#[ that being said feel free to beat up my Texan man ; he should not be allowed to exist peacefully ]

[rengineer]

You don't get much snow in Texas, and Beecave barely sees any, but somehow, he seemed to be one of the mercenaries who had a better resistance against the cold temperature. Maybe it was the extra layers of warmth he carried.

" So soon? " Engie teased, a grin spreading across his face as the Frenchman made a quick exit. " Y'got somewhere to be? How 'bout walking me back to the base? We can grab a beer or two and catch up. I could use a break from all this cold. "

Ah, laborer. I wondered when you would make your rounds again. It seems you must have gotten a bit lost on our move to the Northern Base. No matter. I can get you in contact with the RED Team once more.

-Spy.

Dell jolted, almost losing the map from his hand as he turned to find the Frenchman standing behind him, silent as ever. " Damn it, " he cursed quietly, readjusting his helmet. Didn't matter how many times they had fought together, he always found the spy unnerving despite the latter never meant any harm. " Yeah— err, much appreciate it, Spy. "

He kept the map back in his pocket and carried his toolbox. " Sorry, I ain't too familiar with these parts, took me a few turns to find my way here. Soon as I settle in, I'll need to draft up a topography of this area for settin' up the sentries... How y'all been gettin' along 'round these parts? "

[cookieswriting]

Can’t Be Happening Pt. 5 (SEAL Team)

((I can’t believe we have to wait until MARCH for new episodes.  WHAT IS THAT?!?! NOT COOL MAN!!!! I will do my best to help break up the hiatus…there will be one more chapter after this one and then I’ll get started with some other ideas.  Don’t forget, let me know if you have any requests and I will do my best to make it happen!  BTW, totally making up Clay’s rank.  I know at one point they ID’d him as ‘sailor’ (when Ray was dealing with the whole accidental death of the boy) but A) he’d be called Seaman if he were a non-rate and B) from what I have been able to find, someone on an assault team like Bravo is a First-Class Petty Officer or higher, so he should have been addressed as SO1 not ‘sailor’, especially considering his experience leading other teams as they’ve mentioned several times.  But that’s my own personal nitpick ;) and I could also be wrong so there’s also that hahaha))

A dull throb drew Clay back into consciousness, but it took several minutes to figure out that it originated from...well, everywhere.  Whole left side of his body, middle...area of the right side of his body...face...there wasn’t a particular spot that he could identify as not aching.  

Memories hit him abruptly, of noticing movement in the shadows as he cleared a room chasing Doza’s right’ hand man after he fled the courtyard, of pushing Sonny back to the relative safety of the street and surrendering himself to the dozen men waiting for them.  The video...the brutal beating they’d given him despite his insistence that he didn’t know anything.  The agony of his leg being broken, and then...nothing.

Forcing himself to remain still, Clay listened to his surroundings.  When nothing stood out, he tested his ability to move, and felt panic threaten to seize him.  Despite the pain, his left arm was utterly immobile, and his right wrist was definitely bound to something.  Dammit.  

Voices filtered into wherever the hell he was, and Clay sank into his cover as he gave up on the pretense of unconsciousness.  “Please-” A wracking cough cut him off, and fresh agony stole his breath for a moment.  “I-I thought it was a restaurant...I don’t know anything.”

Hands pressed against his chest, careful of his shoulders...the first sign that maybe he was missing something.  “Stand down, Spenser...you’re safe.”

Davis.  Finally blinking against the bright lights above him, Clay took in the concerned face hovering above him and gave a relieved smile.  “Lis-” Another round of coughing, and she was gently pressing a straw against his lips.  

“Easy, Clay, drink slow.  Take a minute, get your bearings.  We’re back in Virginia.”  Clay looked down to see his left arm strapped firmly across his chest, likely to secure his dislocated shoulder.  He did raise a questioning brow, though, when he looked down to see his right wrist secured to the bed.  “This isn’t the first time you woke up.  First time you’ve woken up coherent enough to settle, though...you tore out your IV the first time trying to fight free before Sonny and Jase could hold you down and the doc could sedate you.”

After taking another long drink he nodded for her to take the cup away.  “How long has it been? Where are the guys?”  Man, his throat was like sandpaper.

Lisa grinned wryly as she pressed the call button.  “It’s been five days since you were taken, two since we made it back to Virginia.  The guys are at Command...getting a dressing down for going in after you I’m sure.  Not that any of them care, Blackburn has already gone to bat for them, so they will probably just be confined to base for a while.”  

Both turned their attention to the soft knock at the door.  “Hello there, SO1 Spenser, it’s good to see you alert. My name is Kelly. How are you feeling?”  A petite brunette walked in, clipboard in hand, and glanced at Lisa.

“Please, call me Clay.”  The nurse nodded with a kind smile.  “I’ve been better, that’s for sure...she’s fine to stay if she doesn’t feel like getting up, swear she knows more about any of us than we know about ourselves.”  He winked over at his friend, who seemed to visibly relax at his joke. “Everything hurts, not gonna lie...shoulders are both on fire...left moreso than right…”

“I can give you some stronger meds for that-”

“No, I’d rather not be hazy…”

“Clay,” Lisa interrupted gently. “You’re home, you’re safe, and I’m not going anywhere until the boys are back at the very least.  Take the relief.”

Kelly looked between them.  “How about I give you just enough to take the edge off without affecting your alertness?  And when you’re comfortable and ready to sleep, we’ll up the dosage then.  Sound fair?”  Clay relented with a nod, and remained silent as the nurse took his vitals, removed the strap from his right wrist, and checked his stitches.  Once she was finished, the nurse glanced shyly at the SEAL.  “Numbers are heading in the right direction, Clay.  Maybe once you’re healed up we could grab a drink?”

A sad smile tugged at the man’s lips as images of another beautiful brunette, this one encouraging him to hold on during his darkest moments, crossed his mind.  “I appreciate that, Kelly...but I’m not in a good place for that right now.”  She nodded and excused herself.  

