#Need more Chris Alonso focus out there

[cowboyhat29748]

Chris Alonso imagine

She walks through the door and is looking at me with a bit more defeated posture than her usual strong confident self and I can immediately tell that something is off.

I know she’s a very straight forward person so I try to match her energy and just call it how I see it. “What’s wrong babe” Chris simply replies “nothing” like I can’t tell when she’s feeling down after knowing her for so long “I can tell when something’s wrong with you Chris” I address, but she sarcastically responds with “so you can read me now huh” 

Not like I didn’t expect her typical defense mechanisms, she’s usually a very guarded person and with being a swat officer she has learned not to show her emotions and bury them instead

I responded with “of course I can” she role her eyes and I chuckle “but seriously baby just tell me what’s going on, I know you think it might be too much for me but swat or not I can handle everything you tell me but clearly you need someone to help you handle it as well” she sighs and look everywhere but me. I can tell I’m starting to get her to consider opening up, 

“it’s ok Chris” 

She slowly and cautiously starts talking about some victims, teen girls, who were DOA at a scene she arrived on today and she talks about the guilt she felt for not being able to save them, shes tearing up during the confession and after she’s done I get up and pull her into a hug which she melts into, as soon as our bodies touch she breaks like glass that’s been hit one too many times.

It’s rare to see her cry but I’ve never seen her sob, not like this at least. She lets out all the emotions she’s been holding in and I just hold her in my arms comforting her “it’s ok baby girl I got you let it out” she mumbles apologies about crying and not being able to be in control of her emotions and i try and just give her those reassurances she needs, I know she needs to cry so I’ll hold her as long as she needs, just being thankful she trusts me enough to let her carefully guarded wall down in front of me.

 I gently pull back from the hug and cup her face with my hands, making her look at me. "It's okay, Chris," I say softly, "Let it all out." I wipe away her tears with my thumbs and continue, "But you can't hold it all in forever. You need to talk to someone about it. Maybe a therapist or someone else on the team who has been through similar things, or, and this is my favorite option, me."

She nods, sniffling, and leans back into my embrace. We sit there for a while longer, until she calms down and her breathing returns to normal. "Thanks" she whispers.

I kiss her forehead and hold her tighter. “I always got your six" I promise. "No matter what."

[lovesgonnabe]

Love Is Worth It - Mini Episode I: Happy Mothers Day

Characters: Chris Evans x Maya Alonso-Evans (Black OFC)

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, cursing,daddy kink, fake IG Post.

Word Count: IDK Yet(Soon)

Summary: What happens when there is a surprise on the Horizon?

AN/Disclaimer: There’s only slight edits so there may be errors. Also if you haven’t noticed this series will have many time jump things referenced here may make more sense later on in the series when new episodes come out so please bear with me.

Taglist: @thesecretlifeofdaydreamss, @canadian-girl87, @i-just-like-fanfics, @omg-mymelaninisbeautiful​ if you would like to join the taglist let me know.

Please leave a note and tell me what you think!

May 9th, 2021

Boston was moving from chilly too warm with still more cold days than not. Boston at this time was beautiful even The Evans home was littered with flowers. The beginning of 2021 has been eventful for the Evans Family.

Chris's A Starting Point has taken off like no one had expected, doing incredible number in educating a whole generation on one of Chris’s passions politics and the world.

While Maya within the few months has launched her skincare line Lavish Lilah Skin, and has been able to open back up her dermatology offices with the slowing down of the current devastating pandemic.

This Mothers Day for the family of 3 was different but the same at the same time.

Maya's Birthday has just passed, Chris filming schedule will pick up in the Summer and for the last year Delilah has been homeschooled.

With work picking up for the couple May 9th was a beautiful day for the Evans to just relax and be together as a family.

Its 9 am and Maya was sprawled in the middle of their California King Bed as Chris and Delilah were in the downstairs getting Maya's Mothers Day Gift ready.

"Ok Lilah you've got mommy's gifts and I've got the food you ready?" Chris asked with the tray in his hand.

Delilah nodded and they headed up the steps to the master bedroom the 5 year old ran up too the room first leaving Chris in her dust.

"Mom wake up its Mommy Day" Delilah said trying to climb the large bed.

Maya began to stir awake with a smirk on her face when she heard her baby girl struggle to to get up on the bed.

Delilah hooped on the outerman at the front of the bed and climbed to her mom laying up on Chris's said of the bed.

Delilah began to play with Maya's face.

"mommy get up me and daddy have gifs" Delilah said trying to open Maya's eyes with her little fingers.

Maya breaks out into a laugh now completely awake and pulling Delilah into a big hug kissing her all over the face.

When Chris walked in his two favorite girls were both laughing their heads off the sunlight in the room glowed on their golden skin as their smiling faces brought a bright smile to his.

"Are you two having fun without me" Chris asked as he walked to Maya's side of the bed.

Chris lays the tray on the night stand, pecking Maya on the lips mumbling a sweet Happy Mothers Day against her lips as he pulls her into a deeper kiss just enjoying the taste of her sinful lips.

When they pull away Maya moves over to make room for Chris in their large bed.

Delilah and Chris handed over the gifts to Maya, it wasn't a lot just some small things a card made by Maya from her zoom arts class, a mini breakfast in bed and more flowers *like she needed anymore*.

"Sweetheart I told you that you didn't have to do anything for me for Mothers Day especially everything you have done for me recently" Maya said taking sip from her coffee mug.

Chris chuckles thinking about the last few months, and he has been what you would call a rockstar husband.

With the pandemic Chris has been home a lot more he dropped a film he planned to star in and went full throttle on ASP which kept him home a lot making him kind of a stay home dad.

Chris did everything from some cooking to cleaning to school with Delilah. Him staying home was not only for him to do ASP and spend more time with his family but to let Maya work and bring her employess back so she can get her dermotobly practice back to as close to 100% as she can during a pandemic.

Not only that Chris hosted a surprise launch party/brithday party for Maya's new skincare venture in early April that was a small get together with all there closest friends and family (that were vaccinated). Even flying her parents who they haven’t seen in a year out to see them. (who were still in town and staying out in their guest home)

The three were still sitting in bed watching cartoons.

"My love if you thought today would go by and I would not celebrate you then you are out of your mind" Chris said kissing Maya's head.

The last four months have really shown Chris how much he admires Maya because everything he has been doing is what Maya has been doing since Dede was born.

So at least for today Chris was pulling out the red carpet for love of his life, after an hour of just lazying around Chris grabbed a now napping Delilah and told maya that she need to be dressed and ready to leave the house by 1pm which was 2 hours from the current time.

When 1pm hit the Evans and the Alonsos were out of the house and all in Maya's Truck.

They drove the 3 hours to the Alonso Family Estate in Martha's Vineyard and with Maya having absolutely no idea where they were going she grew antsy because unbeknownst to everyone in the car except her mother Maya was now Pregnant with her and Chris's second child and she was afraid she was going to have an accident in the car.

Maya was about 16 weeks how she has hide being pregnant from Chris for that long is a surprise and a miracle on its own.

However she just wanted to wait until she was absolutly sure that she could carry a complete trimester before telling anyone but her mom because her and Chris have tried 5 times after Delilah and has miscarred everytime.

All that faliure takes a toll not only on your body but on your psyche and she didn’t want to keep getting Chris's hopes up to keep failing him.

Even though he has been there through it all to hold her when she cries thinking about it or pick her up from the pool of blood in the middle of the night he was there holding her hand, but the of how many more times will he be able to do this with her still creeps in the back of Maya's mind.

Her mom's reassuring smile kept her calm while Chris and Maya held hands the entire ride up as they rolled up around 5pm to the estate that had multiply cars in the driveway.

When they walked in Maya's Brothers were both there along with Chris's parents, siblings and their kids.

Chris explained to Maya that with the kids out of school they all decided to being summer vacation a bit early.

As the night went on the all talked, laughed, ate good food and enjoyed each others company as one huge blended family.

It was coming up around 7pm it was golden hour outside and Maya knew for some reason it was time to tell Chris.

As Maya walked outside closet to the horses her mom followed.

"May baby cakes its time you can't live in fear forever" handing the ultrasound she kept in her purse and walking back into the house Maya took a deep breath as she sipped on her water and looked at sun hint the vinyard in the most majestic way.

"Maya you ok your mom wanted me to come and check in on you" Chris asked walking next to Maya who bit her lip which she did whenever she was nervous.

"Babe whats wrong" Chris knew something wasn't right the her body langague was and Chris could read his wife.

Maya tightly gripped the ultrasoud and turned toward Chris looking into his ocean blue eyes made her weak at the knees but she needed to focus.

