I had so heavily underlined and highlighted and margin-noted my first copy of The Garden of Eden that even had I been able to find it I would have had to order a second copy for a re-read. It is more like a scientific text than novel, in that so many sentences are important that you dare not elide, which is why with this copy I am posting some of those sentences seperately. Those spare sentences, which is how he wrote, are being well-read here.
Saturday, November 30, 2024
Cleveland.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ryan Day watched his worst fears realized when Ohio State lost to Michigan in 2021 and four years later he’s still letting that loss linger in his head. Now it might’ve just cost him his job.
Maybe that’s hyperbolic and premature given the Buckeyes are still a lock to make the College Football Playoff. But now they might need to win the whole thing to keep it from becoming a real possibility. A road that’s made that much harder because now the journey probably starts on the road in a hostile environment.
The only person Day and OSU have to blame is themselves. They let that trauma stick around longer than it should’ve. Because instead of fixing your problems, then getting back on the field with your rival and blowing them off the field, they decided to try to prove a point.
And they’ve failed miserably at proving it.
Ohio State was more concerned with proving it could be tough. Proving it could run the ball whenever it wanted. Proving it could out-Michigan, Michigan. Instead, it should’ve been worrying about itself and doing what it’s always been good at. The thing Day got hired for in the first place.
Day was once the one dictating the terms of this rivalry. His offense dropped 62 and 56 2018 and 2019. It would’ve built on that in 2020 had the game not been canceled. But that reality allowed the Wolverines to renegotiate terms with Jim Harbaugh, setting up a brighter future.
Michigan flipped the rivalry and stunned the Buckeyes in the process. And they never go over it.
Now the Wolverines continue to live rent-free in OSU’s head even with a chance of a head coach and finally validate anyone who already was out on the idea of Day being the leader this program needs.
Before today, Day had the excuse that his losses were at least to national championship-caliber Michigan teams who also had the aid of Connor Stalions and a sign-stealing scandal. Those excuses don’t exist anymore.
Michigan came to Columbus as a 6-5 team with its only goal being to spoil the season of an OSU team that was clearly more talented. It accomplished that goal, officially making the Day era the second coming of the John Cooper era.
Is this what Ohio State fans want from its team? Of course not. That might mean Ross Bjork has to have an important conversation six months into his tenure as athletic director.
Michigan has officially broken the Buckeyes and it started on a snowy day in Ann Arbor in 2021. It’s lingered ever since. It’s a failure by this team. A failure by the program. A failure by an era of Buckeye who have spent their entire careers failing to live up to expectations.
There is no excuse for what happened. Ryan Day failed. Again. This roster came back, to do what it’s done for the past three years.
So what happens next could be a fight to save his job.
Friday, November 29, 2024
FT Miami (9-8) 121 Tonto 111
The 45's are a bit behind their 10-year average of 45 wins per season, 43-39 at current pace. First time "Heat" have been above .500 since the fifth game of the season.
HT 45's (8-8) 58 Tonto (5-14) 61
"Heat" haven't been over .500 since early. This would be the game to do it and I think they will but it's not getting done half-way.
FT Hotlanta Pigeons (9-11) 117 Cle. (17-3) 101
Second straight L for Cle. and second in three days to Pigeons.
Thursday, November 28, 2024
I have lived a damned good life
Thanksgiving greetings with a longgg ago legal client and her 14-year old son.
Eberflub
Poor clock management on final drive costly for Bears in 23-20 loss to Lions on Thanksgiving
After Thursday night's blunder, Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflub is under intense scrutiny following a controversial handling of the final moments in the Bears’ loss to the Detroit Lions. With the game tied late in the fourth quarter, Eberflub's clock management decisions left the team without a chance to attempt a potential game-winning field goal, drawing widespread criticism from fans and analysts alike.###
“I think we handled it the right way,” Eberflub said. “I believe we could re-rack the play and get it done.
“It just didn’t work out.”
Errors Tour
Hiker Survives 50 Days in Canadian Wilderness
The sequence of events that led to Mr. Benastick going missing was not immediately clear. According to the police, Mr. Benastick said he had stayed in his car for a few days before walking to a creek on a mountain side and camping for another 10 to 15 days. He told the police that he had then moved into a valley and made camp in a dried-up creek.
