Left Coast Sports Babe

In college football, a  non-graduate transfer must sit out a year before playing at his new school, unless he gets a waiver, which NCAA  only granted for “egregious behavior.”

Then in 2018 this was changed to “mitigating circumstances.”

Now it’s “Extenuating, extraordinary and mitigating circumstances”

And they say the balk rule is confusing.

(So are extenuating, extraordinary and mitigating circumstances covered if a player can explain and spell all those words?)

So as someone who is a strong believer in mean bitch karma, what are the odds that the Raiders’  Antonio Brown gets an injury that has nothing to do with his helmet?

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Washington’s Colt McCoy has yet to play in preseason meaning Case Keenum will likely be the Redskins’ starting QB.   How long until even some Trump supporters start calling for the team to sign Kaepernick.?

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QB Josh McCown who had announced his retirement, is joining the Eagles. “The first time is the hardest” said Brett Favre.

Nationals put closer Sean Doolittle on IL after another blown save. He’s 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA since the All-Star break. So once again, how did the Giants lose 3 in a row to THAT bullpen?

Customs seized $2.3 million of marijuana at a San Diego port, in a shipment that was supposed to be jalapeno peppers. So did they get a hot tip?

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Trump today on gun control “we do have a lot of background checks right now.” (Translation, I’m not going to do anything and people will move on to my next crisis.)

More Trump- It’s people that pull the trigger, not the gun that pulls the trigger so we have a very, very big mental health problem…concept of mental institutions” must be addressed. Exactly HOW would Trump pay for institutions when he doesn’t want to pay for mental healthcare?

Serious question. Can anyone remember Trump saying anything nice about anyone who has been even mildly critical of him?

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12 home runs tonight in SF Giants 10-9 win in Arizona.

With all the baseballs ending up in the stratosphere are we sure tonight’s SF Giants Arizona Diamondbacks game wasn’t sponsored by NASA?

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Your reminder, again, that the Orioles DFA’ed Mike Yastrzemski. SF Giants say “thank you.”

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SF Giants Dereck Rodriguez complained after his last start about being sent to the minors and losing his place in the rotation.
Last night he came back, and threw 7 shutout innings.
Just guessing that “little less conversation a little more action” will be more effective at keeping him in big leagues.

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Cal will start selling beer and wine during football games. Makes some sense. You almost have to be drunk to sit through Golden Bears games.

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NFL is reinstating Josh Gordon. Too soon to start a pool on when he’ll be suspended again?

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Mitch McConnell has surgery today to repair that shoulder he says he fractured in a fall a few weeks ago.  So he now has a pre-existing condition? Will Moscow Mitch relinquish future insurance claims as he wants Americans to do if GOP can repeal Obamacare?

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Does Trump want to buy Greenland because he thinks the “Green” part has something to do with golf?

Ah, this is one of the reasons I am fond of Amy Klobuchar – Her tweet riddle today. “The difference between Donald Trump and Greenland? Greenland is not for sale.”

Miami 13, Los Angeles 7. So who scheduled pre-season football at Marlins Park today

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DeMarcus Cousins, who signed with Los Angeles Lakers this summer, has torn his left ACL. Was he washing his truck at the time?

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It’s only August 15, but right now looks like someone’s going to win the NL Central with a record that would leave them about 10 games behind the second AL Wild Card.

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Johnny Cueto threw 49 pitches for San Jose tonight in a rehab start & is supposed to throw 55-60 pitches next time. San Francisco is considering activating him very soon. Why not? Especially with today’s baseballs, SF Giants, and other teams, have had starters be essentially gone after that many pitches.

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Tonight reminded us of why SF Giants gave Dereck Rodriguez a bobblehead.

Trump tonight called a protester at his rally fat. Funeral services this weekend are pending for Irony.

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Trump tweeting about Walmart sales results. Wonder why he isn’t talking about 22 people who won’t be shopping anymore at Walmart because they are dead

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So Trump wants to buy Greenland? Next I assume he will tell us Mexico will pay for it.

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After a ton of online ads today I get actual US Mail fundraising letter from Tom Steyer, who I’ve never donated to…. And while I’m “Vote Blue No Matter Who 2020” haven’t we learned a lesson about politically inexperienced rich white men who say “I alone can fix it?”

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New poll finds 90% of Americans want background checks for gun sales, and 67% want a ban on assault weapons.
But of course that poll is from that liberal media source… . Fox News.
Oops, never mind.

Trump says “Representatives Omar and Tlaib are the face of the Democrat Party.”
They aren’t my favorite members of Congress but better them than Steve King and Roy Moore.

