Left Coast Sports Babe

The college football bowl season statts today, December 17. And if you are not an alum of one of the teams playing today, and you REALLY care, you just might have a problem.

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Former NFL V.P of officiating Mike Peirera insists now that refs regularly get assistance and advice from replay officials via their wireless headsets, before any challenges might be issued. This would be a violation of league rules. The NFL is less than transparent and honest? I am shocked. Next thing Periera will allege is that there is gambling in Las Vegas.

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Many Stanford fans were upset because the Holiday Bowl bypassed the higher rated Cardinal for Washington State, mostly because they expected more WSU fans to travel to the game. (Even though San Diego is an attractive destination and Stanford has never been.)
Now the bowl is facing a potential boycott by Minnesota players over the suspension of 10 teammates.
I suppose it would be wrong to enjoy this mess just a little

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So can anyone tell me real difference between a business sending you an e-card & sending other ad spam? Yeah, me neither.

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That moment when you shudder to hear as a now Northern Californian that the temperature is going to drop into the low 40s. And then you remember why you decided never to move back to the east coast.

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Trump tweet this morning “Are we talking about the same cyberattack where it was revealed that head of the DNC illegally gave Hillary the questions to the debate?”
Leaving aside the veracity of the accusation, so if someone can hack into any emails and discover something potentially untoward, that’s okay then? Is Trump issuing a challenge to liberal hackers?

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Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced yesterday in a press conference that a 5-year investigation “proved” that President Obama’s birth certificate is a fake & highlighted what they called “9 points of forgery” on the document, which focused on the angles of date stamps, typed letters and words.
What’s Arpaio trying to do, get an appointment in the Trump administration for making the President-elect look sane by comparison?

Becoming apparent to rest of NFL that Roger Goodell’s wrist slap over Deflategate has given Patriots a well rested QB for playoffs.

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#Smartpeoplebeingstupid department  Amherst College has suspended their men’s cross country squad over an email chain that goes back to 2013 including  racist, sexist and homophobic insults.

Once again, in this day and age, isn’t the suspension not only for bad behavior,  but for also being arrogant and dumb enough to put that sort of nasty stuff in emails?

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Lane Kiffin is going to be the next head football coach of Florida Atlantic. Could be a good fit, FAU is probably not on the NCAA radar for possible suspensions.

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#Rams coach #JeffFisher has been fired with a 4-9 record. #49ers fans wonder if he was fired for over-achieving.

And actually at 4-9 the Rams have more wins than the 49ers, Jaguars and Browns put together.

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That moment when you see a headline about two people who are obviously famous and you have no clue who they are: “Flip or Flop’ stars Tarek and Christina El Moussa separate.”

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Carnival Cruise Lines doesn’t allow passengers to bring bottles of liquids on board, but they started last year selling bottled water for $2.99 a 12-pack, then raised prices in March to $3.99, and now just raised them again to $4.50 plus gratuity. So what’s the real policy here – “Let Them Drink Beer”?

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Gary Cohn has been named as director of the National Economic Council, making him the 3rd Goldman Sachs executive to join the Trump team.
Well, heck, since she was so tied during the election to those speeches, when is Trump going to find a role for Hillary Clinton?

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Oil prices jumped today after several non-OPEC countries, including Russia, reached a deal to cut oil production. Where’s the furious angry tweet from our “populist” President-Elect?

Of course we will never get full agreement in this country on who was behind the hacked emails in this election. But, on the other hand, ALL the leaked emails were to embarrass and damage one candidate. Because the RNC and Trump campaign were so morally upright, or so much more technologically advanced? #whenyouhearhoofprintsthinkhorsesnotzebras

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Some disgruntled fan or fans paid for an airplane to fly over Levi’s Stadium before the not-so-much-anticipated 49ers Jets game today with a banner saying “Jed, you reap what you sow. Fire Baalke”
Clever. But for what it costs wouldn’t you think they’d have sent the plane somewhere where people would actually show up to see it?

When you lose 12 in a row it takes a certain amount of creativity. And the 49ers are clearly up to the task.

The #Jets & #Giants won on the same Sunday? Hope this isn’t yet another sign of the apocalypse

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Well, it would have been appropriate for the #Jets #49ers game to end in a tie. #Nobodywins

After their loss today to Atlanta,  Los Angeles RB Todd Gurley said his team was running what “looked like a middle school offense”   – Did the Rams steal the 49ers playbook?

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The Stanford band’s most recent suspension will mean the LSJUMB won’t be traveling to the Sun Bowl in El Paso. Well, suppose it’s just as well not to anger a whole state full of people with guns.

