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Absurd Grad school application questions

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No 2 is applying to the UW data science masters program. Here is one of the questions. Looking for thoughts on why they're asking the question.it is turning him off from wanting to go. It seems like they want an "I'm not racist" answer.

How have you shown a commitment to diversity, anti-racism, and equity, and what unique perspectives would you contribute to the data science profession?

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Maybe the question is intended to find candidates who are leaders in racial equity based upon their answer. A thoughtful answer may not score near the top, but it might score better than "acceptable".

An "I'm not racist" answer is only one possibility. If a candidate takes that tack, I doubt the question will be scored more than "acceptable".

Just my two cents.

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I think No 2 decided he didn't want to do the program. It looks like it's 2 classes per semester, all at night. So it sounds like it might be geared towards working professionals.

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I wrote a book on campus racism called Blackballed: The Black & White Politics of Race on America's Campuses. It's pretty much a standard on campuses, and I lecture on it each year at about 50 schools, although not at Cal, strangely.

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Since it is in relation to data science maybe it's something about the way you analyze data.

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the standard complaint about data science is that it can only "learn from the data it is given". if you give it a bunch on biased data, it is going to reinforce those biases.

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Those sushi rolls look tasty!

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The South

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Lived in Colleyville, TX (DFW area) for a ~3 year period growing up. Fried okra was a staple in the elementary school cafeteria, and chicken fried steak was on the weekly rotation.

On some special occasions the family would go to our local Black-eyed Pea restaurant chain.

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I lived in Missouri in fourth and fifth grade, which is kind of 2/3 midwestern and 1/3 southern. I remember in fourth grade when we studied US history, the teacher was adamant that “the Civil War was not about slavery.” Lol

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My prof for Econ 113 "American Economic History" at Cal (circa 2001 or 2002?) I wouldn't say was adamant, but considerably stressed the other factors that werent directly slavery. There are some interesting parallels between the American Revolution and the Civil War, likening the motives, policies and actions of the US Federal Government to Great Britain, and the Southern states to the original colonists. Tyrannical taxation, mercantilist policies, a whole slew juicy stuff.

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Ah...the height of Niall Ferguson and quantitative history...where we follow the price of beets to find the REAL reason why the South lost. LOL

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Funny you say that, I think it was Professor Litwack's History 7A in Wheeler Auditorium where I learned the reason the confederacy lost was the disease and morbidity that resulted from them digging their latrines too close to their camps. OK, maybe he didnt say it was THE reason, but a good literal lesson for the ages on "dont shit where you eat."

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I loved Litwack. RIP

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Yeah he was a bad ass

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You can make the case that the relatively un-civil conflict between different factions of states was about economics, and economic models. Most internal wars are between a faction in control and one that not only isn't, but disagrees philosophically about both the form and direction things are going.

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... in other words, whether those models should include slavery...

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Among other things.

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That is a 99%/1% equation. I read an interesting history book recently "American Republics" 1789-1850, and one of the main take away was how the issue of slavery changed during this period. When the constitution was written, the delegates were embarrassed about America's peculiar institution - they weren't going to get rid of it, but neither were they trumpeting it.

After Britain abolished slavery, and as abolitionist thoughts were discussed, southerners began to trumpet it as a "good" in and of itself, and became quite belligerent to anyone who questioned keeping and expanding slavery.

Anyone who denies that slavery was THE issue in the civil war is either uninformed, or for some reason, is lying about the past (or maybe even the present).

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that pertained to slavery.

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Well then he was wrong, over complicating what was completely obvious: it was all about slavery, at first about where it would be allowed to expand, and then once Americans started killing each other, whether it would be allowed to exist.

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I mean it's not hidden at all, or couched in unclear language. The South Carolina Declaration of Succession spells it out clearly:

"The General Government, as the common agent, passed laws to carry into effect these stipulations of the States. For many years these laws were executed. But an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery, has led to a disregard of their obligations, and the laws of the General Government have ceased to effect the objects of the Constitutio"

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Those tax and mercantilist policies would not have been much of an issue if the South had not been so single-mindedly obsessed with preserving a slave agricultural economy.

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I dont completely follow what the former has to do with the latter in this regard, but I also dont remember much about the class nor have ever read up enough about the antebellum political economy to have an opinion or stake in the matter.. But, I could see this being a boisterous discussion between professor Sam Kinison and student Rodney Dangerfield.

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I know quite a bit about American history, and have always been interested, but maybe 25 years ago, I was thinking "how can it be that Americans actually starting killing each other" and realized - I didn't know enough. So I bought "The Battle Cry of Freedom" and the answer is Bleeding Kansas.

This led to maybe reading 50+ books about the period.

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Thanks! I've been meaning to learn more about both the American Revolution and the Civil War. Maybe I'll check that one out.