Lisa watched the blonde man rest his head back against the pillow with a tired sigh.  “Did you know that Stella tried to call you the day that you were taken?”  

He winced at the mention of her name, gentle though it’d been.  He was too tired to mask his surprise.  “N-no...we, uh...we split up right before shipping out.  She’d dodged my first couple of calls when we got to Mexico.”

“She must’ve called right after you left for the mission...was trying to make things right.  She’s been with Naima since the…” Davis cleared her throat, looked away for a moment before continuing.  “Since the video was released.”  Clay felt a twist in his chest at the thought of Stella seeing what he’d been through.  Lisa stood and approached the bed, settling her hand over Clay’s uninjured arm.  “I’ve kinda taken over keeping in touch with Stella instead of Naima having to be the go-between for the guys.  They are...less than thrilled with her over what happened before we left, but I can see things closer to her perspective.  I’ve been stuck miles away and unable to do a damn thing as you, Jason and Trent went down in a chopper.  I have a little bit of a clearer understanding of what it feels like to be on her side of things.”  Watching Clay’s conflicted reaction, Lisa squeezed his bicep and shrugged.  “Maybe I wouldn’t have been so quick to forgive her...lapse of judgment if she weren’t so consistent in checking in since the moment the team got you back.  She’s following your lead, though, Clay...if you don’t want to see her again, she’ll back off.”

The wounded SEAL stared up at Lisa for a long moment, processing everything she’d said; that Stella had wanted to fix things before he’d been taken hostage...and still wanted to be with him even after what he considered to be the worst scenario she could’ve endured as his girlfriend.  “I...I need to see her...talk to her before I make any decisions.”  Lisa grinned.  “But I need to talk to the others first.”

“What you need to do first is rest.  The team will probably be another couple of hours.  You’re still healing, Clay...I don’t know how much you remember, but we came really close to losing you.  It’s going to take time to bounce back from this, so don’t push it, do you understand me?”

The SEAL couldn’t help his smirk, even as he lost the fight to keep his eyes open. Damn, if this woman doesn’t have some magical powers that bend us to her will, he thought. “Aye aye, ma’am.”

The last thing he saw before falling asleep was the affectionate grin on her face as she settled back into the chair near the door.

“C’mon, Ken Doll, Davis already gave you up, open those pretty blues, you’ve had enough time to sleep.”  The gruff voice that dragged Clay back from his slumber was accompanied by light pats on the cheek, and the young SEAL flinched away with a grimace.

“Really, Sonny?” Trent growled.  As Clay opened his eyes, the medic was tugging Sonny away from the bed.  

“I didn’t touch any of the bruises, but you can’t tell me you aren’t itchin’ to see him awake and talkin’ just as much as I am.”  When Sonny caught Clay’s gaze, the Texan lit up.  “There he is! Welcome back to the world of the living, GQ!”

“You wanna take it down a notch, Son?” Clay mumbled, turning his eyes to the rest of his room.  The entirety of Bravo Team was scattered around him: Sonny and Trent standing at his right side, Brock and Cerberus next to Lisa by the door, Jason and Ray to his left.  

“Sorry the caveman can’t keep quiet to save his life,” Lisa offered with a regretful smile.  Clay grinned back with a wink.

“How are you feeling, Kid?” Jason asked, voice soft.  

“Like hell,” he answered.  “What’s the damage for going rogue?”

The Team Leader shrugged.  “Couple weeks restricted to base, which is fine because it’s about how long you’ll be stuck in here anyway.”  Jason watched his youngest team member quietly for a moment.  “Before you ask, cause I know you will, Charlie team is taking over the hunt for Doza.”

Clay nodded his gratitude, chose not to respond to the fact that he’d be confined to this room for two whole weeks.  “Thanks for coming after me.”

Brock snorted.  “Like not bringing you home was even an option.”

“The only reason the cake-eaters gave us any hell is because we didn’t wait for their green light, couldn’t be made to look like fools for not responding faster,” Ray added.

The injured SEAL fidgeted for a moment, wishing that he could move his left arm - or leg...that he could find some kind of comfortable position as he prepared for what he was sure would be an uncomfortable conversation. He settled for raising the head of his bed so that he could at least be sitting up. “Hey, guys...I’m going to ask Stella to come by...to talk.”  Sonny opened his mouth to retort, but Clay held up his good hand, limited thought the movement was by his IVs.  “I know that you guys aren’t happy with what happened...but this is between me and her.  I don’t know if I’m going to let her back in or not…” He took a breath, both for rest and to steel himself for whatever arguments they might give.  “But I am asking that you trust my judgment, whatever I decide.”

“She let you deploy fresh off a breakup, and look at what happened,” Sonny insisted, his hands grasping at the bedrail and tightening.  When Clay looked up at him, the Texan was staring at the floor.  When he spoke again, guilt softened his tone.  “You took a stupid risk…”

Clay wrapped his fingers around Sonny’s wrist and waited until the older man met his eyes to respond.  “I recognized a threat to my team and a chance to protect my brothers.  I was first in the door, I looked most like just another tourist...I knew things wouldn’t have gone well if they were able to grab anyone else.  Breakup or not, I would do the exact same thing in any circumstance.  Stella had nothing to do with it.”  He squeezed until Sonny nodded his understanding, and then Clay glanced around to make sure the others heard him as well.  “I would gladly lay down my life for you, and I know you would do the same.  What happened with Stella...she tried not to have the conversation before we left.  I was the one who wouldn’t let it go until she told me what was bothering her.  It was just as much her fault as it was mine…”

“We’ll follow your lead, Spense.  It’s not an easy life...we don’t always get it right the first time around.  If this didn’t scare her off...not really sure what would,” Jason assured.  The rest of the team nodded their agreement, albeit reluctantly on Sonny’s part.  “Just be sure she’s back for the right reasons.”