She handed him the photo

"For the last 16 weeks or so I haven't found a way to tell that we are pregant and I guess this is it I am sorry I waited so long" Maya Says.

She smirks trying to keep it light hearted and Chris Smiles not even taking enough time to really process the new information with tears in his eye picking up Maya who squeals as he spins her around.

"I hope you know I knew already” he says putting her down leaving his arms around her waist.

"What do you mean you knew" Maya asked as her eyebrows frowned as she looked up at him.

"You underestimate how well I know your body" Chris says rubbing his hands up and down the curves of her body till her reached her ass giving it a good squeeze.

"Also you definitely did not hide this ultrasound that well so when I did first have hunch you had already confirmed it to me without even knowing it" Chris said.

He gave Maya his trademark smile and kissed his wife like his life depended on it.

"why didn’t you tell me you knew" she asked breaking the sweet embrace of the two lovers.

"the same reason you didn't I know that with you even though I hate it, some times I need to just watch from the sideline before you can put me in coach, but next time please do wait this long" Chris said.

Maya eyebrow raised "who said there will be a next time you better be lucky you are even getting 2 out of me sir" she said.

Chris laughs "thats what your mouth is saying now we will see what it says later when you riding papi's cock" He said kissing her lips even harder as they fought for domanice.

They knew both of there families were inside and thats why they stopped and just stood enjoying each others company.

"lets take a picture babe for memories" Chris said.

They pulled apart and Maya laughed .

"Chris look at you trying to take flicks for the gram" Maya said posing next to her favorite horse.

Chris took the picture and put it on his instagram along with a picture of Maya when she was pregnant with Delilah.

Chris laughed grapped her hand and they walked inside and told everyone the good news.

This will definaly be a Mothers Day they would never forget!

[crystalracing]

Archive: The ups and downs of Raikkonen's 2007 F1 title triumphBy:

Adam Cooper

Sep 1, 2021, 8:53 PM

With two races to go in the 2007 Formula 1 season, Kimi Raikkonen appeared down and out. His recovery of a 17-point deficit as McLaren's challenge imploded is one of the greatest comebacks in F1's history and, on the occasion of the Finn announcing his retirement, we dug out the 25 October 2007 Autosport magazine feature explaining his remarkable title season

It took a long time but Kimi Raikkonen has finally won the world championship title that he so clearly deserves. And, of course, it came at the expense of McLaren after his own two near misses with the British team in 2003 and '05.

This was an extraordinary season for the Finn that began with an oh-so-easy victory in Australia that proved to be a false dawn. It was followed by a series of frustrating races that even led some to speculate his future with the team was in doubt. Yet, once everything clicked, Raikkonen was more often than not the man to beat, a position that was obscured by the headline-grabbing battle between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

He had a lot of catching up to do. It's hard to believe now that he was as much as 17 points behind Hamilton at the end of the Japanese Grand Prix, with only 20 up for grabs over the final two races. And a few laps into that race, when he languished at the back after a disastrous strategy gamble by the team, he was staring at a title-losing 23-point deficit.

It's easy to overlook how much is involved when a frontrunning driver changes teams. Raikkonen had, after all, spent five full seasons at McLaren, and was used to the Woking team's systems and way of doing things. Moving over from Renault, the team he'd grown up with, Alonso faced similar challenges.

But Raikkonen undoubtedly had the more difficult job, for he was also filling the shoes of Michael Schumacher. In addition, the departure of Ross Brawn meant he was joining a team that was under serious pressure to maintain its equilibrium, and had also lost the advantages conferred by its special relationship with Bridgestone.

Raikkonen was also up against a team-mate who not only had a year's head start, but enjoyed a special relationship with the team boss. It could all have gone horribly wrong - like it did for Alonso - and the fact it didn't was a reflection of Raikkonen's ability to focus on what really matters.

Alonso had a slight advantage over Raikkonen in that he had a day in a McLaren in December, which accelerated the getting-to-know-each-other process. Kimi had to wait until January until he was free to drive a red car for the first time.

There was a limited amount of testing before Melbourne, and a great deal to learn. And perhaps trickiest of all was the transition from Michelin to Bridgestone, something that caught out many drivers.

"The Bridgestones were like playing on a different field," says David Robertson, who co-managed Raikkonen with son Steve. "Kimi and Alonso struggled. Lewis [Hamilton] when he was on the Michelins [in his early McLaren testing] struggled like hell - he couldn't do anything. He went to the Bridgestones, and it was 'this is it!', because that's the playing field he was used to being on. That's what we all believe, that's what Kimi believed."

Raikkonen left the winter-headline grabbing to others, but when he got to Australia things could hardly have gone any better in terms of making his mark with both the team and the tifosi: pole position, victory and fastest lap. Michael who? But he was flattered by circumstances, not least the fact team-mate Felipe Massa had a problem in qualifying and had to fight through the field.

Things got tougher in Malaysia, where the car's performance was compromised, but he took third and some useful points. Massa's early excursion suggested that Raikkonen had already established himself as de facto team leader.

"The Michelins were quite a bit different when you approached the corner and, in order to avoid understeer, you had to use the tyres in quite an aggressive way. With Bridgestone it's completely the opposite so, if you want to avoid the understeer, you need to be more gentle on turn-in" Luca Baldisserri

That perception changed abruptly in Bahrain, where Massa scored an impressive win, and Raikkonen was some way behind in third. "Australia just stunned us all, I think," says his Aussie engineer Chris Dyer. "It was just such an easy weekend. And really you kind of know that that's not going to last. We came back down to earth with a bit of a thud in Malaysia, especially with Kimi struggling there with the engine, so he was pretty much fighting with one hand tied behind his back. And then Bahrain wasn't glorious."

That weekend at the Sakhir circuit had put a negative focus on Raikkonen, and it was evident that all was not well.

"The problems started more in qualifying, to be honest," says Ferrari engineering chief Luca Baldisserri, "because he was not able to put the lap time together. Even in Brazil he was still struggling a little bit. Then he had problems to understand all our systems, to understand the tyres. At that stage we were not fantastic in terms of starts, and we improved quite a lot.

"The Michelins were quite a bit different when you approached the corner and, in order to avoid understeer, you had to use the tyres in quite an aggressive way. With Bridgestone it's completely the opposite so, if you want to avoid the understeer, you need to be more gentle on turn-in. And that is what he learned. We did some tuning of the set-up, plus he adjusted his style."

That process was still being explored in Spain, the first of a run of four races during which Raikkonen was to earn just 10 points. At Barcelona he suffered a failure after just nine laps, the first retirement among any of the top runners to date.

Another Massa win confirmed that the Brazilian was on the ascendancy. "That was a pretty bad run," says Dyer. "Spain was an electrical problem - we would have been second or third. We probably wouldn't have beaten Felipe there, but I'm pretty sure it was an easy third, with a probable second."

Having been frustrated by the unreliability at McLaren, Raikkonen was hardly impressed. Keen to get home to Switzerland to watch the ice hockey world championship final on TV, he bailed out of the circuit early. The team had let him go of course, but it created the wrong impression at a bad time. Schumacher would never have done that, we observed. Indeed, that very day Schuey left the paddock three hours after the race - and he hadn't even been driving.

The former world champion was a regular presence at that stage of the season, and there's little doubt that Raikkonen was probably as confused as everyone else about his predecessor's exact role. The Finn clearly bristled at naive questions about how much Michael was helping him. After all, he didn't need any fatherly advice from Mika Hakkinen when he started at McLaren and, at that stage, he had just one year's F1 experience behind him.

Early in Q2 in Monaco, Raikkonen made his most costly mistake of the season, clipping the Swimming Pool barrier with the front right after the back had stepped out on him. A trackrod was broken and a wishbone cracked, and he demonstrated his bravery to the team by insisting he still wanted to go out, and would take responsibility. He was overruled, and forced to start 16th. In a race of low attrition, he made laboured progressed up to eighth.

"That was the mistake he made," says Robertson. "Until that point he was right there. I'd say Monaco was the turning point, despite the mistake. He felt he'd conquered it."

Dyer adds: "Monaco was a strange weekend, with an unforced error. He's been looking pretty good up to then, really comfortable all weekend, really happy with the car. A small mistake, and you pay the price.

"Obviously he was disappointed. We're all disappointed when we make mistakes. We're disappointed when the car breaks down on him, we're disappointed when we don't give him quite the right set-up, and he's disappointed when he doesn't do the job."