The health care provider Northern Health said that he had been taken to a hospital and was “doing well.” Mr. Benastick would not provide comment at this time, it said in a statement.
"The problem with Brazil is Brazilians."
My son's father-in-law, a generational Brazil native, tonight when asked by my son and I, "With all of Brazil's advantages: geographical size, population size, natural resources, why has Brazil never achieved 'next great nation' status' predicted of it for 50 years?"
I concur.
Players (and coaches) giving themselves the once over
Hapless Pelicans ‘embarrassed’ by their ‘disgusting’ loss to the struggling Raptors
“If you’re not embarrassed and really mad about this, that’s a problem. It’s not really about the loss, (but) how we lost in front of our fans. Like, even the fans booing — I mean, what would you do if you was a fan paying your money? You want to come watch a competitive basketball game, especially from your home team. So, they got all the rights to say what they want, feel how they feel. They deserve a better game. “When you’ve got guys in, guys out, guys in, guys out, it’s really tough. But I think it’s not tough to compete. You can’t get punked. You can’t get pushed around. Tonight, it was just disgusting. We’ve got to compete. We’ve got to play harder, no matter who’s on the floor. As soon as we get on that plane, we got to lock in to understanding what just happened. You don’t want bad habits to carry over.”--New Orleans player Dejounte Murray.
The Raptors arrived in New Orleans last in the NBA in 3-pointerss made per game at 10.4. They proceeded to make a season-best 21 against the Pelicans.
“Either they got better overnight, or we’ve got to do a better job closing out and making it more difficult. It was a horrible showing. From top to bottom, we’ve all got to be better. ...just a bad game that we can’t have.”--New Orleans player CJ McCollum.
[Willie] Green, the Pelicans fourth-year coach, lamented what he called “a lack of competition.”
“We allowed a team to come on our home floor and really make us look soft,” Green said. “That’s what I told our group. That can’t happen.”
Anthony Edwards calls his struggling Timberwolves `soft’ and `just a bunch of little kids’
“I think it’s we soft as hell as a team, internally. Not to the other team, but internally, we soft. We can’t talk to each other. Just a bunch of little kids. Just like we playing with a bunch of little kids. Everybody, the whole team. We just can’t talk to each other. And we’ve got to figure it out, because we can’t go down this road. We look like frontrunners for sure tonight. We was down, nobody wanted to say nothing. We got up and everybody (was) cheering and (hyped up). We get down again and don’t nobody say nothing. That’s the definition of a frontrunner. We as a team, including myself, we all was frontrunners tonight. Everybody right now is on different agendas. I think that’s one of the main culprits of why we’re losing. I’m talking about the whole team. However many of us it is, all 15, we go into our own shell and we’re just growing away from each other. It’s obvious. We can see it. I can see it, the team can see it, the coaches can see it.”
So can the fans, who voiced their collective displeasure more than once Wednesday night.
FT (last night) Chazz (6-12) 94 45's (8-8) 98
We led by 20, they took the lead with :42 left. Tyler closed the game out but the Queens still had a chance to win:
"...Herro was fouled and made 1 of 2 free throws, giving the Hornets a chance to tie or win with six seconds left. Cody Martin got fouled, but missed both free throws. Miami's Kel’el Ware made both free throws to seal the win." (AP for Espo)
Jimmy left the game in the 3Q with a tight back.
"...Herro was fouled and made 1 of 2 free throws, giving the Hornets a chance to tie or win with six seconds left. Cody Martin got fouled, but missed both free throws. Miami's Kel’el Ware made both free throws to seal the win." (AP for Espo)
Jimmy left the game in the 3Q with a tight back.
It's great to get a dub, especially on the road. Look: it was CHARLOTTE okay? We're 8-8. We're not a contender. Our target is 45-37, okay?
While we were there we could have given Scary Terry back. We didn't.
Thunder Roll, Cleveland Sinks
The Next Dynasty (14-4) 105 The Last Dynasty (12-6) 101.
Eerie (17-2) 124 Atlanta Pigeons (8-11) 135.
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
North C'lina Fires Mackie Old Brown
A day after Mackie said he's be back next hear, too. Really wanted him out, C'lina did.
FT (11/26) Beer 106 45's 103
Male Deer won their fifth straight. Giannis didn't play. Middleton was still out. 45's had full complement.
