since early in 2016:

Settle down, Washington pic.twitter.com/4lnFCfcJ4i

— College Football by SB Nation (@SBNationCFB) September 3, 2016

Miami lost to Boston College, which means it’s time to look at how Hurricanes fans responded to the team’s official Twitter account in real time.

When Miami loses, checking Twitter’s important, because Canes fans are always the most direct in college football. The classic of this genre:

I’m gonna jump off a building

— Heat 3x (@Jbazo5D) September 3, 2018

As Boston College put a thumping on the Canes, fans responded well. Just follow along with various score updates and quarter breaks.

1. After the first Boston College score:

Already with the bs

— Howard Webster (@TbearCane17) October 26, 2018

2. After, um, a Miami score:

Right...embarrassing.

— Carlos Marante (@ItsACanesThing5) October 27, 2018

3. After another BC score:

Is this a retweet?

— Tucker McFall (@RealTuckMcFall) October 26, 2018

4. End of the first quarter!

pic.twitter.com/UqrP2scamn

— Brandon English (@BEnglish007) October 26, 2018

5. After some ostensibly good news?

Way to look at the bright side.

— Brandon English (@BEnglish007) October 27, 2018

6. After an actual good play:

Throw the ball in front of the receiver and it could've been 6

— Christopher Gray (@Barclayallday26) October 27, 2018

7. After a touchdown by Miami:

How on Gods green earth do you have a -5 yard punt return, inside the 10-yard line, with not one but TWO blocks in the back on the return? That's piss poor

— Tucker McFall (@RealTuckMcFall) October 27, 2018

8. After a defensive stop by Miami:

We must be trying to run the clock out....ridiculous

— umcane (@umcane26) October 27, 2018

9. Halftime!

Yes a dogfight with BC! Proud day for the Canes.

— Bryant Jensen (@Bjensen630) October 27, 2018

10. After another good play by Miami’s defense:

BC knows our QB can’t hit the side of a barn further than ten yards so they playing up on the line

— solidlifefitness (@solidlifefitnes) October 27, 2018

11. A little later:

This guy is worse than Jacory Harris

— The Bad Hombre (@jbjammin34) October 27, 2018

12. Things getting desperate:

Get Jimmy Johnson out of retirement

— John Bennett (@DirtyBirdz19) October 27, 2018

13. The Turnover Chain is out! This is good for Miami!

This is the most remedial offense I've ever seen

— The Bad Hombre (@jbjammin34) October 27, 2018

14. End of the third quarter!

Social Media dude.. let Coach know Malik ain't it. Thanks boss.

— Joey Inza (@JoeyInza) October 27, 2018

15. Game over.

Joke.

— Nick Alvarez (@NicksTake22) October 27, 2018

I’ve said it before, but Miami fans are the overprotective relative who will roast you all day but threaten to burn down the house of anyone else who criticizes you.

I respect and fear them in equal measure.

Ultimately, it was best to just step away.

recap, 3 stars, good, bad, and ugly up on https://t.co/W9gmsOyW7d i have nothing else to say. i'm going to play #RDR2 bye.

— StateOfTheU.com (@TheStateOfTheU) October 27, 2018

Florida lost to Georgia, ending the Gators’ dreams of winning the SEC East.

Gators fans were actually pretty reasonable about it. I don’t have jokes. I’m just making the note here so that you know I was as disappointed to learn this as you were. I checked.

In all kinds of weather, y'all, and go Gators pic.twitter.com/jTaaNcXnvS

— BUM CHILLUPS (@edsbs) October 27, 2018

And TCU lost to Kansas, thus earning automatic inclusion as the last team on this list.

Things are dark in Fort Worth.

Is this how Baylor Feels?

For the first time I am embarrassed to wear my TCU gear in public.

The last spot in this list is now just tradition, devoted to any team that might lose to Kansas in a given week.

In Week 3, a Rutgers fan asked after losing to KU: “What stage of grief are you in?”

They have grinded me down into not caring about college football at all just like the Knicks and the Mets have done in basketball and baseball respectively. In a way it’s good. I can enjoy my kids without having to give a hoot about the scores on Saturdays.

Before that, in Week 2, a fan of the MAC’s Central Michigan wrote this:

Fire Bonamego

I know I’ll hear a lot of the usual “it’s too soon in the season” and “MAC play hasn’t even started”, but I’ve been a die-hard supporter of the football program and I EXPECT us to compete against the power teams every year. There’s no reason that we can’t be like Boise State or better. We need to strive to be better and we shouldn’t settle for mediocracy.

