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Think cats are aloof? They make nearly 300 facial expressions, study says.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/11/07/cats-facial-expressions-study-meaning/

Brittany Florkiewicz has always been a dog person, but she was surprised by what she discovered when reviewing more than 100 hours of cat videos.

Florkiewicz, a psychology professor at an Arkansas college, spent her childhood running around her yard with her family’s German shepherds and Labrador retrievers. She believed dogs were friendlier and more expressive than cats, as many pet owners do.

That changed when she and a co-researcher began studying cats in 2021 to learn more about how they communicate and express themselves. After videotaping and reviewing felines’ facial expressions at a cat cafe for nearly a year, Florkiewicz debunked her lifelong belief.

The researchers found that cats displayed at least 276 different facial expressions, according to the study’s results, which published last month in the journal Behavioural Processes. Florkiewicz told The Washington Post that the findings show cats are more articulate and affectionate than previously thought.

COMMENT: Mrs Slug and I have had cats for almost the entire run of our marriage. We like cats, but we are definitely dog people. I would not have guessed that cats are capable of 276 expressions.

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You guys who are saying what fun, it's not fun at all--you do realize that on a Cal Fan website, that's quite the redundant comment? Goes without saying too. Repetitive. Superfluous.

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OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY

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Thank God it's finally election day. All of the seats in the Virginia House and Senate are up today and the ads have been ceaseless. Virtually all the Dem ads are about how the Repub is for ending all abortions. All the Repub ads are Willie Horton-esque about how the Dem and their supporters are pro defund the police and a danger to society. Currently the legislature is split and I have no idea what the result will be.

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What fun! (It’s not fun at all)

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The mute button has been getting a workout during college football ad breaks I can tell you

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Trump trial goes off the rails but Engoran lets him rant as the defense seems to be angling for a mistrial as a strategy to mitigate damages

https://www.thedailybeast.com/judge-arthur-engoron-made-the-right-call-let-trump-rant-and-rave

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The Government shuts down in 10 days. Apart from the obvious, the biggest affect will be food insecurity as SNAP/food stamps ceases. Meals on Wheels also stops getting funding. Please consider donating to a food pantry if/when it happens.

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Gotta pound these twerps on their infantile refusal to govern.

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What fun! (It’s not fun at all)

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I timed my recent passport renewal between the recent budget and when it expires so that I have something I can use if I need it (my wife & I had passports which expired on the same day in March next, so we decided to stagger renewal in case one of us needed to make a surprise / emergency trip to the UK, which is probably overkill for risk management but still)

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seems like clever disaster planning.

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I’m not good at much but I recognize both a dependency and a risk when I see them

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seems very unlikely that a more conservative House is going to find a budget to pass that the liberal Senate will go along with. but maybe they have given up on Ukraine ...

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DBD Street Journal

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TIL: Lucky - a Bay Area supermarket chain - was acquired in 1998 and had its brand discontinued in 1999. The brand was relaunched in 2006. That is, it isn't the same Lucky stores. Unsurprisingly, the brand continues to shrink.

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/lucky-supermarkets-close-three-bay-area-locations/

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Thank God for reader view

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Decades ago, there was a Lucky supermarket on Rose St. at Shattuck Ave. It stopped being a Lucky probably in the mid-to-late 70s. and the building became a Long's Drugs, and more recently a CVS. It's a smallish building for a chain supermarket, so maybe that's why it didn't survive.

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Years ago there was a Park n Shop down Telegraph I think near the Oakland border. A friend witnessed two cars speed into parking spots, both men get out and start fighting, must of been a road rage continuation thing. We had no choice, from then on we could only refer to it as Park n Fight.

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growing up, it was a choice of Lucky or Safeway. they didnt seem that different at the time.

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I remember Safeway being more expensive than Lucky. Now, it seems like it's the other way around

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Safeway was a bit nicer and had superior private label brands (Lucerne, Cragmont soda). Lucky was a bit more rack-and-stack-em warehouse.

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If I remember correctly, Lady Lee was the Lucky in house brand name.

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Yup, I remember Lady Lee.

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I remember when the Lucky's in Moraga had the yellow Generic box brand. Don't remember if Safeway had them as well.

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Cougar, puma, mountain lion, panther

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Catamount!