So we lost close to this team without two of their big three. We could not contain Damian Lillard.
We beat Dallas in Bang Bus in OT in our previous game. We were full and Jimmy went off. "Mavs" had Bed Bugs but not Luka.
Two games against good teams without their best players, on dub, one El. The 45's.
Manchester City's Instability Raises Concerns After Feyenoord Draw
[Instability seems le mot juste to me. Like a person admitted to hospital, the goal (pun intended) is to first get the patient "stable" before healing him. City is injured or ill with something and is unstable.]
"It's hard to take right now," Guardiola admitted, reflecting on the match.
Interviewer: Today, we delve into the implications of 's shocking 3-3 draw with Feyenoord. Joining us for insight is football analyst Dr. Emily Carter. Dr. Carter, how do you interpret Guardiola's comments that the match was "hard to take"?
Dr. Emily Carter: ...Guardiola's words embody not only disappointment but also an acute awareness of the psychological dimensions at play. Conceding a 3-0 advantage can severely dent a team's morale, and Guardiola knows that sustaining concentration is vital...
Interviewer: The focus element he mentioned indicates a deeper issue with the team's mentality, correct?
Dr. Emily Carter: Absolutely. This sort of meltdown can stem from many factors—fatigue, overconfidence, or tactical errors. It's essential for City to rectify these issues...Guardiola's emphasis on these concerns suggests he's aware this isn't a one-off, but a recurring challenge that requires attention. ...
###
Pep Self Harm
Following City's dramatic 3-3 draw against on Tuesday—a game where they squandered a two-goal lead in the dying minutes—Guardiola emerged to face the media, sporting a cut on his nose and scratches on his forehead.
When asked about his injuries, Guardiola humorously pointed to his nose and explained, "Yeah, my finger. Here," before making a swift motion down his face. He then grinned and quipped, "I want to harm myself." The light-heartedness, however, stirred up concern, leading Guardiola to address the matter on social media.
When asked about his injuries, Guardiola humorously pointed to his nose and explained, "Yeah, my finger. Here," before making a swift motion down his face. He then grinned and quipped, "I want to harm myself." The light-heartedness, however, stirred up concern, leading Guardiola to address the matter on social media.
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
I ordered a pizza midnight snack at the front desk and then went for a walk ro see a little of the city after dark. A front desk man came running after me telling me that this was not advisable for safety. He took me back to the safety of the hotel with our arms around each other. Above and beyond. He was empathetic and saw a rube about to put himself in some danger.🫶
Monday, November 25, 2024
FT Sunday 45's 123 "Mavericks" 118 (OT)
The Butler did it.
"...33 points on 11 of 17 shooting with nine rebounds, six assists, and two blocked shots in Sunday night’s 123-118 overtime victory against the Dallas Mavericks.
It was nostalgic Butler. He was all over the place. He drew fouls, set up pump fakes, and facilitated.
"Heat" have won threr of four, are 7-7, and in rare air, 5th in East. They play at Beer tomorrow.
FT Saturday: Nebraska 44 Wisconsin 25
"I’m not exaggerating or lying when I say, I actually cried.
...
"Husker Nation. Hats off to you, fellow Common Fans. Hats off to all of us. Nebraska has had one winning season and two bowl games since 2015. The team has suffered through too many painful, inexplicable, gut-punch losses to count. Our team, still in the top ten in all-time wins, has had one of the worst stretches of football in its long, glorious history. And we never left. We kept showing up, kept filling up that beautiful stadium, kept believing things would turn around. Nebraska football truly has the greatest fan base in all of sports. Hopefully, this is just the beginning.
FINAL THOUGHT
"Happy Thanksgiving week, Common Fans. I’m thankful for each of you who read these columns, as well as those who listen to the Common Fan Podcast. It’s such a joy to play some small part in helping fans enjoy and engage with this thing we all love so much. I wish each of you a wonderful holiday filled with family and friends. Enjoy it, celebrate the big win over Wisconsin, and then get ready to strap in and take the fight to the Hawkeyes on Friday.
"As always, GBR* for LIFE."
*Go Big Red.