I remember loving the book Chesapeake by James Michener (historical fiction) when I read most of it in high school, but only vaguely remember parts of it some 20+ years later.

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Where in Missouri?

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Warson Woods - St Louis area. When you get outside of St Louis or KC it def gets more southern.

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Lived in Kansas City, 9 & 10th grades, didn't feel very southern.

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It is not very Southern, but def has a different feel than Chicago, where I also lived and which feels more squarely midwestern

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When I tell my friends that KC is in Missouri, everyone gets surprised. Every one I tested thought KC was in Kansas. Which is half true, but the bigger city is KCMO.

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I believe KC has the only WWI museum and has the most fountains of any city in the US. Also, good BBQ. The Power and Light District is fun.

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I graduated from Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery AL, was there for two years. Sadly I learned that I attended during the relatively short period it was integrated, originally all white, now all black.

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Lived north of Atlanta on the 11th fairway at Olde Atlanta Club for 2 years in the late 90's. Fried chicken, greens, and boiled peanuts. The heat and tornado warnings became tiresome so I moved back to California and got a job at a start-up.

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I got a tornado warning while driving through torrential downpour on the way to the NC Cal Alum event the night before the UNC game. Just a bit of a culture shock.

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Louisville is more a midwest city but the rest of Ky is definitely the South.

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lived in Indiana for 8 yrs.. it is more midwestern but southern Indiana certainly felt like the south in many ways

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I lived South adjacent - and I really really liked it. But Houston is a huge, cosmopolitan, diverse city full of lots excellent food, awful traffic and weather, and my favorite bar scene in the country.

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But... you don't drink!

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One does not need to drink alcohol to visit bars. Bars are an excellent "third space" where one can meet friends and hang out for several hours.

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Do you find other people not drinking in bars? Does this vary by country?

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I have a friend who doesn't drink alcohol because it's not good for medication he takes. But there's a bar he's become a regular at because it's become a big part of his community. It also gets the Pac-12 Network so he can see a Cal game from time to time. He drinks some kind of sparkling water but always leaves a nice tip because the staff has become friends.

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Most people are drinking in bars - but China (outside of say Beijing or Shanghai) isn't super bar oriented. Drinking in mainly done in restaurants or at home. My favorite cocktail bars here in Shanghai - you can tell the bartender what sort of flavors you like and they'll whip up something non-alcoholic for you - I didn't really find that in Hong Kong or Bangkok.

But Houston is super casual, most bars I went to are of the 'ice house' variety. It's a different alcohol license - mainly beer, although some places might have wine. "we have red .. . and white" but no mixed drinks or liquor. Half indoors/half outdoors with picnic tables. On summer weeknights they might have a steak night. In the winter they might do crawfish. People wear flip flops and tees.

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Sushi

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I actually don't think (and I am not Japanese!) that people in Japan are as precious about sushi or authenticity as non-Japanese are! Most of my Japanese friends tend to think of sushi as something quick to buy on the train home or at the 7-11/Lawson. They tend not to go to fancy sushi bars either.

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While sushi is on the expensive side of things, I would agree that it is more affordable, quick bite food in Japan. However there are tons of super expensive sushi restaurants but I bet 90% of the people have never been.

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Oh definitely - I've spent stacks of money in those super expensive sushi restaurants (probably 25 trips to Japan in my lifetime and I've tried to go to a $$$$ sushi place each time) but very few of my Japanese friends tend to go to these places. When I go to expensive meals with them, it's usually something like a big crab nabe restaurant or something a lot more fun like chanko-nabe Sumo places.

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Chanko nabe owned by former sumo wrestlers are so good. One I've been to had actual ring mound inside the store. Most Japanese commoners say "Let's go have a drink" instead of "Let's go out and eat" and enjoy places like Izakaya or Yakiniku. I go to Japan 3-4x a year (pre-covid), but never go to those super expensive sushi places because I can have a really good sushi at more affordable places.

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That rings true to me - a lot of my Japanese friends married fairly early and spent most dinners at home with their spouse. I could always get them out for coffee near their office, or a quick drink after work but then they would head home.

Very occasionally yakiniku or izakaya - I also think because of the cost involved with the expensive places.

I think chanko-nabe would be a killer concept in the US. With sichuan style hot-pots and shabu-shabu being relatively popular. You could have a retired sumo wrestler run the place, show match videos, have a ring in the middle.

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I heard this once and have never been able to confirm it - the term "sushi" refers to the rice.

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"sushi" literally means sour - so for something to be sushi, the vinegared rice usually needs to be part of it. I suspect what you heeard was that sushi doesn't need to be raw fish - which is very true. Unagi is cooked eel, and tomago is cooked egg.

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I can confirm it's false. I'm Japanese born in Japan.

