156 Comments

DBD Housing Market Check In

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How is the market in your area? Is it slowing down at all with interest rates going up and the uncertainty with Russia/Ukraine?

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2 weeks ago, a realtor who used to be a running buddy of my wife's was sending mailers like "shit there is no inventory let me know if you're moving," a bunch of places just hit the market. One house on my weekend walk route sold in under a week. It's compounded by the number of houses that are being torn down to be replaced by 6000 sq ft new builds.

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It's priced out of reach of most folks, and those who are buying are mostly dangerously overextended. That homelessness is at an all-time high is not an unrelated development.

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I’m technically over extended but that isn’t due to my mortgage payment, it’s the $2,600 I pay in childcare that is the real issue. Luckily I know that this $2,600 has an end date. My daughter will be to T-K next year so I will I will only have to pay $1,300 for my son for another 2 years.

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eh, I somewhat disagree. The root cause of homelessness isn't the cost of buying 3/2.

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Mar 7, 2022·edited Mar 7, 2022

The root cause for the visual homelessness we see on the streets, people living in tents or cardboard shelters is typically due to addiction and mental health issues.

The homelessness we don’t see, the people and families living in cars, campers, a friends couch and motels is due to the cost of buying/renting homes.

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Yes, renting- but also RE developers don't build as much cheap apartments, and no one builds SROs, there used to be 10,000 units in SF.

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Mar 7, 2022·edited Mar 8, 2022

Santa Barbara is stupid hot. Honestly the best way to somewhat affordably get a home is an off-market listing, if the stars line up and you’re lucky enough to score one for some reason. Everything else is just a multiple, over-bid situation where most everyone is paying all cash. Ridiculous.

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Albany is sort of insulated from market forces because it's a very stable population with a very stable government/university/hospital-based economy. Neighborhoods don't "pop" in Albany. They don't even change.

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Off the hook hot. Housing in nice parts of town are rising the fastest. The value of my old house doubled in 12 months. The rise in prices is decelerating as it can't double every 12 months indefinitely. I think we're at the top of the market, so I'm not looking to buy any more. Locals are bitching because they can't buy a house for under $300k any more, but new residents are like "LOL, I'll take two and pay in cash."

https://twitter.com/mtdukes/status/1496581511977525275

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San Diego is crazy. I bought my little 1200 square foot, 3/2 last April for $875k in the Serra Mesa community, which is 1 mile north of the old Qualcomm Stadium site. I have realtors calling me to see if I want to sale it and saying I could get $1.2 for it. I believe them because a home of similar size (1,250 square feet) and layout in my neighborhood just sold for $1.180, it was originally listed at $925k.

I would be tempted to sale but then I would have to buy a new home in this market in SD.

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Mar 8, 2022·edited Mar 8, 2022

That’s what’s holding me back too. I could probably make $350k in under 2.5 years, but then I’m looking for a place & they’re like impossible to land.

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same in Austin. It is absolutely redonk here with inventories hovering around 1 month and prices continuing to skyrocket

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In my neighborhood of Dallas, land is 10mm+ per acre. Homes range from $700 To $1000 / ft

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DBD Kitchen

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last night: hamachi kama with soy-sesame green beans and crisp Dokkabier Vienna Lager

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Had to look that up, not super familiar with Japanese food.

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Tonight: salmon filet w/ white miso/honey/yuzu glaze, brinjals w/ oyster sauce, snow peas & shitake mushrooms, tofu w/ Korean seasoned soy sauce, hijiki salad, steamed Japanese rice. Dessert: Tollhouse cookies fresh from the oven.

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what time should we be over?

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Had one of my favorite meals last night, a real grill-fest. Grilled flank steak with chimichurri, grilled red onions, red orange & yellow bell peppers, asparagus with basil aioli, roasted fingerling potatoes, paired with a 2000 Clos du Marquis St. Julien.

Daughter made pistachio- olive oil bundt cake for afters.