In sleep-deprived delirium last night I bathed according what my impaired senses and judgment deduced was the local custom, a jacuzzi tub that I could not stop up, with a nozzle oddly placed by the toilet which I adjudged to be the shower hose. Clean-ercize!, I thought as I hopped from jacuzzi to toilet to get nozzle back into jacuzzi to shampoo. Repeat, rinse.
It was not until I concluded these exertions and was toweling that I noticed the seperate, first-world shower stall next to the bathroom dor and realized that the nozzle by the toilet was part of the bidet.
Sunday, November 24, 2024
Think deeply, write simply
"Be careful, he said to himself, it is all very well for you to write simply and the simpler the better. But do not start to think so damned simply. Know how complicated it is and then state it simply."
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Oh my God
BK
@benkdigital
lol @RFootball
literally deleted their original Final Score post because everyone was calling for Schiano’s head.
Sorry admin, we know it’s not your fault we’re just done with Schiano
He's a Dick
Mike Ashmore
@mashmore98
If you were expecting Greg Schiano to walk in and apologize in his presser, that is not what happened. Said he wished he could do it different, but…the remorse I think the fanbase would want wasn’t there.
4:54 PM · Nov 23, 2024
·
262 Views
Greg Schiano timeout backfires spectacularly in loss to Illinois
PISCATAWAY – It was the timeout that will live in Rutgers football infamy.
As Illinois attempted a 58-yard field goal into a stiff wind – a kick that had virtually no chance of succeeding – Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano called a timeout to ice the kicker with his team up one point and 12 seconds left.
The flags atop the goalposts at the west end of SHIA Stadium were flapping hard toward the east. This was a 20-mile-an-hour wind blowing into the kicker’s face. He’d already whiffed on an extra point in this direction.
The attempt was a gift to Rutgers’ defense, which had been hanging on for dear life. Yet Schiano decided he needed to ice the kicker.
...
The field goal attempt, which went off as the whistle blew the play dead, died in the wind and fell 20 yards short of the goal line.
But Illinois was given new life by Schiano’s timeout, and took full advantage.
The Illinis pulled their kicking team and sent their offense out on the field. On the next play, they threw a 40-yard touchdown pass.
...
Illinois coach Bert (sic) Bielema said he was anticipating a Schiano timeout, and therefore used the field-goal attempt as a trial run to see just how well his kicker could handle the wind.
In the final move of the chess match between coaches, this was checkmate.
And so four hours of incredible effort by Schiano’s players, who were on the precipice of the program’s first win over a ranked opponent since 2009, went down the drain.
What appeared to be a lifetime moment for the 33 Senior Day honorees, half of whom spent their entire college careers at Rutgers, went down the drain.
A chance to clinch a winning season went down the drain.
As everyone knows, Schiano has a long history of questionable in-game coaching decisions. Given the setting and the stakes, this one might be right at the top.
In his postgame press conference, Schiano said he felt awful for his seniors, who "gave so much to this program, believed in us when there was no reason to believe in us."
On Saturday, they did enough to walk out of their home stadium for the final time as winners. A decision by their head coach let them down.
You wanna know how bad Greg Schiano sucks?
On 4th and 13 from the Ruptures 40, :14 left, Illinoise lines up to try a Hail Mary 58-yard field goal. As the kicker is about to kick, Schiano calls timeout. You know, to "ice" the kicker. Like the kicker would surely make the 58-yarder. But if I "ice" him...So on replay, Illinoise goes for it. Not a Hail Mary pass, either, a pass in the middle of the field, but no ruptured Rupture can tackle the mo-fo and he races into the end zone for the game-winning TD. As Illinoise players were celebrating the TD, the Ruptures crowd was booing--Greg Schiano.
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
On 4th and 13 from Ruptures 40 with :14 left, trailing 31-30, Illinoise COMPLETES 40-YARD PASS FOR TD!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
FT Manchester City 0 Tottenham 4 (!)😂 HOLY SHIT!
That's 5 L'a in a row, the first time that's happened SINCE 2006! There is something badly WRONG at Eastlands.
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte said Saturday she has contracted an assassin to kill the president, his wife and the House of Representatives speaker if she herself is killed, in a brazen public threat that she warned was not a joke.
Very good point about Manhattan being the new "Heat". I think he's right.
Very good point about the Culture dying when they didn't get Lillard. That was a terrible, unexpected blow.