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Perhaps too many people who watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi started dreaming their selves

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DBD Not Official Financial Advice

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Markets closed today?

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MLK?

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I know it is MLK, just asking if markets are closed because of it.

My office is open on MLK day but closed on Presidents' Day... I've always thought that should be reversed.

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In many cases, Presidents Day was the consolidation of 2 holidays, before there was an MLK. And without the events spearheaded by the 2 Presidents, there would not have been an MLK, much less a day.

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I'm old enough to remember Washington and Lincoln's birthdays as separate holidays.

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We used to have "ski week" which was bookended by the birthdays. It used to be a week. Now it's the 1 day.

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Oddly, my company used to alternate which one of these two we have off each year. Finally, last year they made MLK permanent and sent President's packing.

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DBD Test Kitchen

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Made white bean bolognese yesterday - probably needed more white beans and to dice the carrots more finely.

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Had "light" chicken parmesan (chicken grilled then roasted, no breading, no frying) - very tasty, paired with a 2010 Brunello; cardamon cupcakes with brown butter frosting for afters.

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Mac & Cheese, spinach, andoullie sausages

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family favorite, lamb kefta meatball tagine and marak of cauliflower.

both from Paula Wolfert's Food of Morocco

http://www.paula-wolfert.com/books/

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DBD AV Club

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Finally started Ted Lasso. It is like a PG 13 and feel good version of Kenny Powers.

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Oh I had forgotten about Kenny Powers. I really liked it.

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Saw Tool last night at the Chase Center with turkey. Hadn't seen him since the 2019 ASU game. Good times, great show. The visuals alone were amazing

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I really wanted to go to their show in San Diego but covid.

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You have covid or didn't want to risk exposure to covid? Last night A) vaxx required to get in, and B) we wore masks the entire night.

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Didn’t want to risk getting Covid. I’m fully vaxxed but my 1 and 4 year olds aren’t and omicron seems to be everywhere.

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gotcha

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I found the Yellowjackets S1 finale to be a bit underwhelming. Still an extremely good show so far, probably a 17/19 WB.

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I liked Yellowjackets but feel it definitely started a lot better than it finished...too many head-scratching stretches in S1...

That said, anytime you can combine Lord of the Flies with Ladybugs, Alive with Bend it like Beckham, you absolutely should!!!

It's eminently watchable.

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Watched the 4+ hour movie Cleopatra from 1963.

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I watched it this weekend for the first time since I was a mere lad. Very disappointed in it. Was originally intended to be two movies. Cleopatra and Julius Caesar and Cleopatra and Marc Antony. I think the massive re-cutting to it's four-hour length made it the mess that -- in my opinion -- it became.

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My mother cut out the page, I think it was maybe in Life or Look magazine, featuring the film that showed a small portion of Elizabeth's Taylor's butt cheek. No idea at the time until I saw an uncut copy at the library days later. I asked my mom about the cut out page....she said nothing.

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When I first saw the movie that butt cheek lived with me for a long time after, risqué for it's time.

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Was it any good?

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It was OK, probably better than I thought.

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I’m enjoying watching Halle Berry as Cleopatra in the Caesar’s advertisements w/ JB Smoove during the football games....

That’s all.

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I'd enjoy watching Halle Berry read the phone book. (Do they still make phone books?)

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Our Crumbling Democracy

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There's a guy I used to work with and we exchange emails on each other's birthdays. I sent him congrats last week and with his reply he attached a picture - him in a MAGA hat. I haven't seen him in fifteen years since he retired and there was no indication in our emails that he was a Trumper.

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MAGA hats and QAnon: Inside Trump’s first rally of 2022

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/16/trump-first-rally-2022-maga-527206

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Today in Omicron

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...I'm getting tested today.

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Here’s to a negative...Good luck.

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Well that was unpleasant - and I was thinking: anyone championing "testing" as an alternative to vaccines, it's got to be such a fucking waste of time and resources.

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Boy howdy...what a mess.

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Pro

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Mike Maycock fired.

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Shaq on Suns/Warriors: "Golden State will win the championship this year, I'm guaranteeing it. Let's place a bet on it. If the Suns beat Golden State I am going to walk two blocks with Suns written on my ass, aight? I will post it live on Instagram. I'll walk two blocks."

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Well, the Warriors are doomed.

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He's such a goofball.

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Bryan Anger hits the jumbotrone with his punt

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He was booming them yesterday, and threw a dot on the fake punt.

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Buh-bye...what a clown

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That's an odd take on a 1st-ballot Hall of Famer who is an icon in his community, and widely respected all across the league.

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There’s nothing odd about it...multiple rape allegations, throwing players and teammates under the bus, etc. I’ve disliked him for years. And while he may be a first ballot HOF he is by no means widely respected across the league.