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But give Donald credit, who else for many moderates and even Republicans could make two of the most controversial Democrat congresswomen into sympathetic figures?

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Someone said I would like it if England banned Rep. Steve King as part of a Congressional delegation. Now, I DESPISE Steve King. But I loved Molly Ivins more. “This is a fairly standard fate for free speech in this country: We all believe in it — until it really, really hurts.”

Apparently SF 49ers Jimmy Garoppolo threw interceptions on five straight pass attempts at practice today. Who does he think he is, an aging Brett Favre?

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Lots of talk about Yankees dominating Orioles with 16 straight wins and 17-2 season record. Little mention of 1993, when Braves beat Rockies in all 13 games they played. Had Colorado won ONE game, the Giants, with 103 wins would have at least made it into a one-game playoff for the Division.
But no, I’m not still bitter.

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Ah analytics. Apparently Giants’  Tyler Beede as of today was tied with Orioles’ David Hess “for the highest average exit velocity allowed (91.2 mph) among Major League starters with a minimum of 200 balls in play.”
Uh, Beede’s ERA over last 5 games is 8.49. Don’t need analytics to say, he’s getting hit hard.

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ESPN talking about how only Dodgers, Yankees and Astros – the “super teams” have a chance to win it all this year.
Reminds me of 2003, when NL had two “super teams,” Braves (101 wins) and SF Giants (100 wins.) The only question was which of them would make the World Series.

(Answer, Florida Marlins.)

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Anyone but me had no idea who Todd and Julie Chrisley are, and have no real interest in finding out?

Philadelphia shooting suspect is apparently an American citizen who isn’t Muslim. So standby for GOP to give lip service to “mental illness” for about two minutes.

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Amy Klobuchar tweeting “I’ll say it again: The Senate needs to get back to work. We could pass universal background check legislation that 97% of Americans support. Bring it up for a vote. Now.”
So if McConnell wants to hide in Kentucky, how about Dems calling to see if they can get a Senate quorum and just vote without him? At least some in GOP should be brave enough to vote.

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Can anyone imagine what GOP would be saying if Obama stayed on vacation golfing while the stock market tanked?

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Steve King “What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled out anyone who was a product of rape or incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?”

And the state that elected King to Congress gets an outsized role in choosing our Presidential nominees?  #NotTheOnion

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Curt Schilling, whose failed video game company bankrupted him and cost Vermont taxpayers almost $30 million, may run for Congress in Arizona. And Trump thinks it’s “terrific.”
Well of course Donald does. Grifters of a feather.

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Actually, considering Curt Schilling’s record with a failed huge business fail costing taxpayers almost $30 million, why hasn’t Trump offered him a Cabinet position?

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Tiger Woods, dealing with an oblique strain, says he’ll “give it a go” for this weekend’s BMW Championship.
Guess he’s decided the strain can’t get worse with just two days of golf.

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SF 49ers assistant coach Katie Sowers now says she was told in 2017 by one unnamed NFL executive during an interview that his team wasn’t ready to hire a female coach.
For comparison, the Spurs hired Becky Hammon in 2014.

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MLS Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer says he does not believe in equal pay for men and women in football, or sports such as tennis, because women don’t bring in as much revenue.
All together now, the Atlanta who?

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Energy Secretary Rick Perry says Democrats are living in a “fantasy world” when it comes to their climate change rhetoric. So Perry is now an expert on fantasy worlds because of his stint on “Dancing with the Stars?

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Trump on windmills in speech on energy: “All of a sudden it stops, the wind and the televisions go off, and your wives and husbands say, ‘Darling, I want to watch Donald Trump on television tonight, but the wind stopped blowing.”

No wonder Alec Baldwin wanted to stop playing Trump on SNL. The satire can’t keep up with reality.

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I’m confused, not a Godfather fan, but I guess Fredo is supposed to be the stupid brother. So is it Don Jr or Eric?

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Now NY Times reports both of Epstein’s guards on the night he died fell asleep, slept through their required checks AND falsified records.  So how long until they get offered jobs at Mar-A-Lago?

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Lost in Epstein craziness is fact that everyone concedes guards, one a substitute, were working crazy amounts of overtime. This due to Trump hiring freeze. So instead of prison being staffed properly taxpayers probably paying MORE $$$ in overtime than in salaries. #Winning

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Finally, what a f*ckwad. Ken Cuccinelli “Give me your tired and your poor who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge.”
You know who wasn’t a public charge? Those immigrant workers rounded up by ICE in Mississippi.
You know who will become a public charge? Their US citizen CHILDREN

Yasiel Puig has dropped his appeal and will begin serving his three-game suspension for brawling in his last game as a Cincinnati Red next Monday night .  His new team, the Indians that night will open a three-game series against Boston.