The Rozier trade was a disaster, not because Terry has been "blah" but because it became the equivalent of a big free agent signing in the off-season. The org. did not understand the new CBA, they won't say that, they'll say Rozier was their early big free agent signing, but they hamstrung themselves with that trade, Terry has been blah, and they couldn't go whale shopping as a result.
The demarcation line for him though is not drafting McCain. "Something shifted". I don't know. Last year at this time the org. was being lauded for drafting the most "Heat" guy ever in Jaime Jacquez, Jr. Then he got hurt. It's just too early to be writing in and writing off draftees after 13-15 games. You want to talk about something shifting with a bad pick? Go back to the 2015 draft: taking Justise Winslow at 10 when Devin Booker was available and went 13th.
Friday, November 22, 2024
The "Bucks" (7-9) are Coming: FT 129-116 Indiana
The 212ers are now the 312ers. FT 113-98 Rust.
The Pockets are now again the Rockets (12-5). FT 116-88 Portlandia.
To my Daughter-in-Law
Dear Ana,
Your husband, your sister-in law, and your mother-in-law know, to a great extent, about all of this.*
The Rancks, your new family, are an old family. Samuel Ranck fought in the American Revolutionary War as a private and crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Night at the Battle of Trenton under George Washington. My grandmother was a Daughter of the American Revolution.
My great-great grandfather (on my mother's side) was killed to save the Union at the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, 1862 in the American Civil War.
My maternal grandfather fought for America in World War I.
My oldest brother was an Air Force Captain as a dentist in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive.
That is a thumbnail sketch.
My uncle, your husband's great-uncle, John W. Kephart Ranck, was killed in World War II in Italy on April 40, 1945 by German bombers, the day that Hitler committed suicide. Hitler's airmen didn't get the memo that the war in Europe was over.
Uncle Jack was a member of the legendary 10th Mountain Division, the "ski troops", survivors of which founded the Colorado ski resorts.
From the official history of the 10th:
""1st Lt John W. K. Ranck's Co. B, 86th Mountain Infantry Regiment advancing in the Italian mountains in January, 1945."
—the only American division specially trained for mountain and winter warfare.
...
"General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, had called the division a bunch of "playboys”—and with some justification. No other infantry division had a higher collective I.Q. or a higher percentage of high school and college graduates in its ranks. Many of the mountain soldiers had been hotshot skiers from East Coast prep schools and Ivy League colleges."
Uncle Jack was a bonafide war hero:
"March 4, 1945 near Sassomolare, Italy :
"1st Lt. JOHN K. RANCK of Company B led a squad to within grenade range of the Germans. Charging the position, the party killed one German, wounded one, and took four prisoners.
"Lt. RANCK continued the advance 200 yards farther, taking four more prisoners. Finally he neutralized the gun position, personally killing the gunner while his squad finished off the rest of the occupants.
"April 30, 1945 near Nago:
"The 1st Battalion finally occupied Nago at 1115 that morning. They had fought one of the most discouraging and difficult actions of the entire campaign. For 14 straight hours on the 29th, they had climbed up sheer cliffs, through ravines, and over slippery shale slopes.
"Finally at 1700 they had reached a high point from which they could see Nago. The only approach to the village was through a small cut in the rocks. The Germans had a strong final protective line, a 20 mm gun, a 37 mm ack-ack gun, one tank, and self-propelled guns...
"After a 15-minute artillery barrage, Company B moved through the ravine single-file. As the column wound its way over the rocks, a German plane dipped low and dropped eight personnel bombs on the weapons platoon, killing nine men, including 1st Lieutenant JOHN K. RANCK."
Uncle Jack was awarded the Purple Heart and the "Silver Star, the latter one of the higher military honors in the U.S., posthumously.
"April 30, 1945 near Nago:
"The 1st Battalion finally occupied Nago at 1115 that morning. They had fought one of the most discouraging and difficult actions of the entire campaign. For 14 straight hours on the 29th, they had climbed up sheer cliffs, through ravines, and over slippery shale slopes.
"Finally at 1700 they had reached a high point from which they could see Nago. The only approach to the village was through a small cut in the rocks. The Germans had a strong final protective line, a 20 mm gun, a 37 mm ack-ack gun, one tank, and self-propelled guns...