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rose bowl

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We may never see a Rose Bowl again, but at least we have the Berkeley Rose Garden.

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At least we have that.

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I think I've heard of it. That's the place where UCLA plays, right?

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Finally gave in and bought a solo ticket on NYE day a few years ago for Oregon/Wisconsin. Herbert was the best player on the field, even better than Jonathan Taylor...you just knew he’d be a stud....and that the Ducks had absolutely wasted him in Eugene.

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Hey, they got a Rose Bowl win from him, which is more than we got with Rodgers or Goff.

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And occasional soccer games. Been there to see Chelsea vs Inter.

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Ukraine

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The letter Z is now a virtual symbol for supporting Russian war. The Russians have taken to painting symbols on their vehicles to ward against friendly fire - Z for their regiments from the Eastern districts, V for the VDV (Russian Marines), Z in a box is troops from Crimea, A for special forces, O for Belarus. Funny enough, there is no Z is the Cyrillic alphabet - so it is not uncommon to see a Z painted backwards.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1500831304996343817

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I love that the whole world is now embracing the blue and gold.

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Except its much closer to UCLA blue than Old Cal Blue.

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The Kennedy Center has changed the lights on the front and back of the building to blue and gold. In December they change the lights to the rainbow flag colors when they are about to do the Kennedy Center Honors.

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Elsewhere in college

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Mar 8, 2022·edited Mar 8, 2022

Hey sy, looks like Hoiberg got his schitt together following the dreaded vote of confidence by Trev...3 straight road wins at Penn St, tOSU & Wisconsin, tho they brought in an enforcer to Marty-McSorley poor Johnny Davis.

No way in hell Fox could coach a team to do this...

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[ESPN] Jayden Daniels to LSU

https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/1500600822018760712

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Interesting choice, to say the least. He’s banking on getting the jump on the starting gig in spring ball, but does he pass the football consistently well enough to hold onto the job?

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Spring ball? At best he’s an early summer enrollee, LSU is on semesters

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Mar 7, 2022·edited Mar 7, 2022

That was it. Either way, I didn’t have him ticketed for an elite SEC squad…at a school 2 seasons removed from a Natty. I just don’t see him as that good a QB.

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A lot of back room chatter had him going to a Mountain west type of school. And he doesn’t seem to fit the mold bc of a typical Kelly QB.

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I would have been shocked if he ended up at a MWC school.

I also don’t think he will do well at LSU and the SEC.

His best landing spot would have been Cal or a Big 12 school.

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Dook fans pay 10000/ticket to watch the fellatio-fest that is Coach K's last game and we get treated to scenes like this...

https://gfycat.com/confusedsilentamericanbobtail-basketball-college-ncaa-unc

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I went to UNC for grad school. This win, especially the last 2 minutes with all the sad face crowd shots, was SO SATISFYING!

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Meanwhile, on Chapel Hill's Franklin Street

https://twitter.com/RobWooten35/status/1500300995300970497

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I've been a UNC BB fan since around 81. Those crying fans were awesome!

I went to the Cal/UNC game at the Oakland Coliseum for the Pete Newell Classic in maybe 97 or 98 when they honored Coach Smith. Cal beat UNC that day but I figured I'd be happy either way.

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I ball boy'd that game!

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I'm lold.

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I was at that game too. We generally played up for big games like that under Bozeman, but then would turn around and get crushed by Wazu and OSU. The lack of consistency of his teams was frustrating, but there were still lots of highs and talented ballers (even if often underachieving) on the court.

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Mar 7, 2022·edited Mar 7, 2022

That was a Braun team. Carlisle/Kilgore, I believe...NIT Championship season. That team should’ve danced, but blew chippies to the likes of Wazzu, etc...and the Ducks at Coliseum was especially brutal. We dance with an on-campus venue.

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Ahh. I thought that was earlier. Still I maintain that the Bozeman years has some good highs, even if as frustrating.