Again, that was a MAC fan distraught about losing to a Big 12 team.

Congrats to the Horned Frogs and their fans on joining this prestigious club.

[racingtoaredlight]

Cancellation Saturday: Degenerate’ guide to college football tv watch ‘em ups for week 3, 2018 season

We’re slowly creeping our way to actual competitions. I don’t want to pretend that matters much to me in the early season. I like the college football version of preseason.

This list of games is ripped from a site that may or may not have updated their schedule for the hurricane. Guess we’ll all find out together!

Saturday, September 15

Matchup                                                   Time (ET)              TV/Mobile

Ball State at Indiana                                12:00pm                    BTN

My watching has regressed this season to the point where I couldn’t tell you if there’s even one NFL prospect in this game. Indiana usually has at least one so, uh, keep an eye on that.

Florida State at Syracuse                        12:00pm         ABC/ESPN/2/U

Last I checked FSU was a somewhat dodgy 3-point favorite. This is not because Syracuse has gotten better.

Hawaii at Army                                          12:00pm                 CBSSN

Is the Cole McDonald magic a season-long phenomenon or is it just a fluke offense doing the work for him? Beating Army won’t prove he’s good but losing might prove he’s a fluke.

Kent State at Penn State                           12:00pm                  FS1

I put a Penn State guy in the RTARLsman rankings in the obvious hope that they lose to Kent State.

Miami (FL) at Toledo                                   12:00pm        ABC/ESPN/2/U

The consensus among professional gamblers is that Toledo +10.5 is easy money. The “objective” rankings on SB Nation actually have Toledo ranked higher than Miami. Miami’s offensive line is trying to get Malik Rosier killed and Ahmmon Richards is out with an “injury” sustained while yelling at Rosier in the locker room. Canes by 50.

Murray State at Kentucky                           12:00pm               SECNA

Kentucky broke their losing steak to Florida so it would be quite fitting if they lose today.

Oklahoma at Iowa State                              12:00pm         ABC/ESPN/2/U

This would be so much more appealing to me if Rodney Anderson hadn’t torn his ACL. As it stands it’s probably a good matchup that could turn into a dogfight but I don’t plan on watching any of it.

Rhode Island at UConn                                12:00pm           SNY/ESPN3

UConn’s program is about the same as Kansas’s program.

Rutgers at Kansas                                        12:00pm                   FSN

Rutgers may very well be back on the Kansas level, too.

Temple at Maryland                                      12:00pm                   BTN

I understand the way the early results have gone but Maryland -16 still sounds crazy to me. Go Owls, in any case.

Troy at Nebraska                                           12:00pm                 BTN

Here’s a fun statement that can be more or less objectively quantified to be true: Scott Frost inherited a better roster at UCF than the roster he inherited this year at Nebraska. To wit: this year’s UCF seniors were all there before he signed on to coach them.

Tulane at UAB                                                 12:00pm              Facebook

I know I’ve been telling UAB to drop football again but this is kind of a beauty. Damn facebook to hell, though.

UCF at North Carolina                                    12:00pm           ABC/ESPN/2/U

I’m pretty sure this game is at least postponed?

East Carolina at Virginia Tech                         12:20pm              ACCN

ECU is back to non-cupcake status now. Maybe. They killed UNC last week. Maybe that isn’t proof of anything.

Georgia Tech at Pitt                                         12:30pm               RSN

A game between two teams that should have won last week.

UC Davis at Stanford                                       2:00pm               Pac-12N

On the one hand Stanford should score 100 against UC Davis. On the other hand David Shaw isn’t a big fan of scoring 30 or more points.

Vanderbilt at Notre Dame                                2:30pm                 NBC

A game between rape-apologist program where nobody wins unless Brian Kelly dies.

Ohio at Virginia                                                 3:00pm             ACCNExtra

ACCNE extra getting off to a late start today. UVA is a 5.5 point-and-dropping favorite as I write this. I don’t know about the points but the O/U has gone up by 6.5 which seems odd.

Boise State at Oklahoma State                      3:30pm         ABC/ESPN/2/U

Brett Rypien has escaped his timeshare and is now a contender to go in the 1st round next year. That still seems a little high to me but he does have a ver similar gun to his dad. Who was either undrafted or like a 12th round pick and took about 5 years to develop into an NFL starter.