How far have the World Series champions fallen that a player figures that’s the game his team will least miss him?

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Marc Ragovin says “How dead are the Red Sox?  Their team security is being handled by the NY Bureau of Prisons.”

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Another good reason the SF Giants didn’t trade closer Will Smith. Imagine the waste of his bat if he went to an AL team.

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Headline in NY Daily News today “The Yankees absolutely own the Orioles.”
Uh, Baltimore is 39-79. MOST teams absolutely own the Orioles.

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Washington Nationals have 7-2 lead going to the 8th against Reds, hang on to win 7-6 with tying run at 2nd with 1 out in the 9th.
So all Nats need to win it all is Max Scherzer having a Mickey Lolich/Madison Bumgarner type World Series.

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A-Rod’s rental car was broken into near Oracle Park last night with estimated $500,000 in electronics & jewelry stolen.
Now, burglaries shouldn’t happen to anyone…. but who leaves half a million worth of stuff in a rental car? #cantfixstupid

Pretty sure “Jenny from the Bronx” is telling A-Rod, “Honey, I love you but WTF are you doing leaving valuables in your car on the street?”

Now I’m getting FB messages from Tom Steyer “Still hoping to see Tom on stage for the 3rd debate?”
Uh, just say no.

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Now Trump is retweeting Joe Biden’s gaffes. I just spit my covfefe.

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Trump tweeting today about his “great and loyal friends” Diamond and Silk.
Right, until one of them slips and says something mildly critical of him, or gets arrested, and then he will claim he hardly knows him.

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Trump’s new Public Charge rule penalizes legal immigrants who use any government benefits, including for their children. Uh, how about the immigrant who with her son is in public housing on Pennsylvania Avenue.

“Public Charge” can include medical care for your kid. So Trump is saying someone who has had a sick child could be denied a green card for having accepted Medicaid. Once again, pro-life my ass.

Giants closer Will Smith  in 8 major league seasons had never had an at-bat.  He had one today with his team leading 7-6 in the 8th, and hit a 2 run single.

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So maybe Madison Bumgarner is just just a role model for pitchers on the mound.  But good thing SF Giants held onto him and Will Smith.  They needed their bats.

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So of all the crazy things this baseball season, how did the SF Giants not manage to win at least 1 of 3 games where they faced the Washington Nationals bullpen?

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Astros behind Justin Verlander today in Baltimore were one of biggest betting road favorite against the Orioles today in baseball history.

Bringing to mind one of my favorite jokes “If God bet on baseball how would he do?

“7 or 8 of 10. Baseballs take funny bounces.”

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Weird sports stat for the day: Going into today’s game against each other, the Royals (42-76) and Tigers (35-79) had won fewer games between them than the Dodgers (78-41)

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Florida sophomore DB John Huggins has been dismissed from football program. While a reason wasn’t given, last fall Huggins allegedly put his hands around a tutor’s neck. He’s the fifth Gator to have been reported for violence against a woman under second-year coach Mullen.
Are we sure Urban Meyer isn’t somehow involved?

Marianne Williamson claiming “there’s some very powerful forces that want to make sure I’m not in that third debate.” “Very powerful forces?” They’re called “voters.”

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We are now in a world where the President of the United States talks about trusting a murderous North Korean dictator while retweeting a tweet accusing a former President of the United States of murder.

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Democrats are condemning Trump for re-tweeting a no-evidence conspiracy theory linking Jeffrey Epstein’s death to Bill Clinton.
Why aren’t Republicans joining them?

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It’s been revealed there is no surveillance video of the moment Epstein hanged himself. “I’m shocked,” said nobody.

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11p on Saturday night and the “Leader of the free world” was going after Anthony Scaramucci. Gosh, why doesn’t Trump go after the idiot who hired Scaramucci in the first place?

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On a weekend Trump attacks Donny Deutsch, Joe Scarborough and Bill Maher on Twitter all in 24 hours. But no, Donald doesn’t watch much TV….

So where are the pictures of the crying children in Mississippi because their parents were thrown in jail for hiring undocumented workers. Oh wait, never mind.

Only good thing about Bryce Harper hitting two home runs to win game for Phillies Friday night.  Maybe he’ll regret not signing to play home games at Oracle Park.

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Damn, okay let it be known for ONCE I actually agree with Trump – On Kaepernick today – “I know so many of the owners. If he’s good enough, I know these people. They would sign him in a heartbeat. They will do anything they can to win games.”

Heck, NFL owners would sign OJ Simpson if he were back in his prime.

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Kid Rock is the Rick Santorum of music.