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I went to that game too, with both Cal and (shocked to lose) UNC friends. So fun! Best Cal/UNC viewing for me was first round NCAA double header in Winston-Salem back in late 90s where in first game Dean Smith broke Rupp's all time win record, then Cal unexpectedly won in the next game to go on to the Sweet 16. Double happiness! (Cal then lost in next round to UNC)

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Oh was that at the same arena? I had forgotten that. Cal/Villanova was such a great game. Ben Braun got so much out of those guys.

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I remember watching that game at an alumni viewing thing in the alumni house--possibly the last time I've been in that place. Everybody was so shocked we won.

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Mar 7, 2022·edited Mar 7, 2022

I find it poetic that they lost. Lost to history is that we beat Coach K's Duke team way back in '82. That makes us 2-0 versus Coacj K. That game was played at the former Oracle Arena if memory serves. Even before Kidd arrived, we'd play the occasional game there.

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They lost by a TON to their biggest rival. So good.

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Wait it's 2-1 vs Coach K isn't it? We lost to them in 2009 big dance after beating UofL. Since I was living in Louisville at the time that win was especially satisfying.

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Totally forgot about that game. Damn.

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Yeah the Plumlee brothers dunked us into the ground that game.

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You Back in the Bay?

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And apparently he threw his players under the bus later that evening. Either in the press conference or in his celebration speech.

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I loved it when Coach K took Dillon Brooks to task for taking a late three in blowout, but more or less turning a blind eye to Grayson Allen's several dirty play incidents.

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DBD AV Club

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Is anyone else watching Severance on Apple TV+? Really getting into it.

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I’m about to start.

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We had a run of great movies over a stormy Saturday.

Blood Simple, Promising Young Woman, and both Deadpools

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Carey Mulligan was so good. Tho I totally dig him, she’s way more talented than her husband!

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My wife and I agreed that we wished her revenge had been a little more than just scaring the guys throughout the movie, but the ending was pretty damn satisfying and made up for that. Great cast and performances all around.

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Watch Blood Simple on Friday. Terrific debut feature, portended more to come from the Coens.

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It was my first time seeing it and I really enjoyed it. Although the twists were a bit predictable it didn't detract from them being entertaining

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Mar 7, 2022·edited Mar 7, 2022

I finished The After Party. Good series, I would watch a second season of the show.

My theory on who killed Xavier didn’t pan out but my initial guess and the person with the biggest grudge and motive turned out to be the killer.

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Yeah, I thought it was excellent - greatly enjoyed it.

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Same! Kids liked it a lot too

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Watched the first episode of "Winning Time", delightfully skeezy look at Dr. Buss and LA at the end of the 70's. Pretty funny, tons of 4th wall breakage.

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Started watching last night. It's fairly entertaining. But a lot over mythologizing and fairly flat characterizations so far. The demystification of Jerry West went a little over the top, though I didn't know he wanted to draft Moncrief over Magic. That was a nugget.

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The whole thing I expect to be more than a little over the top. I'm ok with that, it's not a documentary.

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Very true. Like I said, it's still entertaining.

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I didn't watch it, but Chris McCain and Austin Aaron are actors in it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cav-lRoO_86/?utm_medium=copy_link

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Chris McCain? The former Cal football player who doesn't want to be associated with Cal anymore (IIRC, he was once mad at CGB for using his pic until someone pointed out to him that it's just a fan blog)?

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I think Chris McCain definitely will not be recruited by Wilcox. Probably not by Dykes either. He's just not a Cal type of player. I still liked him, he was so athletic, and was the best contributor out of that infamous? best? LB recruiting class ever of Martin, Forbes, Wilkerson, Whiteside, McCain.

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Mar 7, 2022·edited Mar 7, 2022

He doesn’t want to be associated with Cal anymore? He was mad CGB for using his photo? Please, do tell.