Davis stood with a genuine smile.  “I’ll give her a call.  Looks like it’s time for you boys to clear out.”  She hesitated for a moment.  “Brock, you grabbed Clay’s stuff when we left Mexico, right?  Can you bring his laptop in here, give him something to do while he waits for her to get here?”  Clay narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, before he remembered her comment about the call he’d missed before being taken.

Ten minutes later, Clay was alone in the hospital room, laptop resting across his knees as he pulled up the video message that he’d never gotten to see.  He watches as the face of the woman he loved changed from forced optimism to guilt, tears filling her eyes as she apologized for hurting him and asked for the chance to fix it.

“I was so stupid for waiting so long to call you after Naima talked some sense into me the day you guys deployed.”  The blonde SEAL looked up to see Stella leaning against the doorframe, eyes red and watery. She refused to look anywhere but his face. “I knew within a few hours what I was going to do...but I was too embarrassed.  Maybe if I’d called sooner, things would’ve been different…” A tear slid down her cheek, and Clay closed the laptop with his good hand.  

“Stella, what happened wasn’t because of us breaking up.  What happened was because I needed to protect my team...my brothers.  I would’ve done it no matter how things were with us.”  He hesitated, knowing that this would be the defining moment for them.  “That’s not something that will ever change, Stell.  It’s my job to protect them, and I will do that with my dying breath if I have to.”

Fresh tears dripped to the ground as she dropped her gaze to the floor.  “I...I know,” she murmured, voice surprisingly certain.  When she returned her eyes to his, determination shone through.  Hesitant steps brought her to his right side, and when he canted his head towards her, she sat gingerly on the bed near his hip.  Clay refused to break her stare, reading every shifting emotion as it crossed her face, and instinctively laced their fingers when her hand settled over his.  Stella sobbed, and the vice grip around his heart eased.  “I love you for your devotion to your brothers, Clay.  I would never want that to change...and I’m sorry that I ever made you feel otherwise.  Bravo is your family...they’re part of you.  I regret giving up even a second of time being with you out of the fear of what might happen...but it’s shown me that I need to make the most of what time we do have together...to be grateful for every moment we are given together, and support you through every step, good or bad.”

Clay smiled softly at her, squeezing her fingers.  “If we do this again...I have to warn you, the guys are going to be hard on you for a while, until they feel confident you’re here for good.”  Hope swelled in his chest at her responding look of tenderness and the warmth of her hand against his cheek.  

“I would expect nothing less from the men who watch your back in life and death situations, as well as every other facet of your life.  I am prepared to do whatever it takes to prove to them that I’m not going to let my fear drive me away from you ever again.”  She stared into his eyes for a long moment.  “Are you willing to give me a chance to make things right?”

In lieu of responding verbally, Clay eased his hand around her waist and tugged her close to press his lips against her.  Finally, he was home.  Finally, he was whole again.  This woman, who’d already proven time and again that she belonged in his world, had come back to him even after the next worst thing to him actually being killed in action...and he would make damn sure she wouldn’t run again.  If her response to his kiss was any indicator, that wouldn’t be an issue; the SEAL drew back with a low hiss when they got too caught up in the moment, and she bumped his injured arm.  

“Shit, sorry, I’m so sorry…” Her hands hovered over his shoulders, wanting to fix it but not knowing what was safe to touch.  Clay chuckled at her and kissed her again briefly, wanting to assure her that he was okay.  Stella sat back, now serious, eyes tracing every visible bruise and cut, the bandages and outline of his casted leg beneath his bedsheet.  “When that video came on…”  He cradled her face when her lower lip began to quiver, and she leaned into his touch.  “I was out at the bar, and it didn’t even connect at first that it could be you.  One of the others, maybe...but my mind didn’t even let me process the possibility that it would be you.  I’ve never been so scared...and then Naima called me, within minutes.  Even knowing we’d broken up, not knowing I’d changed my mind...she didn’t give me a choice, I wasn’t going to be alone while you were gone.  I don’t know how I would’ve handled everything without her and the other wives.”

Clay made a mental note to thank Naima for calling Stella out when she’d needed it, and being the support she needed and never would’ve felt comfortable asking for.  “Ray’s got himself a special lady, and I’m glad she was there when you needed her most.”  Idly twirling a strand of brunette hair around his finger, the blonde took in her beautiful face and once again remembered when it had come to him in his darkest moment.  “You know, while they had me...there was a point where I hallucinated that you were with me.”  She tensed under his touch but didn’t respond, so he continued.  “You encouraged me to hold on, reminded me that the guys wouldn’t give up.  It gave me strength, got me through til they showed up.”  The sudden tears streaming down her face startled Clay, and he narrowed his eyes.  “What?”

“I...I had a nightmare the second day after you were taken...that I was with you.  I could smell the blood…”

The meaning behind her words tightened his chest, and he couldn’t help a grin.  “My very own guardian angel.  Hey,” he waited until she met his eyes again.  “I’m home, I’m safe, and most importantly, you’re here with me.  I love you, Stella; getting over this is going to royally suck on many levels, but I know that we’ll get through it together.”

[junker-town]

Jurrell Casey is fueling the Titans’ playoff run by stirring up chaos

Jurrell Casey had two sacks in the Titans’ upset win over the Ravens

Titans veteran defensive tackle Jurrell Casey was a headache for both the Patriots and the Ravens.

Jurrell Casey is no Aaron Donald.

But there was a time when many NFL bloggers like myself thought Casey had a chance to put up big sack numbers on a consistent basis. Now that he has finished up his ninth season with the Tennessee Titans, I think it’s safe to say that isn’t going to happen.

At the same time, I’d still say the man is underrated!

OK, so he hasn’t touched double-digit sacks since 2013, but I will tell you this much: 51 career sacks for a guy who is primarily an interior pass rusher is pretty damn impressive. And let’s not act like he hasn’t notched a bunch of quarterback hurries and hits over the years. Both Casey and Donald play the position the “right” way, which is like manna for those of us who really appreciate defensive line play.

