#HOME BY PHILLIP PHILLIPS. PRIME DEFENDERS SEASON 2.

[bizlybebo]

hyperfixations have you associating the most random fucking songs with the Characters.

[thesportssoundoff]

EPL Transfer Deadline Day Spectacular (Refresh For Updates!)

-K.A. 

Woo! It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, but since we last spoke and touched upon the wonderful world of transfers...

-takes a deep breath-

Arsenal:

Brought in Dani Ceballos on loan from Real Madrid to shore up their midfield, in hopes of getting classification to the Champions League.

Flirted with Wilfred Zaha and then ultimately ended up signing Nicholas Pepe for the same money,  ~£80 million with incentives, essentially acting like the girl at the bar who dances with you all night then goes home with another guy.

-Signed  Kiernan Tierney from Celtic from £25 milliom to fill their gap at Centreback. Also, they’ve somehow convinced David Luiz to leave Chelsea for £8 million, which is a steal. They’ve also let go of Koscileny to Bordeaux in Ligue 1 in France and signed William Saliba, another Centreback from St. Etienne also in Ligue 1 and sent him back on loan to the French club for a year for more seasoning.

-Let Aaron Ramsey go on a free transfer to Juventus, who sign players on free transfers like its their birthright.

Flirted with Phillipe Coutinho and then saw that deal fall through, because of course.

Have sold Alex Iwobi for ~ £40 million to Everton in the most awesome and desperate panic buy of the season. Great move there by Arsenal.

Chelsea:

Finally signed Mateo Kovacic permanently from Real Madrid to shore up their midfield.

Have brought in our lord and savior, Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund to be the American Wunderkind we all know he is capable of being.

Found the reanimated corpse of Ross Barkley and have made him look like prime Frank Lampard.

Sold Eden Hazard in a move that made that portion of London cry.

Sold Alvaro Morata to Atletico Madrid for a bag of balls.

Loaned Danny Drinkwater to Burnley on a season-long loan only a coupe of years after paying £35 million for him. Regretting that now, aren’t we?

Crystal Palace:

Flirted with everyone regarding Wilifred Zaha, overpriced him as if he were Lionel Messi then watched all the big clubs shrug their shoulders and go elsewhere to buy someone just as good, if not slightly less talented. Arsenal and Everton both inquired about the Ivory Coast star and Crystal Palace got greedy. Now Zaha is refusing to train with Crystal Palace. Good way of fucking up morale, that.

Everton:

Signed Moise Kean from Juvenuts, bringing in a super-talented Striker to lessen the burn of not getting Zaha. Arguably better than Zaha and more fit for their squad. Will pair beautifully with Richarlison. Watch this team flourish this year. Calling it now.

Tried to work in and sneak in a deal for Franck Kessie from AC Milan in Serie A, but the deal fell through.

Panicked after not getting Zaha or Kessie and bought an overrated Alex Iwobi from Arsenal for a ridiculous  £40 million valuation. Are you kidding me?

Liverpool:

Have done absolutely nothing all transfer window to either the betterment or detriment of their team. 

Manchester City:

-Signed Rodri from Atletico Madrid for an absurd amount of money to be the eventual replacement for Fernandinho, a Defensive Midfield ace that everyone wanted, sure to shore up the link play leading up to the attack and clean up the messes before the likes of Zinchenko, Otamendi, Stones, Walker and others have to deal with it. Great signing.

Swapped Danilo for Joao Cancelo from Juventus because...well, they were bored and it seemed like good business? This was a cash dump.

Bid farewell to longtime captain Vincent Kompany as he left to Anderlecht in the Belgian League to be a player-coach.

Have flirted for the better parts of three months with Bayern Munich over the sale of Leroy Sane only to see Sane butcher his knee and tears his ACL in a glorified friendly, blowing up the potential move and putting Sane on the shelf for 6-12 months.

Manchester United:

Ho boy. Signed Harry Maguire and made him the most expensive defender ever for a sum of £80 million, much of which probably isn’t deserved. Signed Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace to shore up Right Back in a great bit of business. Signed Daniel James to play Right Wing, hoping that he’s more than just pace and a hopeful nostalgia-bit in which Manchester United is hoping to duplicate the magic of Ryan Giggs.

Have sold Romelo Lukaku to Inter Milan of Serie A after Lukaku refused to train with the first team in search of a big money move.

Flirted with and failed to bring in Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon.

Flirted with Paulo Dybala, made flirty faces at each other, slid into each others DMs, then Dybala told Manchester United he was a call girl and likes to get paid before they get in bed together. Manchester United balked and Dybala went back to Juventus where he will inevitable be stifled once again under Cristiano Ronaldo. Great life for Dybala, let me tell you.

Tottenham:

Sold Kiernan Trippier, got rid of Champions League legend Fernando Llorente, and said goodbye to worthless piece of crap, Vincent Janssen.

-Signed Tanguy Ndombele in the move of the transfer window, bringing him from Lyon in Ligue 1 to the London giants, placing Ndombele right in the middle of the park as a defensive midfielder, a position Spurs were sorely lacking in and needed to reinforce since the departure of Moussa Dembele.

Signed Jack Clarke, a young starlet in a good bit of business from Leeds before loaning him back out to Leeds in an act of good faith.

Signed Giovanni Lo Celso from Real Betis to boss the middle of the park next to Ndombele for a fee of £65 million.

Have seen Christian Eriksen flirt with everyone and their mother and then watch Eriksen get told in no uncertain terms that he simply isn’t good enough for the likes of the bigger teams in the continent. Great news for Tottenham, soul crushing for Eriksen.

Also flirted with Dyabla, also got the Girlfriend Experience from the Argentine before he demanded a Brinks truck full of money and Daniel Levy told him to kick rocks. Seemingly the deal was all but agreed and finalized before he decided to demand a sensational amount of money.

Signed Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham. A dominant and young British defender, he will definitely fill the wingback position and push Danny Rose to the bench. 

Tottenham is getting younger, adding skill and talent. I like it. Hell of a way to keep yourself at the top of the food chain. Ndombele, Lo Celso, Ndombele and Clarke is a hell of a transfer window.

Watford:

Signed Ismaila Sarr from Ligue 1 side, Stade Rennais for a club-record fee.

West Brom:

Hoping to get some goal-scoring punch, have secured the rights to Charlie Austin from Southampton on a 2-year deal with terms undisclosed.

Wolves:

Not done much, but were trying to work out a £26 million deal for the aforementioned Franck Kessie of Serie A giants, AC Milan, which fell through.

[tkmedia]

Tale of the tape: Who will win Euro 2020?

10:21 AM ETThe Euro 2020 final is here at last, albeit a year later than scheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and London will stage a heavyweight clash between England and Italy at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.Roberto Mancini's Italy are seeking the Azzurri's first European title since 1968, while England are attempting to win a major tournament for only the second time, having last tasted success at the 1966 World Cup.Both Italy coach Mancini and England manager Gareth Southgate have revived the fortunes of their respective national teams since taking charge in 2018 and 2016 respectively, but Sunday will be decided by the players on the pitch.- Euro 2020 on ESPN: Stream LIVE games and replays (U.S. only) - Euro 2020: Live on ESPN | VAR watch | Pick 'em - Don't have ESPN? Get instant accessWill Raheem Sterling or Harry Kane inspire England to glory? Or will the defensive organisation of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci pave the way for someone like Federico Chiesa to score another crucial goal for the Italians?Both teams are unbeaten at Euro 2020 and the game appears too close to call. Here's how Italy and England stack up ahead of Sunday's clash.2 RelatedGoalkeeper:So far at Euro 2020, the goalkeeping department has been a position of strength for both Italy and England.Gianluigi Donnarumma, expected to sign for Paris Saint-Germain this month following the expiration of his AC Milan contract, has justified his billing as Gianluigi Buffon's natural successor by providing presence, reliability and stature in goal for Italy.The 22-year-old, at 6-foot-5 inches tall, cuts a commanding figure and he has been beaten just twice in six games. His save of Alvaro Morata's during the penalty shootout win against Spain in the semifinal gave Jorginho the chance to win it.One of Italy's key strengths at the Euros has been the defensive axis forged between Donnarumma and veteran centre-halves Chiellini and Bonucci. Together, they pose a formidable unit.For England, Jordan Pickford went into Euro 2020 with question marks over his reliability. Despite being a consistent performer for England, his club form for Everton last season was mixed, with the 27-year-old making a number of costly, high-profile mistakes.That said, he has once again saved his best performances for the national team and, aside from some wayward passes during the semifinal win against Denmark, Pickford has been outstanding this summer. His reflex saves and ability to quickly get down low to save have led to him conceding just one goal so far, and his kicking has often sparked breakaway attacks. And although he can take risks, he has cut out many of the mistakes that have plagued him at club level. Defence:Both teams have largely operated with a back four, although England played with a back three during the round-of-16 victory against Germany, with Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker moving inside to partner John Stones and Harry Maguire.Italy coach Mancini is unlikely to divert from a back four that has served him well throughout the tournament, although the Achilles injury sustained by Leonardo Spinazzola during the quarterfinal win against Belgium saw Chelsea left-back Emerson promoted to the starting lineup in the semifinal against Spain.Emerson is likely to keep his place alongside Bonucci and Chiellini, with Giovanni Di Lorenzo occupying the right-back slot. Everything is held together and controlled by Bonucci and Chiellini in a defence that went 11 games without conceding a goal until the round-of-16 win over Austria, which Italy won 2-1.England coach Southgate has a variety of options, having rotated over the course of their six games. Walker and Kieran Trippier have both played at right-back, while Trippier started the opening game against Croatia at left-back.Luke Shaw has since occupied that role and has enjoyed an impressive tournament, linking well with Raheem Sterling down the left, and the Manchester United defender is almost certain to start on Sunday. Stones and Maguire will continue at centre-half, but don't be surprised if Southgate mixes up the formation.Midfield:Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice have been England's defensive midfield pair throughout the tournament and Southgate has so far resisted the temptation to restore the fit-again Jordan Henderson.With the Leeds and West Ham duo performing the double pivot role, Southgate has selected attacking midfielders ahead of them, operating behind centre-forward Harry Kane. Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Mason Mount and Jack Grealish have all been handed starts by Southgate, with the coach tailoring his selection to the opposition. Mount is likely to start against Italy, but Southgate could go with any of the other three, or even bolster the area with Henderson, in his starting team for the final.Italy's selection in midfield been more predictable and consistent, with Mancini operating with a three-man midfield throughout the tournament. Jorginho, Marco Verratti and Nicolo Barella have started each of the three games in the knockout stages and are likely to form the same midfield for the final. Jorginho's control of the ball, Verratti's passing range and Barella's threat in attacking positions make Italy the biggest challenge that England have faced in the centre of the pitch.Could an in-form Harry Kane be the difference-maker for England on Sunday against Italy? Photo by Carl Recine - Pool/Getty ImagesAttack:England's main threat has come from Kane and Sterling, with the two forwards scoring seven of England's 10 goals.Tottenham forward Kane failed to score in the group stage, but he has come to life in the knockout rounds by hitting the back of the net against Germany, Ukraine (twice) and Denmark.Kane and Sterling will start on Sunday, but England have other forwards capable of making an impact. Marcus Rashford has been given just 83 minutes' playing time, while Jadon Sancho and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have also been relatively under-used.Italy have outscored England with 12 goals in six games, but they have spread them around the team and have five players -- Lorenzo Insigne, Ciro Immobile, Chiesa, Manuel Locatelli and Matteo Pessina -- on two goals.Immobile is likely to start with Andrea Belotti once again in reserve. With Chiesa having scored twice in two games at Wembley, Mancini may start with the Juventus forward with Insigne or Domenico Berardi as the third forward.Star players:Sterling has been England's most consistent and greatest impact player of the tournament. He has scored goals, created them, won penalties and generally provided a crucial attacking outlet for Southgate's team. His partnership with Shaw has been a big factor and an area that the Italians will undoubtedly look to control.Kane is clearly a match winner, and needs one goal to draw level with Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrik Schick on five goals for the tournament -- though Ronaldo is primed to win the Golden Boot as he is the only one of the trio with an assist to his name. To win the Golden Boot, Kane needs to score at least two goals, or get a goal and at least two assists.Then there is Rashford, Foden, Sancho and Grealish, all of whom could quite easily claim the headlines with a match-winning display.For Italy, the team has been the star, with each area of Mancini's side delivering when it matters. Chiellini has offered a reminder of the beauty of world-class defending, while Jorginho and Verratti have enjoyed great tournaments in midfield.Further forward, Chiesa has delivered big goals at crucial moments, but the strength of Italy comes from the collective unity of the team rather than one or two outstanding individuals.Roberto Mancini's Italy will be looking to win the country's second European Championship, and first since 1968. GettyIntangibles (coaching, momentum etc.):England have never beaten Italy at a major tournament, losing against the Azzurri at the 2014 World Cup, Euro 2012 and Euro 1980, and their last competitive win came in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley in November 1977.But Euro 2020 has been a tournament in which England have ended a number of negative sequences -- they won their opening game for the first time at a Euros, beat Germany in the round of 16 to win a knock-out Euros tie without a penalty shootout for the first time and, by winning the semifinal against Denmark, reached the final for a first time. No team has won the Euros on home soil since France in 1984, so England are also aiming to end that 37-year wait.