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I dont remember the CGB story but Dykes kicked him off the team for having a shitty attitude and getting ejected in a game if I remember right

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His picture (while he was in the NFL) was used for a Bears in Pro post. I think he saw the Tweet and said something along the line of "I told them (Cal Athletics) to not use me for anything". Someone told him that CGB is not Cal official, then he replied that everything was cool. Clearly there was some bad blood on how his Cal tenure ended.

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I remember him getting kicked off the team by Dykes and his ejection.

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Yes, I remember that - maybe the Oregon game?

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I don't know about that story, but yes that Chris McCain, one of my favorite Cal players.

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I remember he was one if the first to get tossed from the targeting penalty.

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Solomon Hughes is Kareem

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Yeah I did include because it was obvious. When I was reading about Hughes, one article said he played at Fullerton and went to graduate school in UCLA. Both are wrong.

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The Dropout - Amanda Seyfried is great as Elizabeth Holmes. First 3 episodes out on Hulu...worth a watch. Fock Stanfurd, BTW.

The Tourist - Jamie Dornan BBC show on HBO MAX. Interesting - 2 eps in, and wanna know where it’s going...makes me wanna go to the Australian outback, tho it looks desolate.

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I almost started The Dropout last night but decided to go to bed early. I really enjoyed the podcast.

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Watched Baby Driver last night with No 2. I had seen clips of the opening scene before but not the whole thing. Was an enjoyable movie.

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Enjoyable movie, but woof on some of the main actor's off-screen activities.

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Really? Guess I'll be going down the internet rabbit hole later

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You don't really need to go down an internet rabbit hole for Kevin Spacey. Elgort's been accused of sexual assault and solicitation of nude photos from a minor.

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Mar 8, 2022·edited Mar 8, 2022

He was probably thinking of Elgort

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yeah I was. But I guess I got my answer

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Also watched No Time to Die and I thought it was really good. Shocking ending.

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Today in Covid

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25810 new cases in Hong Kong yesterday.

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new, in one day? Wow.

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yeah - Hong Kong had an absolute 28-3 lead on covid-19. 5 months of zero cases. And threw it away to be under prepared, and also there's a large amount of vaccine hesitancy amongst elderly.

The vast majority of cases are minor, and HK has been pushing a TON of public testing and also distributing tests. I got 10 tests dropped off at my door this weekend - and HK actually has a decent rate of vaccination, but the population where vaccination rates are low are amongst the most vulnerable, so the death rate has been quite high over the last three weeks*.

*Highest in the world right now

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I guess you're not back yet. I think it's soon isn't it?

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Kinda maybe COVID....

Went to the Garth Brooks show at Petco Park Sat. night. Logistically a schitt show bc with the stage set up in short CF, and seats all around it, you had well over 50,000 fans in a venue set to realistically accommodate 40k. Long, packed lines to get in and out, concessions were way too crowded and ran out of many things, no one wore masks, no proof of vax required. 49 degrees and raining. Fully expecting to get COVID, or at the very least a nasty cold.

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OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY

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Is what we have and will have if the party in triple control both nationally and in the state doesn't get something done quickly about the price gouging the war has provided some cause, and a lot of excuse, for. Any gains made in the last 15 months have been more than lost in the last 15 days.

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And if the list is to be believed, Russia recognized Taiwan as an "unfriendly". Wonder how Xi Jinping will take that?

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Good catch on Russia recognizing Taiwan. That should make Xi happy to hear.

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PRO

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Falcon's WR Calvin Ridley suspended for a year for doing a Pete Rose.

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1500933743279808514

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Well there goes his HoF chances.

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hahaha

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Mar 7, 2022·edited Mar 7, 2022

Ruined my ‘21 fantasy season

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Mar 7, 2022·edited Mar 7, 2022

David Njoku is franchise tagged

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Poor David...Baker Mayfield is still his QB.