"After a 15-minute artillery barrage, Company B moved through the ravine single-file. As the column wound its way over the rocks, a German plane dipped low and dropped eight personnel bombs on the weapons platoon, killing nine men, including 1st Lieutenant JOHN K. RANCK."
Uncle Jack was awarded the Purple Heart and the "Silver Star, the latter one of the higher military honors in the U.S., posthumously.
He was the Star of the Ranck family, that's for sure, beloved by all, including the townspeople of Barnesboro. His death was a grievous blow. My grandmother, his mother, called "Come Jackie" as she lay dying. My father, his brother, always referred to him as "my kid brother Jack" and kept a framed photo of him in the bedroom behind his reading chair all of his life. My mother, his sister-in-law, remembered when he went off to war, sadly looking up at her and waving. My oldest brother was outside playing on the sidewalk when the big black government car, right out of Saving Private Ryan, drove up to deliver the news. The next thing he heard was our mother screaming. It is a measure of his loss that when your husband was six years old, he was seen by my parents to be sad and when asked said that he missed Uncle Jack. Tonight, 79 years after he was killed, your husband and I talked for thirty minutes on the phone about him.
As I travel to Brazil to meet your extended, accomplished family, welcome you to our family. ❤️
*In the event, my son, the one person that I was sure I had told this to, did not know.
Well, it's Friday...
Note to self: +$20/season.
$5 on the University of Our Lady of the Lake to cover 14 at home vs A*.
Pickens Out!
"I don't really think the Cleveland Browns are a good team at all. I think the conditions kind of saved them today."
Pickens, who finished with four catches on seven targets for 48 yards, also blamed officials for the loss.
Pit. wide receiver George Pickens after his "Steelers" lost to that not good team last night.
With all the talent in the world, Pickens still besmirches the "Steelers" franchise. Be gone!
Thursday, November 21, 2024
Last call on BTC: 98,833.79 USD
I think sometime while I am asleep its price will hit the wondrous, symbolic $100k per coin milestone and I will wake up to that wonder and praise my son for investing, I think in 1/8th of a coin when it was at ~$800 many years ago. Never did that then very young man ever foretell with greater accuracy. He amazes me.
Good night my pageviewer friends and interlocutors.
FT "Browns" (3-8) 24 "Steelers" (8-3) 19
A typical, ugly, entertaining, magically snowy game in the North. The typically dystopian offense by Pittsburgh. The typical roller-coaster ride when Jameis Winston is the QB of any team. Those defects in the two teams will not go away. Cle. is going nowhere this season and have their hard-fought, fraught win over their hated rival. Pittsburgh is going to the post-season where, unless the O becomes functional, they will go one-and-out.
TOUCHDOWN "STEELERS"! 18-19 pending pat. Go for two?
🎵We're from the town with the great football team duh duh duh duh
We cheer the Pittsburgh "Steelers"! 🎵
🤣
‘Do you sell cars?’: Jaguar’s rebrand prompts mockery, confusion online
British luxury automaker’s advertising campaign features models of varying ages, genders and races – but no cars.
British luxury carmaker Jaguar is under fire over a colourful new advertising campaign that promotes inclusivity but lacks one key ingredient – any reference to cars.
Released across multiple social media platforms, the 30-second clip features models of varying ages, genders, and races accompanied by phrases such as “live vivid”, “delete ordinary,” and “copy nothing” as a minimal techno soundtrack plays.
Only the best in Florida, huh? Only the best🤦♂️
Trump chooses Pam Bondi for attorney general pick after Gaetz withdraws (Apie headline)
The Association: Injuries, Age, Subjectivity
Khris Middleton has been medically cleared to play for Beer "for a period of time" per Shams, ESPN. Middleton is "ramping up". He will play when he feels "his best self." The org. is on board with this subjective test, "but his absence has lasted much longer than people around the organization anticipated."
Beer's Big Three of Giannis, Middleton and Damian Lillard have played only seven games together under Doc Rivers. Giannis is 29, not old for a basketball player, right in his prime, Middleton is 33, Dame is 34. Khris had double ankle surgery off-season. He is not too old that he shouldn't have tried playing by now and he hasn't even participated in five-on-five scrimmages yet, only three-on-threes, which he's been doing "consistently...over the past several weeks."