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Campolindo Cougars .. that was our HS mascot growing up in Moraga.

our fierce rivals were the Miramonte Matadors and the Acalanes Dons (i think)

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La Puma was the school newspaper. While googling to confirm this, TIL that the name was changed due to the name being offensive and gramatically incorrect.

https://thecampoclaw.com/opinion/2020/11/30/la-puma-must-change-its-name/

The 2 people who have been big advocates for changing the magazine’s name are Spanish teacher and Language Department Chair Concha Martinez and French teacher Ed Willy.

According to Willy, our name is an example of “mock Spanish.”

The term mock Spanish is used to describe Spanish phrases that are used as appropriation in the U.S. as well as globally.

Martinez said that although most spanish words that end in “a” are feminine, there are exceptions to this rule. The Spanish word “puma” is an example of this.

“By calling the newspaper ‘La Puma’ instead of ‘The Puma’ you are giving the idea that you are using a Spanish word [which] is great to show the Spanish roots that Moraga has. But if you are using a foreign language you need to use it correctly, otherwise it is disrespectful to the language,” said Martinez.

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We used "Dons" and "Lady Dons" for our teams. I don't know why we didn't use "Doñas"

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Why don't we say Bears and Bearettes?

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It's also incredibly sexist.

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Because a female bear is a "sow". I doubt they'll appreciate that.

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Doesn't Baylor use the Lady Bears for their sports teams? I thought I remember that from their BB team, though maybe I'm wrong.

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Also, Bearette sounds like something you wear in your hair.

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Campolindo is near the Lafayette Reservoir recreational park. I grew on the opposite side of the reservoir and you could literally hike out my back yard into the park. I also remember the year that a woman was attacked by a mountain lion there. This prompted a short lesson by my teacher and signs posted around the reservoir about mountain lion defense. I also wasn't allowed to play in my backyard until they caught that mountain lion.

Also, GO DONS!

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one of our friends lived on that hill on the Moraga side. we would go up the hill behind the house and pop over into the Reservoir park.

there was some science assignment (maybe 7th or 8th grade) where we were supposed to survey a 10mx10m piece of land. so we picked some spot that was half in the water along the side of the Reservoir.

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CAL

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i just got this email >> Free Cal vs WSU Tickets for Bay Area Educators 🏈

at this point, i seriously doubt that it matters who they give free tickets to. they should just open the gates and let everyone in and hope that they buy a hot dog or two.

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With the free ticket, do you still get the CMS replica if you're in the first 10k?

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I'd assume so. I may just claim 2 of them just in case because I think the last day to claim is today.

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I like that the department is finally trying to fill the stadium

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When I was in grade school in Berkeley, I was also a member of the Berkeley Junior Traffic Police (BJTP). We were kids who were crossing guards at our school and wore a sweater with our rank on it. But I digress.

A perk for BJTP members were $1 tickets to selected Cal football games. I remember that one of those games I attended was the 1970 Cal-UCLA game.

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I was on traffic patrol at my Oakland elementary school and we got the same some years before that. I don't remember who Cal played but I do remember that some of the orange juice bars were tainted and I was sick for a couple days after. A friend was out of school all week.

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Too bad you had a bad experience! Do you remember if Cal won or lost that day? Or maybe you didn't care, having more urgent things to deal with.

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I don't remember. It was sixth grade and my dad took us to a few games a year so for the most part I just remember the experience of games in general. Strangely, I do remember the name of the guy that got sicker than me.

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I remember going with my elementary school and with the Cub scouts. Most boys I knew went to at least a few football games every season. It was dirt cheap for kids.

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Season ticket holders were given 4 tickets to give away as well. You couldn't transfer or sell them so I think they have to enter with the STH.

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I had this discussion w/ Rob and the rest of the W4C staff. At the heart of it, Athletics has been resistant to giving away tickets as a whole. They've been burned in the past with free tickets getting scalped, hence why the STH-escort is necessary.

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Speaking of, I have 4 tickets for the WSU game if anyone wants to go.

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Do you still have it?

I'm thinking of going. I need to get 18 more flights before the end of the year to requalify for my United status.

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Yes. I have 3 total. My 2nd plus the 2 freebies I asked for.

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I take it back. My 2nd is going to JC but I still have the 2 extras.

18? With the increased requirements I'm not even going to try for Gold. I'll be at least 5 takeoffs and landings short. ooh...based on future flghts, I'll be right on PQP. Oh, closer than I thought. unless I can find 5 super cheap flights, probably not worth trying to get it. Had I known I was that close, I might have changed one of my flights to be 1 stop.