The pace of the McLarens was such that Raikkonen would probably have been racing for third in Monaco and there was a similar performance deficit in Canada. This time Raikkonen edged out Massa in qualifying, but he had another poor start, and made life difficult for himself by damaging his front wing on the Brazilian's rear tyre. Later he picked up some of Robert Kubica's crash debris, and he was also delayed by having to wait behind his team-mate at the first stops under the safety car. He eventually finished fifth, after what was outwardly another unconvincing performance. The team felt differently.

"To be honest we weren't that bad in Canada," says Dyer. "We had a dreadful start, and then we got screwed like everybody else by the safety car, so it was never going to be glorious. But the signs through the race were that things weren't as bad as they looked."

Indianapolis a week later was to be even better. It didn't look too promising when Raikkonen made yet another bad start and got stuck behind Nick Heidfeld and Heikki Kovalainen but, in the late stages, he showed impressive speed and set the fastest lap as he salvaged fourth, behind Massa.

"Canada and Indy weren't good results," admits Dyer. "But we would see signs we were making progress."

"The really great thing about Kimi is he suffers for about one hour, and then it's all behind him. It's simple philosophy - and I couldn't do it - which is to say, 'That's behind me now, I can't do anything about it. Let's go forward'" David Robertson

Steve Robertson agrees the US race was significant: "In all honesty, it really clicked at the race at Indianapolis. I think he found his feet there in terms of a car he really enjoyed, and was more to his liking. And from then on I don't think anyone can question the fact that Kimi has been the strongest driver. You can't argue with that."

Nevertheless, after Indy, Raikkonen was 26 points behind Hamilton, and at that stage there seemed to be little hope of stopping the McLaren steamroller. But then things began to swing in his favour. At Magny-Cours he qualified only third, but he got ahead of Hamilton at the start and then made the most of the pit strategy to leapfrog poleman Massa. It was a critical race in many ways, not least because it featured him getting the upper hand on his frustrated team-mate.

"We struggled a little bit earlier in the year with the starts," says Dyer. "And, since Magny-Cours, Kimi's starts have been spot-on. I don't think he's lost a place since then, and more often than not he's gained places. The guys have done a fantastic job with the rest of what's required for the start."

Another win seven days later at Silverstone suggested that Raikkonen might be gaining enough momentum for a title challenge, but Nurburgring was to change that. Significantly, he took his first pole since Melbourne, but then the first-lap rain created a lottery. Raikkonen made his life difficult by understeering out of the pit entry back onto the track, and had to run an extra lap on dry tyres.

Once things calmed down, he was destined for a useful helping of points when he suffered a hydraulic glitch, at the very same track where retirements had cost him two titles at McLaren. It was his second failure of the season - the only other DNF to that point among the top four was Massa's self-inflicted black flag at Montreal.

"It was really gutting for me," Dyer admits. "I'd seen him lose two championships before due to reliability, and it's always been one of our strong points. I was not very happy to think that maybe he was going to lose another one here to reliability."

Robertson says the man himself was unfazed: "The really great thing about Kimi is he suffers for about one hour, and then it's all behind him. It's simple philosophy - and I couldn't do it - which is to say, 'That's behind me now, I can't do anything about it. Let's go forward'."

The next three races featured some efficient points-gathering: an unexpectedly close second to Hamilton in Hungary, another second, to Massa, in Istanbul and a third at Monza on a day when McLaren humbled Ferrari at home.

Baldisserri thinks Raikkonen would have beaten Hamilton in Hungary had he not lost a crucial few seconds when he ran off the road: "He lost two seconds behind Hamilton that didn't allow us to change the strategy in the pitstop, which I think we could have done differently."

Then came Spa, where Raikkonen had won the previous two races for McLaren. He took his third (and final) pole of the season and put in a masterful performance that showed beyond all doubt he was on top of his game.

Top 10: Kimi Raikkonen’s greatest F1 races ranked

A season is fought over 17 races, of course, but arguably it was Fuji that ultimately won Raikkonen the title. After three laps, it looked like he was well out of the game after the team's ill-advised (and, as it turned out, illegal) decision to start on intermediate tyres.

"We took the decision that we took," says Baldisserri. "Until the mathematics put you out of the game, our team spirit is to try, and it was the right approach."

Helped by the safety car, but mostly by a largely unsung virtuoso performance that humbled his struggling team-mate, Raikkonen fought back to third place. He was still in the title picture, but... 17 points in two races?

The impossible dream became a little more likely in China, where he hustled his way past the struggling Hamilton - after keeping his tyres in better shape - and logged a superb wet/dry win. And then came Brazil, where there was only one target: a win, with Massa riding shotgun. Incredibly, all the cards fell into place, and Massa played his supporting role. With six wins to the four of each of the McLaren drivers, no one can deny Raikkonen's claim to the title.

"He did everything right when everybody else was spouting off and saying this or that. He just kept his head down, got on and delivered. That's why Ferrari got him, and I know they're thrilled that he managed to do it" David Robertson

"He's put in some fantastic drives this year," smiles Dyer. "He hasn't let us down, but we've let him down a few times. He's gone from strength to strength, the car's been good, and he hasn't really made any errors in the last two thirds of the season. He's cool and he's fast and he just gets on and does the job."

Robertson adds: "He really is a giant - the right man has won this. He did everything right when everybody else was spouting off and saying this or that. He just kept his head down, got on and delivered. That's why Ferrari got him, and I know they're thrilled that he managed to do it."

Baldisserri offers a fascinating footnote to the season: "Michael had input into the team; he was a lot closer to the team. Kimi has a completely different approach, and he tends to accept what we give to him. It's a lot more complicated for us to understand what he needs. With Michael it was a bit easier. And Kimi drove a very good car this year. Michael showed that even with a car that was not so competitive, he could win. With Kimi, I don't know yet."

Wt happened next?

While Raikkonen's talents have never been questioned, it is remarkable to note since his F1 title-clinching Brazilian GP triumph in 2007, he has gone on to claim a further six grand prix victories, the same total he achieved across his title-winning year.

Despite this, and with the exception of his two years out of F1 in 2010 and 2011, the Finn has never been far away from the sharp end of the F1 grid until his second departure from Ferrari in 2018 to move back to the Sauber-run Alfa Romeo squad.

Raikkonen continues to make F1 history through his longevity. After surpassing Rubens Barrichello's record tally at the 2020 Eifel GP, the Finn made his 341st start in last week's washout Belgian GP and assuming the current TBC 21 November date is filled will end his career on 351 race starts.

PLUS: Why the time is right for Raikkonen to hang up his F1 helmet

While Raikkonen may have never hit the heights of 2007 since, his record remains outstanding in F1 to cement his place as an all-time great.

[jacobdegrom]

BIG fucking offense to padres fans & chris paddack but if you’re that fucking butt hurt over a dumbass rookie of the month award that means absolutely NOTHING, then you’re an immature dick who should focus more on what you’re doing instead of other players. like it’s really not that big a deal?????? like at all?? literally no other guy has gotten upset at someone for something this fucking stupid

like ok yeah paddack blew our heads off tonight, i can’t deny that he’s really good - but to call out Alonso specifically all because he won the dumb award is extremely childish. you’re literally creating drama for no fucking reason. there’s absolutely NO need for trash talk towards someone who didn’t say anything to you???? you’re a rookie too, kid. you’ve had seven starts. whoopty fucking doo. no need to treat game number 35 like the fucking World Series. congrats on winning a regular season game, lmao. didn’t know you were the first to ever do it. sorry you haven’t won anything in 400 years & winning a routine game feels like a championship.

like alonso literally did nothing to you. I don’t get it. all he was trying to was play the game. yeah I’m mad my team sucks and can’t win, but this was absurd. we play the Padres twice a year, give it a fucking break dude.

[chessgroup69-blog]

Prospects who should vie for a roster spot

As Spring Training gets underway, MLB.com has taken a closer look at prospects getting the chance to show what they can do in the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. For example, there's been a story on 20 prospects likely to be impact rookies during the 2019 season.

Our beat writers also singled out one prospect to watch in each big league camp. But that didn't necessarily focus on prospects vying for Opening Day jobs. The 30 prospects below all are getting very long looks this spring with an eye toward breaking camp with the parent club. Even if they start the year in the Minors, they all should get the chance to contribute at some point in the very near future.

American League East

Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B (No. 1 on Top 100 Prospects list) Guerrero probably won't land on the Blue Jays' Opening Day roster as the club looks to retain an extra year of control over one of the best prospects in history. However, it almost goes without saying that the 20-year-old third baseman is ready to make an impact in the big leagues after he led the Minors in average (.381), slugging (.636) and OPS (1.073) in 2018. With his 80-grade bat and potential to hit 35-plus homers, Guerrero should become one of the sport's premier talents in short order.