But after nine seasons, Casey’s best days are probably behind him. And that is somewhat reflected in how his stats fell off this year during the regular season as he posted a career low in tackles for a loss, his third-lowest number of quarterback hits for a season, and just five sacks.

While acknowledging he isn’t quite what he used to be, I wouldn’t be too quick to bury the OG if I were you, however.

He is a headache for most offensive lines on any given Sunday. For anybody who had forgotten who he was, Casey damn sure handed out a great reminder with his performance so far in the playoffs against the Patriots and Ravens.

And that should worry the Chiefs.

Divisional Round: 1 play Casey made halted any hope of a Ravens comeback

This postseason, 2013 Jurrell would’ve been jealous of some of the things 2020 Jurrell was able to do out there on the field. The older, wiser Casey isn’t going to fall for the okie doke these days. My guy is a wily vet now, which isn’t to say that he wins every battle up front, but it is to say that you will have a hard time beating him by catching him slipping. He is on his keys every play, and his technique is some of the most consistent you will find.

Mind you, while I normally think of Casey as a three-technique, the truth is the Titans have almost always kept him on the move.

Prime example is one of his sacks last weekend against the Ravens. A sack that, in my opinion, had a huge impact on the outcome of the game, considering it came in the third quarter when the Ravens still had a chance at a comeback.

And who did he have to beat to get it? Just Baltimore All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley.

And how did Casey beat him?

He was already lined up in a wide five and used the momentum from getting chipped by the running back, who was on his way out on a route, to transition to an inside move. Then Casey turned his shoulders outside to “get skinny” through the gap, and swiped Stanley’s hands down as he slid by. It was a clean win that allowed Casey a free run at Lamar Jackson.

And then Lamar, of course, made him miss.

”Whiff” is the word that comes to mind.

But, as he always does, Casey just kept right on working and eventually caught back up to Jackson from behind. With the uber-elusive quarterback now dead in his sights, Casey opted not to go the safe route and just go for the sack, but also to chop down on Jackson’s arm to try force a fumble. Not only was he successful at separating the ball from Jackson’s grasp, one of his teammates was able to recover the fumble as well.

That’s what I call being impactful.

Oh, but he had two sacks didn’t he?

To reiterate my point about Casey’s position versatility, that second sack came from when he was lined up head up on the center initially. It doesn’t matter where they put him, he’s gonna cook.

Wild Card Round: 4 times Casey kept the Patriots from taking over

To make a separate point about Casey sometimes having a big impact on games that isn’t necessarily quantifiable on the stat sheet, let me give a brief rundown on a few important plays he made against the Patriots that you might’ve missed:

He beat right guard Shaq Mason like a drum on the second play from scrimmage with a club-to-forklift-to rip move and barely missed sacking Tom Brady.

That forced Brady into an incompletion that probably should’ve been flagged as intentional grounding.

His tremendous hustle right before halftime while being a part of a two-man rush helped to keep a third-down screen from gaining enough yardage for a first down.

Brady had to settle for a Hail Mary try on the next play which, of course, ultimately fell incomplete.

Remember that long pass to Ben Watson that called back with a little over nine minutes left in the third quarter because of a Patriots offensive lineman being illegally downfield? That was Mason again, and he was downfield because Casey was hustling and Mason, rightly, thought Casey had a chance of getting to Brady before he could get the throw off.

As a reminder the score was 14-13 Titans at that point.

He also shared a pressure with DaQuan Jones on a third-and-3 early in the fourth quarter where he started off lined up as the left three-technique in the B gap, stunted outside, and beat Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon with a swiper hands move.

The Patriots were at the Titans’ 47-yard line and still ended up punting with the score remaining 14-13 Titans.

Just because you didn’t notice, didn’t mean Casey wasn’t putting in work. But don’t fret, that’s what you’ve got me for!

AFC Championship: Why Casey is a scary matchup for the Chiefs’ OL

I believe his best performance of these playoffs is still yet to come this week against the Chiefs.

For one, the Chiefs’ starting left guard for most of the season, Andrew Wylie, has been out of the lineup since Week 16 with an ankle injury. Stefen Wisniewski has taken over that position since then and he is a little on the lighter side at 305 pounds, which I think will be a disadvantage when facing Casey this week. I just don’t think he is going to be able to anchor down well when facing Casey’s power. There is a chance that Wylie will play, but there is no way of knowing how effective he might be either in his first game action since the injury.

I’m not sure if Chiefs right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif will fare much better against Casey, either. While Duvernay-Tardif is a little bigger at 321 pounds, I saw him get beat several times last week, including just before halftime when Texans rookie Charles Omenihu got him with the same type of swiper move that Casey utilizes to great effect. You can bet your ass Duvernay-Tardif will see that move from Casey, too.

Even though I still expect the Titans to move Casey around a bit this weekend, I also think he may line up at three-technique a little more than usual, especially on passing downs. So I might finally get to see him play a ton at the position that I think he was born to play for most of the game, and I couldn’t be more excited.

But, let me also say that I wouldn’t be surprised to see him beat Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher out on the edge, either. At the very least, I’d be willing to bet when Casey faces Fisher one-on-one that he will be able to collapse the pocket back into Patrick Mahomes’ lap. And if he does, you can expect him to come off that power rush with the quickness and take Mahomes to the ground.

Along with beating both guards when he has one-on-one opportunities, I also believe Casey has a good chance to get pressure running interior pass rush games. He is excellent at running games, whether he is the penetrator, or the loop guy. I think the Chiefs’ interior three may be vulnerable specifically to TOM — one defensive tackle is the penetrator in the A gap either lined up there or with a stung inside, the other defensive tackle loops around behind them to the B gap — games up front this weekend as well, and those seem to be his specialty.

Having said all that, let me be clear and say that while I believe Casey is primed to have a hell of a game on Sunday, I still don’t think it will be enough to get the Titans a win.