BYU at Wisconsin                                            3:30pm            ABC/ESPN/2

Hornibrook is going to win the Heisman. I don’t like it much more than you. I’m lying. I fucking love it. All he needs to do is rack up 13 QB wins by the time voting is closed.

Central Michigan at NIU                                 3:30pm                ESPN Plus

I don’t do MACtion but there are a few NFL prospects in this game.

Duke at Baylor                                                3:30pm                    FS1

A true conundrum.

Georgia Southern at Clemson                       3:30pm        ABC/ESPN/2/U

Tune in early if you want to see the guys you’ve heard of.

Lehigh at Navy                                                3:30pm                CBSSN

Navy hasn’t looked great so far this year but this is a trash game so maybe they can work out the kinks here?

LSU at Auburn                                                3:30pm                  CBS

Whoever wins this gets to be wildly overrated for the rest of the season.

Miami (Ohio) at Minnesota                             3:30pm                 BTN

Minnesota -13 don’t make no kind of damn sense.

SMU at Michigan                                             3:30pm                BTN

If Harbaugh doesn’t beat the spread I might join the pitchforks.

Southern Miss at Appalachian State             3:30pm          ESPN Plus

App State deserves to lose every game for the way they blew a sure victory over Penn State.

USF at Illinois                                                    3:30pm                BTN

I feel like Illinois should have good recruiting grounds but they’ve had like 5 decent seasons in my lifetime. 

West Virginia at NC State                                 3:30pm        ABC/ESPN/2/U

Pretty sure this is not happening today.

Colorado State at Florida                                 4:00pm            SECN

The McElwain Game! He’s gone and already mostly forgotten, which is a shame because of that one time he humped a shark.

Eastern Kentucky at Bowling Green               4:00pm           ESPN3

Not the best use of your time but my whole point is to talk you into watching every single game so watch this and report back. Wait, ESPN3 still exists? I thought it was ESPN+ now. They’re different things?

Houston at Texas Tech                                     4:00pm            FOX

Texas Tech throws early, often, and poorly. If Ed Oliver is going to get an eye catching number of sacks for the year this game is the key.

North Texas at Arkansas                                  4:00pm          SECNA

This is a classic SEC out of conference game.

UTSA at Kansas State                                      4:00pm             FSN

The Bill Snyder magic may in fact be gone. Take UTSA +21.5 in my honest opinion.

Wofford at Wyoming                                        4:00pm             MWN

I actually like Wyoming’s stupid uniforms for what little it’s worth.

New Hampshire at Colorado                           5:00pm        P12N MTN

This is a pretty bad week overall.

San Jose State at Oregon                                5:00pm            Pac-12N

I’ve got to tune in to see Justin Herbert but he might get pulled before the end of the 1st quarter.

Bethune-Cookman at Florida Atlantic            6:00pm            Stadium

There are people in the world who really believe that Lane Kiffin deserves a high level D-1A job. That’s a pretty bad idea.

Eastern Michigan at Buffalo                             6:00pm          ESPN Plus

Give Tyree Jackson a shot. I love the velocity he puts on his throws even if his WRs are horrible and drop most of them.

Idaho State at California                                   6:00pm         P12N BAY

Idaho State’s first year back in 1-AA has featured 3 games against 1-A teams to start the series.

Old Dominion at Charlotte                                6:00pm            ESPN3

This is crap all the way through.

Alabama at University of Mississippi               7:00pm             ESPN

Bama’s weakness if they have one is the inexperienced secondary. Mississippi’s strength is 4 top-50 level pass catching prospects. The Tide should roll anyway but I won’t be that surprised if Mississippi makes a game of it.

Alabama A&M at Cincinnati                              7:00pm            ESPN3

A very evenly matched watch ‘em up.

Arkansas State at Tulsa                                     7:00pm           CBSSN

This is the kind of stupid game that I write these posts for. Of course it’s on CBS Sports.

Campbell at Coastal Carolina                            7:00pm           ESPN3

What the shit is this crap?

Delaware State at Western Michigan                7:00pm        ESPN Plus

And this?

Oregon State at Nevada                                      7:00pm          ESPN3

And this, too, really but there is a little bit of a soft spot in my heart for Nevada as the birthplace of the pistol.