Video: MLB Network on Vlad Jr. being game's top prospect

Orioles: Richie Martin, SS Left off the A's 40-man roster despite his breakout 2018 season in Double-A, the '15 first-rounder became the first selection in the Rule 5 Draft in December. A plus defender who runs well and hits for average, albeit without much pop, Martin is penciled in as the Orioles' Opening Day shortstop right now, and he does enough things well to stick on the active roster in a reserve role.

Rays: Brandon Lowe, 2B/OF  Breaking out in earnest in 2018, Lowe slugged his way up to Triple-A and hit 14 homers there to earn his first big league callup in August. With the Rays, he overcame an 0-for-19 start to his career to finish with six home runs and a .774 OPS in 129 at-bats, keeping his prospect status in place. Given Tampa Bay's emphasis on defensive versatility, Lowe, with his ability to play both second base and the outfield, is a candidate to get regular at-bats in '19.

Red Sox: Colten Brewer, RHP In search of low-cost bullpen options, Boston acquired Brewer from the Padres in November in exchange for second-base prospect Esteban Quiroz. Brewer has a difference-making pitch in a 92-96 mph fastball with tremendous natural cut, and he also has a power curveball that he doesn't always land for strikes.

Yankees: Jonathan Loaisiga, RHP (MLB No. 66) New York doesn't have an obvious rotation opening after trading for James Paxton and re-signing J.A. Happ and CC Sabathia. But Loaisiga impressed at times during his big league debut last summer and has three pitches (fastball, curveball, changeup) that grade as plus or better when at their best.

AL Central

Indians: Yu Chang, SS/3B Chang is not going to dislodge Francisco Lindor from shortstop, but he is capable of playing second and third base and winning at least a utility role this spring. He could approximate the production Cleveland gets out of Jason Kipnis at second base for a fraction of the veteran's $14.5 million salary.

Royals: Richard Lovelady, LHP The Royals do have a pair of Rule 5 Draft picks in Sam McWilliams and Chris Ellis, and we know they like to keep those guys, as well as hard-throwing prospects like Josh Staumont. But Lovelady's funky delivery and potential to have three very usable pitches gives him the chance to get some high-leverage innings very soon.

Tigers: Christin Stewart, OF The second of Detroit's two first-round picks in 2015, Stewart reached the Majors for the first time last September after hitting 93 home runs in 460 Minor League games. He homered twice in the big leagues, hitting both as part of a multihomer performance against the Royals, and he impressed with an approach that has improved in every season. While his limitations on defense suggest that Stewart will likely see most of his time as a DH, he has the combination of massive raw power and on-base skills to stick in the role.

Twins: Stephen Gonsalves, LHP Gonsalves' first taste of the big leagues didn't go so well last year, but the hope is the adversity he faced there, along with some mechanical tweaks he's made, will help him going forward. The Twins' rotation is crowded, but look for this lefty to help out at some point in 2019.

White Sox: Eloy Jimenez, OF (MLB No. 3) Jimenez not only should win a corner-outfield job with the White Sox, but he also should be their best offensive player as a rookie. While the No. 3 overall prospect may have his arrival in Chicago further delayed by service-time considerations, he's ready to rake after batting .337/.384/.577 with 22 homers in the upper Minors a year ago.

Video: MLB Network on talent of No. 3 prospect Eloy Jimenez

AL West

A's: Jesus Luzardo, LHP (MLB No. 12) A lot of eyes are on the top lefty pitching prospect in baseball, as he is being given every chance to make the A's rotation this spring. Keep in mind, though, he's only made four starts above Double-A, so a little seasoning could be in order. Expect him to pitch well enough in Cactus League games to make the decision very tough.

 Video: Luzardo on feeling no pressure and improving in 2019

Angels: Ty Buttrey, RHP The Angels clearly liked Buttrey enough to get him in the Ian Kinsler trade with the Red Sox last summer, but they were more impressed with his complete repertoire than they anticipated. In addition to his outstanding fastball, he has the chance to have two excellent secondary pitches, which points to a future pitching late in games.

Astros: Josh James, RHP (MLB No. 62) A 34th-round pick out of Western Oklahoma JC in 2014, James broke out last year by leading the Minors in strikeout rate (13.5 per nine innings) and claiming a spot on Houston's postseason roster. He misses bats with three pitches and should open the season in the Astros' rotation provided he throws enough strikes.

Mariners: Justus Sheffield, LHP (MLB No. 43) The M's acquired Sheffield in the Paxton deal with the expectation he'd contribute to the rotation in 2019. If everyone is healthy, Seattle has a set five ready to go, but the young lefty will get a long look and could break through with a strong spring, or at least be ready to be the first one to answer the bell when there's a need.

Rangers: C.D. Pelham, LHP Pelham rocketed from Class A Advanced to Texas last year and has the highest upside of any of the left-handed relievers on the club's 40-man roster. With a fastball that can reach the upper 90s and a cutter that can be unhittable at times, he just needs to throw strikes to become a late-inning force.

National League East

Braves: Touki Toussaint, RHP (MLB No. 50) So many pitchers, so little room. A number of pitching prospects who contributed to the Braves' playoff push will get innings in Florida, with Mike Soroka, Kyle Wright and Bryse Wilson coming most to mind. Toussaint, though, made a lasting impression and landed on the postseason roster, giving him a small leg up.

Marlins: Sandy Alcantara, RHP Alcantara might have the best stuff of any of Miami's rotation candidates, though he still needs to prove he can harness it on a regular basis. He can reach triple digits with his fastball and carve up hitters with his slider and curveball when they're working.

Mets: Peter Alonso, 1B (MLB No. 51) After he tied for the Minor League lead with 36 homers and led it outright with 119 RBIs in 2018, Alonso enters the season with nothing left to prove in the Minors. There was clamoring from fans for the Mets to promote him late last season, and that is likely to carry over into Spring Training. The Mets must keep Alonso in the Minors until mid-April if they want to ensure an extra year of team control, though with the organization seemingly in win-now mode, a spot on the Opening Day roster could be a possibility.

Video: Top Prospects: Peter Alonso, 1B, Mets

Nationals: Victor Robles, OF (MLB No. 4) After making his debut in the big leagues as a 20-year-old and then winning a spot on the Nationals' postseason roster in 2017, Robles appeared poised for an everyday role in the team's outfield last season until a hyperextended left elbow in April derailed his progress, landing him on the injured list for three months. Robles should finally get his chance as the Nats' center fielder in 2019, and has the type of across-the-board tools -- headlined by top-of-the-scale speed and defense -- that could make him an impact player in all facets of the game.

Phillies: Enyel De Los Santos, RHP The Phillies have some pitching depth amassing at the top of the system, with lefties like Ranger Suarez, JoJo Romero and Cole Irvin all just about ready to help out. De Los Santos chipped in last year and has the stuff that would fit well out of the bullpen if that's where the need is in Philadelphia.

NL Central

Brewers: Keston Hiura, 2B (MLB No. 20) The No. 9 pick in the 2017 Draft, Hiura raked his way up to Double-A in his first full season, then garnered MVP honors in the Arizona Fall League after he led the circuit in RBIs. The Brewers likely will send Hiura, a plus hitter with plus power potential, to the Minors to begin the season so as to offer him more upper-level experience. However, second base has also been a black hole of production for the club in recent years, and there's no better prospect at the keystone in the Minors than Hiura.

Cardinals: Alex Reyes, RHP (MLB No. 33) After Tommy John surgery cost him all of 2017 and delayed the start of his campaign in '18, Reyes, the Cardinals' top prospect in each of the past four years, returned to the Majors last June, only to leave his first start with a torn tendon in his lat muscle that required season-ending surgery. His rehab schedule has him on track to pitch during Spring Training, and if he proves to be healthy, Reyes, with his power stuff and knack for missing bats, would be a welcome addition to the Cards' Opening Day rotation.

Video: Mayo on Reyes being a prospect to keep an eye out for

Cubs: Dakota Mekkes, RHP Mekkes led NCAA Division I in hit rate (4.1 per nine innings) and strikeout rate (15.2) at Michigan State in 2016, and has put up similarly crazy numbers in three years as a pro: 1.16 ERA, 5.3 hits and 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings. He succeeds largely on the basis of a low-90s fastball that plays way above its velocity because of his extension and deception, just the kind of different look that would fit nicely in the middle innings for the bullpen-needy Cubs.