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A stain on the Mexican Liga LX as fans between Queretaro and Atlas fight. The match was abandoned. Some reports of 20-32 deaths. Officials report only 26 injured which seems really, really, really unlikely.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/mexico-soccer-riot-latest-queretaro-atlas-fight-liga-mx/zpjah8v5qsi0fbjgxqmr7frd

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Ug-Lee

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Charlotte sets an American record for attendance to a soccer game: 74,479.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/major-league-soccer/story/4608111/charlotte-fc-breaks-mls-attendance-record-in-home-opener

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That’s 74,479 more fans than MLB will have on opening day this year.

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Too Soon!

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[MLB] Players allegedly agree to play less defense, play faster, and have more Angel Hernandez. Or something like that.

https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1500613355270291457

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I don't like banning the shift. May as well ban 4 OFers, even though that's done like 0.001% of the time.

Some of the proposed changes are dumb.

At some point MLB is going to say the batter gets to tell the pitcher what pitch he wants, like in kickball in elementary school. Slow Baby Bounces.

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The only things dumber than banning the shift are wasting time considering doing so, and losing any more seconds before adopting the universal DH.

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Mar 7, 2022·edited Mar 8, 2022

Yet they’re completely deadlocked bc no one is budging on the CBT.

Part of me is kinda sorta hoping it goes nuclear & they scrap the whole season….bc F them.

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Apparently the owners get the local TV money in full unless something like 25+ games are canceled. So maybe there could be some slight pressure on their wallets (finally) in the next week if/when they might need to cancel a full month of games.

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So far, they have reduced expenses with no penalty. When that changes, there will be movement.

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Mar 8, 2022·edited Mar 8, 2022

It starts and ends with the CBT

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Lakers winning behind LeBron's 64 points against the Dubs, fun but hardly sustainable.

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Warriors regular fourth-quarter collapses are getting depressing, though. Wake me up when Draymond is back.

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:: Should be fun tonight with Steph, Wiggs and Klay resting ::

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Wow 71-69 at halftime. Last I saw before I left the gym Moody was going off.

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Stop watch seems to have been souped up at the NFL Combine as record setting 40-yard dash times recorded, esp. for WRs, DBs, OL...

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Georgia player with 2 career rushes and 1 TD runs a 4.78 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33431396/georgia-lineman-jordan-davis-341-pounds-runs-40-yard-dash-478-seconds-nfl-scouting-combine

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CAL

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Go Bears!!!

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[BASE] Cal plays as to expectation against #10 Florida State, losing the Friday game 3-4 as the bullpen gives up a 3-1 8th inning lead on the back of Josh White's 5-innings 3 hit 11 K starting effort. The second game wasn't that close after Cal spotted the Seminoles a 7-1 lead by the 6th inning, going on to lose 7-4. Cal won the series finale in 10 innings after giving up a 3-0 lead in the 8th. C Cole Elis, who was batting cleanup, got the go-ahead single.

https://calbears.com/sports/baseball/stats/2022/florida-state/boxscore/33668

https://calbears.com/sports/baseball/stats/2022/florida-state/boxscore/33667

https://calbears.com/sports/baseball/stats/2022/florida-state/boxscore/33759

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I got home just in time to see the walk-off on Friday night. Ugh.

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Need to iron out the bullpen.

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It's a tough balancing act since you do need to give guys innings for growth. Like Aaron Roberts is both Cal's best bullpen arm but 98 mph with no control is not useful. Chris Stamos, the JuCo transfer, has also not well in pressure situations despite a good arm and being used as the top LOOGY. Stamos also blew a game with a bad throw to first or spiking a pitch so that the tying run scored from 3rd.

Neu is coaching for the long haul (like a CWS run) rather than to stack his more reliable pitching all in one game so that Josh White's effort don't get wasted. It's hard to really fault that approach, but could cost Cal in the end. Friday and Sunday's 8th inning frustration were all salvaged by the Bears being able to win the Sunday game in the 10th.

With the Pac-12 Tournament in Baseball being a thing for the first time, playing optimally in the end of the season does mean another way to get the automatic bid even if the early seasons don't go well.

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Both the bullpen and Neu’s ill advised pitching changes

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Love the script Cal on the glove.

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