DOT yesterday told airlines and passengers they will start enforcing rules governing animals that people bring on planes and that airline employees can bar any animal they consider a safety threat.
Now, I hate people abusing the idea “emotional support” animals as much as anyone. But as far as priorities, let’s see, how many Americans have been killed by unruly pets on planes?

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Trump now threatening countries that issue travel warnings on the United States because of gun violence.
“If they did that, we’d just reciprocate. We are a very reciprocal nation with me as the head. When somebody does something negative to us in terms of a country, we do it to them.”
So now the warnings will say – “Don’t travel to the US, there’s a threat of gun violence and their leadership is unstable.”

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CNN reports that the White House has told ICE officials to conduct dozens more workplace enforcement operations this year. Can they start at Trump resorts?

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Trump said this week’s ICE raids in Mississippi were “a very good deterrent.”
So how exactly how many American citizens have been arrested for knowingly hiring immigrants?

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Melania tweets that El Paso community is “strong and unbreakable,” on the same day her husband proudly breaks up families in Mississippi.

This is one time no one is going to say RIP. #Epstein

A very important prisoner with dirt on some very important people committing suicide in prison is one of those plot twists we used to complain about as unrealistic on “24.”

White House hasn’t had a press briefing since March 11. Rush Limbaugh says Trump stopped the briefings to stop “egomaniacs showing off.”
Right, because that’s Trump’s job.

Some days I think I care too much about sports, then I watch into an airport bar where people are actually getting UPSET about a preseason football game.

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Okay, yeah SF season has fallen apart in August. But I am still really really glad Madison Bumgarner is in a Giants uniform.
(and yes, I hope they resign him.)

A temporary 8,000-seat ballpark will be built at the Field of Dreams site in Iowa for the Yankees and White Sox to play an actual MLB game next August.
Well, they’ve got it half-right, shouldn’t it be the Reds – White Sox?

(those were the two teams in the Black Sox scandal world series.)

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Although if MLB wanted teams to feel at home in front of 8,000 they should have chosen the Rays and Marlins.

Cowboys DE Robert Quinn has been suspended for first two games of season for violating NFL’s PED policy.
Taxi squad players for example earn about $7,600 a week. CFL players make about $50,00 for the year. Quinn signed a contract with Dallas for $8 million this year.
And now a two whole game suspension. That’ll deter players who worry about being cut from trying.

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Clemson coach Dabo Swinney won’t give QB Kelly Bryant, who left the team after 4 games last year, a Championship ring.
While I see his point, Dan Uggla has a 2014 WS SF Giants ring.

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Another from Marc Ragovin  “Rosie Ruiz has died. Most people take a stairway to heaven but old Rosie will probably jump onto an escalator 3/4 of the way there.”

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Donnie Jr is sending out a Trump fundraising email attacking Joaquin Castro for posting the name of Trump donors.
Hmm, for some reason he doesn’t mention, if you donate, your name too will become part of PUBLIC RECORD.

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If Trump loves El Paso so much, why doesn’t he pay the city for the $500,000 he still owes for the rally he loves to brag about so much.

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Again, after Mississippi raids….  if Trump wanted to make a point about immigrants, wages and jobs, all he would have to do is offer very high wages at say, Mar-A-Lago, fill the jobs with Americans, and then say, see, we don’t need immigrant workers.

But that would require, a, sacrificing a little bit of profit to make a point, and b, finding Americans who actually want to do those jobs.

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Trump now feuding with Jerome Powell, current Chair of the Federal Reserve.  Now, by law a President can’t fire the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.  Maybe Donald should fire the idiot who nominated him?

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Most of what I post is snark. This isn’t.  Worth a few minutes, and have tissues handy.

Jackson Proskow: Dallas airport passengers silently salute the return of a fallen hero

Raiders WR Antonio Brown has both feet injured and blistered, reportedly caused by going into a cryotherapy machine without proper footwear.
Well this ought to do wonders to dispel the “dumb jock” image.

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All you need to know about SF Giants season:
Going into today,  Buster Posey had exactly as many home runs, 6, and RBIs, 33, as Geraldo Parra, who the Giants DFA’ed in May.

And now Parra has 7 home runs and 36 RBIs.

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Sadly the Orioles’ Chris Davis came closer to hitting his manager than SF Giants came to getting a big hit against Nationals.

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Although speaking of lousy baseball,  Marc Ragovin points out.  “The Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates played the first World Series in 1903. And I think they should square off again now, since both are setting back the sport over 100 years.”

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Apparently some pundits are saying Clemson only won College Football National Championship because “Alabama was worn out from the grind of a more rigorous schedule.” Well, gosh, with Duke, New Mexico State and Western Carolina on 2019 schedule are the Crimson Tide planning to use that excuse again this year?