The Chiefs can just score too fast and in too many ways, and Casey won’t be on the field all the time anyway. I just don’t see a way the Titans win a shootout, and if they fall a couple of touchdowns behind early on, that is just a recipe for disaster.

By the way, if you’re about to bring up their Week 10 victory, just don’t. Seriously.

If you are now over there silently pissed because I won’t let you point out that the Titans scored over 30 points to win that game, please go back and look at the context. Hell, really all you have to do is remember it was Mahomes’ first game back from injury, the Chiefs had a makeshift offensive line, they had some special teams blunders, and the Tennessee defense scored on a fumble return. Despite all that, KC was still in position to tie the game at the end and send it to overtime in Nashville.

See, I stopped you from looking stupid. You’re welcome!

Anyway, just because I don’t think the Titans will win doesn’t change my prediction about Casey having a big day.

At 6’1 and a listed weight of 305 pounds, Casey, like Donald, could fairly be described as “undersized.” Once the the ball is snapped, however, both guys play like they are 10 feet tall. I want to make clear that in addition to being one helluva pass rusher, Casey has also been a disruptive force against the run consistently over the course of his career.

The main reason why Casey continues to be such a force even after having lost a little of his fastball is because he does all the little things so well.

Jurrell Casey may not ultimately end up with some of the statistics that us bloggers thought he might reach, but more people should still know his name. Sunday is a perfect time for him to once again remind us all that greatness isn’t always measured by numbers. He might not be Aaron Donald, but Pat Mahomes is definitely going to feel him on Sunday.

I, for one, can’t wait until he proves me right.

Just like I have been the last two weekends.

[moatmagic4-blog]

NFL Power Rankings: Rams are in a funk, and the great Sean McVay has to fix them

We’re far beyond asking if Sean McVay is a great coach. He is. We all know that.

But this is a new challenge. Amazingly enough, this is the first time McVay has ever lost back-to-back regular-season games. It took almost two full seasons.

In the late afternoon of Dec. 9, before the Rams and Bears kicked off in Chicago, the Rams were the best team in football. It wasn’t much of a debate. They were 11-1, and a 15-1 season seemed possible. That changed fast.

It’s not just that the Rams have lost two straight, likely giving up a shot at the NFC’s No. 1 seed. It’s that they were dominated each time. The Bears blasted the Rams. That was excusable; the Bears are a very good team and it was in Chicago. But losing at home to an Eagles team that was 6-7 and turning to backup quarterback Nick Foles? Don’t let the Rams’ late rally fool you. The Eagles were clearly the better team on Sunday night, although they tried to blow it at the end.

Back to McVay. He has to figure out why his fantastic Rams team, especially on offense, suddenly looks average. If he’s as great as we all think, he’ll make the adjustments.

Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky theorized that the Lions actually exposed some things in the Rams offense a few weeks ago. Orlovsky tweeted that the Lions didn’t sell out to stop the run, and therefore didn’t open up lanes for the Rams to gash them with play-action passes. Then the Bears and Eagles did the same, effectively taking away the Rams’ strong play-action game. Bucky Brooks of NFL Media noted that the Rams are using play-action passes far less frequently the past two weeks. For most of Sunday night’s game the Eagles were intent on taking away deep passes, forcing the Rams to settle for underneath throws.

The entire offense has gone in a funk, which happens when opponents take away one of your biggest strengths. Goff’s numbers tell the whole story. He was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL through 11 games. Over the past three he has been one of the league’s worst: 726 yards (a lot of which came late against the Eagles after the Rams dug a big hole), one touchdown and seven interceptions. He has a miserable 51.3 rating.

The Rams’ season is far from over. Even if they don’t catch the Saints for the top seed in the NFC, they are capable of winning in New Orleans. Back there in Week 9, they trailed 38-35 with about four minutes left and had the Saints in a third-and-7, then Drew Brees hit Michael Thomas for a 72-yard score. The Rams were right there, rallying after a bad start in that game. And there’s a long list of teams that have stumbled late in the regular season and still won a Super Bowl. It’s not like the Rams don’t have the talent to join that group.

McVay is the reason they should believe this two-week stretch is an aberration. We’ve spent a year or more praising McVay, talking in grandiose ways about how amazing he is and how he is changing the game. Now, saddled with fixing a losing streak for the first time, we should see McVay’s true value.

The Green Bay win seems like a distant memory after two horrid performances. Is head coach Steve Wilks’ job safe? The Arizona Republic’s Kent Somers believes it is a “foregone conclusion” that Wilks will be fired. Anytime a coach goes one-and-done, it’s an organizational failure. It would be justifiable though, given how awful the Cardinals have looked this season. What a mess in Arizona.

Did you know Derek Carr hasn’t thrown an interception since Oct. 7? Over Carr’s past nine games: 194-of-293, 2,056 yards, 12 touchdowns, no interceptions, 100.1 rating. Nobody is claiming he’s having a great season, but considering his supporting cast (especially after the Raiders traded Amari Cooper), it’s not bad. At very least, it shouldn’t be a priority anymore for the Raiders to dump Carr, as was being said two months ago.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10, LW: 29)

Doug Marrone’s disappointment tour continued with a home loss to the Redskins, who were starting a quarterback (Josh Johnson) that was signed on Dec. 5 and before that hadn’t thrown an NFL pass since 2011. I’ve said a few times Marrone is the second-worst NFL coach of this season behind Hue Jackson. On Sunday, Marrone probably passed Jackson as the worst coach of this season.

29. San Francisco 49ers (4-10, LW: 30)

Nick Mullens had some bumpy games, but he has played well overall. He had 275 yards and a touchdown against a Seahawks defense that almost shut out the Vikings last week. He’s been good enough that the 49ers should feel OK if Jimmy Garoppolo’s ACL recovery goes slow and Mullens has to start a game or two next season, or perhaps San Francisco can find a trade partner.

28. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8, LW: 28)

Joe Mixon had 129 yards and two touchdowns for an offense that has no other weapon to worry about. Part of that is the Raiders defense stinks, but Mixon has been fantastic this season. He is fourth in the NFL with 995 rushing yards. Everyone knew what kind of a prospect he was in last year’s draft (we all know by now why he slipped) and that’s coming to fruition.

27. New York Jets (4-10, LW: 24)

When you examine Sam Darnold’s rookie year, it’s fair to look at his best moments and be excited about the future. His best games have been quite promising. He looked good on Saturday against a tough Texans defense, throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns. There’s still work to do, but the Jets should feel good they made the right pick.

26. New York Giants (5-9, LW: 22)

On Sunday morning, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Eli Manning was “playing his way onto the roster in 2019.” Then the Giants got shut out at home by the Titans. But what else are the Giants going to do? They put themselves in this corner by passing on a quarterback with the second overall pick. 

25. Detroit Lions (5-9, LW: 23)

How much of this miserable season is on Matthew Stafford? He doesn’t have a ton to throw to after the Lions traded Golden Tate, cut Eric Ebron and lost Marvin Jones to a season-ending injury. And the coaching staff appears in over its head (though they also deserve credit for the Rams strategical tidbit mentioned above). But Stafford has zero 300-yard games since October. His passer rating is his worst mark since 2014. His yards per attempt hasn’t been this bad since 2012. Over a full season he has never thrown for less than 266.1 yards per game; he’s at 242.5 this year. His touchdowns are down and his interceptions are up. Put blame on the coaches and Stafford’s bad supporting cast, but he has to be better than this.

24. Atlanta Falcons (5-9, LW: 27)

I’ve said this in this space before but it needs to be repeated: It’s almost impossible to have a quarterback as productive as Matt Ryan this season and still have a terrible record. Ryan is on pace for 4,922 yards, 34 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 107.6 passer rating. No quarterback in NFL history, with a minimum of four starts, has ever posted a 105 rating on a losing team.

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-9, LW: 21)

Jameis Winston’s past two games have been brutal: 31-of-63, 370 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, 64.9 passer rating. Good luck if you’re the Buccaneers trying to figure out what to do about his future.

22. Green Bay Packers (5-8-1, LW: 20)

Longtime Packers reporter Tom Silverstein of PackersNews.com laid out a harsh but fair assessment of Aaron Rodgers‘ season. He went through many of the missed throws Rodgers has had, including a few more against the Bears. Silverstein wrote: “The degree to which Rodgers’ invincibility has shrunk this season has to make any coaching candidate cringe when thinking about taking this job.” No matter how much blame you want to put on Rodgers for this lost Packers season, it’s a worthwhile read from someone who has covered all of Rodgers’ career.

21. Denver Broncos (6-8, LW: 19)

The report that John Elway wanted to bring back Mike Shanahan to coach the Broncos a year ago, only for that to be nixed by CEO Joe Ellis … first, that story is bonkers. Second, does Elway really think hiring 66-year-old Shanahan, who has won one playoff game since the 1998 season, is really the answer? It’s amazing how quickly Elway’s reputation as a GM has slipped, and in such a short time.

20. Washington Redskins (7-7, LW: 26)

Let’s take a second and acknowledge how awesome the Josh Johnson story is. He was drafted in 2008, is 32 years old and was a free agent until being signed on Dec. 5. He had never been a starting quarterback for an NFL win before Sunday. “I know every opportunity I get could be my last one, that’s just the reality of my situation,” Johnson said, according to NBC Sports Washington. “I just want to leave it all out on the field. I owe this game that much because I love it that much.”

19. Buffalo Bills (5-9, LW: 25)

How many of the Bills who had an offensive touch on Sunday have you heard of? We’ll spot you Josh Allen, and here are the others: Keith Ford, Marcus Murphy, Patrick DiMarco, Ray-Ray McCloud, Isaiah McKenzie, Robert Foster, Jason Croom, Zay Jones. And that team beat Detroit. That probably says a ton about Matt Patricia’s Lions right now, but again, the Bills deserve credit for how they’ve battled all season.

18. Carolina Panthers (6-8, LW: 18)

The Panthers need to shut Cam Newton down for the season. His shoulder doesn’t look anywhere near right. He’s tried to fight through it, and credit to him for that, but the Panthers’ season is over and Newton’s should be too.

17. Miami Dolphins (7-7, LW: 14)

Kenyan Drake had one carry in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings. Last year, when head coach Adam Gase was forced to use Drake as a lead back, Drake had 444 rushing yards on a 4.9-yard average, with 150 more receiving yards, in five games. When asked why Drake got one carry, Gase said, “there were some times we tried to dial stuff up to Kenyan but allowed a sack or pressure and couldn’t get the ball to him.” You’ve read complaints about Drake’s usage all season in this space, but it’s still as stupefying as ever. 

16. Philadelphia Eagles (7-7, LW: 17)

That was a monster win for the Eagles on Sunday night. I’m not sure Nick Foles is ready to lead the Eagles to the playoffs, but it’s not impossible. All of a sudden the Eagles’ home game against the Texans next Sunday is really interesting.

15. Cleveland Browns (6-7-1, LW: 15)

Let’s just fast forward to the Dec. 31 news conference when GM John Dorsey is explaining how the Browns responded to Gregg Williams and that’s why he’s getting the full-time job, even though for the first time in forever the Browns will be the most attractive head-coaching opening in the league.

14. Minnesota Vikings (7-6-1, LW: 16)

We’ll see if the Vikings keep playing this well on offense after firing coordinator John DeFilippo or if Sunday was one of those one-game bounces. But if the Vikings play a few more games on offense like Sunday, that has to reflect poorly on DeFilippo. Everyone seems to love him but he has no track record of success as a coordinator. If the shine is off of him, that makes a fairly thin group of head-coaching candidates even thinner (and there are going to be a lot of openings).