The subjective test puts player and org in a tough spot. What is the org. supposed to do? The player has been medically cleared. On the other hand this player is essential to on-court success. For the player to make the call alone makes him the bad guy when, as here, he's solely responsible for not playing. Back on the org.: How can anybody else know how a player really feels? You want to piss off one of your Big Three? Back on the player: There's a difference between being injured and feeling discomfort, even pain, or feeling you're not ready because you cannot do 100% of the things you did pre-injury. Middleton is 33 years old, he doesn't have too, too many years left. You are under contract, you're extremely important to the team, you have to be available to play. A 90% Middleton is better than no Middleton.
I don't know how and why this subjective test became the standard. It leads to the above back-and-forth and creates ill will. It is exactly what happened with Justise Winslow and 601 Biscayne. The latter finally gave up on the former and traded him. He's now playing in the G League at age 28. He's done.
😳
The Sixers were supposed to be competing for a top record in the league and a championship following their off-season acquisition of Paul George.
However, that move wasn't enough to appease the face of the franchise. Instead, he preferred to reunite with a teammate he spent less than one season with, according to Vince Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
“He wanted Jimmy Butler," Goodwill said. "He told the 76ers, ‘Go get my guy'… I don’t think Joel Embiid has been happy, even though they wound up getting Paul George. He wanted Jimmy Butler back over there.”
...
“Jimmy is Jimmy,” Embiid said after Monday’s game against the Miami Heat. “He does everything, scoring and passing the ball. … On both sides of the floor, he’s one of the best players in the NBA, probably top five, probably the best actually – the best player in the league.”
Oh my goodness, I didn't know this
Mike Sielski
@MikeSielski
It’s not just that the #Sixers are on their way to 2-12. It’s that they haven’t won a game in regulation yet, and if this deficit holds, 10 of their losses will have been by double figures. They’ve provided no reason to think they can salvage their season.
10:20 PM · Nov 20, 2024
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@MikeSielski
It’s not just that the #Sixers are on their way to 2-12. It’s that they haven’t won a game in regulation yet, and if this deficit holds, 10 of their losses will have been by double figures. They’ve provided no reason to think they can salvage their season.
10:20 PM · Nov 20, 2024
·
4,532 Views
"No reason to think they can salvage their season"?! This season CANNOT be made unsalvageable! This is one of the favorites for the NBA title. This is systemic and when a season is at risk for general rot, the man in charge of the system must be replaced. Nurse Nick must go!
Paul George John Ringo hyperextended his left knee
Like Erin, I saw no indication off that on replay.
Erin Grugan
@eringrugan
Here's the play/replays of Sixers' Paul George experiencing some sort of pain in his left leg once he lands. Hard to see exactly what happened but PG walked off to the locker room.
George has not impressed at all so far this season. He has averaged 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 rebounds in 28.9 minutes after playing 8 games. His efficiency has dropped significantly as well, as he has shot 38.3% from the field and 27.8% from three-point range.
It is already looking like the Sixers made a mistake handing George a $212 million, four-year deal. He is not making enough of a difference on the court and is struggling with fitness issues as well.
Erin Grugan
@eringrugan
Here's the play/replays of Sixers' Paul George experiencing some sort of pain in his left leg once he lands. Hard to see exactly what happened but PG walked off to the locker room.
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Of course, George had hyperextended his knee in a preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks and missed the early portion of the season as a result, as he recovered from the bone bruise.George has not impressed at all so far this season. He has averaged 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 rebounds in 28.9 minutes after playing 8 games. His efficiency has dropped significantly as well, as he has shot 38.3% from the field and 27.8% from three-point range.
It is already looking like the Sixers made a mistake handing George a $212 million, four-year deal. He is not making enough of a difference on the court and is struggling with fitness issues as well.
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The Sixers entered the season with the league’s oldest average age, according to NBA.com. None of president of basketball operations Daryl Morey’s ultra-experienced offseason pickups have thrived.
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He's 34 years old. He has played a game on a hard surface all of his adult life. His work schedule is 80+ two-hour games a year plus practices, pre-season games and exhibitions. It is too much and yes, teams need to be careful giving $50M/year contracts to used Ferraris with 200,000 miles of wear on them.
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