No press other than White House employees were allowed for Trump visits to hospitals in Dayton and El Paso. Maybe it’s just me but thinking if you are honestly proud of behavior you don’t hide it.

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Anyone else notice that in all the pictures from Dayton,Trump is grinning like he’s attending a wedding at one of his resorts?

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So did ICE raid plants in Mississippi because even Trump was too embarrassed today to raid them near El Paso?

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Wonder with all the arrest pictures why we didn’t see pictures of the people who hired this immigrants in handcuffs.

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As Trump leaves Dayton he tweets about his “warm & wonderful visit. Tremendous enthusiasm & even Love. “Then he goes after “failed Presidential Candidate (0%) Sherrod Brown….”
Uh Sherrod didn’t even run.
But I bet he polls better now in Ohio than you do.

Trump told police officers in El Paso the gunman is a “coward. He gave up, just gave up.” Then Donald talked about his February rally, which he hasn’t reimbursed the city for – “we could have sold it out four times.”
This is NOT a well man.

About seven years after Matt Cain’s perfect game against a last place Houston team,  Zack Greinke, the biggest name pitcher to get traded at the deadline,  makes his Astros debut, allows five runs in six innings and still gets the win. Easily. The team is that good.

(What’s most shocking, this wasn’t at Coors Field.)

On the other hand, some things don’t change,  the Marlins are still one of the worst teams in baseball.

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Meanwhile, SF Giants DFA former All-Star and World Series defensive hero Joe Panik. And of all the things to be grateful to Panik for, don’t forget that in 2014 he meant SF Giants fans didn’t have to watch Dan Uggla any more.

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Mariners utility player Tim Beckham, the #1 pick in 2008 draft,, has been suspended for PEDs, and of course claims “tainted supplement.”
If that 2008 draft seems familiar to SF Giants fans, it’s when at #5 they got Buster Posey.

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John Lambert, 23, the founder of “Students for Trump” pleaded guilty Tuesday to running a $46,000 scam where he created a website for a fake law firm, posed as a lawyer and gave legal advice.
Wonder how long until he gets offered a job as White House Counsel?

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Apparently, besides having a rape list and a hit list, among other things, the Dayton killer liked Elizabeth Warren. So now Kellyanne Conway is ‘hopping mad’ that Elizabeth Warren isn’t being blamed for that shooting.
Uh, Charles Manson liked the Beatles, do we blame them for Sharon Tate murders?

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Damn. RIP Toni Morrison. Hadn’t thought about this quote in a while…. but she was right.
“In this country American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.”

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A more positive Morrison quote  “You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.

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Trump has no problem singling out people for condolences or praise if they are his friends or fit his agenda. But crickets on Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison.
Because he has no idea who she was, or because Obama gave her a medal?

American Crime Story features Monica Lewinsky and her affair with Bill Clinton?!! WTF? How much would most Americans now give for a President whose biggest crime was getting a blow job?

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No word on the El Paso’s killer’s arraignment or exactly where he is being held. But I’ll bet he has toothpaste.

Okay, O’Rourke isn’t close to my first choice, and until this week I couldn’t understand how he came so close to Ted Cruz. But he had a real authentic moment after El Paso killings, and is probably at his peak of popularity…
So of course Trump, on the eve of a “healing” goes after him on Twitter……

Against SF Giants, Washington Nationals won 4-0. They scored their 4 runs as follows…

1.  On a single when a runner was at first base.
2.  On a balk
3.  On a missed outfield fly ball
4.  On a steal of home in a badly handled double steal.

Good night to be watching at home. You can still drink after the 7th inning.

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Vince Carter, 42, says he will play one more season for the Atlanta Hawks then retired.
“The first time is the hardest,” said Brett Favre

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Team USA men’s basketball coach Gregg Popovich before the FIBA World Cup  “We can’t fix the divisiveness in our country, but what we can do is be a great example of how people come together for a common goal and achieve it.”   #PopovichKerr2020

48% of US women say they have played video games. So by some GOP logic shouldn’t 48% of mass shooters be female?

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As a travel agent I privately laughed some years ago when an admin wanted flights for their boss to Ohio, and when I asked where, responded “whatever the biggest airport is.””
Didn’t realize someday we’d have a President who didn’t know the cities either.#Dayton #Toledo #BowlingGreen

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Trump tweet – “Republicans and Democrats must come together and get strong background checks.” Uh, they did.   If only Donald knew someone in the Senate who could bring the bills, already passed in the House to the Senate floor for a vote.