The beautiful game lives here. Unlock world-class coverage of top leagues, tournaments and teams. Sign up now to stream soccer on ESPN+FRIDAY, JULY 9 • Cincinnati vs. Columbus (7:30 p.m. ET)SUNDAY, JULY 11 • Italy vs. England (3 p.m. ET) Italy have lost just once in six games against England at Wembley, so the superstitious Mancini will believe that the omens are on his team's side. Italy also won knockout ties against Austria and Spain at Wembley en route to the final.Sunday will be England's 16th major tournament game at Wembley, having won 11 and drawn four of the previous 15. The Euro 96 penalty shootout defeat against Germany in the semifinals is classed as a draw, having been level at the end of play.So going into the game, both teams will believe that Wembley is their lucky ground -- but only one of them will be right.Prediction: Italy 2-1 EnglandIt's a tough one to call, with neither team an overwhelming favourite to win. They are two evenly matched sides, both of whom are carrying their own sense of destiny, with big-game players on each team.England will play to win, while Italy's defensive and tactical discipline means that they can, and will, play to not lose. England simply need to be able to break Italy down without leaving gaps at the back for Mancini's players to exploit.Italy have the experience and game management skills to be able to defuse the home atmosphere and make it a battle of attrition for England, but they also possess the attacking qualities to hurt Southgate's team.If Italy are able to fulfill their game plan, they will win. But it will be close. Read the full article

[thechasefiles]

The Chase Files Daily Newscap 9/9/2018

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Sunrday September 9th 2018. Remember you can read full articles by purchasing Sunday Sun Nation Newspaper (SS), via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS).

POLYCLINIC PUSHBACK – Government’s plan to open selected polyclinics around the clock is meeting with resistance from trade unions and organisations which represent nurses. The Sunday Sun understands that October 1, had been set as the date to have this system implemented at the David Thompson Polyclinic in Colleton, St John and the Winston Scott Polyclinic, in Jemmotts Lane, the City; but trade unions have told officials from the Ministry of Health and Wellness this cannot work, citing the critical shortage of staff, particularly nurses. A source close to the situation, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak, said officials had first earmarked the Randall Phillips Polyclinic at Oistins, Christ Church, and the Winston Scott Polyclinic, both of which already have extended hours but the former has been deemed not suitable for a 24-hour operation. “There are several issues with Randall Phillips such as electrical wiring; mould and the physical environment is just not suitable, so they switched to the David Thompson Polyclinic but nurses are not too pleased about this – they are fuming,” the source said. (SS)

NEW BOARD APPOINTED AT NPC – The National Petroleum Corporation (NPC) has a new Board, which will be chaired by Dr Asquith Thompson. His deputy is Herbert Yearwood. The other members are: Richard Hughes, Janaye Burgess, Ricardo Blackman, Lachmi Connell, Sonya Alleyne, Neil Kirton, Nicole Puckerin, the General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union or her nominee, the Permanent Secretary responsible for Finance in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources and the Chairman of the Barbados National Oil Company Limited, or their nominees. The appointments took effect from July 1, and are for a period of three years. (BGIS)

HAITI – MINISTER REMOVED FROM NEW GOVERNMENT – Minister of Environment Osner Richard has been removed from office less than 48 hours after a new government was named in Haiti. Richard, who was appointed by presidential decree on Wednesday, was nominated by a consortium of political parties. The political parties have since named engineer Joseph Jouthe, a former technical director at the Office of Monetization of Development Assistance Programmes, to replace Richard pending its appointment in the official journal. He was removed from the Cabinet on the grounds of dual nationality. He is reported to be the holder of a United States passport. Prior to being named a minister, Richard had signed a document certifying that he had never given up his Haitian nationality. However, the Senate Commission, in analysing its documents, found that he held a US passport. Media reports said that Richard may be charged in court for making a false statement. The new government was named two months after prime minister Jack Guy Lafontant resigned following days of violent protests against rising fuel price. The unrest started after the government unveiled a proposal to remove fuel subsidies. At least four people were killed with shops and buildings burnt and looted.  (BT)

FIANCÉE ROBBED OF SOULMATE – Today, Bernadette Greenidge is nursing a broken heart. Her soulmate of 14 years, and fiancé, Stephen Small died on Friday after being robbed and stabbed the previous day.  “I can’t tell you how I feel. I haven’t got that feeling yet. To me, it’s still like a dream and I’m still just hoping,” a visibly shaken Greenidge told the Sunday Sun yesterday at the couple’s home in Henley, St John. “Everyone loved him . . . we still do. He’s like a dad, granddad. He was my best friend; he was my everything,” she later added. Bolstered by her supportive family, Greenidge said she met Small more than 18 years ago and was instantly smitten. Over the years, their growing friendship flourished into a relationship. (SS)

RUN OUT BY THIEVES – An Austrian man who made Barbados his home 33 years ago said he has been forced to flee his million-dollar house after being constantly hit by thieves for the past two years. Friedrich Trausnitzer, 74, who lived in an affluent and secluded St James neighbourhood, told the Sunday Sun thieves were invading his home almost daily stealing thousands of dollars, as well as household items. Frustrated and feeling as if he was getting no assistance from the police, the man, who lived alone, moved out of his house two weeks ago, taking his two dogs, because he feared for his life. He is renting an apartment for $1 600 a month and has posted a sign at his former home declaring he has no money. Trausnitzer is planning to put his house up for sale and possibly move back to Austria.  (SS)

BARBADIAN MEN FOUND DEAD IN JAMAICA – Reports coming out of Jamaica say two Barbadian men have been found dead in the eastern parish of St Thomas. An article published by RJR Newssaid the bodies of Dario Yearwood and Daniel Griffiths were found in bushes in Woodbourne on Friday. “The men reportedly arrived in Jamaica on Wednesday close to midday and should have checked in at a Kingston hotel but never did. “Detectives who went to the murder scene recovered an identification card belonging to one of the men. Further checks with the immigration authorities on Saturday revealed that the men were Barbadian nationals,” the article said.  The men’s bodies, which reportedly bore gunshot wounds, were discovered by a resident who went to tend to his cattle.  (SS)

STABBED BRAZILIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE STABLE, IN THERAPY – A front-running and far-right Brazilian presidential candidate began physical therapy on Saturday and remained in serious but stable condition after being stabbed during a campaign rally earlier this week, doctors and family members said. Congressman Jair Bolsonaro, who is unlikely to return to the campaign trail before the Oct. 7 first-round vote, was being fed intravenously but was in “good clinical condition,” according to a written statement from the Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo. The attack further complicates Brazil’s most unpredictable election in three decades. Corruption investigations have jailed scores of powerful businessmen and politicians in recent years, and alienated infuriated voters. Bolsonaro, 63, has for years angered many Brazilians with extreme statements on race, gender and sexual preference, but is also seen by his many supporters as a politically incorrect gust of fresh air in a broken system. Bolsonaro’s son, Flavio, on Saturday posted on his verified Twitter account a photo of his father wearing a blue hospital gown and sitting in a bedside chair with tubes coming from his arms and nose. The law-and-order candidate was making his trademark “guns up” gesture, with both his hands resembling pistols. Flavio wrote that his father was in physical therapy. Police have a suspect in custody and say only that they are continuing the investigation and that no clear motive was yet known, though the assailant told police he stabbed Bolsonaro on Thursday on “orders from God.” Surveys consistently give Bolsonaro, a member of the Social Liberal Party, around 22 percent in simulated first-round votes. However, those polls find he would badly lose to most rivals in the likely event of a runoff, which takes place if no candidate wins a majority in the first ballot.  (SS)

KNIGHT RIDERS SEAL TOP-TWO FINISH WITH SIXTH STRAIGHT WIN – Trinbago Knight Riders guaranteed a top-two finish in the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a nine-run victory over Barbados Tridents at Queen’s Park Oval last night. The defending champions are now sure of their place in Tuesday’s Playoff 1 in Guyana, with a second bite of the cherry in the semi-final should they need it. Having been put in to bat by the Tridents, the Knight Riders made an imposing 180/5 but will still feel they could have got more on a night when half of their stellar top six found run-scoring easy and the other half found life far tougher. Chris Lynn got things started with three successive boundaries in the opening over from the first three balls he faced, adding two Hero Maximums before being comprehensively yorked by Chemar Holder for a whirlwind 29 from just 10 balls. Denesh Ramdin then continued to thrive after his recent promotion to number three as the Knight Riders raced to 50 after just 3.3 overs. He struck five fours and two sixes in his 31-ball 51. And at the end of the innings Dwayne Bravo maintained his astonishing hitting form in this season’s Hero CPL with two more sixes and three fours in a cameo of 33 from 20 balls. It wasn’t so easy for everyone, though. In-form Colin Munro found life tougher than at any other time in the tournament. His 28 did take him to the highest ever run tally in a single Hero CPL season with potentially as many as four innings remaining but came at under a run a ball. Brendon McCullum, another mainstay of the Knight Riders’ batting this season, made just 4 from 6 balls before Darren Bravo contributed 20 not out from 24 at the death. Plenty of credit must go to the Tridents bowlers, who hauled things back impressively after Lynn and Ramdin had blasted the Knight Riders to 68/1 after the Power Play. The Knight Riders would have been looking well north of 200 having reached 104/1 at halfway, so 180/5 represented a result for the Tridents. Leg-spinner Imran Khan was excellent in claiming 2/25 from his four overs with the big wickets of Munro and Ramdin to his name, while Mohammad Irfan kept things tight amid the carnage at the start and end of the innings to give up just 28 from his four. The 180 would just about prove sufficient, though, despite a game attempt from an inexperienced Tridents top-order missing Hashim Amla, Steve Smith and Martin Guptill through injury. It was spin that proved the Tridents’ undoing with leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed bowling openers Sunny Sohal and Tion Webster with a pair of googlies after a solid opening stand, and returning to have Shai Hope stumped for 26 in his final over to finish with 3/28.  Tridents keeper-batsman Nicholas Pooran further enhanced his growing reputation with 44 from 32 balls, including back-to-back sixes to put a slight dent in Fawad Ahmed’s figures, and when he combined with his skipper Jason Holder to put together a 50-run stand in quick time for the fourth wicket there was a growing chance of Barbados pulling off an upset. But Pooran was brilliantly run out by Dwayne Bravo’s direct hit from cover before Holder was caught in the deep off Ali Khan – who took punishment with the new ball but returned to bowl a brilliant, decisive 19th over that brought that wicket and cost just four runs - condemning the Tridents to a seventh straight defeat to end their 2018 campaign. For the Knight Riders, though, it’s a sixth straight win in a season they will hope is far from done yet. (CPL) Upcoming Fixtures: Saturday 8 September – Guyana Amazon Warriors v Jamaica Tallawahs (8pm), Providence Stadium Sunday 9 September – Guyana Amazon Warriors v Trinbago Knight Riders (6pm), Providence Stadium.  (SS)

SOUTH AFRICAN ATTEMPTING TO SWIM AROUND BARBADOS – South African Cameron Bellamy has been on the water for almost 20 hours as he attempts to become the first person to swim around Barbados. Just before 3 p.m. today, he passed Barclays Park after a tough stint along the south-eastern part of the island. "The south-east was difficult,” said volunteer Kristina Evelyn who is handling logistics and communications. “He had to swim a little farther out than he expected because the waves were hitting on the cliffs and then the backwash, it was too choppy. He was not moving forward as he should, so he had to swim out farther to get away from the cliffs. And there was quite a lot of current. “He knew that was going to be his toughest place, so he was quite tired by the time he got to Consett Bay, but after Consett Bay he was going with the current, so then it became a little bit easier.” Bellamy has already swum further than anyone who attempted this challenge. Evelyn is also coordinating the shifts on the support boat. She said currently, there are two medics, two observers, two kayakers/feeders, the captain and two co-pilots. Bellamy is taking on fluid every 30 minutes and eats every hour. He left Pebbles Beach last night around 7 o’clock and is expected to land tomorrow morning, once all goes well. His progress in the water can be tracked at https://track.rs/cameron Bellamy is raising funds for Variety The Children's Charity and Brightwater Kids.  (SS)

OSAKA CLAIMS US OPEN TITLE AFTER SERENA MELTDOWN – Naomi Osaka became Japan’s first ever Grand Slam champion after she thumped a raging Serena Williams 6-2 6-4 in a controversial US Open final on Saturday, with the American suffering a meltdown after being handed a game penalty. With Osaka in control of the match, chair umpire Carlos Ramos sent Williams into a rage when he handed the 23-time Grand Slam champion a game penalty for a string of bad behaviour, including a coaching violation and verbal and racket abuse. Williams then launched a verbal attack on Ramos, demanding everything from an apology to accusing him of being a thief. The game penalty put Osaka 5-3 up in second set and the 20-year-old Japanese kept her cool to pull off a historic win. (SS)

 For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 114 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

[365footballorg-blog]

Three MLS matches and dramatic Canadian Championship Leg 2s set for tonight

July 25, 20181:39PM EDT

A rivalry match, a big Western Conference showdown and some dramatic second-leg cup action in Canada should make for an eventful Wednesday night:

D.C. host Red Bulls with ground to cover

D.C. United (14pts) host their long-time Atlantic Cup rivals with plenty of ground to make up in their quest to make the playoffs in the East (8pm ET | TV & streaming info). The match kicks off a stretch of five of United’s next six at brand-new Audi Field.