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Susan Olson, who played Cindy Brady in the 1970s, was fired from a LA talk radio job for sending a homophobic private FB message to a gay guest.
Shame, and she had such a great gay dad role model. #RobertReed

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At the Nobel prize ceremony, which Bob Dylan did not attend, Patti Smith forgot the words to “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” on her first attempts to sing it.
Of course had Dylan himself sung it no one would have been able to understand if he knew the words or not.

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Donald Trump isn’t getting daily intelligence briefings, by choice. “I don’t have to be told — you know, I’m, like, a smart person. I don’t have to be told the same thing in the same words every single day for the next eight years.”
Can’t imagine how some people think Trump has Narcissistic Personality Disorder..,,

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And don’t we all want to go to a doctor who didn’t need to go to class he or she is a “smart person”

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The LSJUMB – aka the Stanford Band – has been suspended again, this time in large part for breaking “alcohol rules at gatherings.” Uh, okay, but did anyone really think the Stanford band can do what they do sober?

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My friend Rich said that maybe the band like many alums doesn’t want to have to go to El Paso for the Sun Bowl either.

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Congrats to #Heisman winner #LamarJackson. Many didn’t know him before this season. To be fair how many knew #Louisville played football?

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Got a Facebook ad today for a Hallmark Tony Romo Christmas tree ornament. Hmm. Assume it’s expensive but not as good as the cheaper  Dak Prescott ornament?

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Trump at the Army-Navy game. “I don’t know if it’s necessarily the best football, but boy do they have spirit more than anybody.” Well, of course, unless Trump University played football, because then they would have the most spirit AND be the best.

Phrase I never thought I’d say. “Damn I wish Trump had put Romney in charge.”

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So how did we become a country where millions accept what Breibart says as gospel but dismiss CIA as fake news?

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Remember those innocent days when we thought W’s administration was as bad as it could get with oil company influence? #Tillerson

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Patti Smith apparently forgot the lyrics when she tried to sing Bob Dylan’s A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall at the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm. But really, had she just mumbled could anyone tell?

On December 19th, Samsung will send out a software update to keep remaining Galaxy Note7s from charging at all. Although considering the publicity on the recall and the fact that the phones have been banned from flights, maybe Samsung could just leave the Note7 alone as an option for those aiming for a Darwin award.

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Apparently a Cleveland Browns fan is planning a “Perfect Season Parade” if the team finishes 0-16. Wonder if the 1972 Miami Dolphins will show up and crack open a case of generic beer?

Bristol Palin is expecting her third child. Someone told her you could actually have a baby and be married first?

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Among many things that hurt Hillary Clinton was the fact that many Americans are just tired of the same old same old families in politics. So of course it makes sense that Trump will appoint as RNC head Ronna Romney McDaniel.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the DOT is considering allowing passengers to talk on their cellphones in flight. Now if Trump wants REAL bipartisan agreement in this country he will issue an executive order against it.

While Spurs lost last night they won their first 13 games this season away from San Antonio. One of the best road to home scoring ratios since the younger days of Bill Clinton.

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Donald Trump has picked his head of the White House National Economic Council, Gary Cohn, who is currently President of Goldman Sachs. All those folks who didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton over those speeches must feel so proud.

Just maybe MSNBC could have given Brian Williams the night off on this one? Tuesday night of this week the anchor said “Fake news played a role in this election and continues to find a wide audience,” #whythereisnosatire

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Apparently Rudy Giuliani has “removed his name from consideration for any Cabinet post in the new administration.”
Because even Trump knows Rudy is bat-shit crazy?

Innocent until proven guilty. But imagine if Hillary had won & Canadian government was accused of influencing election against Trump.

Yeah, baseball is a business. But with some franchises, fans DO matter. And values. SF Giants GM Bobby Evans, saying their “hearts and minds were really focused on one guy,” (Mark Melancon)
SF never met with Chapman, Evans said the off-field stuff was “not lost on us.” The Giants knew many of their fans were strongly opposed to a Chapman deal. …

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Former Baylor football coach Art Briles is now suing a school VP and 3 regents for libel and slander. He said falsely said he didn’t report assaults and alleged gang rapes even though he knew about them.
So his defense is, I’m not a douchebag, I’m just an idiot?

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NFL says that the pending domestic violence investigation against star Cowboys RB Ezekiel Eliott is “active and ongoing.” And no doubt the league will get serious about the investigation the week after the Super Bowl.

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Weather well below freezing for tonight’s #Chiefs #Raiders #TNF game. So coaches planning pre-game strategy had no need to call time-outs before field goals. Kickers already iced.