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Stock market down over 600 points over China devaluing currency and fear of more trade wars. Who knew tariffs could be so complicated.

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As Trump belatedly semi-endorses “Red-Flag laws,” your reminder that 15 states already have them- Maryland, Connecticut, California, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Vermont, Rhode Island, Delaware, Massachusetts, Illinois, New York, Colorado, Nevada, Hawaii (and DC.)
Notice any commonality?
#BluerthanBlue…

(And two things on  Florida.  One, their law was after Pulse shooting, two, except for the Panhandle the state would be blue.)

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Trump is reportedly traveling to El Paso Wednesday. How is his staff going to keep him from ad-libbing about his beloved wall?

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Miss the days when we could have a weekend and just get upset about Red Sox and Yankees being ESPN’s game of the week. AGAIN.

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Or that MLB has to play meaningful games at the  beautiful little league stadium known as Coors Field.

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Although just wondering, why do the Red Sox EVER let David Price pitch at Yankee Stadium unless absolutely necessary?

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For those who love the good the bad and the ugly about sports, at this point it’s August 3, and pretty sure both the Tigers and Orioles will both be officially eliminated from the playoffs sometime in the middle of the month.

Wonder if in Vegas you can bet on who’ll be first?

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Who says there’s no good news these days.  A few details about NBA schedule are leaking out,  New York fans will apparently be spared having to watch the Knicks on Christmas .

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Anyone who doesn’t like politics and gun control stop reading now. Yeah, I’m REALLY pissed tonight, be warned.

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Ivanka Trump tweeted today “White supremacy, like all other forms of terrorism, is an evil that must be destroyed”

So in her defense does she think because Daddy is orange he can’t be a white Supremacist?

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Trump yesterday morning retweeted a post attacking London mayor Khan and saying he should step down over knife crimes. So what about a US President stepping down over mass shootings?

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Early days, but SF Giants have to be wondering, can they turn back the clock to July?

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16 home runs for Hunter Pence. If only SF Giants could have gotten a player like him at the deadline…

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Yeah, we all know baseball is a business. But Phillies are apparently suing design firm who helped create the Phanatic to keep their mascot from becoming a “free agent.”
Is NOTHING sacred?

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After the crowd shouted “Take it down,” four people were booted from Orioles-Blue Jays games at Camden Yards when they unfurled a large “Keep America Great, Trump 2020” banner from the second deck.

WTF were they thinking, in Baltimore Trump might be the only person more likely to be booed than the Orioles.

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John Ratcliffe withdrew his name from consideration for Director of National Intelligence after only 5 days. Wow. that’s only half a Scaramucci.

Fox News top headlines have to do with AOC’s chief of staff resigning amidst controversy. Gosh, somehow I’ve missed all their similar headlines with Trump administration resignations.

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German customs at the port of Hamburg confiscated a record 5 tons of cocaine, valued at about $1 billion, in a shipping container which was supposed to contain soybeans. Build that seawall?

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The alleged Gilroy gunman apparently killed himself after being shot several times by police. Once again, why can’t these murder-suicide assholes do it in the reverse order?

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Tom Steyer railing “Corporate money’s dictating our politics.” So what’s he doing about it? Spending heaven knows how much $$$$ on Twitter that HE earned as a VC from corporations to promote his own Presidential campaign. WTF?

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Swedish court said Rapper A$AP Rocky and his two co-defendants can be freed from jail until Aug. 14, when judges will announce their verdict.   Congrats to all those who had “about an hour” in the pool of “How long until Trump tweets taking credit?”

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How long until Trump says he COULD have cured cancer and AIDS but the Democrats blocked him?

Is there anyone left in Trump administration who isn’t a complete a**hole? Asking for a country.

I think Klay Thompson is a good guy, but in an interview he just characterized his ACL injury as “obviously the most tragic part of sports.”
Uh, of those that still can, NFL players with CTE say “Hi.”

My friend Dwight Perry adds, a couple  recent boxers might disagree too, if they were still alive.  (And further to his point, a whole lot of thoroughbred horses.)

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MLB has suspended eight players a total of 40 games for Reds-Pirates brawl. Not much thanks for one of the most watched parts of a Cincinnati-Pittsburgh game this summer.

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It’s August 1.  Does that mean the Baltimore Orioles have been officially eliminated yet?

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Broncos vs. Falcons in Hall of Fame pre-season game tonight.  And it was trending on social media. Wonder how many people who tuned in could name a player on either after the 1st quarter.

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So Tomi Lahren decided to accuse Kamala Harris of sleeping her way to the top? Funny, haven’t heard her go after Kimberly Guilfoyle for at least temporarily joining the Trump clan. Or new UN Ambassador Kelly Craft for doing the same by marrying a billionaire?