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i can get in free, so i am good. but thanks!

travel plans are currently to be Seattle Nov 14-21 since traitor daughter at UW sprained her knee while rock climbing. planning to fly back home w/ them for Thxgiving.

some very small chance i fly to Bay Area for Big Game ..

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[WBB] Cal Routs Cal State Bakersfield 89-56

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/7/womens-basketball-cal-routs-cal-state-bakersfield-89-56.aspx

BERKELEY – The Cal women's basketball team (1-0) had a dominant performance in its 89-56 season opening win over Cal State Bakersfield (0-1) at Haas Pavilion on Monday night. The Bears used a strong defensive effort holding the Roadrunners to just 30.3 percent shooting from the field and 31.6 percent from deep to come away with the wire-to-wire victory. Every Bear who saw action got into the scoring column.

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[MBB] Mark Madsen Era Begins With Victory

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/6/mens-basketball-mark-madsen-era-begins-with-victory.aspx

BERKELEY – Junior Jalen Celestine scored a career-high 21 points in his first game in 607 days and the California men's basketball team kicked off the Mark Madsen era with a 71-66 victory over visiting St. Thomas on Monday night at Haas Pavilion.

Celestine, who missed the entire 2022-23 season with a knee injury, went 7-for-10 from the floor and added four rebounds to help the Golden Bears stave off a spirited effort by the Tommies.

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[MPOLO] Team USA, Bear Trio Claim Pan Am Gold

https://calbears.com/news/2023/11/6/mens-water-polo-team-usa-bear-trio-claim-pan-am-gold.aspx

SANTIAGO, Chile – A trio of Golden Bears claimed the men's water polo gold medal at the 2023 Pan American Games over the weekend, with Team USA defeating Brazil 17-7 in the championship match.

With its eighth straight first-place finish in the tournament, the American team punched its ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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On this day in 1925 in Memorial Stadium the Golden Bears defeated Washington State, 35-0. The victory gave the Bears a record of 50-1-4 in their last 55 contests. However it would be the last win for legendary Cal head coach Andy Smith as the Bears would lose their last two games of the season and Smith would die in the off season at the age of 42. Earl Jabs was the hero of the day rushing for 143 yards and two touchdowns. But the longest run was 63 yards by Jimmy Dixon. Four days later the annual Army-Navy game would be played at Memorial Stadium. The game was slated for November 11, then called Armistice Day.

DBD celebrates 100 years of football in Strawberry Canyon with this daily feature appearing throughout the football season.

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"the Bears would lose their last two games of the season" - in looking up the season, it was informative that Cal was even then getting used to having trouble with Washington & Stanford.

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I really appreciate this series. But it seems that maybe there is missing info on the Army-Navy contest Like maybe this is a game between Training Corps squads?

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You are correct, sir. I should have done due diligence but the Examiner had merely reported that the Army Navy game was to be played at CMS on the 11th. In fact the story on the game on the 12th refers to the squads as Army and Navy though it does mention the players were drawn from local units. BTW the game ended in a 7-7 tie before 15,000 spectators. 1983 is the only time the Army-Navy game was played on the West Coast and that in Pasadena.

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Thanks for the follow-up. I suspected that something was amiss or missing when I googled 1925 Army-Navy football and got multiple results indicating the game was played at the Polo Grounds in New York.

But I gather that in 1925, the SF (?) Examiner was prone to condensing their prose and leaving out details that the current reader might have otherwise intuited or assumed and the history buff would have found interesting if not illuminating.

Brand X, indeed.

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this is one of the best posts yet .. thanks

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You're welcome.

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ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE

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The rest of the Pac12 all won. Washington beats Bellarmine 91-57, UCLA beat St. Francis PA 75-44, Wazzu beat Idaho 84-59, Stanford came from behind to beat CSU Northridge 88-79, Utah beat EWU 101-66, CU beat Towson 75-57, OSU beat Linfield 82-46, Oregon beat Georgia 82-71, USC beat K-State 82-69.

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Arizona hangs 122 on Morgan State, winning by 63 points

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401600255

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St. Mary's beats Stanislaus State like a drum 107-28.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401598037

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The worst yards allowed per kick-off return in the FBS is Washington State.

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Yet I’m still taking their Special Teams over the incompetent mess that Wilcox puts out there.