Pirates: Kevin Newman, SS Jordy Mercer is gone, so there will be competition for the shortstop gig in Pittsburgh. Most think Erik Gonzalez will be the guy, but Newman will get the chance to win it and push Gonzalez to a utility role. The former first-round pick has hit in the Minors, but looked overmatched during his brief big league debut last year.

Reds: Nick Senzel, OF (MLB No. 6) Senzel was primarily a third baseman. Then he saw time at second. Now he's learning how to play center field. Even though injuries curtailed Senzel's 2018 season, the Reds think Senzel's bat is just about ready, so they're trying to find a spot for it in their lineup, and center might be the best opportunity right now.

NL West

D-backs: Yoan Lopez, RHP Signed by Arizona for more than $8 million in 2015, Lopez overcame a host of struggles early in his career, both on and off the field, to put it all together in '18. He made the jump from Double-A, where he had averaged 12.7 K/9, to the Majors in September and showcased electric stuff out the D-backs' bullpen, pairing a fastball that reached 99 mph with a wipeout mid-80s slider.

Dodgers: Alex Verdugo, OF (MLB No. 35) One of the best pure hitters in the Minors, Verdugo has batted .321 in Triple-A the past two seasons as one of the youngest regulars in the Pacific Coast League. But Los Angeles still has a logjam of outfielders, even after trading Matt Kemp and Yasiel Puig to the Reds, so he faces an uphill battle.

Giants: Chris Shaw, OF No Giant managed more than 16 home runs last year, a total Shaw easily could top if he wins San Francisco's wide-open left-field job. He has averaged 23 homers in three full Minor League seasons and his first big league shot was a 468-foot blast off Seunghwan Oh last September.

Padres: Francisco Mejia, C (MLB No. 26) Acquired from the Indians at last year's All-Star break for relievers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber, Mejia slashed .328/.364/.582 with seven homers in 31 Triple-A games after the trade before joining the Padres in the big leagues as a September callup. He's an advanced switch-hitter who makes a lot of hard contact from both sides of the plate, though his defense is inferior to Austin Hedges'.

Video: Top Prospects: Francisco Mejia, C, Padres

Rockies: Brendan Rodgers, INF (MLB No. 10) With DJ LeMahieu signing a free agent deal with the Yankees, second base is up for grabs in Colorado. Rodgers, who has seen time at three infield spots in the Minors, joins fellow prospect Garrett Hampson and recently graduated prospect Ryan McMahon among those competing for the job. He might start the year in Triple-A, but look for him to hit his way back up quickly.

Source: https://www.mlb.com/news/spring-training-prospects-vie-for-roster-spots/c-303944644

[ultrasfcb-blog]

Garth Crooks

Garth Crooks

Garth Crooks

Premier League champions Manchester City put six past Huddersfield, Brighton recorded another famous victory over Manchester United, and Chelsea edged a five-goal thriller at dwelling to London rivals Arsenal.

Elsewhere, Harry Kane ended his August aim drought as Tottenham beat Fulham, and Everton’s summer season signing Richarlison scored once more of their win over Southampton.

Bournemouth and Watford continued their profitable begins towards West Ham and Burnley respectively, whereas Leicester bounced again from an opening-day defeat to beat Wolves, and Cardiff earned a primary level of the marketing campaign against Newcastle.

However who did sufficient to make my group of the week? Learn my alternatives after which decide your individual XI.

Goalkeeper – Jordan Pickford

Jordan Pickford: What a put it aside was by Jordan Pickford to disclaim Southampton striker Danny Ings. The Everton goalkeeper struggled to carry an preliminary shot from Cedric Soares, although it did not appear too sizzling to deal with, however reacted brilliantly.

Afterwards, Saints boss Mark Hughes insisted the England keeper ought to have been despatched off for his involvement in a 50-50 contest, which he gained, although I can not bear in mind Hughes ever pulling out of such a deal with in his lengthy, illustrious profession.

I do not know why he would count on Pickford to both. Poor present, Mark. Poor present.

Do you know? Pickford made three saves within the win towards Southampton.

Defenders – Shane Duffy, Steve Cook dinner, Benjamin Mendy

Shane Duffy: Final week, Brighton supervisor Chris Hughton was issuing verbal warnings to his gamers following their defeat at Watford. This week, the supervisor was stuffed with reward for them. On the coronary heart of Brighton’s victory over Manchester United was centre-back Shane Duffy.

The defender was excellent, significantly having misplaced his confederate Lewis Dunk by harm. Conversely, I do not assume I’ve seen Eric Bailly or Victor Lindelof play as badly in central defence as I did towards the Seagulls.

How can Manchester United look so poor in such vital positions at this stage of the season? It is horrifying.

Do you know? Duffy scored his first Premier League aim in addition to making extra blocks than another participant (two) in Brighton’s 3-2 win towards Manchester United.

Steve Cook dinner: Loyalty and continuity appear to be the secret for Bournemouth supervisor Eddie Howe, which is why it’s completely comprehensible he has caught with Steve Cook dinner – a Bournemouth participant since their days in League One.

The centre-back’s presence terrified West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna into utilizing strong-arm ways and, but, he nonetheless couldn’t cease the Cherries defender from getting his head to the ball and planting the profitable aim.

I feel it is again to the drafting board for West Ham supervisor Manuel Pellegrini.

Do you know? Cook dinner made a team-high 11 clearances for Bournemouth on the London Stadium, whereas additionally netting the profitable aim for the Cherries.

Benjamin Mendy: It’s no coincidence that Benjamin Mendy’s return to first-team motion with Manchester Metropolis is having a direct impact on Sergio Aguero’s scoring powers.

The complete-back has a transparent skill to get into superior positions utilizing his tempo and energy, whereas Aguero is benefiting from Mendy’s pinpoint crosses as a result of they’re delivered early.

There may be nothing worse than a full-back who takes three touches to get management of the ball when one ought to be sufficient.

Do you know? Mendy delivered 12 crosses from open play towards Huddersfield – probably the most of any participant this weekend.

Midfielders – Gylfi Sigurdsson, David Silva, James Maddison, Marcos Alonso

Gylfi Sigurdsson: Gylfi Sigurdsson did not set the world alight for Everton beneath Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce final season, after a big-money transfer to Goodison. Nevertheless, this season – beneath Marco Silva – he would possibly.

The Iceland worldwide was excellent towards Southampton and, for me, the most effective participant on the park. The place simply behind the striker appears to convey the most effective out of Sigurdsson and, on this event, Everton as effectively.

I simply hope Everton followers deal with Silva higher than they handled Allardyce.

Do you know? No participant created extra probabilities this weekend than Sigurdsson (six).

David Silva: After watching Manchester Metropolis demolish Huddersfield at Etihad Stadium, orchestrated by David Silva, it left me in little doubt that back-to-back Premier League titles is severely on.

Having seen Manchester United’s shambolic efficiency at Brighton, I feel Liverpool are the one group who can cease Metropolis.

United boss Jose Mourinho can say Manchester Metropolis’s fly-on-the-wall documentary lacks class however Metropolis appear to ooze class with each transfer, and the classiest of all of them is David Silva.

Do you know? The Spaniard scored his first direct free-kick aim for Manchester Metropolis of their 6-1 win towards Huddersfield.

James Maddison: I did not see numerous James Maddison within the Championship however I used to be impressed together with his efficiency towards Manchester United within the opening sport of the season.

The midfielder appeared to get his reward every week later towards Wolves together with his first Premier League aim, although I used to be a bit perturbed by Jamie Vardy’s problem on Matt Doherty.

Leicester supervisor Claude Puel claimed his centre-forward’s problem, which resulted in Vardy receiving his marching orders, was merely over-enthusiastic. Please! Scoring a aim and waving your shirt over your head is over-enthusiastic. Going right into a deal with at breakneck velocity and making contact just under the opponent’s knee is reckless.

Do you know? Maddison scored together with his solely shot of the sport. The Leicester participant has been immediately concerned in 5 targets in his previous six dwelling league video games (three targets, two assists), as many as within the earlier 24.

Marcos Alonso: It is a very totally different Chelsea beneath Maurizio Sarri than it was beneath Antonio Conte. For a begin, the Blues performed components of the sport as if they’d forgotten the way to defend.

It isn’t that way back that Chelsea had the most effective defensive file within the league and, with higher ending from Arsenal, the Gunners might have gone on to win this London derby.

Thankfully for Chelsea, Marcos Alonso was readily available to use the crowning glory to a really entertaining soccer match. Final week, towards Manchester Metropolis, I mentioned Arsenal would do effectively to complete within the high six. This efficiency towards Chelsea was a lot improved. The truth is, they deserved a draw. However I’ve not modified my place.