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Mick Jagger, 73, and girlfriend Melanie Hamrick, have welcomed Jagger’s 8th child, a boy. I see a marketing opportunity for father-son diapers..

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So sad about the Oakland “Ghost Ship” fire that killed 36 people. Now the city planning director says building hadn’t been inspected in 3 decades. But hey, who needs burdensome regulations?

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Andy Puzder, Trump’s new Labor Secretary, and CEO of Carl’s Jr., is against raising the minimum wage to more than $9 an hour, and has said of using machines instead of humans “They’re always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, there’s never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex, or race discrimination case.”
Yeah, yet another thank you gift from Trump to his lower and working class voters.

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So Trump’s EPA pick believes in not protecting the environment, and now his Labor pick believes in reducing # of workers. #consistency

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Rep Steve King, attacking “dreamers.” The reason they’re called ‘dreamers’ because that’s the most sympathetic term that could be applied to people.Among all of these dreamers, there are some awfully bad people.”
No doubt. But there are some “awfully bad people” born here in the USA. Can we kick them out too?

Donald Trump will remain as an executive producer of Celebrity Apprentice. Which as CNN reports, means as President he will have an interest in a show aired by a media company that also reports on his presidency.”
What could possibly go wrong?

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Maybe we can relax about serious news bias.  Maybe  Donald  Trump will only stay as executive producer at @NBC until he can get Alec Baldwin fired.

Newt Gingrich tweeted today: “75 years ago the Japanese displayed professional brilliance and technological power launching surprises from Hawaii to the Philippines.”
Is Newt trying to prove he can be outrageous enough on Twitter to be in a Trump cabinet?

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Joe Buck said in an interview that he once peed in a trash can while on-air covering a game. And millions of Americans are thinking “Big deal, we once threw up in a trash can while we were listening to you on-air covering a game.”

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In a recent poll, 58% of NJ voters gave Chris Christie a “D” or “F”, while 3% gave him an “A.” Wonder what that 3% thought “A” stands for.

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Orioles GM said the team is not pursuing Jose Bautista because Baltimore “fans don’t like him.” Well, that and maybe Bautista’s 2016 .234 batting average.

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#ChristianMcCaffrey will enter the 2017 #NFL draft. Makes sense. He’s ready for a pro offense. Or if unlucky the 49ers or Browns.

Mets hitting coach Kevin Long said today “I won’t be surprised if @TimTebow makes the majors” Or at least the Phillies.

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At new Amazon stores, customers will be able to “grab and go” while their purchases are scanned electronically. And of course those automatic charges work so well, as anyone who has ever dealt with a hotel minibar knows.

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Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line says they’ve received approval for cruising to Cuba. Trump may think he’s going change a lot of Obama’s policies… but heaven help him if he gets between middle-America and their cigars and rum.

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There are reports Kim Kardashian wants a divorce from Kanye West. If true, can only imagine what Trump will have to tweet to grab the headlines.

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So was anyone at #TimeMagazine tempted to send out fake news @realDonaldTrump WASN’T #PersonoftheYear, just to see his Twitter reaction?

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In a recent poll, 58% of NJ voters gave Chris Christie a “D” or “F”, while 3% gave him an “A.” Wonder what that 3% thought “A” stands for.

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At least when #ScottPruitt leaves Okla for #EPA it will be no longer be his problem to get federal funds for the state after future fracking-induced earthquakes.

So can any Trump supporter name one time when someone has criticized him and he responded with a reasonable or even apologetic tweet?

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A report from “TheWrap” says Trump’s inaugural committee is having a hard time trying to get big name performers for his parties and balls. Time for a political remake of the movie “Indecent Proposal?”

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To be fair to @realDonaldTrump over choice of #ScottPruitt for #EPA, maybe Trump just wanted to help US companies who sell bottled water.

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Pruitt as head of #EPA makes some sense. If there’s clean water in our swamps Americans could see all of Trumps big new alligators

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So if Trump was supposed to be candidate of Main Street over Wall Street how come the Dow has jumped over 1,200 points since the election?

Well, what else do you call a major trade between the White and Red Sox?

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Chris Sale is now with the Red Sox. Could be a good fit, since Boston’s “Turn Back the Clock” uniforms aren’t much different than their current uniforms, assume he will have no need to cut them up.

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After the Red Sox landed Chris Sale, Brian Cashman said “Boston is the Golden State Warriors of baseball now.” Maybe. But guess the SF Giants aren’t too upset with being baseball’s Spurs or the Cavs.

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After the Sale  deal,  #DavidOrtiz tweeted ” You guys got me thinking” Brett Favre thinking “1st retirement is the hardest.