The Red Bulls (38pts), who are very much in the chase for the Supporters’ Shield (six points back), will be looking to spoil those plans after already ruining D.C.’s final match at RFK Stadium with a 2-1 victory in 2017. And outside of Red Bull Arena, there’s probably not another place that RBNY star striker Bradley Wright-Phillips would rather score his 100th MLS career goal.

Union visit house of horrors in Houston

The last six times Philadelphia have traveled to Houston, there’s been only one outcome: a Dynamo victory. And the Dynamo are once again favorites on Wednesday night (9pm ET | TV & streaming info).

The Union are not exactly riding high of late: Losers of three of their last four, Philadelphia will need to find a way to contain Houston’s dynamic attacking quartet just a few days after the Union’s young defense was picked apart by LA’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a home loss.

Can Seattle keep rolling vs. SJ?

For the third consecutive year, Seattle are working on yet another second-half turnaround. Unbeaten in their last four, on Wednesday they’ll be facing last-place San Jose, who will look to put the Mikael Stahre-Fatai Alashe incident behind them from their last outing 11 days ago (10:30pm ET | TV & streaming info).

MLS Cup champs look to make another final

Things just might be looking up for defending MLS champions Toronto FC, who are poised to make the Canadian Championship final as they carry a one-goal lead on aggregate into the second leg at home against USL side Ottawa Fury (7:30pm ET | CanadaSoccer.com, Yahoo! Sports Canada). It would represent TFC’s second final this year after their CONCACAF Champions League heartbreaker against Chivas Guadalajara.

Despite a 5W-11L-4D record in league play, optimism is slowly returning to BMO Field after Toronto’s recent league win in Chicago, where Jozy Altidore and some key defenders returned from injury, while Sebastian Giovinco looked like the version of himself that MLS defenders have feared for three seasons.

It remains to be seen what kind of squad head coach Greg Vanney decides to field on Wednesday with a big home match against Chicago coming up on Saturday.

Vancouver, Montreal set up for tight Leg 2

In the other Canadian Championship semifinal, Vancouver and Montreal are primed for a nail-biter in their second leg after the Impact won by a slim 1-0 result in Montreal (10pm ET | CanadaSoccer.com, Yahoo! Sports Canada).

Amid reports of a record transfer to Bayern Munich for star winger Alphonso Davies, Vancouver’s MLS form has slipped of late. Having lost four of their last five matches, the Whitecaps are in need of a jump start. The Impact are headed in the opposite direction recently, winners of five of their last seven matches in league play.

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Three MLS matches and dramatic Canadian Championship Leg 2s set for tonight was originally published on 365 Football

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ARLINGTON, Texas | The Latest: 49ers take tackle Mike McGlinchey at No. 9

New Post has been published on https://goo.gl/qaFnpZ

ARLINGTON, Texas | The Latest: 49ers take tackle Mike McGlinchey at No. 9

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Latest on the NFL draft (all times local):

8:10 p.m.

The San Francisco 49ers bolstered their offensive line, picking tackle Mike McGlinchey from Notre Dame at No. 9.

McGlinchey was the second Fighting Irish lineman to go in the top 10 after Quenton Nelson went to the Colts.

___

8:06 p.m.

The Chicago Bears selected Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith with pick No. 8.

Smith was an All-American and Butkus Award winner for the Bulldogs in 2017.

7:57 p.m.

The Buffalo Bills traded up to No. 7 to take Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, a 6-foot-5, strong-armed passer.

Allen had no major scholarship offers out of college and went to junior college before spending two seasons at Wyoming.

He needs some seasoning and to work on accuracy, but he could sit behind AJ McCarron in Buffalo for a year or two.

___

7:54 p.m.

The Colts grabbed the best blocker in the draft, Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson at No. 6.

The Colts had traded down from No. 3 with the New York Jets.

Indianapolis took Nelson to help protect quarterback Andrew Luck, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury.

___

7:45 p.m.

Bradley Chubb of North Carolina State, seen as the best pass rusher in this draft, was selected fifth overall by Denver.

Once Cleveland, with its second selection in the top four, went for Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, it left the dynamic Chubb for the Broncos.

Chubb will bolster a defense that already has one star in linebacker Von Miller. Denver ranked third in overall defense last season, but GM John Elway couldn’t pass on a game-changing end.

___

7:39 p.m.

The Browns surprised the experts again, picking Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward No 4 overall.

After passing over more classic quarterbacks to take Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield with the top pick, Cleveland skipped over North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb, the top pass rusher in the draft, to grab the top cornerback.

___

7:30 p.m.

The New York Jets, another of the NFL teams desperate for a franchise quarterback, chose Sam Darnold with the third pick Thursday night.

The Jets had traded up from sixth overall with Indianapolis with the expressed mission of finding that quarterback. Southern California‘s Darnold, who had a superb 2016 season and was not quite so productive last year, was the choice.

Darnold might sit a while and learn behind veteran Josh McCown.

“There’s nothing better than being on this state,” Darnold said. “I think whatever the coaches what me to do, if they want me to sit, want me to play, I’ll do my role. That’s what I’ve done my whole life, not going to do any different.”

___

7:23 p.m.

The New York Giants selected Penn State running back Saquon Barkley with the second pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

The All-American with speed, power, shiftiness and excellent hands is considered this year’s best player. New York has had one of the NFL’s worst running games in recent years, and Barkley is expected to boost an offense that has a veteran quarterback in Eli Manning and star receiver in Odell Beckham Jr.

Barkley also is a sensational kick returner.

“It’s unreal, two of the biggest moments in my life in the same week,” said Barkley, whose girlfriend gave birth to a girl earlier in the week.

Not surprisingly in the Cowboys’ home, the pick generally was booed.

___

7:20 p.m.

Baker Mayfield, until the past few days considered an outsider to be chosen at the top of the NFL draft, has been taken by the Cleveland Browns to begin Thursday night’s selections.

The first Heisman Trophy winner taken No. 1 overall in the following draft since Cam Newton went to Carolina in 2010, Mayfield joins a team that went 0-16 in 2017.

The Browns were sold on his leadership skills and creativity inside the pocket and outside.

Most prognosticators pegged another quarterback, perhaps Josh Allen, Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen, for the Browns.

Instead, it’s the Oklahoma star —the Sooners went 34-6 with him— who overwhelmingly won the Heisman Trophy last season. He is the eighth winner of the award selected first in the NFL draft following that season since 1970.

___

5:45 p.m.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be accompanied by two Hall of Fame quarterbacks who won multiple Super Bowl titles with the Dallas Cowboys, when he takes the stage to open the NFL draft.

Quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, and tight end Jason Witten are all former winners of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award that recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field.

The fans still booed Goodell loudly and all the players threw footballs into the crowd.

Staubach led the Cowboys to Super Bowl titles during the 1971 and 1977 seasons. Aikman was the quarterback when Dallas won three Super Bowl titles in a span four seasons in the first half of the 1990s.

This is the first time the NFL draft is being held in a stadium.

Staubach and Aikman played their home games with the Cowboys at Texas Stadium in Irving, the team’s previous home that no longer stands. The Cowboys moved into $1.3 billion AT&T Stadium in Arlington nine years ago.

___

5:45 p.m.

For one Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, the QB to concentrate on in this draft is Baker Mayfield.

That’s hardly a surprise when the speaker is Roger Staubach, the 1963 trophy winner who won two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame .

After all, his nickname was “Roger the Dodger.”

“There’s something about Mayfield that’s interesting,” Staubach says. “He does some funky things, seems to be a leader, and they like him. He can move around and find people who come open. In the NFL, you have to do that.”

As Staubach did in one of the more storied careers. After playing for Navy, he spent four years in active duty, including a tour in Vietnam. After spending two weeks at the Cowboys’ training camp in California the year before getting out of the service, he was told by coach Tom Landry that the team was eager to have him back the next season.

From there, Staubach led the Cowboys to the top of pro football in an 11-year career in which he went 85-29 as a starter.

Speaking Thursday to current and former military members at a draft event held by USAA, the official military appreciation sponsor of the NFL, Staubach offered some advice to the audience — and to the players headed to the NFL.

“The qualities you need to succeed in the military are the same as you need to succeed in sports, in the NFL,” he says.

“Integrity, hard work, teamwork. Those are all the attributes companies are looking for. Take advantage of the qualities you have.

“You must work hard at it. Of course, for the NFL you must have the talent. But if you have the talent and don’t work at it, someone with less talent will go past you.

“The service taught me and all of us to learn about teamwork and hard work. It takes a lot of unspectacular preparation to get spectacular results.”

___

5 p.m.

The NFL has renewed an exclusive partnership with Amazon Prime Video for digital streaming of Thursday night games during 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Amazon will stream the 11 Thursday night games broadcast by FOX this season. Those games are also simulcast on NFL Network and distributed in Spanish on FOX Deportes.

Through the streaming deal with Amazon, the broadcasts will be available to more than 100 million Amazon Prime members worldwide in more than 200 countries and territories.

“Having over 100 million Amazon Prime members provides a massive platform to distribute Thursday Night Football digitally, not only to our fans in the United States but also around the world,” said Brian Rolapp, chief media and business officer for the NFL.

With 10 Thursday night games and one on Christmas last year, Amazon built on the audience Twitter had in 2016 in the first year of streaming on Thursday nights. The average per-minute audience for the 11 games hit 310,000, a 17 percent increase from Twitter’s numbers.

___

2:45 p.m.

Bradley Chubb jokes that he’s changed positions for this draft and is now a quarterback.

In reality, the North Carolina State standout is probably the best defensive prospect in this draft. When you get past all the hype for QBs, much of the first round will be devoted to guys on that side of the ball.

“Yeah, don’t forget about us,” he says with a smile.

Chubb can do it all — stop the run, pass rush, shoot gaps, block passes and kicks. Some believe he is a better player than Myles Garrett, who was the top overall pick last year by Cleveland.

Chubb could wind up with the Browns, bookending the D-line with Garrett. Cleveland owns the fourth overall spot and after taking its quarterback at the top, could go his way.

“That would be awesome,” Chubb said. “I don’t know Myles, but I do know he’s a great player.”

As for sending some love the defenders’ way, Chubb reasons it will be coming.

“I feel like I got a spotlight now,” he says as reporters gather around for his views on the proceedings. “There are so many great players who can go into an organization and change it. I hope to be one.”

___

1 p.m.

Don’t look for many wide receivers to be selected high in this draft.

Indeed, only Alabama’s Calvin Ridley seems sure to go in the first round, and he comes from a run-oriented offense.

Recent history shows that wideouts are not particularly wise choices until deeper into the proceedings.

Consider that in the past three years, the likes of Phillip Dorsett, Breshad Perriman, Kevin White, Laquon Treadwell, Josh Doctson, Corey Coleman, Mike Williams, Corey Davis and John Ross have gone in the opening round. Anybody seen or heard much from any of them so far in their NFL careers?

After evaluating the receivers on his roster, Browns general manager John Dorsey said: “Then you have to let the other young guys fight out for their roster spot. Who’s to say? We may get a receiver or two in this draft.”

Guaranteed it won’t be with the first and fourth overall spots Cleveland owns.

___

12:20 p.m.

Former Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen has apologized for a series of offensive tweets he sent while in high school.

The potential No. 1 NFL draft pick apologized for the now-deleted tweets to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith less than 24 hours before the draft.

Yahoo! Sports reported Allen sent the tweets in 2012 and 2013 and they contained racially insensitive language and offensive statements.

Allen told Smith he was parroting rap lyrics and catchphrases from TV and pop culture. In his apology, Allen told Smith he was “young and dumb” at the time.

According to ESPN, the tweets were removed from Allen’s account when it was vetted in January.

Wyoming coach Craig Bohl says Allen had “great relationships with his teammates and our fan base.” The coach adds in his statement that while at Wyoming Allen “embraced diversity.” Says Bohl: “We wish him all the best on his big night.”

___

12 p.m.

This isn’t just the year of the quarterback in the NFL draft. It’s the century of the QB.

The previous time a quarterback wasn’t selected in the first round of the NFL draft was 1996, when 41 other players were chosen before the Rams selected Michigan State’s Tony Banks at No. 42.

Banks went 35-43 in eight seasons as a journeyman with the Rams, Ravens, Redskins and Texans.

He was by far the most accomplished of the six quarterbacks selected, two of whom never played in the league and another who never started in the NFL.

Third-rounder Bobby Hoying of Ohio State went 3-9-1 in five seasons for Philadelphia and Oakland.

The Broncos chose Jeff Lewis of Northern Arizona with the 100th overall pick, but this was during the Elway Era and Lewis made zero career starts in two seasons in Denver and two in Carolina.

Another fourth-rounder was Florida State’s Danny Kanell, who would post a 10-13-1 career mark over six seasons with the Giants, Falcons and Broncos.