Do you know? Alonso supplied the help for Chelsea’s opener towards Arsenal, earlier than scoring their third in a 3-2 victory.

Forwards – Callum Wilson, Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane

Callum Wilson: Callum Wilson has scored on 5 separate events towards West Ham and, after his newest efficiency towards the Hammers, I can see why. The best way he breezed previous Fabian Balbuena and Pablo Zabaleta was scary from a Hammers perspective.

Pellegrini was so shocked, as he was dissatisfied, that West Ham followers left the stadium with 10 minutes to play. He does have a degree. An terrible lot can occur on a soccer subject in 10 minutes – particularly if the followers play their half.

That mentioned, this was a rocky Hammers horror present.

Do you know? Wilson has scored in three successive league video games for the primary time since April 2015, when the Cherries have been in Championship.

Sergio Aguero: The Buenos Aires murderer is at it once more. Sergio Aguero was at his lethal greatest towards a Huddersfield aspect who appeared outgunned, outclassed and left for useless in a 6-1 drubbing.

It additionally seems like the customarily flamable relationship between supervisor Pep Guardiola and the Argentina worldwide is again to its greatest.

Aguero left the pitch to a standing ovation after scoring his 13th hat-trick for Metropolis. As he left the pitch, Guardiola sealed Aguero’s efficiency with a kiss. It does not get higher than that.

Do you know? The Argentine striker scored a hat-trick towards the Terriers from simply 4 pictures on the right track.

Harry Kane: So, Harry Kane has laid the August ghost to relaxation. Lastly, Spurs followers don’t must trouble themselves anymore with this totally ineffective statistic.

To be brutally trustworthy, Kane ought to have had a hat-trick however the aim he did rating was so unbelievably superb I did not care concerning the ones he missed.

Spurs are wanting good once more and that is all that issues proper now. Think about what it is going to be like when the brand new stadium is prepared.

Do you know? Kane’s aim was his first Premier League aim within the month of August. It took the England ahead 15 video games, 1065 minutes and 49 pictures.

Now it is your flip

You’ve got seen my picks this week. However who would you go for?

The Crooks of the matter…

Raheem Sterling’s glorious end towards Arsenal final week opened up an attention-grabbing debate.

The Manchester Metropolis star was greeted all through the match with boos and jeers, a characteristic that has adopted the younger man’s profession since his audacious departure from Liverpool, and it prompted my dear friend and BBC colleague Ian Wright to ask the query ‘why?’

I’ve met Raheem and interviewed him on quite a few events for Soccer Focus and, I need to say, I have not met many younger males who’ve impressed me fairly as a lot.

Other than his well mannered manner and welcoming smile, he possesses the identical steeliness I noticed in Cristiano Ronaldo as an 18-year-old.

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United in the summertime of 2003

Each males have been subjected to extraordinary abuse from followers through the years, and far of that vitriol has been fuelled by many components. I bear in mind in 1998 when Diego Simeone did simply sufficient to impress David Beckham to react and get despatched off towards Argentina. England went out of the World Cup due to their incapability to take penalties – and never as a result of the midfielder was despatched off. Beckham, nonetheless, carried the can.

The abuse that adopted the Manchester United star was outrageous. Related punishment was meted out throughout John Terry’s lengthy and distinguished profession at Chelsea. The purpose is that soccer followers, so long as I can bear in mind, have at all times harboured a determine of hate. Somebody to scream and shout at and others to like and to hate. It is what defines us.

I used to be prompted by how love can so rapidly flip to hate in soccer once I lately met Sol Campbell. I had the pleasure of sharing a couple of moments with this soccer large at Stamford Bridge, shortly earlier than Chelsea took on Arsenal. No doubt probably the greatest defenders this nation has produced, he was subjected to probably the most terrible abuse by Spurs followers when he left for Arsenal in the summertime of 2001.

I bear in mind Sol being bemused by the sheer depth of their venom – nonetheless the interval was greatest described by a Tottenham fan when he mentioned: “We hate him a lot as a result of we cherished him a lot.”

Raheem Sterling is a Premier League winner with Manchester Metropolis

And that’s the level. Hate, in soccer, can so usually be wrapped up in secret admiration of a participant or a group.

What Sterling ought to do is take the abuse he’s receiving as an infinite praise.

Firstly, it will not final and, secondly, solely the easiest gamers – with the odd exception – ever obtain such consideration.

BBC Sport – Football ultras_FC_Barcelona

ultras FC Barcelona - https://ultrasfcb.com/football/10697/

#Barcelona

[frontstreet1]

Trump Lashes Out At San Juan Mayor Who Begged For More Help

https://storage.googleapis.com/afs-prod/media/media:315ba791ecf4442295a20a83b295354f/576.mp4

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

BRANCHBURG, N.J. — President Donald Trump on Saturday lashed out at the mayor of San Juan and other officials in storm-ravaged Puerto Rico, contemptuous of their claims of a laggard U.S. response to the natural disaster that has imperiled the island’s future.

“Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help,” Trump said in a series of tweets a day after the capital city’s mayor appealed for help “to save us from dying.”

“They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort,” Trump wrote from his New Jersey golf club.

The tweets were a biting attack on the leader of a community in crisis. After 10 days of desperation, with many still unable to access essentials including food and water, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz accused the Trump administration Friday of “killing us with the inefficiency” after Hurricane Maria. She implored the president, who is set to visit the U.S. territory on Tuesday, to “make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives.”

“I am begging, begging anyone that can hear us, to save us from dying,” Cruz said at a news conference, her voice breaking with rage.

President Trump defended his administration’s response to the devastation in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. He also said some “very bad things” happened to American diplomats who were harmed by unexplained health “attacks” in Cuba. (Sept. 29)

It was an unusually pointed rebuke from the president in the heat of a disaster — a time when leaders often put aside partisan differences in the name of solidarity. But it was a reminder of Trump’s unrelenting penchant for punching back against critics, whatever the circumstances.

Trump has said he’s doing everything possible to help the “great people of PR!” and has pledged to spare no effort to help the island recover from Maria’s ruinous aftermath. He has also repeatedly applauded his government’s recovery efforts, saying military personnel and first responders have done “an amazing job,” despite the significant logistical challenges.

Thousands more Puerto Ricans have received water and rationed food as an aid bottleneck has begun to ease. But many, especially outside the capital, remain desperate for necessities, including water, power and fuel.

Trump’s administration has tried in recent days to combat the perception that he failed to quickly grasp the magnitude of Maria’s destruction and has given the U.S. commonwealth less attention than he’d bestowed on states like Texas, Louisiana and Florida after they were hit by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Trump had repeatedly praised the residents of those states as strong and resilient, saying at one point that Texas could “handle anything.”

Administration officials have held numerous press conferences providing updates on relief efforts and Trump on Saturday spoke by phone from New Jersey with FEMA Administrator Brock Long, Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rosselló, and other several other local officials.

But after a week of growing criticism, the president’s patience appears to be waning.

“The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump,” the president charged, without substantiation.

FEMA administrator Brock Long also piled on: “The problem that we have with the mayor unfortunately is that unity of command is ultimately what’s needed to be successful in this response,” he said, requesting that she report to a joint field office.

Cruz declined to engage in the tit-for-tat, instead calling for a united focus on the people who need help. “The goal is one: saving lives. This is the time to show our ‘true colors.’ We cannot be distracted by anything else,” she tweeted, along with photos of herself meeting with residents and rescue workers, wading hip-deep through a flooded street and comforting an elderly woman.

After a day of tweets criticizing the news media, Trump seemed to echo the sentiment: “We must all be united in offering assistance to everyone suffering in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the wake of this terrible disaster.”

Trump’s Saturday tweets are the latest example of his insistence on “punching back,” even against those with far less power. After a deadly terror attack in London in June, for instance, Trump singled out London Mayor Sadiq Khan, suggesting he wasn’t taking the attacks seriously enough.

Natural disasters sometimes bring moments of rare bipartisan solidarity. In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, which wreaked havoc along the East Coast in 2012, New Jersey’s Republican governor, Chris Christie, praised Democratic President Barack Obama for his personal attention and compassion at a joint press conference. Still, the fight over relief money became politicized and contentious, with numerous Republicans voting against a delayed relief bill.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, tensions between local and federal officials also ran high. Then-New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin pleaded with the government to send help in sometimes colorful terms, while Terry Ebbert, the city’s Homeland Security director, called relief efforts a “national disgrace.”

Kate Hale, Dade County’s emergency management chief during Hurricane Andrew, also blasted FEMA’s response in an angry news conference that was credited with spurring federal government action.