Texas State at South Alabama                            7:00pm       ESPN Plus

Explosive matchup of two teams that grab 1-star recruits in states where starting for a full season in high school gets you 3 stars.

Middle Tennessee at Georgia                              7:15pm          ESPN2

MTSU is a relatively good OOC matchup for an SEC team but we’re now in a Georgia age of college football and MTSU is going to be slaughtered.

Akron at Northwestern                                         7:30pm            BTN

MAC is the minor league version of Big XII ball. I can’t believe y’all watch this shit. Oh, right, Northwestern is actually a B1G team. Close enough.

Louisiana at Mississippi State                             7:30pm          SECNA

If the “State” was on the other side of the vs. this would be a great game. In real life it is not going to be a great game.

Marshall at South Carolina                                  7:30pm          ESPNU

How has Marshall looked this year so far?

Missouri at Purdue                                                7:30pm            BTN

Mizzou at Purdue is fun to say. Drew Lock is pretty good but I have the Missouri offense.

Northern Iowa at Iowa                                          7:30pm            BTN

Do it for the kids UNI!

ULM at Texas A&M                                                7:30pm          SECN

This might get a spot in the rotation. I’m kind of intrigued by aTm under Jimbo Fisher. I don’t think I have any expectations for him.

UMass at FIU                                                         7:30pm    beIN SPORTS

Come on, Butch, get this Panther ship righted!

WKU at Louisville                                                  7:30pm            RSN

Petrino Bowl! This might actually be a pretty good game. Louisville kind of sucks this year.

Eastern Washington at Washington State          8:00pm       Pac-12N

There’s something weird about this game but I forget what it is. So keep that in mind.

New Mexico at New Mexico State                       8:00pm     AggieVision

The winner gets to be New Mexico State for the next 12 months. The loser has to be regular New Mexico.

Ohio State at TCU                                                   8:00pm         ABC

I’ve been feeling the Dwayne Haskins hype and it either goes through the roof after this one or Urban Meyer will have to play savior when he comes back next week.

USC at Texas                                                            8:00pm        FOX

Great brand name matchup of secretly (or not) bad coaches. USC has a great freshman QB and Texas has really nice uniforms. The rest of this is garbage.

Washington at Utah                                                10:00pm       ESPN

The weird front-loaded schedule rolls on for the Pac-12. This would be an incredible game in November. It’s very odd in September.

Arizona State at San Diego State                          10:30pm     CBSSN

Herm Edwards is really good, guys! He’s got his team ranked! He’s going to get blown out by SDSU!

Fresno State at UCLA                                              10:30pm         FS1

At least a little bit interesting. I’ve got a good feeling about Chip Kelly at UCLA but he’s got a lot of building to do. I think it’s worth watching him flail around trying to find his way.

Southern Utah at Arizona                                        11:00pm      Pac-12N

When will Kevin Sumlin and Khalil Tate get on the same page? Probably never but they should win this game by 80.

Prairie View A&M at UNLV                                        10:00pm         MWN

I went through and did the formatting and started up from the bottom and now I see the times are really fucked. At least a little. This is an objectively bad game. But I do like UNLV’s QB.

UTEP at Tennessee                                                    12:00pm       SECN

Not sure what’s going on here. It’s the last game listed but it says 12pm and it’s in Tennessee. But I can see the reasoning behind scheduling this at midnight to minimize the chances of somebody randomly stumbling upon it and accidentally watching a couple of minutes of it.

[slevsports]

NFL Finale: The Stipulations

As we enter the final weekend of the Allianz Football League, it is all atill to play for.

Ahead of this afternoon’s fixtures, we will lay out the lie of the land in terms of promotion and relegation.  

Division Four is the only group where there is nothing at stake. Westmeath versus Wexford was a dress rehearsal for the final, with both teams already qualified.

We begin our analysis in the top division.

Division One:

Seven of the eight teams in the division have something to play for. Roscommon were consigned to Division Two following defeat to Dublin.

The Dubs are in pole position for the final. If they avoid defeat they will have the chance to retain their title. 

They play Monaghan in Clones, but victory for the hosts will see them qualify.

Donegal have their destiny in their own hands. A win at home to Mayo would see them progress. Mayo need at least a draw to ensure they stay up.

If Mayo and Dublin win, it leaves the door open for Tyrone to reach the final. They travel to the Kingdom to face Kerry, who have a very slim chance of relegation.