In the seventh round, the Ravens took John Stark of Trinity International and the Packers selected USC’s Kyle Wachholtz, neither of whom ever played in the pros.

So, that was a total of 48-65-2 for the inglorious QB class of 1996.

There have been 56 quarterbacks selected in the first round since then, including five in 1999. That mark is expected to be matched or maybe broken tonight in Dallas.

— AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton reporting from Denver.

___

11:00 a.m.

The most inspirational story in this NFL draft, bar none, is Shaquem Griffin of UCF.

A standout linebacker for the undefeated Knights, Griffin achieved all of his success despite having no left hand. He wears a prosthetic, yet Griffin stunned onlookers by bench-pressing 225 pounds a staggering 20 times at the combine, then ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds.

Griffin is fast, hits hard and never stops coming. Will that make him a first-rounder? Probably not, given NFL teams’ concerns with any sort of physical issues for a prospect.

But Griffin, whose brother Shaquill was selected in the third round last year by Seattle, insists there are no drawbacks about him as a pro prospect.

“I don’t see it as a handicap and I have never looked at it that way,” Griffin says. “I hope I am an inspiration for people, to see I can do whatever I want. I haven’t seen anything I couldn’t do. I’m never going to let someone put a label on me.”

NFL personnel people praise Griffin to the sky for his talent, work ethic and fortitude. What they don’t say is how highly they will consider him on their draft board.

Griffin doesn’t like hearing that, though his cheerful demeanor allows him to laugh when told he could be sitting at this draft until Saturday before being selected.

“I don’t have a chip on my shoulder,” Griffin says. “I have chips. I have a bag of chips. Everyone else can have a chip. I need more than that.”

___

10:40 a.m.

The Houston Texans will be bystanders deep into this draft; their first pick is in the third round, 68th overall.

That doesn’t mean they won’t be paying attention Thursday night and during the second round Friday. Plus, the man in charge of personnel moves believes the Texans already have achieved a lot in the offseason.

“Part of the process in this player evaluation is mixing the pro scouting element with the college draft process,” says new general manager Brian Gaine.

“As it relates to how we’re going to solve some of the issues on our roster with personnel, we feel like some of the things we did in free agency are going to put us in position in the draft where you’re not going to get forced to have to draft a player based on need.

“The players that we acquired both on the offensive line and in the secondary give us position flexibility within the group, so at least now we feel like we’re in position that if we draft players now, we’re hopefully drafting the best available player in that regard. The best combination of a pick is when you take the best available player that also meets a team need.”

Among Houston’s needs are the offensive line and tight end. Barring an unexpected run on tackles or tight ends, the Texans should find value when they finally get going.

“There are certainly challenges involved with that in terms of getting blue chip talent and blue chip prospects,” Gaines says, “but the focus that I have had and our staff has had here has been we are going to get a chance to get four players in the top 103 in this draft.

“So, if things were standard and we had a first- and second-round pick, a third- and fourth-round pick, that would still give us four players in the top 103.

“Now, although they might not be player 50 or 60, we’re still going to get four players, we believe, in the top 103. So, we’re very positive that we’ll be able to get contributing players at any one of those picks in the third and the fourth round.”

Meanwhile, barring a trade, the Texans will watch.

___

9:50 a.m.

This year’s deep draft at quarterback lacks just one thing: a consensus top pick.

None of the mock drafts heading into Thursday’s actual NFL draft in Dallas seems to even put them in the same order.

So, let’s see what the quarterbacks themselves think.

All of them say they’re the best of the bunch except for USC’s Sam Darnold, who suggests: “That’s for other people to decide.”

Hogwash, say Wyoming’s Josh Allen, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson.

They all unabashedly tout themselves as the best option at QB in this draft.

“I think I’m the best quarterback here,” Rosen has said. “I think every person in this draft should have the exact same answer.”

Allen has said every quarterback has to believe he’s the best because that confidence is the cornerstone of a successful pro career.

“We’re all different, we all have our pluses, our minuses,” Allen says. “But if you don’t have the mindset that you’re the best quarterback in this draft, you’re not going to fare well in this league.”

Mayfield has concurred, saying, “If you don’t have that mindset then something’s wrong.”

When it comes to ranking the quarterbacks, most people have Jackson well behind the so-called “Big Four,” going somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Jackson has just as much confidence as the others, suggesting he’s better than all of them.

“But I don’t really care about what order we’re in,” Jackson has said. “They’re all great quarterbacks, as well. So, I know they feel the same way.”

— AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton reporting from Denver.

___

9:35 a.m.

As the traveling road show that the NFL draft has become settles in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the league has added a new fan touch: the Inner Circle.

More than 1,600 fans — at least 50 from every franchise — will be in AT&T Stadium for the selections, and the festivities that go with them.

Each team selected its “draft ambassadors,” and the list of attendees ranges from locals who just happen to root for, say, the Eagles or Bills or Jets, to fans who will travel to North Texas (Falcons, Ravens). Many are season ticket holders.

The Inner Circle will feature team rivalry zones and chances for fans to celebrate the club’s selections with NFL players and former team standouts.

On Thursday night, some of these fans will be visited by their newest team members after they are selected on stage.

___

Dave Gettleman has learned many lessons as an NFL executive. The new general manager of the New York Giants has one mantra in the draft room.

He says teams must “stay with the value.” They “can’t get too cute” or hope for a player to be around in a later round.

The Giants pick second Thursday night after the Cleveland Browns. The New York Jets go third, followed by the Browns and Denver Broncos.

Plenty of top quarterbacks are available: USC’s Sam Darnold, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Wyoming’s Josh Allen. There’s also Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb.

Analyst and former NFL general manager Phil Savage says the Giants are in the “catbird seat” and can go in many directions, but he encourages them to consider Barkley.

  Analyst and former NFL general manager Phil Savage says the Giants are in the “catbird seat” and can go in many directions, but he encourages them to consider Barkley.

__

By Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (Z.S)

___

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SEC Preview: Who Will Rule a League Filled With Freshman Phenoms?

https://www.vionafrica.cf/sec-preview-who-will-rule-a-league-filled-with-freshman-phenoms/

SEC Preview: Who Will Rule a League Filled With Freshman Phenoms?

Sports Illustrated’s 2017–18 preview is guided by data from our College Basketball Projection System, a collaboration between economist Dan Hanner and SI’s Chris Johnson and Jeremy Fuchs. We project teams on a player-by-player, lineup-based level and then simulate the season 10,000 times to generate our 1–351 national rankings and conference forecasts.

These are the model’s projections for the SEC, including individual awards, the teams’ order of finish and (advanced and raw) stats for the top seven players in each school’s rotation.

The Big Picture

Kentucky has been the class of the SEC more often than not since John Calipari took over in Lexington eight seasons ago, and that should hold true in 2017–18. But after an unusual amount of offseason roster turnover, it could take more time than usual for Calipari to mold all of the Wildcats’ pieces into a cohesive whole. Kentucky won’t be able to coast through SEC play. Florida, for one, is a real threat to snatch the conference title after reaching the Elite Eight last season. Alabama might have the best college guard in the 2018 NBA draft class, Collin Sexton; Missouri brings in maybe the best player, full stop, in that class in Michael Porter Jr.; and Texas A&M’s formidable frontcourt pairing of Robert Williams and Tyler Davis will overwhelm most league opponents.

Player of the Year: Michael Porter Jr., Missouri

Insofar as team success—or a lack thereof—matters in this award, Porter is a risky choice. You won’t find many scouts who don’t think Porter is a special talent, but it’s not a sure thing he’s capable of carrying the Tigers to the NCAA tournament on the heels of a putrid three-year stretch in which the program won just 27 total games under former head coach Kim Anderson. Porter could go the path of Ben Simmons (LSU) or Markelle Fultz (Washington), posting gaudy numbers in a string of increasingly frustrating losses before watching the tournament from home, only to be selected with the top pick in the draft anyway. Or he, his brother Jontay and the rest of a retooled roster could jump from last place to a top-five finish in the league table.

Newcomer of the Year: Collin Sexton, Alabama

For the sake of variety, let’s leave Porter out of this space and cede the floor to Sexton, a rapid riser on the recruiting scene who led Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League in points per game last year. Reports have mentioned Sexton in connection with an FBI investigation into corruption across college basketball (program staff member Kobie Baker resigned last month), but head coach Avery Johnson said recently that “we don’t have any eligibility concerns” right now. Assuming Sexton isn’t forced to miss any time because of the inquiry, he’s capable of roasting just about every backcourt defender he faces in this league. SI projects the Pebblebrook (Ga.) High product, the No. 6 prospect in the class of 2017 according to the Recruiting Services Consensus Index, as the highest scoring freshman guard in the country at 16.4 PPG.

All-Conference Team and Sixth Man

G: Collin Sexton, Alabama G: Hamidou Diallo, Kentucky G: KeVaughn Allen, Florida F: Michael Porter Jr., Missouri F: Yante Maten, Georgia Sixth man: F Robert Williams, Texas A&M

Projected Order of Finish

Conference Rank Team Proj. Conf Record '16-17 Conf Record 1 Kentucky 12–6 16–2 2 Florida 12–6 14–4 3 Alabama 11–7 10–8 4 Texas A&M 10–8 8–10 5 Auburn 10–8 7–11 6 Missouri 9–9 2–16 7 Mississippi St. 9–9 6–12 8 Arkansas 9–9 12–6 9 Mississippi 8–10 10–8 10 Georgia 8–10 9–9 11 Vanderbilt 8–10 10–8 12 South Carolina 8–10 12–6 13 Tennessee 7–11 8–10 14 LSU 5–13 2–16

The Skinny on Each Team

1. Kentucky (12–6)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins Hamidou Diallo Fr SG 16.1 5.2 1.8 107.6 27% 73% Kevin Knox Fr SF 15.2 7.2 1.2 116.3 24% 72% Quade Green Fr PG 9.9 3.0 4.3 111.1 18% 70% P.J. Washington Fr PF 9.8 8.3 1.2 116.0 19% 58% Nick Richards Fr C 7.9 6.8 0.6 114.1 18% 52% Jarred Vanderbilt Fr SF 6.8 5.3 1.1 112.3 18% 22% Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Fr PG 6.1 3.0 2.4 106.6 18% 46%

A foot injury to Jarred Vanderbilt will shuffle Kentucky’s forward rotation, but with so many other players available to sop up his minutes (including fellow five-stars Kevin Knox and P.J. Washington), the Wildcats shouldn’t have too much trouble making do without him before the start of SEC play. Kentucky’s biggest flaw this season might be its lack of shooting.

2. Florida (12–6)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins KeVaughn Allen Jr SG 16.7 3.0 1.9 120.9 21% 81% Chris Chiozza Sr PG 11.2 4.0 5.5 113.7 20% 81% Jalen Hudson Jr SG 10.1 3.3 1.3 100.1 23% 57% Egor Koulechov Sr F 9.6 5.3 1.4 108.5 20% 60% John Egbunu Sr C 9.5 7.2 0.5 106.5 22% 42% Kevarrius Hayes Jr PF/C 8.9 6.0 0.5 122.6 17% 62% DeAundrae Ballard Fr SF 5.2 2.0 0.7 100.8 20% 35%

It didn’t take long for Florida head coach Mike White to turn his team into Kentucky’s prime challenger in the SEC. A pair of transfers—forward Egor Koulechov from Rice and guard Jalen Hudson from Virginia Tech—will supplement a solid returning group headlined by Allen, who was named first-team all-conference as a sophomore last season.

3. Alabama (11–7)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins Collin Sexton Fr PG 16.4 4.9 2.9 116.5 26% 76% Braxton Key So F 12.4 6.1 2.1 101.8 25% 74% Dazon Ingram Jr PG 9.2 4.2 3.0 109.4 22% 60% John Petty Fr SG 8.2 3.7 1.6 112.2 16% 64% Riley Norris Sr SF 7.5 3.6 0.7 110.2 17% 55% Donta Hall Jr PF 6.7 6.5 0.7 120.3 14% 57% Daniel Giddens So PF/C 4.9 4.4 0.5 101.3 18% 43%

Sexton is the player to watch in Tuscaloosa this season, but he’s not the only elite recruit head coach Avery Johnson brought in. Guard John Petty, the No. 28 prospect in the class of 2017 according to the RSCI, could turn into a valuable complementary scorer. Sexton’s capacity to attract multiple defenders should create more quality looks for Petty.

4. Texas A&M (10–8)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins Robert Williams So PF 14.7 9.7 1.4 110.2 26% 73% Tyler Davis Jr C 14.4 7.3 1.4 115.7 26% 66% Admon Gilder Jr SG 11.6 3.4 2.9 112.4 21% 72% D.J. Hogg Jr F 9.4 5.0 2.6 112.3 19% 67% J.J. Caldwell Fr PG 7.6 3.5 3.4 106.3 15% 64% Tonny Trocha-Morelos Sr C/PF 4.9 3.4 1.2 106.5 18% 40% Duane Wilson Sr CG 4.8 1.6 1.7 106.6 17% 43%

Williams is a good bet to be taken with one of the top 10 picks in the NBA draft next summer. But before he jumps to the pros, he will team with junior Tyler Davis to form the most imposing frontcourt duo in the SEC. SI projects Williams and Davis to combine for 29 points and 17 rebounds on a per-game basis.