13. Indianapolis Colts (8-6, LW: 13)

It’s funny, defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was a Josh McDaniels hire. He stayed on when McDaniels double-crossed the Colts. That was a gift. Eberflus has done an outstanding job, including Sunday’s shutout of the Cowboys. Some players have emerged for the Colts and that has helped, but it’s still a unit playing way above its talent level. Give Eberflus credit for that.

12. Tennessee Titans (8-6, LW: 12)

The most interesting race left, aside from the AFC West, might be for the final wild-card spot in the AFC. The Titans, Colts and Ravens are tied at 8-6. The Titans and Colts play Week 17, and the Ravens aren’t out of the AFC North race either. The Ravens have tiebreaker edges, because they beat the Titans and have a better conference record than the Colts. A few teams are going to be rooting for the Chargers to beat the Ravens next Saturday night.

11. Seattle Seahawks (8-6, LW: 10)

A loss to the 49ers really doesn’t hurt the Seahawks that much, even though they face the Chiefs this week. Seattle finishes against the Cardinals and if they lose that game, they don’t deserve to make the playoffs anyway. It was just one of those bad games for Seattle.

10. Baltimore Ravens (8-6, LW: 11)

The implications of the Ravens-Chargers game on Saturday seem clear for the Ravens. With a win, the Ravens are in incredible shape to make the playoffs (though a finale against the Browns is looking tougher each week). With a loss to the Chargers, Baltimore is going to need a ton of help. Considering the Chargers are still in the mix for the AFC West, and the difference between first and second place in that division is a No. 1 seed vs. a No. 5 seed, Saturday night should seem like a playoff game.

9. Dallas Cowboys (8-6, LW: 8)

The Cowboys are in a really weird spot. They still are in control of the NFC East. They hold tiebreakers over the Eagles and Redskins, with a one-game lead over both. They also have no shot at a first-round bye. Realistically, after beating the Eagles in Week 14, they had three weeks of practically meaningless football. It’s not a shock they were flat against the Colts. There’s no need for alarm.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5-1, LW: 9)

It’s hard to say Sunday was a season-saving win over the Patriots, though that might be accurate. The Steelers’ playoff hopes at 7-6-1 heading into a game at New Orleans would have been bleak. At 8-5-1, a win over the Saints would be nice but there are still many ways into the playoffs if they lose.

7. New England Patriots (9-5, LW: 6)

The Patriots are a miserable 3-5 on the road this season. And after losing a grip on the No. 2 seed, they’re looking at possibly having to win at Houston and at Kansas City (or the L.A. Chargers) to make another Super Bowl. We’ve seen the Patriots turn things around before, but the road is a lot tougher this season.

6. Houston Texans (10-4, LW: 7)

The Patriots’ loss is a big one for the Texans. They play at the Eagles on Sunday. If they win that, all that stands between them and a first-round playoff bye is a home game against the Jaguars, one of the worst teams in the NFL.

5. Chicago Bears (10-4, LW: 5)

The Bears might run the NFC North for a while. There’s no reason to believe the Packers or Vikings will be better than them next season (we don’t even need to mention the Lions). One highlight from Sunday’s game: That touchdown pass Mitchell Trubisky made to Trey Burton was a big-time throw.

4. Los Angeles Rams (11-3, LW: 2)

I’m not going to dump the Rams way down the list, but the last two weeks don’t look very good. And obviously, if Todd Gurley’s knee injury is worse than it appears, this becomes a different team.

3. Los Angeles Chargers (11-3, LW: 4)

The Chargers went on the road without Melvin Gordon and mostly without Keenan Allen and beat the team with the best record in the AFC. I believe right now this is the best team in the AFC. However …

2. Kansas City Chiefs (11-3, LW: 3)

I’m still giving the Chiefs the top AFC spot, and here’s why: They still have the inside track to the No. 1 seed. I think they’ll win at Seattle next week and destroy the Raiders in Week 17. They’d be the top seed if they win out, the Chargers would be the fifth seed and possibly have to beat the Steelers and Texans on the road to even get an AFC championship game at the Chiefs. The Chargers are in that spot because they lost to the Broncos at home, a loss that isn’t aging well and cost them the tiebreaker against Kansas City. And don’t forget that the Chiefs won at the Chargers too.

1. New Orleans Saints (12-2, LW: 1)

I’m not quite sure what has happened to the Saints offense, but all that really mattered on Monday night was getting the win. Now they have two home games, and need to win just one, for the all-important No. 1 seed in the NFC.

– – – – – – –

Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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[smoke-eyes-fic]

April Fool’s Drabble

Sorry folks cucu and I are still working on the new chapter. Getting schedules and brain meats lined up in the proper times to get stuff done has been a rather insane venture.  So as a sort of apology, and in observation of April Fool’s I give you an old drabble from my folders of long ago. It sadly doesn’t have an end cause I was never sure where to cut it off. Feel free to create the rest yourself.  Timeline wise - this is after all the whatever-goes-down in the fic. A happy ending with a house and a dog. And hi-jinks ensue. This is based on an old joke I made ages back. Many apologies to those who don’t get the gag. 

It had been an uneventful dusty summer day.  The few chores around the farm had been done in the early morning before the Texas sun started beating down. There was some minor maintenance work that needed to be done on Sam's tractor. But Engineer would get to that when the sun wasn't so high. In the mean time he'd been dozing on the couch watching a Western on the television with Fleabag the hound asleep on his feet. Spy had declared he'd seen enough John Wayne in his lifetime and was in some other part of the house reading.  The Spook was getting restless again, soon he'd start insisting they leave the farm and go traveling.

The doorbell rang startling the Texan awake, Fleabag bayed loudly running to greet whoever was at the door. "Better not be another salesman" he muttered darkly as he slowly rose from the couch, he had hoped they would have learned after the last time. "Just a minute" he called stomping to the door. "Dangit Flea!" he grunted grabbing the dog by the collar dragging him back so he could open the door. "Can ah hel-" he froze as he squinted at the figure through the screen door. 