The battle at the bottom will see Cavan take on Roscommon. Cavan will be hoping that Donegal do them a favour. If that happens and they defeat the Rossies, they will survive on the head-to-head rule.

Division Two:

At the top of the table, Galway host promoted Kildare. The Tribesman need a victory in this one to guarantee promotion. This will be a good test for both sides ahead of a potential final.

Meath could also go up if the beat Clare and Kildare avoid defeat to Galway. Clare need to win to ensure they don’t get relegated. If the Banner do lose and Fermanagh and Down both win, they will be relegated.

Fermanagh take on Derry in the relegation battle. A win for Fermanagh would guarantee them safety but not even a win for Derry can ensure their survival.

Down need a victory over Cork to have any chance of staying up. Currently in the bottom two, it has been a poor showing from the Ulstermen.

Division Three:

The dogfight at the foot of the table is the focus here. The bottom four teams are all level on four points and face off against a direct rival today. It’s very much a case of winner takes all.

A local derby will decide one team’s fate. Laois take on rivals Offaly, with the loser being humiliated by their neighbours and banished to the bottom tier.

It is the same story for Longford and Antrim. Both teams are level on four points and the loser will go down. 

A draw will mean head-to-head goes out the window and Longford would stay up on points difference.

Louth guaranteed their promotion last week, so their game with Sligo is a dead rubber.

Armagh and Tipperary are the two teams harbouring hopes of Division Two football. They face off in what should be an enthralling game, with both teams all-out for the win.

Tipp trail the Orchard county by one point so a draw would see Armagh progress.

  So there you have it.

A lot to take in I know, but these are all the permutations of the final day of the league season. Still so much to play for, we’ll see how it all pans out.

[dorukhaber06]

The Latest on Week 17 of the NFL regular season (all times Eastern):

quarterback Aaron Rodgers throws during the first half of the team’s NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Detroit.

49ers coach Chip Kelly speaks at a news conference after the team’s NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017.

coach Jim Caldwell, right, watches quarterback Matthew Stafford warm up for the team’s NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Detroit.

Chargers head coach Mike McCoy reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in San Diego.

coach Gary Kubiak waves as he walks off the field after the team’s NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Denver. The Broncos won 24-6.

coach Gary Kubiak listens to a question from a reporter after the Broncos defeated the Oakland Raiders 24-6 in an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Denver.

Steelers wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, right, celebrates with teammate Arthur Moats (55) after making the winning touchdown catch during overtime of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) moves into the pocket against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Atlanta.

Falcons quarterback Michael Vick waves to fans as he returns to the Georgia Dome, before the Falcons played the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Atlanta.

quarterback Connor Cook (8) goes down after Denver Broncos outside linebacker Shane Ray (56) forced Cook to fumble during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Denver. The ball was recovered by the Broncos.

Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) looks over his shoulder at Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman (24) during the first half of an NFL football game in Landover, Md., Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017.

Browns head coach Hue Jackson stands on the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017.

Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith (89) waves to the crowd after an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Cincinnati. The Bengals won 27-10.

Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin is tended to on the sideline after an injury during the first half of the team’s NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in Denver.

Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, above, scores a touchdown over Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Eric Berry (29) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017, in San Diego. The touchdown, his 111th, ties an NFL record for touchdowns by a tight end.

10:50 p.m.

Green Bay cornerback Quinten Rollins was carted off with an injury in a scary moment late in the third quarter Sunday night.

Rollins hit his head on the ground while tumbling out of bounds on the Detroit sideline when the Lions completed a pass. After staying on the ground for a while, he was lifted and put on the cart. He was still lying on his back while being driven off.

The Packers lead Detroit 17-14 after three quarters.

— Noah Trister reporting from Detroit

10:30 p.m.

Aaron Rodgers has found a groove with the NFC North title on the line.

Rodgers directed a 10-play, 75-yard drive to start the third quarter Sunday night, and Green Bay took a 17-14 lead over Detroit when he threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams. The Lions actually led 14-7 after scoring a TD with 23 seconds left in the first half, then the Packers scored 10 points before Detroit had another chance to touch the ball. Mason Crosby kicked a 53-yard field goal to end the first half.

The NFC North title goes to whoever wins this game.

— Noah Trister reporting from Detroit.

___

9:45 p.m.