5. Auburn (10–8)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins Mustapha Heron So SG/SF 15.4 5.0 1.5 113.2 25% 70% Jared Harper So PG 11.6 1.9 4.1 116.4 20% 70% Bryce Brown Jr SG 11.4 2.5 1.6 109.2 19% 70% Austin Wiley So C 10.9 5.6 0.5 111.0 23% 56% DeSean Murray Jr PF 9.6 4.9 0.8 110.3 23% 47% Danjel Purifoy So F 8.9 4.1 1.2 118.4 17% 57% Chuma Okeke Fr PF 6.8 4.5 0.8 110.0 18% 46%

The biggest Auburn basketball story this season is its involvement in an FBI investigation into corruption across college basketball. (Assistant Chuck Person has been suspended without pay after the revelation of his arrest on federal bribery and fraud charges.) But unless one or more of the Tigers’ players are affected, they have a chance to receive an invitation to the tournament for the first time since 2003.

6. Missouri (9–9)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins Michael Porter, Jr. Fr F 19.3 9.4 1.5 117.9 28% 83% Jordan Barnett Sr F 10.1 5.2 0.8 111.5 19% 65% Terrence Phillips Jr PG 10.0 2.8 4.2 104.7 22% 70% Kassius Robertson Sr SG 9.3 2.6 1.9 112.8 17% 67% Jontay Porter Fr PF 9.1 5.9 0.8 112.6 19% 59% Kevin Puryear Jr PF 7.6 3.6 0.6 104.2 22% 48% Cullen VanLeer Jr SG 4.3 1.5 1.1 108.1 12% 46%

The Tigers could make this projection look silly by the start of the tourney if Porter is even more dominant than we expect in his first and probably only college season. Kassius Robertson was an important pickup for first-year Missouri head coach Cuonzo Martin. The Canisius transfer’s deep shooting range will help open up driving lanes for Porter.

7. Mississippi State (9–9)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins Quinndary Weatherspoon Jr SG 16.7 5.0 2.0 112.1 25% 80% Lamar Peters So PG 11.0 2.4 3.4 108.1 23% 67% Aric Holman Jr PF 8.4 6.2 0.9 103.8 19% 62% Nick Weatherspoon Fr PG 8.4 3.2 2.9 105.1 22% 53% Tyson Carter So SG 8.1 2.2 1.0 113.7 17% 53% Xavian Stapleton Jr GF 7.5 3.3 0.5 108.0 20% 47% Abdul Ado Fr C 6.2 4.3 0.5 103.9 17% 47%

Quinndary Weatherspoon will vie with Sexton, Allen and Ole Miss’s Deandre Burnett to lead all SEC guards in scoring. His brother, Nick, the no. 26 recruit in the RSCI, probably won’t come close to matching Quinndary’s points-per-game figure, but he’s one of two Bulldogs freshmen who should get major minutes right away. The other is former four-star Abdul Ado, who redshirted last season.

8. Arkansas (9–9)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins Daryl Macon Sr CG 16.0 3.3 2.8 122.7 24% 72% Jaylen Barford Sr CG 14.7 4.0 2.5 106.1 26% 71% Anton Beard Sr CG 10.1 2.5 2.4 111.6 20% 66% Daniel Gafford Fr C 8.3 6.6 0.7 109.9 18% 56% Dustin Thomas Sr PF 7.8 4.9 1.4 106.8 19% 60% C.J. Jones So SG 5.6 2.1 1.0 110.2 17% 40% Trey Thompson Sr PF 4.3 4.8 1.9 111.6 158% 49%

The Razorbacks put a scare into eventual national champion North Carolina in the second round of last year’s tourney before falling 72–65. They could be dangerous if they get back in the field this season. Opponents will have to figure out how to lock down three guards (Daryl Macon, Jaylen Barford, Anton Beard) whom we project to average double figures in scoring.

9. Mississippi (8–10)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins Deandre Burnett Sr CG 16.7 2.9 3.1 109.6 26% 78% Terence Davis Jr SG 16.3 5.2 2.0 110.9 26% 72% Markel Crawford Sr SG 11.8 4.3 2.1 110.5 19% 72% Dominik Olejniczak So C 8.9 5.7 0.6 113.7 18% 53% Breein Tyree So PG 8.8 2.4 2.4 99.6 22% 57% Justas Furmanavicius Sr F 6.7 5.3 1.0 111.9 14% 63% Marcanvis Hymon Sr F 4.3 5.2 0.7 106.0 12% 53%

Arkansas might have three capable backcourt scorers, but Ole Miss features two guards who made the top 40 of our list of the nation’s projected top 100 points-per-game outputs: Deandre Burnett (no. 28), at 16.7, and Terence Davis (no. 39), at 16.3. The Rebels also are adding two high-impact transfers in Memphis graduate Markel Crawford and Drake’s Dominik Olejniczak.

10. Georgia (8–10)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins Yante Maten Sr PF 19.6 7.4 1.5 112.3 30% 78% Juwan Parker Sr SG 9.4 4.9 1.8 97.9 21% 68% Rayshaun Hammonds Fr SF 8.8 5.3 1.3 105.2 20% 58% Tyree Crump So CG 8.4 2.0 1.6 102.2 22% 49% Derek Ogbeide Jr PF 7.8 7.5 0.8 109.6 18% 60% Will Jackson Jr CG 5.8 1.8 1.6 101.2 16% 53% Jordan Harris So SG 5.3 1.7 1.4 98.7 19% 41%

Maten is a productive rebounder and shot-blocker and prolific foul-drawer who ranked fourth in the SEC in scoring last season. (The three players who finished ahead of him have moved on.) The Bulldogs may not receive much attention outside of when they face SEC contenders like Kentucky and Florida, but you’ll regret not watching Maten in his final college season.

11. Vanderbilt (8–10)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins Matthew Fisher-Davis Sr SF 14.4 3.2 1.3 112.0 24% 69% Jeff Roberson Sr F 11.8 6.7 1.9 112.8 21% 79% Riley LaChance Sr CG 11.4 3.3 3.8 118.5 19% 78% Joe Toye Jr F 9.2 4.3 1.4 104.9 20% 66% Saban Lee Fr PG 5.8 2.1 2.0 100.2 19% 48% Djery Baptiste So C 4.9 4.2 0.3 100.8 17% 45% Payton Willis So CG 4.4 1.6 1.4 101.9 21% 33%

The Commodores’ offense will look different without center Luke Kornet spacing the floor, but second-year head coach Bryce Drew will still have one of the SEC’s most lethal three-point marksmen around in Riley LaChance, who knocked down 44.3% of his triples against conference competition last season. Junior wing Joe Toye wasn’t far behind at 41.3%, albeit on 33 fewer attempts.

12. South Carolina (8–10)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins Kory Holden Jr PG 14.5 3.3 3.5 104.6 24% 81% Chris Silva Jr PF 12.5 7.3 0.6 112.4 24% 62% Wesley Myers Sr SG 12.2 3.1 1.6 100.0 24% 67% Maik Kotsar So PF 7.1 5.4 0.8 102.8 16% 62% Hassani Gravett Jr CG 6.3 2.7 2.3 97.5 17% 62% Ibrahim Doumbia Fr PF 5.8 4.2 0.5 102.9 18% 43% Frank Booker Sr SG 5.2 1.6 0.7 100.9 17% 38%

In case this projected finish didn’t make it clear, we’re not optimistic about South Carolina’s chances of making it back to the Final Four. The Gamecocks will look to Delaware transfer Kory Holden to keep their offense afloat after waving farewell to first-team All-SEC member Sindarius Thornwell, as well as starting guards Duane Notice and P.J. Dozier, this offseason.

13. Tennessee (7–11)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins James Daniel Sr PG 12.9 1.7 2.5 103.9 24% 68% Grant Williams So PF 12.7 6.1 1.1 109.6 25% 65% Lamonte Turner So PG 12.0 3.8 3.7 106.9 22% 74% Jordan Bowden So SG 10.7 4.2 1.9 111.4 17% 75% Admiral Shofield Jr PF 7.6 3.9 0.8 110.6 21% 43% Chris Darrington Jr PG 6.6 2.3 1.9 99.2 18% 49% Derrick Walker Fr PF 5.3 3.6 0.5 103.5 15% 45%

James Daniel III topped Division I with 27.1 points per game at Howard in 2015-16. After playing in only two contests last season because of an ankle injury, he projects as Tennessee’s go-to scoring threat on the perimeter. That said, Daniel won’t be able to manufacture offense as easily against SEC defenders as he did against the ones he faced in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

14. LSU (5–13)

Player Class Pos. PPG RPG APG ORtg Volume Mins Randy Onwuasor Sr PG 12.2 3.5 2.6 102.8 23% 69% Duop Reath Jr PF 12.0 6.1 0.9 101.6 22% 71% Brandon Sampson Jr SG 11.0 2.9 1.6 109.7 20% 67% Jeremy Combs Sr PF 8.0 5.8 0.5 105.8 19% 54% Wayde Sims So SF 6.8 3.6 0.8 109.7 17% 50% Tremont Waters Fr PG 6.4 2.5 2.6 107.8 18% 49% Aaron Epps Sr PF 6.4 4.2 0.6 104.8 19% 46%

New head coach Will Wade’s first season in Baton Rouge could be rough, but he did upgrade the Tigers’ roster by adding two graduate transfers, North Texas’s Jeremy Combs and Southern Utah’s Randy Onwuasor, as well as Tremont Waters, a 5'11" point guard recruit who chose the Tigers in June after getting his release from Georgetown and is ranked No. 38 in the RSCI for the class of 2017.

[junker-town]

Chiefs vs. Patriots live stream: How to watch 2017 NFL season opener online

The NFL is back, and this year’s season opener will provide the playoff showdown we missed last January.

On Thursday night, the New England Patriots will raise their fifth NFL Championship banner. Then they’ll get the playoff showdown the Steelers robbed them of back in January. The Patriots and Chiefs will square off in New England in a Thursday Night Football showcase to start the 2017 season. The first real football game of the fall kicks off at 8:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on NBC (live stream).

The two teams seemed on a collision course as the 2016 season came to a close. A strong finish made Kansas City the AFC’s No. 2 team, leaving them one home victory from a conference championship game date in New England. Instead, Pittsburgh emerged from Missouri victorious without scoring a single touchdown, ending the Chiefs’ breakout season with an ignominious ending.

Now they’ll get a chance to wash that sour taste from their mouths — but they’ll have to get past the league’s preeminent Super Bowl favorite on their home turf to do so.

Time, TV channel, and streaming info

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.

TV: NBC

Streaming: NBC Sports Live

Odds: New England is favored by 7 points.

Chiefs at Patriots news:

The Patriots are on top of SB Nation’s power rankings, because who else would you put there?

It doesn’t hurt that New England poured resources this offseason into winning while they still can with Tom Brady. The future Hall of Famer is 40 now, so the team struck big in the offseason by trading for Brandin Cooks and Phillip Dorsett, and signing Stephon Gilmore.

Here’s a reminder of what Tyreek Hill can do against NFL secondaries, and why it might not matter with Alex Smith at quarterback.

there are at least defenders trying to cover Hill, but thanks to his speed, he has them beat. Smith’s pocket is pretty clean again, although he’s reacting like it isn’t. The offensive line can only hold off the Steelers for so long, and Smith holds on to this ball far too long considering that Hill is, for much of this time, definitely open.

Mike Gillislee is going to get chances he never got in Buffalo, and that’s why he’s set to be the Patriots’ breakout player for 2017.

He always runs behind his pads, which I love, and that enables him to run through would-be arm tackles while always falling forward when he finally does go to the ground. You won't see him losing yardage on many plays unless multiple blockers just whiff on the same play. Gillislee is also usually going to get every single inch that he can out of every play.

Andy Reid smoked the Patriots in prime time back in 2014. Other than that, his record has been, uh, regrettable.

New England lists seven players on first injury report

The biggest news probably concerns the players not listed on the injury report: Starting left tackle Nate Solder and defensive captain Dont'a Hightower have been full practice participants today. The two stars missed all of preseason due to injuries and recovery work. Seeing them not on the list is therefore a good sign as the season opener nears.

How will the Patriots’ new pieces fit?

There are plenty of unfamiliar faces on the New England roster, and many of them stand to fill key roles in Tom Brady’s 2017 offense. Cooks and Dorsett will hope to fill the void left by Julian Edelman’s torn ACL. Dwayne Allen replaced Martellus Bennett as option 1b at tight end. Gillislee and Rex Burkhead are here to ensure no one tailback is a legit fantasy option at any point.

That’s a lot of new pieces, and while Brady has adapted with ease in the past, it’s fair to question whether or not there will be an adjustment period as the 2017 season begins.

Chiefs at Patriots prediction:

New England is the Super Bowl favorite for a reason, but there are still plenty of flaws that need to be worked out. Brady will have to develop some instant chemistry with his new additions against a Kansas City secondary that rates as one of the league’s best. However, even though the Chiefs can strip points from the Patriot offense, it’s tough to see the visitors scoring enough to make a dent unless Smith’s deep game can finally harness the explosive power of Hill. Eight of our nine “experts” agree the Patriots will win this one. Former NFL offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz took the Chiefs.