Pablo Sandoval has apparently lost a lot of weight this off-season. Maybe they can have Chris Sale use his scissors to guard food in the Red Sox clubhouse.

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The Mississippi State Department of Health has issued a
state imposed “Boil-Water Alert” in one county after water sampling showed the presence of E. coli. But hey, who needs the EPA?

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Alec Baldwin talking about life after the election. ” “Both sides are very passionate so it’s been a very, very difficult time in this country.” Well, yes, and also there went any plans Baldwin may have had for taking most Saturday nights off.

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Trump says he is going to cancel the order with Boeing for new Air Force Ones. Because he wants to replace them all with Trump planes?

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Apparently @realDonaldTrump got his #Boeing #AirForceOne numbers from the same place he got that “3 million illegal voters” number.

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Real estate brokers in Manhattan are now apparently advertising Secret Service protection as an amenity for prospective Trump Tower tenants. “The Best Value in the Most Secure Building in Manhattan.” #WhataCountry

And again, a rare serious, if still snarky note.  Donald Trump finds time to tweet out his victory tour and to make statements as if he’s already President. But he somehow can’t find time to send condolences to Oakland fire victims and families. Because they were not killed by terrorists or immigrants they don’t count?

In all seriousness for a change, horrible news out of Oakland with that warehouse party fire. The snark will continue on this page, nearly nonstop. But even while being snarky hope we can all be nice to each other. #lifeistoodamnshort

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Back to snark.  Dear Santa: On behalf of all of these people who have such nice cars but couldn’t afford turn signals – could you help them out this Christmas?

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#Badgers blew a 28-7 lead tonight to be upset by #PennState. Hate to say it but the worst choke job in #Wisconsin since Hillary Clinton.

Not that it will happen, but looking at Alabama’s out of conference wins against those powerhouses of Kent State and Chattanooga, would be fun to see NCAA mandate playoff teams play at least bowl eligible teams for out of conference games.

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#UCLA just beat #Kentucky in men’s basketball. Well, maybe Trump turning back the clock 50 years or more has some benefits?

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Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he tried marijuana twice for back pain in the last year and a half, but “it didn’t help at all.”
Hmm, maybe he should ask around the NBA for help getting better stuff.

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Darwin alert: An unidentified person who was “subway surfing” fell off and died after being crushed by the train in a Manhattan station. Did the newspaper story even have to mention the victim was male?

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Hawaii’s Mauna Loa & Mauna Kea have received 2-3 ft of snow this week. Maybe both heaven along with hell freezing over w/ Trump’s election.

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Okay, for a little bipartisan bitching — all of these Democratic emails suggesting that we sign petitions against various potential Trump objectives. Now, I’m as against some of Trump’s proposed plans as anyone, but does anyone really think he would give a rat’s ass about what Democrats think?

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Who says I never say anything good about Donald Trump? He did manage to p*ss off Ann Coulter: “Sounds like the big sell-out is coming. Oh well. The voters did what we could If Trump sells out, it’s not our fault.”

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Garth Brooks, who wouldn’t say who he voted for, says he would if asked considering performing at Trump’s inaugural “”I haven’t been asked yet But] it’s always about serving. It’s what you do.”
Okay, but can Garth sing “We shall be free?”

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In a CBS “60 Minutes” interview, Paul Ryan said “Donald Trump was an unconventional candidate and will be an unconventional president.”
Well, who said I never agree with the Speaker of the House?

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ESPN Headline “Tiger Woods fires 2nd-round 65 at Hero World Challenge, nearly aces No. 12.” So is anyone actually leading this tournament?

Since Huskies won the Pac 12 championship tonight they should make the college football playoff. Although it’s actually somewhat amazing w/ East Coast bias committee knows Washington and Colorado are even in the Pac12.

Fired Oregon coach Mark Helfrich says he hoped Chip Kelly would be hired as the new Ducks football coach. “Ditto” said many SF 49ers fans.

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Pirates 3B Jung Ho Kang was arrested and charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident after he allegedly hit a guardrail near a Seoul subway station and fled. His statement: “I’d like to apologize to everyone who is disappointed with me. Today, I got behind the wheel after drinking, and committed an irrevocable mistake. I panicked at the moment of the accident and did something that I never should have done. I am deeply regretting the incident. I will humbly accept whatever punishment is deemed fit for my actions.”
Wow, no tainted drink, no blame game? Are we sure this guy is a major league player?

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Vikings QB Sam Bradford last night said the ref told him he didn’t get hit in the face mask. That’s right, Bradford got GRABBED by the face mask.