The San Francisco 49ers have fired coach Chip Kelly and general manager Trent Baalke just hours after finishing one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

Team CEO Jed York announced the moves after the team completed a 2-14 season with a 25-23 loss to Seattle. York says the “decision to change our football leadership was absolutely necessary.”

The Niners tied the worst record in franchise history previously done in 1978, ’79 and 2004.

The new coach will be the fourth in four seasons. The team got rid of Jim Harbaugh after 2014 and then fired Jim Tomsula and Kelly after one season each.

— Josh Dubow reporting from Santa Clara, California

___

9:25 p.m.

Detroit’s Matthew Stafford has surpassed 30,000 yards passing for his career, becoming the fastest quarterback to reach the mark.

Stafford did it in his 109th game Sunday night. The previous record was held by Dan Marino and Kurt Warner, who did it in 114 games.

The Lions and Green Bay Packers are tied at 7 in the second quarter. The winner takes the NFC North.

— Noah Trister reporting from Detroit

___

8:50 p.m.

The San Diego Chargers fired head coach Mike McCoy after Sunday’s loss to Kansas City.

McCoy went 28-38 in four seasons with the Chargers, who finished 5-11 this season.

“Our team’s disappointing performance has not matched this team’s potential and has fallen short of the demanding standards that we seek to impose throughout our organization,” team President John Spanos said. “Our comprehensive search for a new head coach begins immediately.”

— Bernie Wilson reporting from San Diego

___

8:15 p.m.

Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak has told his players he’ll be stepping down because of health reasons.

Kubiak leaves Denver on a high note, after a 24-6 win over the Oakland Raiders, but Denver’s season ended Sunday with no chance at a Super Bowl repeat. The 55-year-old coach has a 24-11 record with the Broncos, including last year’s title run. He is 87-77 overall, including his eight seasons with Houston.

During his last year with the Texans, he collapsed on the field with what was diagnosed as a mini-stroke. He was fired after that 2013 season.

This year, he suffered a complex migraine on Oct. 9 following a loss to Atlanta. He took the next week off and has appeared in good health since his return.

— Eddie Pells reporting from Denver

7:40 p.m.

The AFC wild-card matchups are set.

No. 3 seed Pittsburgh (11-5) will host sixth-seeded Miami (10-6) next weekend, and No. 4 seed Houston (9-7) will host fifth-seeded Oakland (12-4). New England (14-2) and Kansas City (12-4) earned first-round byes.

Dates and times of the games will be announced later.

The NFC wild-card matchups will be decided Sunday night. No. 3 seed Seattle (10-5-1) will host the loser of the Green Bay-Detroit game, and the winner of that NFC North title game will host the sixth-seeded New York Giants (11-5). Dallas (13-3) and Atlanta (11-5) earned the top two seeds and first-round byes.

___

7:25 p.m.

The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions made the playoffs before they even kicked off Sunday night.

The Packers and Lions clinched spots when Washington lost at home to the New York Giants, 19-10. The Redskins were officially eliminated from postseason contention.

When the Giants-Redskins game ended, Lions fans roared at Ford Field while Detroit and Green Bay players were warming up. When the public-address announcer gave the final score, another round of cheers was heard.

Regardless of both teams securing playoff spots, Green Bay and Detroit still have a lot at stake Sunday night. The winner will take the NFC North, earning a home game next week, while the loser will settle for the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs.

— Larry Lage reporting from Detroit

___

7:20 p.m.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has set an NFL record by topping 5,000 yards passing for the fifth time in his career.

The 37-year-old Brees, in his 16th season, reached the milestone in the second quarter at Atlanta and ended the third with 154 yards passing. He had an NFL-leading 4,858 yards passing going into the game.

— George Henry reporting from Atlanta

___

6:50 p.m.

Michael Vick made a triumphant return to the Georgia Dome, riding onto the field in a convertible to a raucous ovation that made it clear Atlanta Falcons have forgiven their former franchise quarterback.

Despite an online campaign calling for the Falcons to revoke their invitation over a dogfighting case that sent Vick to prison for nearly two years, he received by far the loudest ovation from the sellout crowd of 70,835 during a halftime ceremony honoring the final regular-season game at the team’s home of 25 years.

Vick, wearing a black No. 7 jersey and a silver Falcons cap, blew kisses and threw up his arms in appreciation.