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Trump going to Cincinnati tonight for a rally. But really, with the Reds this summer hasn’t the city suffered enough?

(And whatever he said about overflow crowd, as of this morning according to the local Cincinnati Enquirer, there were still “Free tickets available)

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Cincinnati is actually a lovely city with nice people, a world-class zoo, interesting museums and great restaurants. Now that Trump has left can we Clorox The City?

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Trump spent some time at his rally today saying how awful things were in California because of Democrats. Right, that’s why the state that went solidly for Hillary then voted so many GOP congressmen out in 2018.

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Trump says of new tariffs on China “They’re paying for these tariffs. We’re not.”
And to think we once knocked George H.W. Bush as being out of touch with consumers because he was unclear on the concept of a supermarket scanner.

Double happiness for SF Giants fans at trade deadline. 1. MadBum stays 2. If, as is likely, Giants do not make World Series, at least the Dodgers and Yankees didn’t get any superstars.

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After his tantrum this weekend, Trevor Bauer was traded from the Indians to the Reds.  Well, life should be easier in Cincinnati.  Heck, even on a tired arm day, he could throw a ball into center field at Great American Ballpark.

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Astros starting pitching for postseason. Verlander, Greinke, Cole. #WOW

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And, who could possibly beat #1 starter Justin Verlander in the postseason, well, except Pablo Sandoval.  And anyone seen Barry Zito lately.

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Playing national anthem as part of a 15 minute prequel for Democratic Debate with limited time might not have been stupidest idea CNN has had all month, but it ranks in top 10.

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Marianne Williamson got praise for saying that Flint water crisis wouldn’t happen where she lives in Grosse Pointe. Uh, I could stand on stage and say Flint water crisis wouldn’t happen in Palo Alto where I live either. But it doesn’t qualify me to run for President.

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Give De Blasio credit.  How many people think they can be elected President when it’s not even sure they could be re-elected Mayor.

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Democrats are good tonight at accusing each other of not telling the truth. Wish GOP elected officials were 1/10th as good at doing the same with Donald Trump.

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Trump once again tweets positive words about Eddie Gallagher but has never mentioned the name of Stephen Romero – the six-year-old boy murdered by a White Supremacist teenager in Gilroy.

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Ding ding ding. “What do we have for the winner, Johnny?”   Pete Buttigieg said GOP would call Dems “crazy socialists” no matter what they said or do. And less than 24 hours later, Trump fundraising email “The 2020 Democratic Primary has turned into a complete SOCIALIST CIRCUS.”

A church in Baltimore kicked Ben Carson off their property  when he showed up to defend Trump’s attacks.  Well that’s one less rat infesting the city..

MLB trade deadline eve. When depending how players feel about their teams, a late-night phone call will be as welcome as a call from their latest crush or their ex?

Not sure who will benefit more by trade of Yasiel Puig to Indians and Trevor Bauer to Reds. But at least neither team needs to fire their anger management counselor.

Ouch, I know a lot of fans think they have worst bullpen in baseball. But this from ESPN – “The Cubs are the only team in baseball to hold a lead in all their games since the all-star break but they’re just 9-7 in those contests, including a 2-1 loss to St. Louis on Tuesday.”

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Governor Gavin Newsom just signed a law requiring presidential candidates to release tax returns in order to have their name on California ballot.
Well, this ought to get a mature and dignified response from Donald Trump.

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Focusing on 15 second answers to tough questions is part of how we got President Trump.

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Picking a President based on 15 second answers makes as much sense as picking a spouse based on a half-dozen dates.

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Amy Klobuchar mentions 6-year-old Gilroy shooting victim Stephen Romero’s name in her very limited Democratic Debate time.  More than Trump has done in probably 200 tweets since the shooting.

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Actually crickets now from Trump on mentioning names of any Gilroy victims, all young people of color. So I guess you only get to be an “Angel Mom” if you’re white and your child is killed by an immigrant?

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“It is time to stop worrying about what the Republicans say.” Pete Buttigieg.   He is right, Trump probably already has the “crazy socialists” fundraising email ready.

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So Trump decided not to tweet tonight and had Donnie Jr do it for him – “I think Marianne Williamson is actually winning this thing.” Maybe Jr. is not willing to concede to Eric the title of “dumbest son.”

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Seriously this all does feel a bit like the first rounds of American Idol/The Voice or Bachelor/Bachelorette. Just too many people really to focus in on a favorite.

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At least Admiral Stockdale had the grace to say “who am I, why I am here?”

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I am seriously tired of white men shouting tonight.