[frankthefightfanatic-blog]

Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series Week 5 Preview

Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series Week 5-Airing August 8, 2017

 The fourth week of the UFC Summer show ended up being, as expected by this writer, to be the best week of the show yet. From bloodbaths to ground battles to highlight reel knockouts, we saw pretty much everything last Tuesday Night.

 In the end, Cuban American middleweight Julian Marquez’s headkick knockout of the highly-touted Phil Hawes brought him a UFC contract, as well as a spot of UFC’s highlight reels for years to come. Meanwhile, Mississippi featherweight Brandon Davis engaged in a three round war with Washington’s Austin Arnett, and turned his win in the best fight of the series so far into a contract as well. Meanwhile, twenty-two year Kyler Phillips might have been a victim of his own brilliance, missing out on a contract despite his forty-seven second knockout of James Gray Jr.

 Now ten new fighters from up and down the scale will hope to add their names to the UFC roster this week, and go into this week knowing that a knockout may not be enough…

 1) Everette Sims (4-0) vs Shelton Graves (6-3)-3 Rounds-Heavyweights

 The big boys will be starting the night off on Tuesday with an interesting matching American Top Team product Sims and New Jersey’s Graves. Sims will be the second Glory kickboxer we see on the show and hopes to be as successful as the Week 3’s Karl Roberson, who got himself a contract. Sims was flattened by a more experienced pro, Xavier Vigney, in his Glory fight in February 2015, but has been much more successful since turning his attention fully to MMA. He has finished all four of his fights in the first round, but his opposition has been nothing to write home about and two of his wins come versus the same fighter, some dude named Frank Tate, not the boxer from the 84 Olympics thankfully.

 Sims opponent will be a much more experienced fighter in Graves, who turned pro in 2012. After a rough 2-3 start to his career, Graves took two years off before coming back with a vengeance in 2015, racking up four straight wins, the last three coming by stoppage, including heavyweight title victories in Global Proving Ground, as well as the well thought of Ring of Combat. While Graves has more experience and has fought better opposition, this one may come down to weight and conditioning, and whether Sims can use his kickboxing against the more well-rounded Graves.

 2) Ricky Simon (9-1) vs Donovan Frelow (6-2)-3 Round-Bantamweights

 Next up is a very even matchup at 135. Simon is a well-rounded fighter out of the Gracie Barra Camp in Portland who fought in such well thought of promotions as King of the Cage, Taiichi Palace, and Titan FC. He started out with seven wins to start his career and was dominating Anderson Dos Santos in Titan FC title fight in February 2016, when he got clipped with a left hook and put to sleep in a RNC, but never tapping out. He has since bounced back with two wins in King of the Cage, the last coming in May by submission. As good as he has been at times in the cage, he may be most famous in the MMA World from some comments made by Chael Sonnen on his podcast recently, where he claimed Simon “was better than McGregor.” Well, Simon will get the chance to show how good he is this Tuesday.

 He draws a very credible opponent in Frelow, a World Series of Fighting veteran who started his career off with five straight wins after a 4-1 championship amateur career. Coming out of the Syndicate MMA gym in Las Vegas, Frelow has four wins by submissions and his two losses both come by five round decisions in WSOF bantamweight title fights, including one to current UFC Flyweight Magomed Bibulatov. This an excellent matchup that has a little bit of striker vs grappler to it and has fighters who have only lost their biggest fights. This is one that could produce some fireworks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0vFHXBjTcc&t=1s

 3) Kevin Gray (9-3) vs Alex Perez (17-4)-3 Rounds-Bantamweight

 Sporting the very cool name of “Pocket Herc”, Gray is a well-traveled flyweight based in the Midwest who has a reputation for being very strong for the weight class. He has competed mostly in the Midwest, including a title win in Caged Aggression over current hard-luck UFC flyweight Eric Shelton. His last two wins came in Victory FC, including submitting the more experienced Nick Mamalis for their flyweight title in May. Gray has a lot of experience, but he will be taking the most experienced fighter on the card here.

 Perez has twenty-one pro fights, making him one of the most experienced fighters we’ve seen so far. Fighting mostly out of the Taiichi Palace promotion in California, Perez was on a three year, eleven fight win streak before being submitted in back to back fights by TUF 24 contestant Adam Antolin and UFC vet Jared Papazian. Since then he was fired off four straight victories in four different promotions. This should be an interesting fight between two well-traveled veterans. Two things could come into play here-first, both men have proven to vulnerable to chokes in the past, with four of their seven losses coming by choke. Two, Perez has won ten of seventeen fights by decision. If he’s content to getting another here, it will probably take him out of the running for a contract.

4) Julio Arce (12-2) vs Peter Petties (5-2)-3 Rounds-Featherweights

 Fighting for most of his career in New Jersey’s Ring of Combat promotion, Arce went 5-0 as an amateur before starting off his pro career with eight straight wins, including winning the ROC bantamweight title and defending it three times. Arce then dropped two straight to current UFC bantamweight Brian Kelleher and moved up in weight, winning four straight including the ROC featherweight title. Arce is from the Tiger Schuman team that had several fighters shine at the recent UFC Long Island card and is both a former WKA Kickboxing Champion and a former New York Golden Gloves champion. He will bring an abundance of top flight striking experience into this Tuesday.

 But his opponent had been touted by some in recent years as one of the most promising prospects in MMA. Petties was an elite high school and junior college wrestler who left wrestling after his first year of college to set his sights on MMA. Due to a habit of smiling manically during his matches, he wasn’t given the name “The Joker” which he is not shy about playing up. When he is on, he is a devastating striker who has several highlight reel knockouts (he also once made an opponent vomit in the ring as an amateur, ala Here Comes The Boom.) But he has played around a little too much for his own good in fights, which have led to two split decision losses to more experienced fighters. He’s coming off a decision win in April and he’s facing a guy who might be willing to stand and trade with him. This one is going to have fireworks. If you were going to bet on a fight to produce a contract winner, this is the fight to do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3T40wPZ9oU

 5) Mike Rodriguez (8-2) vs Jamelle Jones (7-4)-3 Rounds-Light heavyweights

 A tall light heavyweight at 6’3, Rodriguez clearly favors a certain UFC light heavyweight. He even borrowed his nickname, “Bones.” Rodriguez is a dynamic striker fighting mostly out of the CES MMA promotion in New England, which has also produced Week 1’s Matt Bessette and Week 4’s Carlos Candelario. His chances of being the first from the promotion to actually get a contract looks good. He has finished all eight of his wins by stoppage and after submitting to first round foot lock in November, Rodriguez has come back in 2017 with three first round knockout victories. Training with UFC lightweight veteran Joe Lauzon, Rodriguez looks primed for a contract and may have the right guy in front of him.

 Jamelle Jones was an elite high school wrestler and junior college national champion who made the transition to MMA after his third year as a college wrestler. Fighting mostly at the CFFC and KOTC promotions, Jones jumped out to 6-2 record as a pro when he tried out of Season 23 of The Ultimate Fighter, but he was matched with an a more seasoned striker, Myron Dennis and was the victim of the first round (sorta quick) stoppage. But Dana White seemed to like him. So maybe that was despite this loss and two out of three since, including being kayoed in the second round by TUF 19 contestant Anton Berzin in May. So unless Jones can impose his wrestling early and often against the dynamic striker in Rodriguez, he could be in real trouble come Tuesday Night.

 Winner: Graves, Simon, Gray, Arce, and Rodriguez

[fmlfpl]

Lineup Lamentations - GW21

Our Transfers, Captains, and Starting 11s.

**Lineup Lams written before the latest Costa news**

WALSH

Transfers:

OUT: Carroll, Firmino, Can

IN (for -4 points): Crouch, Yaya, Ramsey

I can only imagine the look of horror on Alon's face when he reads the opening transfer lines of this mail, but fuck it. It's time to have some fun and go for flair, differential, and sex. Yaya I shouted on the pod as a dead cert to come in. I'll have those pens and I think he will be a key player for Pep over the near term. I think he's sort of a bargain although the stats from open play haven't been incredible, they never are with YYT. But, he's one of my favorite players and I'm happy to have him in FPL as I always have been. Hoping he can chip in with the odd open play tit and pens will buoy his value so let's fuck.

Ramsey is sort of an insane pick, but his stats were pretty good last game, he scored in the FA Cup so is maybe finding some form, and is completely nailed with Santi dead as he will be either partnering Shocka or playing on the wing possibly. I think he usually is a better shout for returns when Giroud is in the side and I'm backing Ramsey for some points in this burst of nice fixtures. It really is a case of fixtures over form, and is high risk high reward, but we'll see how it goes. Another player I love and always enjoy having him in FPL.

Finally, Carroll to Crouch was my makeweight for funds. It's fucking crazy, and I get that, but I am doing this with two things in mind. 1: at Sundy with their whole team in Africa is a tasty proposition for the 8 foot giant after news of Jon Walters having knee surgery and every other striker human basically in Africa or dead...and 2: I might look at going 352 in a couple weeks after the Chelsea v Hull game. I really, really didn't want to lose either Costa or Hazard right now and I needed money to get the midfielders I wanted. Carroll is a fucking piece of shit and with Payet gone with bad fixtures I felt that he was an even more useless person in life than usual. Plus I won't have to root for him getting points against Palace tomorrow. I am a little worried about my team for the following gameweek, but, after Chelsea play Hull I will reassess which of Hazard and Costa I would like to keep and plan accordingly by either upgrading De Roon to someone good or re-upgrading Crouchy to someone actually good. It's risky, but I've been sucking, so whatever the fuck. Plus, if I get Crouch points, I win at life.

GK: Heaton solo. I am supremely excited for him in game 3 in my side to finally have me breaking even with the hit I took to get him in for Fuckford (3 points in 2 games - 4 = fuck me)

DEF: FINALLY back to playing 3 defenders....and I can only assume that the week I bench Holebas will be the week he gets a double digit return but they could be playing a mid-table Championship side and I wouldn't want to start a Watford defender right now. Home Boro is as good as it gets but he'll be sat first on my bench. I'll be trotting out Alonso, Baines, and VVD this weekend. Not sure what will come of these three and could easily see anything from 5 points to 30 points. Feels pretty solid at this time though and I'm glad to keep my price structure in tact at defense with three fairly heavy hitters. Rose is looking tasty and I will be excited to see if Poch keeps the 352. If so, I suspect Rose will find his way into my group soon...possibly for Van Fuck. A concern for another day.

MID: New friends! If Jags is on the Everton team sheet then Yaya is basically nailed on for a double digit pen + bap game so please tit me Koeman. Hazard in a dreaded away game - we'll see if I get something from him this weekend against a tightened up Leicester side as of late. He's been frustrating but he's still averaging 5ppg over the last four which is not horrible but from a 10m+ guy you want more than that. Surely I do. Anything less than 15 points out of these next two games (lei, HUL) will be a big let down. Finally, my new double Arse mid of Alexis and Rambo go to Swansea where they will hopefully destroy and pillage. Rambo in is one of my biggest rogue transfer feels of the season and a trip to his native Wales in his inaugural game for team Walsh seems very treatful to me. If Arsenal put up a crooked number on the scoreboard I think I'l be laughing.

FWD: Ibra and Costa stay - not much to say about them boys. New toy and tallest giraffe savage fuck Crouchy accompanies the heavy hitters. I had seen a couple of rumblings from Stoke fans wanting N'Goy to play instead of Crouch, but I can't imagine Sparky playing a teenager away to the Stadium of Light when Crouch has two from two in his last two league starts. They were dire in the FA Cup and got bounced but hopefully they will show up against a very depleted Sundy side and bang a couple of goals.

CAP: Alexis. Not much to think about or say on this front. A prime away game for him to terrorize Alfie Mawson and sons. He'll be runaway captain of the weekend and hopefully he comes in with a double return.

ALON

Transfers:

OUT: Costa, Carroll, Payet

IN: Giroud, Lukaku, Stanislas

*BREAKING NEWS COSTA IS A TWAT AND NOT TRAVELING TO LEICESTER AND HIS FUTURE IS UNCERTAIN YESSSSSSSS* 

I talked on the pod, and have been for a few weeks now, at length about Chelsea and their attack from the FPL perspective. I just don’t think they offer value, Costa and Hazard that is. You could sell me on Pedro being great value but I don’t have the luxury spot to go for a punt with still several dickfaces in my team even after making three transfers in the shapes of Firmino and Siggy. So anyway I’ve taken Costa out after a long long while in my side, and a great job of hauling points for me. Cheers Diego thanks for the memories. Ollie Ollie Giiiiiroud and Arsenal’s fixtures come into the side accompanied with the news of Walcott being dead gives me the feels for Le Donq. I think he has an extremely high ceiling for the next month+, higher then that of Costa and I’m saving 2 million there. Though it must be said there’s still a small percent chance he gets dropped. Don’t fuck me Arsene please.