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The MOST first downs given up in the FBS are #1 (tie) USC, #1 (tie) Colorado, #3 Stanfurd, and #5 Washington

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A team gives up first downs by rushing, passing, or penalty. What's not shown is that for every TD there's also a first down awarded. For instance, if a team has first-and-goal at their opponent's 1-yard line, the offensive team literally has to gain only one yard in order to get a first down (and the TD). That's because the goal line is the line to gain in that scenario.

USC has given up some ungodly number like 42 points per game over the last six games. I wonder how many TDs (and concomitant 1st downs) that represents.

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@Is Cal not up there because we give up so many long plays?@

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Reasonable guess.

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Penalties is seen as a yardstick for coaching discipline. Cal is the 13 LEAST penalized FBS team by yardage.

The second , fourth, and sixth MOST penalized team by yards are USC, Washington, and Colorado.

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...and a lot of first downs by penalty one assumes.

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Jaydn Ott is #21 in the country for rushing yards with 849 yards in nine games.

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I will miss him when he transfers out of Cal after this season.

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Five of the top eight FBS QBs by passing yards are in the Pac12. This includes #1 Penix Jr, #2 Caleb Wiliams, #3 Shedeur Sanders, #6 Cam Ward, #8 Bo Nix

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Oops, you left out Mendoza who of course is number one. Right folks?

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In my heart he is

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i had a hard time remembering the name of our starting QB this weekend at some point when someone asked.

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Cal has a tough road ahead of it this season. #4 UCLA, #5 Utah, #15 Stanford, #20 Colorado, #21 USC, #24 Wazzu and Oregon/Washington/Arizona also getting votes.

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Looking into 2024/25 when Cal is in the ACC, current ACC ranked teams are:

Virginia Tech (#8), Notre Dame (#10), Stanford (#15) UNC #16, Louisville, #17, and #18 FSU with NC State, Duke and Miami also getting votes.

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NMSU basketball had guns in the lockerrom to intimidate people against snitching on their hazing

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Sports/wireStory/new-mexico-st-lawsuit-alleges-guns-present-locker-104673464

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Sounds like quite the culture problem exists there!

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JMU on a run as they are in the top 25 in football.

Also saw a story that notes that one of JMU's assistants is Izzo's nephew. Fun at the Thanksgiving dinner table.

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The Michigan sign-stealing controversy expands. Another conference foe had Michigan's signs and shared it with another team. Allegedly.

https://www.si.com/college/2023/11/07/rivals-decoded-michigan-signals-and-shared-with-another-big-ten-team

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PRO

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Steph Curry scores 34, leads Warriors to 120-109 victory over Pistons

https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2023/11/6/23949983/steph-curry-leads-warriors-over-pistons-chris-paul-cade-cunningham

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Detroit Pistons 120-109 on Monday night. It was an ugly showing from the Warriors, who barely squeaked by a lottery team that was missing several rotation pieces. Nevertheless, the Dubs will take the win early in the season

While the Warriors had their entire rotation available on the second half of a back-to-back, Golden State seemed to be feeling the effects of two games in a 48-hour span throughout. The Pistons jumped out to a lead early in the first quarter before Steph Curry began heating up.

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James Wiseman. 11 minutes 0 for 3. Zero points. 3 DRB. Zero PF. minus 6 =/-

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Baseball and football aren't the only sports they're trying to speed up. Cricket has a rule where a batter has to be ready to bat in 2 minutes. The first player just got called out for not being ready.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/67333235

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Cubs fire David Ross and hire [checks notes]... Craig Counsell from the Brewers.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38833334/sources-craig-counsell-bolts-brewers-manage-cubs

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Chargers anemic offense beats the fumble-prone Jets 27-6

https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameId/401547524

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I went into this game up like 20 points in a fantasy match, and my opponent only had the Chargers' defense left on his side.

He won.

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I was up 17 and my opponent had Justin Herbert who was predicted to get 17 points...he got 7 *fist pump*

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I needed 15 points from Keenan Allen to win but he only got me about 8 points.

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i didnt realize Allen had been playing for 10 yrs. i guess the 10000 yd football didnt get you any bonus points.

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Oh...my head...

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DBD AV CLUB

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Green Day tickets start presale today or Citicard holders. I'm getting tickets for Pac Bell park Sept 20th 2024. Luckily Auburn is 2 weekends before.

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