Vick was one of the most dynamic players in team history, but his legacy was forever marred by his criminal activities off the field, which came to light in 2007. He never played again for the Falcons. A decade after his final game with the team, the animosity that Vick’s name once stirred among Atlanta fans appeared to have turned to forgiveness. Not one boo or jeer was heard from the crowd.

— Paul Newberry reporting from Atlanta

6:40 p.m.

Connor Cook is off to an impressive start in his NFL debut.

Oakland’s third-string quarterback completed four straight passes during a 63-yard touchdown drive to get the Raiders on the board late in the third quarter. Oakland still trails Denver 24-6.

A rookie fourth-round draft pick out of Michigan State, Cook replaced Matt McGloin, who left in the second quarter with a shoulder injury.

Cook is 7 for 8 for 87 yards, with a 32-yard TD pass to Amari Cooper.

— Eddie Pells reporting from Denver

___

6:32 p.m.

David Johnson’s record-setting season for the Arizona Cardinals is over, but the running back might have avoided serious injury.

Johnson watched the second half of the Cardinals’ game at Los Angeles from the sideline with a brace on his left knee, which was hurt on an awkward tackle in the first quarter. The team didn’t immediately provide an update on Johnson’s condition, but he was smiling and appeared to be able to put weight on his leg.

Johnson set a franchise record this season as the first Cardinals player to gain more than 2,000 total yards. He set an NFL record with at least 100 yards from scrimmage in each of Arizona’s first 15 games.

— Greg Beacham reporting from Los Angeles

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6:15 p.m.

The always-contentions and ever-eventful rivalry between Josh Norman and Odell Beckham Jr. is delivering more drama.

Washington Redskins cornerback Norman entered Sunday tied for the most penalties in the NFL this season with 12, and midway through the third quarter, he’s tacked on two to his total — both while covering New York Giants receiver Beckham.

The latest was a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for a facemask-to-facemask clash in the third quarter. In the first half, Norman drew a flag for unnecessary roughness for shoving Beckham after the wideout already was out of bounds on a catch; two plays later, the Giants scored a TD.

Last season, when Norman was with Carolina, he and Beckham engaged in all sorts of nastiness during a Panthers-Giants game, leading to a one-game suspension for the player known as OBJ.

— Howard Fendrich reporting from Landover, Maryland

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6:10 p.m.

The worst season in Cleveland Browns history won’t cost coach Hue Jackson his job.

If anything, owner Jimmy Haslam is doubling down on his bet that Jackson, general manager Sashi Brown and the rest of the front office are the right people to turn things around.

The revolving door that’s been an offseason fixture since Haslam bought the team in 2012 is stopping, even after a 27-24 overtime loss to the backup-laden Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday that left the Browns at 1-15.

“Clearly not an acceptable year,” Haslam said. “Really since we bought the team, it’s totally unacceptable performance, which as ownership we’ll take the entire blame for.”

And not, Haslam stressed, Jackson or Brown, both of whom were brought in last winter to revive a team that’s 15-49 over the past four seasons.

“Could not be more pleased with the job Hue and the staff are doing,” Haslam said. “You wouldn’t think this was a 1-14 team with the way this team was out there battling (today). Really pleased with Hue and really pleased with our personnel group. I think we have the right people in place.”

— Will Graves reporting from Pittsburgh

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6 p.m.

Steve Smith has played his final NFL game.

The 37-year-old Ravens receiver caught three passes for 34 yards during Baltimore’s 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. He was emotional before the game and again after it, but he had no regrets about his decision to move on with his life.

“I enjoyed it, but it’s over,” said Smith, who finishes tied for fourth in NFL history with 51 games of 100 yards receiving. “I know it’s my time. Some people say can I play another year? I probably could. But what I would lose, I’m not willing to risk.”

— Joe Kay reporting from Cincinnati

5:40 p.m.

Oakland is down to its third-string quarterback.

Rookie Connor Cook, a fourth-round draft pick who came into the game without an NFL pass attempt, replaced the injured Matt McGloin, who was pulled with a left shoulder injury.

McGloin made his first start since 2013. He was replacing Derek Carr, who broke his leg last week against Indianapolis and is done for the season.

McGloin was 6 for 11 for 21 yards, and the Raiders were trailing Denver 17-0 late in the first half.

Oakland needs the win, or a Kansas City loss, to win the AFC West and a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

— Eddie Pells reporting from Denver

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5:15 p.m.

Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson is out with a potentially serious knee injury.

Johnson was hurt on an awkward tackle by the Los Angeles Rams’ Eugene Sims and Alec Ogletree in the first quarter of both teams’ season finale. Johnson’s leg bent back alarmingly while he went down, and he stayed down for a long moment with players from both teams kneeling around him.

Johnson eventually walked gingerly off the field, and the Cardinals said his return was questionable.

Johnson is completing a spectacular season, becoming the first Cardinals player to gain 2,000 total yards. He set an NFL record with at least 100 yards from scrimmage in each of Arizona’s first 15 games.

— Greg Beacham reporting from Los Angeles

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5:10 p.m.

San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates has tied Tony Gonzalez for the most touchdown catches (111) in NFL history by a tight end.

Gates tied the mark on a 2-yard toss from Philip Rivers early in the second quarter to give the Chargers a 10-3 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs. Gates caught the ball and extended it in his right hand to break the plane.

Gonzalez spent his first 12 seasons of his career with the Chiefs before finishing with the Atlanta Falcons.

— Bernie Wilson reporting from San Diego

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4:50 p.m.

Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Vic Beasley, the NFL’s sacks leader, has returned to the game early in the second quarter after leaving with a shoulder injury.

Beasley was injured on New Orleans’ second offensive possession. Beasley, the eighth overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, has 14 ½ sacks, one more than Denver’s Von Miller.

— George Henry reporting from Atlanta

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4:46 p.m.

Eric Dickerson is back on the sidelines with the Los Angeles Rams.

The Hall of Fame running back returned to the Coliseum on Sunday for the struggling Rams’ final game in their homecoming season against the Arizona Cardinals.

Dickerson’s spat with coach Jeff Fisher earlier this year compounded the Rams’ woes during their homecoming season. Dickerson went public with his anger at Fisher after the coach privately asked him not to criticize the team while also asking for multiple sideline passes.

Dickerson vowed not to attend another Rams game while Fisher was the coach — but Fisher was fired last month. Dickerson posed for photos with fans and shook hands on the sideline before the Rams’ finale.

— Greg Beacham reporting from Los Angeles

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4:35 p.m.

San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke says he has been fired by the team.

Baalke confirmed the news Sunday during his pregame interview with the team’s flagship radio station KNBR. The 49ers had no comment on Baalke’s announcement before the team’s season finale against Seattle.

ESPN reported Saturday night that both Baalke and coach Chip Kelly are expected to be fired after the season. San Francisco (2-13) can tie the franchise record for losses in a season by losing to the Seahawks.

— Josh Dubow reporting from Santa Clara, California

4:20 p.m.

The New England Patriots have clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

They did it by beating the Miami Dolphins 35-14 on Sunday, behind Tom Brady’s 276 yards passing and three scores.

New England took a 20-0 lead in the first half and turned away Miami’s comeback bid with the help of a 77-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Julian Edelman and a 69-yard fumble return by linebacker Shea McClellin.

The Patriots (14-2), who were already assured of a first-round bye, became the ninth team since 1972 to go undefeated on the road during the regular season.

— Steven Wine reporting from Miami Gardens, Florida

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4:10 p.m.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Philadelphia’s 27-13 victory against Dallas made it official.

Tampa Bay did its part by beating Carolina 17-16 on Sunday. But the Bucs also needed plenty of help to secure an NFC playoff berth. They needed a win combined with a Green Bay loss, a Washington tie and victories by Dallas, Indianapolis, Tennessee and San Francisco to get in.

— Fred Goodall reporting from Tampa, Florida

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3:45 p.m.

Sam Bradford’s first season with the Minnesota Vikings is in the books, and he’s on the verge of the all-time NFL record for completion percentage.

Bradford was removed for Shaun Hill midway through the fourth quarter with the Vikings leading the Chicago Bears 38-10, finishing 25 for 33 for 250 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the game.

That gave Bradford a 71.56 completion percentage for the season, topping the mark set by New Orleans’ Drew Brees (71.23) in 2011.

Brees and the Saints play later at Atlanta, with a long-shot chance to retake the record. Brees brings a 70.95 completion percentage into the game.

— Dave Campbell reporting from Minneapolis

The Latest: Packers’ Quinten Rollins carted off with injury The Latest on Week 17 of the NFL regular season (all times Eastern):