Former NFL player Joe McKnight, 28, was fatally shot in an apparently road rage incident outside New Orleans this week. Ronald Gasser admitted to shooting him and surrendered his gun to police. He was taken into custody but released overnight. Gasser, 54, is white. And some wonder why blacks are fearful and angry in this country.

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What’s next with #SteveBannon and #Breitbart going after #Kelloggs? Accusations that Snap, Crackle and Pop are gay?

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US unemployment has fallen to 4.6% #Jobsreport #IblameObama

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In response to the House Science Committee tweeting a story from Breitbart News on climate change  Bernie Sanders tweeted out “Where’d you get your PhD, Trump University?  “Well played Bernie, well played.”

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Trump backers are fighting hard to stop recounts in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Wait…if you were worried about an election being rigged wouldn’t you want to do everything possible to make sure votes were counted correctly?

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#WTF? Okay, credit where credit is due.  Sarah Palin just accused Donald Trump with his  Carrier deal in Indiana to be practicing “crony capitalism.”   Just guessing someone got told she isn’t getting picked for the Trump cabinet.

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61 years ago this week #RosaParks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. Can you imagine if that happened in a social media era?

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“What do you mean there’s only one China? There’s a North and South Carolina” #ThingsTrumpMightSay #Taiwan

Last year after Carolina beat Seattle and a Seahawks fan dangled a “12” flag near Cam Newton, the Panthers QB smiled, grabbed the flag and tossed it away. Now Richard Sherman is saying “I guess karma gets you” as it “doesn’t look like (Carolina) will be in the playoffs this year.”
Now, I’m a HUGE fan of mean bitch Karma, but my sense is that flag grabbing isn’t high on her list of the worst NFL sins.

Seeding in the @NBA playoffs is all about home-court advantage. The way the @spurs are playing, home court might not be an advantage.

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In Prince Edward Island, Canada, Police in the town of Kensington have warned “those dumb enough to feel they can drink and drive,” that not only will they arrest you, “we will provide you with a bonus gift of playing the offices copy of Nickelback in the cruiser on the way to jail.”
The department thought about threatening to play Justin Bieber, but that might be a violation of the Geneva Convention.

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11 stabbed by a #Somali at #OSU is cause to stop refugee program, but 10 bystanders shot in #NewOrleans isn’t cause for gun control? #WTF?

Cubans lined the streets and cheered for a four-day funeral procession throughout the country for Fidel Castro. Though to be fair hard to tell if they were cheering for their long-time leader’s life, or for his death.

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US Weekly is reporting that “a source close to Kim and Kanye” said that “Kardashian was looking to take a break from her husband.”
Wow, if true, Trump will have to come up with some pretty incredible tweets to stay at the forefront of the headlines.

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Michael ‘Jim’ Delligatti, 98, died this week. He was the McDonald’s franchisee who came up with the Big Mac in the 1960s.
Presumably Delligatti owed his long life to never eating his creation

The NYPD is looking for a man who snatched a pail containing $1.6 million worth of gold flakes off the open back of a Loomis truck on 48th Street. Leaving aside that police do not know his identity, have to wonder, who LEAVES $1.6 million in gold in the open back of a truck? #cantfixstupid

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#SarahPalin is actually lobbying now to be appointed Secretary of Veterans Affairs. But haven’t vets suffered enough?

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Barack Obama, on those dreaming of his wife following him. ” “Michelle will never run for office. She is as talented a person as I know. You can see the incredible resonance she has with the American people. But I joke that she’s too sensible to want to be in politics.”
All accurate except the “joke” part.

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So now that the GOP controls the Presidency, Senate and House they will be able to repeal Obamacare and replace it with that great healthcare system for everyone that we had before…. Oh, wait, never mind.

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As we await the latest crazy 3 am tweets, maybe our nation’s serious journalists should take a page from John McCain. “I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I didn’t before the election and I’m not doing so afterwards. I’m working on defending this nation as chairman of the Armed Services Committee, so you are wasting your time asking me about Donald Trump’s day-to-day comments or what his positions are.”

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So, is it wrong to root for Trump to fail? Personally I will be pleasantly surprised if he can do good things with infrastructure, jobs and healthcare, and would (ok, I admit it, grudgingly) cheer him..
But as far as cutting our limited safety-nets, as far as taking away women’s and LGBT rights, as far as continuing to incite xenophobia, as far as making it possible for police to stop anyone on the street who looks foreign….. on these and other threats/promises, yes, I ABSOLUTELY will root for him to fail.

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From Marc Ragovin   “In anticipation of moving to their new home next year, the Atlanta Braves have acquired 43-year old pitchers Bartolo Colon and 42-year old RA Dickey. What is the name of their new place? Jurrasic Park?”