“I wasn’t there to criticize; I was there to beg for help,” she said. “I was terrified of what was going to happen to people that otherwise could have been saved. It was never my intention to criticize; it was my intention to cry for help, my intention to beg for help. And it came out like it did, because it just does.”

“We were all at the end of our rope,” she said. “We didn’t know what else to do.”

She called Cruz’s remarks a passionate outcry “from a woman who loves her community and the people in it, has watched it be destroyed and is now watching people die.”

By JILL COLVIN - Sep 30 5:46 PM EDT

___

Associated Press writers Luis Alonso Lugo in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

[wordsablaze]

#8: Aesthetic Moment - Dan

Match of Magic What if destiny chose soulmates through literal aesthetic matches? What if education fused with impossibility and reality faded away? Dan and Phil must unite, work together and help each other live the best of all the worlds they can…

(Dan POV)

“What have you got next?” Mariah asks, handing Tulip the hair bobble so she can finish off her French braid.

Chris shakes his head, “You’ve got the worst memory.”

“I do not!” Mariah huffs, “I simply don’t see the point in memorising the seven different timetables when I could be storing useful information, like the fact that Tulip’s first word was, in fact, some form or the other of ‘tulip’.”

“Yeah, cause you’re totally gonna get held at gunpoint and asked what her first word was, aren’t you?” Alonso grins, shaking his head.

Lillith snorts, almost dropping her Yazoo bottle but narrowly avoiding the disaster that would have been, “Imagine if that came up on your exam?”

Dan grins, “She’d have an unfair advantage, duh.”

“It could be on one of those 'how well do you know each other’ tests.” Mariah suggests as Tulip finishes with her hair, making sure Miss Parins doesn’t see them.

“What’s up with them anyway?” Carter asks, frowning.

Chris narrow his eyes, “Dude, are you telling me you’ve never done one?”

The six of them stare at him in confusion, wondering how he’s managed to evade them when they’re literally everywhere. Carter shrugs, “You can show me some other time.”

“Oh, I will.” Chris winks, his forest green eyes gleaming as he plots away in his mind. Dan grins at them, knowing they’ll get round to it soon, both of them being fans of bucket lists and forever roping others into making them as well.

Tulip jumps as Miss Parins slams something onto her table before apologising and clearing her throat, “Right, we’ll leave these here. Take them or bin them but don’t leave them!” she smiles, referring to the mandala colouring she’d gotten them to do, or pretend to do, for their morning activity.

Dan immediately scrunches his up so she can’t tell that it’s blank, many others doing the same thing. Of course, some people had gone overboard and made little works of art to pin up around the classroom. The seven of them roll their eyes as they pack up, slinging their bags over their shoulders and heading out of the classroom. All of them split to different lessons, agreeing to meet later if they can.

Dan heads to his computing lesson, a fairly monotonous lesson waiting to be completed. He sighs, speedily making his way through the hundreds of pupils doing the same thing and leaning against the wall outside his room to wait. It’s a full five minutes, which seems like a lot more when you’re on your own with nothing to do, before Dan’s teacher arrives and unlocks the door they’d started locking when someone stole a computer.

Everyone logs in as soon as they enter, having to use the school’s excessively protected system to get their work done. He opens up his project from last time, slowly but surely starting to add bits and pieces as soon as he can. It’s not to be said that he doesn’t like this section of the course, but he does prefer the new, more challenging sections that come later. Mr Cape sets them a target and walks round the room, systematically going to help anyone that needs it.

Half the lesson later, Dan yawns, almost falling asleep in the computing classroom made of what seems like pure boredom. It’s almost half term and he feels borderline obligated to try and slack off at least a little to show that. Anyway, it’s not like his teachers expect any more of him. This year is meant to be important though, with GCSEs and all.

He’s already had to go through the teacher’s lectures, the absolutely futile pep talks in assembly and some form or the other of an introduction the syllabus in every subject. Having gotten used to the new timetables that mean he isn’t necessarily with the people he can tolerate anymore, he doesn’t mind that he doesn’t know anyone on his class. At least, not well enough to try and initiate conversation with them, or worse ask them about their coursework.

He shakes his head, steering his mind away from the future that always causes a problem and attempting to focus on the website creator, not that he needs to. He’s already made a few different websites, each of them fairly successful. But no-one needs to know that.

Eventually, he finds himself with his head against the window, daydreaming about anything and everything that can distract him, provide him with an escape from the crushing reality of inching towards pivotal exams.

That’s when he catches sight of the best thing to ever happen to him.

He catches sight of something that teaches him not to be so negative to himself.

At first, chocolate hair.

Then, the boy.

A boy who’s typing something in the classroom opposite him.

The boy, with skin the colour of freshly falling snow, seems to sense him, turning to face him.

Dan feels the breath rush out of his lungs but he beams, an action that he doesn’t do easily.

The boy’s oceanic eyes are akin to his oceanic hair, the boy’s chocolate hair the same richly darkened amber shade as his chocolate eyes.

The boy’s perfectly rounded square glasses let his eyes reflect the school’s lighting, the black plastic framing his eyes perfectly in Dan’s opinion.

The other boy seems to be just as frozen as him, both of them lost in each other’s gaze.

Both of them tumbling into each other’s essence.

Both of them falling into an instant sense of familiarity.

Both of them mirroring each other’s enraptured expressions.

Dan exhales quietly, fireworks of relief spreading inside him like cracks on ice.

He’s finally found his match.

He’s found someone to be the light in his dark, the dark in his light.

He’s found someone, and the boy he’s found happens to be a masterpiece.

Dan blushes as the thought crosses his mind but he can’t avoid it, the rangy boy’s eyes lighting up and shimmering like a true ocean, his long chocolate locks settling as a perfect fringe, his cheekbones reflecting the light of the classrooms and his whole expression adorable to a fault.

But the best part, by far, is that he knows who the boy is.

He’s seen him, he’s watched him, and he’s laughed with him. He’s rewatched him, he’s shared conversations with him, and he’s followed him. He’s looked upto, subconsciously copied and admired him for years.

The boy through the doors is AmazingPhil.

His favourite YouTuber, the one he’d only worked up the courage to contact after immense amounts of debating and internal conflict. He’s the YouTuber that inspires him to do things he may have otherwise given up on.

He didn’t know that he’d been going to the same school as him and he didn’t know that it was even possible they’d seen each other before. He definitely hadn’t caught on while watching his videos. He’d never known he was so tantalizingly close to the other boy, but at least he knew now.

He’s never been surer of anything in his life.

He’s found someone who matches.

And he’s most definitely already smitten.

Like/reblog but don’t repost, thanks!

[ultrasfcb-blog]

Garth Crooks

Garth Crooks

Garth Crooks

Premier League champions Manchester City put six past Huddersfield, Brighton recorded another famous victory over Manchester United, and Chelsea edged a five-goal thriller at dwelling to London rivals Arsenal.

Elsewhere, Harry Kane ended his August aim drought as Tottenham beat Fulham, and Everton’s summer season signing Richarlison scored once more of their win over Southampton.

Bournemouth and Watford continued their profitable begins towards West Ham and Burnley respectively, whereas Leicester bounced again from an opening-day defeat to beat Wolves, and Cardiff earned a primary level of the marketing campaign against Newcastle.

However who did sufficient to make my group of the week? Learn my alternatives after which decide your individual XI.

Goalkeeper – Jordan Pickford

Jordan Pickford: What a put it aside was by Jordan Pickford to disclaim Southampton striker Danny Ings. The Everton goalkeeper struggled to carry an preliminary shot from Cedric Soares, although it did not appear too sizzling to deal with, however reacted brilliantly.

Afterwards, Saints boss Mark Hughes insisted the England keeper ought to have been despatched off for his involvement in a 50-50 contest, which he gained, although I can not bear in mind Hughes ever pulling out of such a deal with in his lengthy, illustrious profession.

I do not know why he would count on Pickford to both. Poor present, Mark. Poor present.

Do you know? Pickford made three saves within the win towards Southampton.

Defenders – Shane Duffy, Steve Cook dinner, Benjamin Mendy

Shane Duffy: Final week, Brighton supervisor Chris Hughton was issuing verbal warnings to his gamers following their defeat at Watford. This week, the supervisor was stuffed with reward for them. On the coronary heart of Brighton’s victory over Manchester United was centre-back Shane Duffy.

The defender was excellent, significantly having misplaced his confederate Lewis Dunk by harm. Conversely, I do not assume I’ve seen Eric Bailly or Victor Lindelof play as badly in central defence as I did towards the Seagulls.