I don’t love everything Magary does, but he hit this one on the head, AndyP.

https://www.sfgate.com/sports-columns/article/a-proper-send-off-for-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-16748606.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=share-by-email&utm_medium=email

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It's the alleged rape thing.

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I was chatting with my Eagles fan buddy (who I suspect would boo his own mother for a dry Thanksgiving day turkey)...not sure Jalen Hurts is Siriani's long-term answer at QB...

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Bills pitch a perfect offensive game.

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That game was beautiful. It was great to see the chowder breath Pats get beat down like that and to see the Bills offense clicking on all cylinders was a thing of beauty.

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A good friend of mine here in LA is from Buffalo and is a Bills fan, so I was particularly happy watching this result.

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Niners to face off with Rodgers, Packers...

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I still can't believe Dallas CALLED a QB draw with no time outs and 13 seconds left. They created their own Kevin Riley moment. Dak trying to spot the ball himself instead of giving it to the refs was icing on the cake.

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That was really dumb. Can't believe they did that when there was time for two more pass attempts. Bonehead.

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My thought exactly - but so much worse than Riley because it was planned and way far away from end zone!

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Can't begin to fathom what the thinking was there. However, I think 14 accepted penalties probably had more to do with Dallas' demise.

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Yeah, their chances of winning at that point in the game (40 yards away, no time outs, under 15 seconds) were still pretty slim anyway. It was just such a laughably bad way to end it.

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Yep and Dak is an experienced player who should know better.

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Oh my, they totally let the Niners off the hook. If Dak goes into his slide a couple of yards earlier, who knows....

But that's on Dak - he knows he can't give the ball to his center for the spot....he needs to get that football to the umpire f-ing IMMEDIATELY.

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The umpire was far enough behind on the play that even if he had given it to the umpire I'm not sure they spike it in time. Would've been bang-bang.

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Probably true...he needed to go into the slide earlier tho...at the end of the day, it's a dogschitt call....

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oh I agree. He should've slid after about 10 yards. But it's a crappy call.

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I don’t see anyway JG outduels Rodgers on the frozen tundra.

Glad Niners held on, but GB is not expected to consistently shoot itself in the foot like Dallas did.

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Niners have a good D though. They can just play tough D and hope for a few lucky passes. Ask Eli Manning’s NY Giants…

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Niners have a good D . . . IF Bosa and Warner can play.

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A good D that's already been beaten by Rodgers...

And until Jimmy Garoppolo wins 2 Super Bowls, he's no Eli Manning.

But I hear you - any team with a running game and a good D has a shot in the playoffs.

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Beaten by 2 points on a FG as time expired. Not exactly the onerous blowout that suggests a different outcome isn't at least a possibility in a rematch, with more than a few adjustments.

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Exactly, as I said, any team with a running game and a good D can win in the playoffs.

No one made any suggestions of an onerous blowout. We just know that Rodgers went 42 yards on two perfect throws in :30 with zero timeouts against that good Niners D to set up the GW FG the last time they played.

Vegas has Pack -5.5, which seems fair. Niners probably need to play better on O tho to have a chance.

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Eli Manning didn't have 2 Super Bowls before he played in those Super Bowls.

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Jimmy Garoppolo is not as good a quarterback as Eli Manning.

I'm no fan of Eli, but he's a HOF QB that never lost a Super Bowl....

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True, but the Niners are probably saying to themselves on the plane home "we played like crap, and still won".

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Maybe, tho the Niners did not play like crap...they actually played pretty well, especially on defense. The obligatory horrible Garoppolo interception which gave Dallas life almost cost them the game, tho.

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Niners offense played well but settled for too many FGs. Need to convert those drives into TDs if they want to beat GB.

You got the whole Jimmy G experience yesterday.

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Defense was stout, offense much less so, too many little mistakes cost drives and points.

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But that's what Jimmy Garoppolo does, no? He manages a game...he hands the ball off...he makes a great throw for a 1st down....he misses a throw to a wide open guy...he turns the ball over on just a dreadful pick in his own territory...

That's what he's done for 5 seasons! This was prime Jimmy Garoppolo....

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Bay Area teams in close playoff games. others are blowouts

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Teams? There's more than one?

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i guess i still think they are the Oakland Raiders ..

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The Oakland Raiders of Clark County.

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Other College

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This reminds me of Bill Russell’s old aphorism that the best way to be a good coach is to get the best players

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It helps.

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They’re gonna be very good very quickly.

UO & UW are gonna take a little more time.

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Remember, the Bears were the only Pac 12 to win its last game of the season so Cal has all the momentum going into next season. Eat our dust everyone else.

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Spoken like someone that was actually alive the last time Cal played in a Rose Bowl....

;-)

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Indeed I was (for the record, I was four).

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OD the OG!

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Cal

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Go Bears!!!

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