Recently traded pitcher Marcus Stroman, “I know that New York is obsessed with winning, and that’s how I am. So I’m excited to kind of have that pressure behind me each and every start.”
Stroman DOES know he was traded to the Mets, right?

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Anthony Davis says he’s going to keep chasing an NBA title “until I succeed at it.”  Isn’t that how dogs feel about chasing cars?

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Alabama has announced a 2024-2025 home-and-home football series with Wisconsin.  What, the “Little Sisters of the Poor” weren’t available?

Trump as he signs the 9-11 victims compensation bill that he didn’t lift a finger to fight for. (thank you Jon Stewart), “I was down there also, but I’m not considering myself a first responder. But I was down there. I spent a lot of time down there with you.”
Ignorant f*ckmuppet seems too kind.

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What Trump REALLY did on 9-11 – a radio interview, where he talked about his building, 40 Wall Street.
“40 Wall Street actually was the second-tallest building in downtown Manhattan, and it was actually, before the World Trade Center, was the tallest—and then, when they built the World Trade Center, it became known as the second-tallest. And now it’s the tallest.”

Come on, don’t we all know Trump rushed to Ground Zero as soon as he finished helping victims of the Bowling Green Massacre?

Capital One data breach affected approximately 100 million individuals in the US. Well, unfortunately now everyone knows what’s in your wallet.

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Rand Paul is offering to buy Ilhan Omar a ticket to visit her home country of Somalia “to learn to be more grateful for living in the United States.” Wonder how often Paul flies and drives to spend time in parts of Kentucky, the 5th poorest state in US, to make him more grateful for living in Washington DC?

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A white teenager kills three people including a six-year old boy and a thirteen-year old girl, along with a 20 year old African American man.

If the killer were Hispanic, especially an immigrant ,and victims were white, Trump would have already sent a dozen tweets,  eulogizing the victims and railing loudly about the need for speed in building his wall.

When it’s 3 days before MLB trade deadline and your son says after a nice dinner out without phones, “mom, before you go back on twitter there’s something you should know… ” the WORST should be your favorite player being traded. Not yet another mass shooting,.

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GOP was retweeting a doctored video of Ilhan Omar talking about profiling white men. But seriously, maybe we SHOULD start profiling white men. 

And seriously, really sucks when you have a friend go to a food festival where she posts complaining about the heat, and then “active shooter…” and then nothing.  And then you’re thrilled to hear she’s okay, but also realize that means at least 3 other people’s friends and family are NOT getting good news.

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And now back to snark because if we stop laughing the bad guys win…

Trevor Bauer, upset that he had blown a lead today, to the Royals, threw the baseball from mound over the center-field fence at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium. Shame for Indians he didn’t throw that well to batters.

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Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman has been traded to Mets. Well, maybe this is first part of multi-team trade. Or it’s the baseball equivalent of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Meanwhile, as SF Giants win again….  how can you break up a team that decides to all dress like a now aging utility infielder….

Now it’s Dan Coats reportedly leaving. Makes sad sense, for Trump “national intelligence” is an oxymoron.

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Ever get that sense Trump wakes up some mornings and just thinks “what can I do for a new disgusting low?” #Baltimore

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As Trump attacks the American cities of Baltimore and San Francisco, remember, this is the same man who said “if you don’t love our country, leave.” So when is he packing?

At this point thinking seriously that Democrats best campaign slogan in 2020 might be simply “We are better than this!”

SF Giants have won 6 games in extra-innings in a 10 game span.

At this point, it’s not just worrying about the wild card, it’s worrying about employee labor law violations.

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Whatever happens this season for SF Giants, don’t tell me they haven’t captured at least a little bit of voodoo magic.

Pablo Sandoval in post-game interview, after his game winning home run, said the most impressive thing he saw tonight was the fan who caught that same home run ball bare-handed with a baby in his other arm.

And some still wonder why Giants fans embrace prodigal Panda.

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Apparently a balcony at a South Korean nightclub collapsed on Saturday, killing two people and injuring 16, including athletes competing at the world swimming championships.   Sounds awful. But this is the ESPN headline?   Seriously?

“American athletes hurt in Korea balcony collapse.”

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As Trump rants about A$AP Rocky, wonder what he’d do if a European leader attacked him about ICE locking up an American-born teenager for 22 days

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Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is apparently splitting from her second husband. Does that make her closer to Presidential?

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President Trump tweets ‘big VICTORY’ after Supreme Court grants $2.5 billion to continue with border wall.
So how is a victory when SCOTUS says US can spent that much taxpayer money on something Mexico is paying for?

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Got to love it, the stable genius is attacking Apple this morning on Twitter, from his iPhone