Carroll for every reason on Earth needs to be fucked off ASAP. He’s been shit, West Ham have been shit, and as Walsh highlighted above the recent transfer request handed in from Payet just means he’s that much worse to own. They have no one else in their squad who’s naturally a creator and Andy, piece of donkey shit, absolutely needs a creator to feed him as he will not create his own chances. Here sums it up quite nicely: West Ham on the season as a team have 204 chances created total. Payet has created 73 of them... that’s 35.7% of their chances. Fuck off Andy.

And yes Payet the above lad. I was all al dente on the pod about getting rid of Siggy but Payet decided to fuck Bilic and the Hammers off has forced my hand to move Dimi instead. Fine with it, I wanted to lose both in the coming weeks anyway. Payet out left me a lot more money to play with for the midfield replacement and I flirted with Raz, Pedro, Phillips, Redmond, but I ended up following my gut with Stanny. He leaves me money for the future transfer outs of Siggy/Firmino and I think he’s finally fit. And again as mentioned on the pod his points per start are phenomenal. Bourne, have three absolute joyous fixtures coming in hul, WAT, CPL. So, yeah, let’s do it Stan the man.

GK: I only have one GK and am monogamous in this moment. Lee Grant tit me.

DEF: I, like Walsh, am also benching Holebas. It’s gotten to pretty ridiculous territory with Twatford as they haven’t kept a cleany since GW10 and I’m sick of getting between -1 and 2 points from Holes. Sure he can come good with an assist here or there but it feels like their defense is too bad even against Boro to trust. Negredo will probably accidentally score some dickfuck goal off his shin... Rolling out Phil Jones even against Liverpool seems kind of mad at first but we know what Mou does against top teams and what he does is shut down shop. Case in point earlier in the season in the NW Derby United were fully parked and it was 0-0 at Anfield. So I’m playing my best guys and seeing what happens. Though if Liverpool fucking do them and Phil Jones ends up with -1 points I won’t be mad either :).... Other two gents pick themselves in Alonso and Bainesy. Alonso had his little fitness scare which seems over based on Conte, and Bainesy has this one bad fixture before a nice run. I love left-backs and I love sexy fucks, and they both tick these boxes.

MID: New friend Stanny I’m truly very excited to own. Feels to me like these next three fixtures he has an extremely high ceiling and can hopefully fucking hugely outscore my sworn enemy in Matty Phillips. Stan has good if not better stats and I think Phillips’ chances created to assists ratio is a little fucking haywire right now. He will come back down to Earth, though I still rate him it must be said. Amazingly the other three mids in my side have been there for fucking ever. Amazingly also Firmino and Siggy have scored a combined 33 points in the last five gameweeks so fucking fuck me (Firmino’s draught goes a lot further back). But, alas, here I am, not being insane and taking -12s, calming myself, and getting rid of the 0 pointer Payet so hopefully these guys can get some fruits. If there’s anything good to say (a big if) it’s that Coutinho’s return maybe moves Bobby back to false 9 which would in my mind make him a good option again, and Siggy can score at anytime against anyone so fuck off Arsenal. Speaking of Arsenal Alexi is the third of the three aforementioned stalwarts. But he’s the good and consistent one and we all have him so nothing much to say there...

FWD: Wow an explosion in my frontline and it feels so fucking good. It feels to me at this point in the season that a 3-5-2 or three heavy hitting forwards is the way to go. There is no Chaz Austin type of guy who’s cheap as fuck and returning regularly, though you could argue for a Zlat/Costa/Defoe front line too and I’d not try to refute it. Anyway I’m in on heavy. My new front line of Zlatty, Lukaku, Giroud I think will last me at the very least 4-5 gameweeks and I think I can make a very cohesive argument for each of them being the best forward pick for this next 4-5 gameweeks. I really believe in this front line and I think backing it this hard with a power move of getting rid of Costa will net me a lot of points, a lot of team value, and most importantly a lot of overall rank places. So I’m confident now on a Friday. Who knows how the world will relentlessly fuck me on a Saturday. Time will tell.

CAP: Donkey man Ollie Giroud. I like him slightly more as a captain then Alexis when he’s playing up top and Alexis is wide left he’s just more consistent and gets more opportunities. Also on pens could bail me out you never know. Swansea are an absolute shit show and no matter what shit ass CBs they trot out there Ollie should have his way with them. Go on G.

[365footballorg-blog]

Fantasy: Week 16 positional rankings

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June 12, 201811:37AM EDT

Reid, Mike and Blayne are joined by special guest Tim to review all of the results and fantasy takeaways from Round 15 and preview the six games being played this week during Round 16. With supporters from both New York teams on the show, it was impossible to get through without a little talk about coaching transition and how that could impact fantasy player selection going forward. The guys also pause to give their World Cup predictions before going right into reviewing all of the Round 16 games.

Week 16 of MLS Fantasy consists of just six games on Wednesday, so let’s take a look at the top players to target on the condensed slate.

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Goalkeepers

Alex Bono had a couple of huge saves in Toronto’s 2-0 win over the Union this past Friday. | USA Today Images

Alex Bono posted a clean sheet at Philadelphia in Week 15, racking up double digit points in the process. With just six games to pick from, Bono at home to D.C. United (8 pm ET | TSN — Full TV & streaming info) sticks out as the ‘keeper to target this week.

Rank Player Team Opponent Price 1  Alex Bono TOR vs. DC $ 7.3 2  Luis Robles RBNY vs. SEA $ 6.5 3 Zack Steffen CLB vs. ATL $ 7.4 4  Evan Bush MTL vs. ORL $ 7.6 5  Brad Guzan ATL at CLB $ 5.9 6 Tim Howard COL vs. CHI $ 4.1 7 Andrew Tarbell SJ vs. NE $ 4.3 8 Richard Sanchez CHI at COL $ 5.7 9  Stefan Frei SEA at RBNY $ 6.6 10 Matt Turner NE at SJ $ 6.4

Defenders

Auro hit nine points in Week 15 and he continues to make his presence felt in the attacking end. He has yet to score this season, but his knack for getting forward combined with a decent shot at a clean sheet has the Brazilian high on the fantasy radar this round.

Rank Player Team Opponent Price 1 Auro TOR vs. DC $ 7.0 2 Harrison Afful CLB vs. ATL $ 8.8 3 Gregory van der Wiel TOR vs. DC $ 7.2 4 Tim Parker RBNY vs. SEA $ 7.3 5 Nicolas Hasler TOR vs. DC $ 5.3 6 Lalas Abubakar CLB vs. ATL $ 10.5 7 Aaron Long RBNY vs. SEA $ 8.3 8 Nick Hagglund TOR vs. DC $ 4.2 9 Rod Fanni MTL vs. ORL $ 6.6 10 Kemar Lawrence RBNY vs. SEA $ 7.2 11 Brandon Vincent CHI at COL $ 6.2 12 Milton Valenzuela CLB vs. ATL $ 9.3 13 Jason Hernandez TOR vs. DC $ 5.0 14 Connor Lade RBNY vs. SEA $ 6.0 15 Jonathan Mensah CLB vs. ATL $ 9.0 16 Johan Kappelhof CHI at COL $ 6.8 17 Michael Parkhurst ATL at CLB $ 7.8 18 Tommy Smith COL vs. CHI $ 4.7 19 Nouhou Tolo SEA at RBNY $ 7.0 20 Claude Dielna NE at SJ $ 5.6

Midfielders

Victor Vazquez has a chance to do a lot of damage against D.C. United on Wednesday. | USA Today Images

Victor Vazquez has a combined 20 points over the last two rounds through a goal and two assists. In a matchup where Toronto should have multiple opportunities to score, there’s a good chance he continues to make his mark on the scoresheet.

Rank Player Team Opponent Price 1 Victor Vazquez TOR vs. DC $ 9.7 2 Ignacio Piatti MTL vs. ORL $ 11.8 3 Federico Higuain CLB vs. ATL $ 10.7 4 Nicolas Lodeiro SEA at RBNY $ 12.1 5 Aleksandar Katai CHI vs. COL $ 9.0 6 Daniel Royer RBNY vs. SEA $ 7.8 7 Danny Hoesen SJ vs. NE $ 9.6 8 Jonathan Osorio TOR vs. DC $ 8.7 9 Saphir Taider MTL vs. ORL $ 9.3 10 Vako SJ vs. NE $ 11.5 11 Diego Fagundez NE at SJ $ 9.5 12 Ezequiel Barco ATL at CLB $ 8.4 13 Sacha Kljestan ORL at MTL $ 9.0 14 Michael Bradley TOR vs. DC $ 6.4 15 Bastian Schweinsteiger CHI at COL $ 10.5 16 Teal Bunbury NE at SJ $ 10.5 17 Pedro Santos CLB vs. ATL $ 7.1 18 Magnus Eriksson SJ vs. NE $ 7.7 19 Ager Aketxe TOR vs. DC $ 6.4 20 Jeisson Vargas MTL vs. ORL $ 5.6 21 Alex Muyl RBNY vs. SEA $ 4.6 22 Zoltan Stieber DC at TOR $ 8.6 23 Justin Meram ORL at MTL $ 5.9 24 Jack Price COL vs. CHI $ 6.4 25 Luis Solignac CHI at COL $ 5.8 26 Josue Colman ORL at MTL $ 5.8 27 Julian Gressel ATL at CLB $ 8.5 28 Yamil Asad DC at TOR $ 8.0 29 Chris Mueller ORL at MTL $ 7.3 30 Cristian Roldan SEA at RBNY $ 7.4

Forwards

Sebastian Giovinco stands out as the best overall fantasy target in a week lacking elite options to choose from. The Atomic Ant is averaging nine fantasy points per game over his last five starts and he’s in prime position to top double digits at home against D.C. United.

Rank Player Team Opponent Price 1 Sebastian Giovinco TOR vs. DC $ 11.5 2 Bradley Wright-Phillips RBNY vs. SEA $ 11.8 3 Josef Martinez ATL at CLB $ 10.2 4 Gyasi Zardes CLB vs. ATL $ 10.0 5 Chris Wondolowski SJ vs. NE $ 5.6 6 Cristian Penilla NE at SJ $ 9.0 7 Nemanja Nikolic CHI at COL $ 6.4 8 Dominique Badji COL vs. CHI $ 7.4 9 Dom Dwyer ORL vs. MTL $ 10.5 10 Matteo Mancosu MTL vs. ORL $ 4.5 11 Clint Dempsey SEA at RBNY $ 9.1 12 Anthony Jackson-Hamel MTL vs. ORL $ 4.0 13 Darren Mattocks DC at TOR $ 7.5 14 Will Bruin SEA at RBNY $ 7.4 15 Joe Mason COL vs. CHI $ 5.0 16 Alan Gordon CHI at COL $ 5.0 17 Tosaint Ricketts TOR vs. DC $ 4.0 18 Dominic Oduro MTL vs. ORL $ 4.2 19 Juan Agudelo NE vs. SJ $ 4.0 20 Jack McBean COL vs. CHI $ 4.0

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Fantasy: Week 16 positional rankings was originally published on 365 Football

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ARLINGTON, Texas | The Latest: Bills trade up to No. 7, get QB Josh Allen

New Post has been published on https://goo.gl/Upwzsp

ARLINGTON, Texas | The Latest: Bills trade up to No. 7, get QB Josh Allen

ARLINGTON, Texas— The Latest on the NFL draft (all times local):

7:57 p.m.

The Buffalo Bills traded up to No. 7 to take Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, a 6-foot-5, strong-armed passer.

Allen had no major scholarship offers out of college and went to junior college before spending two seasons at Wyoming.

He needs some seasoning and to work on accuracy, but he could sit behind AJ McCarron in Buffalo for a year or two.

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7:54 p.m.

The Colts grabbed the best blocker in the draft, Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson at No. 6.

The Colts had traded down from No. 3 with the New York Jets.

Indianapolis took Nelson to help protect quarterback Andrew Luck, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury.

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7:45 p.m.

Bradley Chubb of North Carolina State, seen as the best pass rusher in this draft, was selected fifth overall by Denver.

Once Cleveland, with its second selection in the top four, went for Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, it left the dynamic Chubb for the Broncos.

Chubb will bolster a defense that already has one star in linebacker Von Miller. Denver ranked third in overall defense last season, but GM John Elway couldn’t pass on a game-changing end.

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7:39 p.m.

The Browns surprised the experts again, picking Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward No 4 overall.

After passing over more classic quarterbacks to take Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield with the top pick, Cleveland skipped over North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb, the top pass rusher in the draft, to grab the top cornerback.

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7:30 p.m.

The New York Jets, another of the NFL teams desperate for a franchise quarterback, chose Sam Darnold with the third pick Thursday night.

The Jets had traded up from sixth overall with Indianapolis with the expressed mission of finding that quarterback. Southern California‘s Darnold, who had a superb 2016 season and was not quite so productive last year, was the choice.

Darnold might sit a while and learn behind veteran Josh McCown.

“There’s nothing better than being on this state,” Darnold said. “I think whatever the coaches what me to do, if they want me to sit, want me to play, I’ll do my role. That’s what I’ve done my whole life, not going to do any different.”

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7:23 p.m.

The New York Giants selected Penn State running back Saquon Barkley with the second pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

The All-American with speed, power, shiftiness and excellent hands is considered this year’s best player. New York has had one of the NFL’s worst running games in recent years, and Barkley is expected to boost an offense that has a veteran quarterback in Eli Manning and star receiver in Odell Beckham Jr.