How can Manchester United look so poor in such vital positions at this stage of the season? It is horrifying.

Do you know? Duffy scored his first Premier League aim in addition to making extra blocks than another participant (two) in Brighton’s 3-2 win towards Manchester United.

Steve Cook dinner: Loyalty and continuity appear to be the secret for Bournemouth supervisor Eddie Howe, which is why it’s completely comprehensible he has caught with Steve Cook dinner – a Bournemouth participant since their days in League One.

The centre-back’s presence terrified West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna into utilizing strong-arm ways and, but, he nonetheless couldn’t cease the Cherries defender from getting his head to the ball and planting the profitable aim.

I feel it is again to the drafting board for West Ham supervisor Manuel Pellegrini.

Do you know? Cook dinner made a team-high 11 clearances for Bournemouth on the London Stadium, whereas additionally netting the profitable aim for the Cherries.

Benjamin Mendy: It’s no coincidence that Benjamin Mendy’s return to first-team motion with Manchester Metropolis is having a direct impact on Sergio Aguero’s scoring powers.

The complete-back has a transparent skill to get into superior positions utilizing his tempo and energy, whereas Aguero is benefiting from Mendy’s pinpoint crosses as a result of they’re delivered early.

There may be nothing worse than a full-back who takes three touches to get management of the ball when one ought to be sufficient.

Do you know? Mendy delivered 12 crosses from open play towards Huddersfield – probably the most of any participant this weekend.

Midfielders – Gylfi Sigurdsson, David Silva, James Maddison, Marcos Alonso

Gylfi Sigurdsson: Gylfi Sigurdsson did not set the world alight for Everton beneath Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce final season, after a big-money transfer to Goodison. Nevertheless, this season – beneath Marco Silva – he would possibly.

The Iceland worldwide was excellent towards Southampton and, for me, the most effective participant on the park. The place simply behind the striker appears to convey the most effective out of Sigurdsson and, on this event, Everton as effectively.

I simply hope Everton followers deal with Silva higher than they handled Allardyce.

Do you know? No participant created extra probabilities this weekend than Sigurdsson (six).

David Silva: After watching Manchester Metropolis demolish Huddersfield at Etihad Stadium, orchestrated by David Silva, it left me in little doubt that back-to-back Premier League titles is severely on.

Having seen Manchester United’s shambolic efficiency at Brighton, I feel Liverpool are the one group who can cease Metropolis.

United boss Jose Mourinho can say Manchester Metropolis’s fly-on-the-wall documentary lacks class however Metropolis appear to ooze class with each transfer, and the classiest of all of them is David Silva.

Do you know? The Spaniard scored his first direct free-kick aim for Manchester Metropolis of their 6-1 win towards Huddersfield.

James Maddison: I did not see numerous James Maddison within the Championship however I used to be impressed together with his efficiency towards Manchester United within the opening sport of the season.

The midfielder appeared to get his reward every week later towards Wolves together with his first Premier League aim, although I used to be a bit perturbed by Jamie Vardy’s problem on Matt Doherty.

Leicester supervisor Claude Puel claimed his centre-forward’s problem, which resulted in Vardy receiving his marching orders, was merely over-enthusiastic. Please! Scoring a aim and waving your shirt over your head is over-enthusiastic. Going right into a deal with at breakneck velocity and making contact just under the opponent’s knee is reckless.

Do you know? Maddison scored together with his solely shot of the sport. The Leicester participant has been immediately concerned in 5 targets in his previous six dwelling league video games (three targets, two assists), as many as within the earlier 24.

Marcos Alonso: It is a very totally different Chelsea beneath Maurizio Sarri than it was beneath Antonio Conte. For a begin, the Blues performed components of the sport as if they’d forgotten the way to defend.

It isn’t that way back that Chelsea had the most effective defensive file within the league and, with higher ending from Arsenal, the Gunners might have gone on to win this London derby.

Thankfully for Chelsea, Marcos Alonso was readily available to use the crowning glory to a really entertaining soccer match. Final week, towards Manchester Metropolis, I mentioned Arsenal would do effectively to complete within the high six. This efficiency towards Chelsea was a lot improved. The truth is, they deserved a draw. However I’ve not modified my place.

Do you know? Alonso supplied the help for Chelsea’s opener towards Arsenal, earlier than scoring their third in a 3-2 victory.

Forwards – Callum Wilson, Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane

Callum Wilson: Callum Wilson has scored on 5 separate events towards West Ham and, after his newest efficiency towards the Hammers, I can see why. The best way he breezed previous Fabian Balbuena and Pablo Zabaleta was scary from a Hammers perspective.

Pellegrini was so shocked, as he was dissatisfied, that West Ham followers left the stadium with 10 minutes to play. He does have a degree. An terrible lot can occur on a soccer subject in 10 minutes – particularly if the followers play their half.

That mentioned, this was a rocky Hammers horror present.

Do you know? Wilson has scored in three successive league video games for the primary time since April 2015, when the Cherries have been in Championship.

Sergio Aguero: The Buenos Aires murderer is at it once more. Sergio Aguero was at his lethal greatest towards a Huddersfield aspect who appeared outgunned, outclassed and left for useless in a 6-1 drubbing.

It additionally seems like the customarily flamable relationship between supervisor Pep Guardiola and the Argentina worldwide is again to its greatest.

Aguero left the pitch to a standing ovation after scoring his 13th hat-trick for Metropolis. As he left the pitch, Guardiola sealed Aguero’s efficiency with a kiss. It does not get higher than that.

Do you know? The Argentine striker scored a hat-trick towards the Terriers from simply 4 pictures on the right track.

Harry Kane: So, Harry Kane has laid the August ghost to relaxation. Lastly, Spurs followers don’t must trouble themselves anymore with this totally ineffective statistic.

To be brutally trustworthy, Kane ought to have had a hat-trick however the aim he did rating was so unbelievably superb I did not care concerning the ones he missed.

Spurs are wanting good once more and that is all that issues proper now. Think about what it is going to be like when the brand new stadium is prepared.

Do you know? Kane’s aim was his first Premier League aim within the month of August. It took the England ahead 15 video games, 1065 minutes and 49 pictures.

Now it is your flip

You’ve got seen my picks this week. However who would you go for?

The Crooks of the matter…

Raheem Sterling’s glorious end towards Arsenal final week opened up an attention-grabbing debate.

The Manchester Metropolis star was greeted all through the match with boos and jeers, a characteristic that has adopted the younger man’s profession since his audacious departure from Liverpool, and it prompted my dear friend and BBC colleague Ian Wright to ask the query ‘why?’

I’ve met Raheem and interviewed him on quite a few events for Soccer Focus and, I need to say, I have not met many younger males who’ve impressed me fairly as a lot.

Other than his well mannered manner and welcoming smile, he possesses the identical steeliness I noticed in Cristiano Ronaldo as an 18-year-old.

Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United in the summertime of 2003

Each males have been subjected to extraordinary abuse from followers through the years, and far of that vitriol has been fuelled by many components. I bear in mind in 1998 when Diego Simeone did simply sufficient to impress David Beckham to react and get despatched off towards Argentina. England went out of the World Cup due to their incapability to take penalties – and never as a result of the midfielder was despatched off. Beckham, nonetheless, carried the can.

The abuse that adopted the Manchester United star was outrageous. Related punishment was meted out throughout John Terry’s lengthy and distinguished profession at Chelsea. The purpose is that soccer followers, so long as I can bear in mind, have at all times harboured a determine of hate. Somebody to scream and shout at and others to like and to hate. It is what defines us.

I used to be prompted by how love can so rapidly flip to hate in soccer once I lately met Sol Campbell. I had the pleasure of sharing a couple of moments with this soccer large at Stamford Bridge, shortly earlier than Chelsea took on Arsenal. No doubt probably the greatest defenders this nation has produced, he was subjected to probably the most terrible abuse by Spurs followers when he left for Arsenal in the summertime of 2001.

I bear in mind Sol being bemused by the sheer depth of their venom – nonetheless the interval was greatest described by a Tottenham fan when he mentioned: “We hate him a lot as a result of we cherished him a lot.”

Raheem Sterling is a Premier League winner with Manchester Metropolis

And that’s the level. Hate, in soccer, can so usually be wrapped up in secret admiration of a participant or a group.

What Sterling ought to do is take the abuse he’s receiving as an infinite praise.

Firstly, it will not final and, secondly, solely the easiest gamers – with the odd exception – ever obtain such consideration.

BBC Sport – Football ultras_FC_Barcelona

ultras FC Barcelona - https://ultrasfcb.com/football/10697/

#Barcelona