Barkley also is a sensational kick returner.

“It’s unreal, two of the biggest moments in my life in the same week,” said Barkley, whose girlfriend gave birth to a girl earlier in the week.

Not surprisingly in the Cowboys’ home, the pick generally was booed.

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7:20 p.m.

Baker Mayfield, until the past few days considered an outsider to be chosen at the top of the NFL draft, has been taken by the Cleveland Browns to begin Thursday night’s selections.

The first Heisman Trophy winner taken No. 1 overall in the following draft since Cam Newton went to Carolina in 2010, Mayfield joins a team that went 0-16 in 2017.

The Browns were sold on his leadership skills and creativity inside the pocket and outside.

Most prognosticators pegged another quarterback, perhaps Josh Allen, Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen, for the Browns.

Instead, it’s the Oklahoma star —the Sooners went 34-6 with him— who overwhelmingly won the Heisman Trophy last season. He is the eighth winner of the award selected first in the NFL draft following that season since 1970.

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5:45 p.m.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be accompanied by two Hall of Fame quarterbacks who won multiple Super Bowl titles with the Dallas Cowboys, when he takes the stage to open the NFL draft.

Quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, and tight end Jason Witten are all former winners of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award that recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field.

The fans still booed Goodell loudly and all the players threw footballs into the crowd.

Staubach led the Cowboys to Super Bowl titles during the 1971 and 1977 seasons. Aikman was the quarterback when Dallas won three Super Bowl titles in a span four seasons in the first half of the 1990s.

This is the first time the NFL draft is being held in a stadium.

Staubach and Aikman played their home games with the Cowboys at Texas Stadium in Irving, the team’s previous home that no longer stands. The Cowboys moved into $1.3 billion AT&T Stadium in Arlington nine years ago.

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5:45 p.m.

For one Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, the QB to concentrate on in this draft is Baker Mayfield.

That’s hardly a surprise when the speaker is Roger Staubach, the 1963 trophy winner who won two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame .

After all, his nickname was “Roger the Dodger.”

“There’s something about Mayfield that’s interesting,” Staubach says. “He does some funky things, seems to be a leader, and they like him. He can move around and find people who come open. In the NFL, you have to do that.”

As Staubach did in one of the more storied careers. After playing for Navy, he spent four years in active duty, including a tour in Vietnam. After spending two weeks at the Cowboys’ training camp in California the year before getting out of the service, he was told by coach Tom Landry that the team was eager to have him back the next season.

From there, Staubach led the Cowboys to the top of pro football in an 11-year career in which he went 85-29 as a starter.

Speaking Thursday to current and former military members at a draft event held by USAA, the official military appreciation sponsor of the NFL, Staubach offered some advice to the audience — and to the players headed to the NFL.

“The qualities you need to succeed in the military are the same as you need to succeed in sports, in the NFL,” he says.

“Integrity, hard work, teamwork. Those are all the attributes companies are looking for. Take advantage of the qualities you have.

“You must work hard at it. Of course, for the NFL you must have the talent. But if you have the talent and don’t work at it, someone with less talent will go past you.

“The service taught me and all of us to learn about teamwork and hard work. It takes a lot of unspectacular preparation to get spectacular results.”

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5 p.m.

The NFL has renewed an exclusive partnership with Amazon Prime Video for digital streaming of Thursday night games during 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Amazon will stream the 11 Thursday night games broadcast by FOX this season. Those games are also simulcast on NFL Network and distributed in Spanish on FOX Deportes.

Through the streaming deal with Amazon, the broadcasts will be available to more than 100 million Amazon Prime members worldwide in more than 200 countries and territories.

“Having over 100 million Amazon Prime members provides a massive platform to distribute Thursday Night Football digitally, not only to our fans in the United States but also around the world,” said Brian Rolapp, chief media and business officer for the NFL.

With 10 Thursday night games and one on Christmas last year, Amazon built on the audience Twitter had in 2016 in the first year of streaming on Thursday nights. The average per-minute audience for the 11 games hit 310,000, a 17 percent increase from Twitter’s numbers.

___

2:45 p.m.

Bradley Chubb jokes that he’s changed positions for this draft and is now a quarterback.

In reality, the North Carolina State standout is probably the best defensive prospect in this draft. When you get past all the hype for QBs, much of the first round will be devoted to guys on that side of the ball.

“Yeah, don’t forget about us,” he says with a smile.

Chubb can do it all — stop the run, pass rush, shoot gaps, block passes and kicks. Some believe he is a better player than Myles Garrett, who was the top overall pick last year by Cleveland.

Chubb could wind up with the Browns, bookending the D-line with Garrett. Cleveland owns the fourth overall spot and after taking its quarterback at the top, could go his way.

“That would be awesome,” Chubb said. “I don’t know Myles, but I do know he’s a great player.”

As for sending some love the defenders’ way, Chubb reasons it will be coming.

“I feel like I got a spotlight now,” he says as reporters gather around for his views on the proceedings. “There are so many great players who can go into an organization and change it. I hope to be one.”

___

1 p.m.

Don’t look for many wide receivers to be selected high in this draft.

Indeed, only Alabama’s Calvin Ridley seems sure to go in the first round, and he comes from a run-oriented offense.

Recent history shows that wideouts are not particularly wise choices until deeper into the proceedings.

Consider that in the past three years, the likes of Phillip Dorsett, Breshad Perriman, Kevin White, Laquon Treadwell, Josh Doctson, Corey Coleman, Mike Williams, Corey Davis and John Ross have gone in the opening round. Anybody seen or heard much from any of them so far in their NFL careers?

After evaluating the receivers on his roster, Browns general manager John Dorsey said: “Then you have to let the other young guys fight out for their roster spot. Who’s to say? We may get a receiver or two in this draft.”

Guaranteed it won’t be with the first and fourth overall spots Cleveland owns.

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12:20 p.m.

Former Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen has apologized for a series of offensive tweets he sent while in high school.

The potential No. 1 NFL draft pick apologized for the now-deleted tweets to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith less than 24 hours before the draft.

Yahoo! Sports reported Allen sent the tweets in 2012 and 2013 and they contained racially insensitive language and offensive statements.

Allen told Smith he was parroting rap lyrics and catchphrases from TV and pop culture. In his apology, Allen told Smith he was “young and dumb” at the time.

According to ESPN, the tweets were removed from Allen’s account when it was vetted in January.

Wyoming coach Craig Bohl says Allen had “great relationships with his teammates and our fan base.” The coach adds in his statement that while at Wyoming Allen “embraced diversity.” Says Bohl: “We wish him all the best on his big night.”

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12 p.m.

This isn’t just the year of the quarterback in the NFL draft. It’s the century of the QB.

The previous time a quarterback wasn’t selected in the first round of the NFL draft was 1996, when 41 other players were chosen before the Rams selected Michigan State’s Tony Banks at No. 42.

Banks went 35-43 in eight seasons as a journeyman with the Rams, Ravens, Redskins and Texans.

He was by far the most accomplished of the six quarterbacks selected, two of whom never played in the league and another who never started in the NFL.

Third-rounder Bobby Hoying of Ohio State went 3-9-1 in five seasons for Philadelphia and Oakland.

The Broncos chose Jeff Lewis of Northern Arizona with the 100th overall pick, but this was during the Elway Era and Lewis made zero career starts in two seasons in Denver and two in Carolina.

Another fourth-rounder was Florida State’s Danny Kanell, who would post a 10-13-1 career mark over six seasons with the Giants, Falcons and Broncos.

In the seventh round, the Ravens took John Stark of Trinity International and the Packers selected USC’s Kyle Wachholtz, neither of whom ever played in the pros.

So, that was a total of 48-65-2 for the inglorious QB class of 1996.

There have been 56 quarterbacks selected in the first round since then, including five in 1999. That mark is expected to be matched or maybe broken tonight in Dallas.

— AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton reporting from Denver.

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11:00 a.m.

The most inspirational story in this NFL draft, bar none, is Shaquem Griffin of UCF.

A standout linebacker for the undefeated Knights, Griffin achieved all of his success despite having no left hand. He wears a prosthetic, yet Griffin stunned onlookers by bench-pressing 225 pounds a staggering 20 times at the combine, then ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds.

Griffin is fast, hits hard and never stops coming. Will that make him a first-rounder? Probably not, given NFL teams’ concerns with any sort of physical issues for a prospect.

But Griffin, whose brother Shaquill was selected in the third round last year by Seattle, insists there are no drawbacks about him as a pro prospect.

“I don’t see it as a handicap and I have never looked at it that way,” Griffin says. “I hope I am an inspiration for people, to see I can do whatever I want. I haven’t seen anything I couldn’t do. I’m never going to let someone put a label on me.”

NFL personnel people praise Griffin to the sky for his talent, work ethic and fortitude. What they don’t say is how highly they will consider him on their draft board.

Griffin doesn’t like hearing that, though his cheerful demeanor allows him to laugh when told he could be sitting at this draft until Saturday before being selected.

“I don’t have a chip on my shoulder,” Griffin says. “I have chips. I have a bag of chips. Everyone else can have a chip. I need more than that.”

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10:40 a.m.

The Houston Texans will be bystanders deep into this draft; their first pick is in the third round, 68th overall.

That doesn’t mean they won’t be paying attention Thursday night and during the second round Friday. Plus, the man in charge of personnel moves believes the Texans already have achieved a lot in the offseason.

“Part of the process in this player evaluation is mixing the pro scouting element with the college draft process,” says new general manager Brian Gaine.

“As it relates to how we’re going to solve some of the issues on our roster with personnel, we feel like some of the things we did in free agency are going to put us in position in the draft where you’re not going to get forced to have to draft a player based on need.

“The players that we acquired both on the offensive line and in the secondary give us position flexibility within the group, so at least now we feel like we’re in position that if we draft players now, we’re hopefully drafting the best available player in that regard. The best combination of a pick is when you take the best available player that also meets a team need.”

Among Houston’s needs are the offensive line and tight end. Barring an unexpected run on tackles or tight ends, the Texans should find value when they finally get going.

“There are certainly challenges involved with that in terms of getting blue chip talent and blue chip prospects,” Gaines says, “but the focus that I have had and our staff has had here has been we are going to get a chance to get four players in the top 103 in this draft.

“So, if things were standard and we had a first- and second-round pick, a third- and fourth-round pick, that would still give us four players in the top 103.

“Now, although they might not be player 50 or 60, we’re still going to get four players, we believe, in the top 103. So, we’re very positive that we’ll be able to get contributing players at any one of those picks in the third and the fourth round.”

Meanwhile, barring a trade, the Texans will watch.

___

9:50 a.m.

This year’s deep draft at quarterback lacks just one thing: a consensus top pick.

None of the mock drafts heading into Thursday’s actual NFL draft in Dallas seems to even put them in the same order.

So, let’s see what the quarterbacks themselves think.

All of them say they’re the best of the bunch except for USC’s Sam Darnold, who suggests: “That’s for other people to decide.”

Hogwash, say Wyoming’s Josh Allen, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson.

They all unabashedly tout themselves as the best option at QB in this draft.

“I think I’m the best quarterback here,” Rosen has said. “I think every person in this draft should have the exact same answer.”

Allen has said every quarterback has to believe he’s the best because that confidence is the cornerstone of a successful pro career.

“We’re all different, we all have our pluses, our minuses,” Allen says. “But if you don’t have the mindset that you’re the best quarterback in this draft, you’re not going to fare well in this league.”

Mayfield has concurred, saying, “If you don’t have that mindset then something’s wrong.”

When it comes to ranking the quarterbacks, most people have Jackson well behind the so-called “Big Four,” going somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Jackson has just as much confidence as the others, suggesting he’s better than all of them.

“But I don’t really care about what order we’re in,” Jackson has said. “They’re all great quarterbacks, as well. So, I know they feel the same way.”

— AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton reporting from Denver.

___

9:35 a.m.

As the traveling road show that the NFL draft has become settles in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the league has added a new fan touch: the Inner Circle.

More than 1,600 fans — at least 50 from every franchise — will be in AT&T Stadium for the selections, and the festivities that go with them.

Each team selected its “draft ambassadors,” and the list of attendees ranges from locals who just happen to root for, say, the Eagles or Bills or Jets, to fans who will travel to North Texas (Falcons, Ravens). Many are season ticket holders.

The Inner Circle will feature team rivalry zones and chances for fans to celebrate the club’s selections with NFL players and former team standouts.

On Thursday night, some of these fans will be visited by their newest team members after they are selected on stage.

___

Dave Gettleman has learned many lessons as an NFL executive. The new general manager of the New York Giants has one mantra in the draft room.

He says teams must “stay with the value.” They “can’t get too cute” or hope for a player to be around in a later round.

The Giants pick second Thursday night after the Cleveland Browns. The New York Jets go third, followed by the Browns and Denver Broncos.

Plenty of top quarterbacks are available: USC’s Sam Darnold, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Wyoming’s Josh Allen. There’s also Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb.

Analyst and former NFL general manager Phil Savage says the Giants are in the “catbird seat” and can go in many directions, but he encourages them to consider Barkley.

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By Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (Z.S)

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