It was a young girl in a red dress and a beat up red sun hat that threatened to slip over her eyes. "Hullo" she said quietly pushing her hat back to peer up at him. She looked to be no older than six he guessed, too young to be out by herself. Something about her made him doubt she was here to sell cookies. Girl scouts didn't usually bring suitcases with them. He wasn't sure why, but he had a sinking suspicion he knew who to blame for this.

His suspicions were confirmed as she finally added  "I'm looking for my Papa."  

This was a bad dream, he tried to tell himself, closing his eyes for a moment. He would open them and he'd still be on the couch with his movie.  He opened his eyes and the girl and her red hat and suitcase were still standing on the doorstep with no sign of disappearing into thin air."Spah!" he yelled into the house "Git out here!"

Unable in good conscience to leave the child on the doorstep he opened the screen door and gestured for her to come in. Quietly she stepped inside, she turned to her suit case but the Texan had already picked it up. He noticed it was battered but well made, labels from all over the world covered the scuffed leather.

"Who was at the door?" Spy asked walking into the room."Relative of yours?" he asked glancing at the girl, his eyes seemed to avoid looking at the suitcase.

"Actually-"

"Papa!" the girl cut the Texan off walking towards the Frenchman.

A choked sound emitted from Spy's mouth instead of words as he stood rigid in the doorway.

"-She says she's one of yours." Engineer finished lamely.

The child stopped in front of him oblivious to the fact the man was turning a rather unpleasant shade of gray.  She placed her chubby hand into her dress pocket and pulled out a small sealed envelope and held it out to him. Quickly regaining composure Spy accepted the letter, ripping it open. His eyes darted across the papers, narrowing with every line before his hand lowered  and glowered at the girl.

"What's it say?" the Texan asked but neither the girl or Frenchman offered any explanation.

Brushing past the girl he took the letter from Spy's slack grip. It was elegant stationary, the message itself was French written in neat flowery feminine hand writing.

"This is a trick." Spy insisted loudly to no one in particular. "Putain de menteur,"

"Don't use language like that with kids present."  Engineer scolded him as he tried to translate the letter but was having trouble concentrating, his mind reeling through too many things at once.  Who was this girl? Where was her mother? Who was her mother?  How did she come to be here in the middle of Texas?

"Merde! -I'll use whatever language I feel lik-" the Frenchman found himself silenced by one of the Texan's hands over his mouth.

"Hush." he hissed, looking at the ceiling and began slowly counting to ten, trying to organize his thoughts.

He never doubted that Spy had children. From his understanding of the man and his past misadventures, he was willing to guess the snake had fathered at least three or four. Though that was a rather conservative guess he told himself. He never expected to meet any of them. Let alone for one to end up on his doorstep.

He hoped this wasn't the start of a trend.

Finally reaching ten he lowered his hand from Spy's mouth hoping the idiot would have the sense to stay quiet for the time being. Looking back down at the girl he noted the resemblance between her and Spy. The same eyes, dark hair, thankfully she seemed to have been spared the man's nose.

"Where's your Mama  sweetie?" he asked kneeling down to look her in the eye.

"Dunno, she dropped me off at the gate." the girl informed him simply as if this was the most normal thing in the world ."She told me I was staying here for a while with my Papa and his friend while she worked." Well that explained the suitcase, and why he hadn't heard a car drive up. Or why the girl didn't seem confused to see him in addition to her father.

"She's not staying here!" Spy insisted to no one who was listening.

"What's your name?"  

The girl's eyes darted up at Spy and back to him, "Carmen" she responded, not the least bit shy.

"Ah tell yah what, Carmen. Let's go to the kitchen, get you some cookies and milk while your Papa and I talk. Would you like that?"

The girl eagerly nodded and followed him into the small kitchen. He sat her down at the table and pulled a couple of cookies out of the cookie jar. He nervously bit into one of the cookies, hardly tasting it as he chewed into dust,  before putting the entire ceramic jar in front of the girl. Glaring at Spy who had tried to palm a cookie for himself,  he poured the child a large mug of milk and left the jug out where she could hopefully reach it.

"Now you stay here, while we talk in the other room.  Alright?"  Carmen was too occupied with her mouth full of crumbs to do much more than nod. With a wide forced smile for the girl's benefit he grabbed Spy's arm before he could slip away and dragged the protesting man out of the kitchen to the other end of the house, hopefully out of ear shot.  

"That girl and her putain mère are liars!" Spy insisted to Engineer who leaned on the door that was only escape from the room.

"Who's her mother?" he asked irritably.

"It was a long time ago." the Frenchman answered defensively. "Years - before you and I-"

"-That's obvious. So who is she?"

"I was trailing her for BLU, they suspected she was courier for an exchange of Austrailium from a black market source. Then one thing led to another and-" the man shrugged pulling his cigarette case out of his pocket.

"So who is she?"

"She was an agent for Reliable Excavation. One of their spies, our paths had never crossed before. Never crossed after. It was a- one night tryst."

"Yah slept with an enemy Spy?!"  

"I slept with you!" Spy pointed out.  "Still do," he added.

"T-that's-" the Texan sputtered. "t-that's neither here nor there!" he insisted feeling his ears burn. "B-but an enemy spy?" He shouldn't be surprised that the man had affairs with others from RED. He'd known that the Frenchman had little regard for rules or boundaries. At least that explained how the woman had tracked Spy down here. He imagined that only another person in the same line of work could manage that. He held the letter over his face and skimmed the letter haphazardly translating the French writing in his head.

Dear [what the hell does she call him - his name - his alias? Spy? Shithead? Idiot?]

I see you and your pet cowboy have settled down for now. You do like to make yourself difficult to find don't you?

You've had your fun, now it's time to take responsibility for past mistakes. I'm sure you don't remember much of me or that night we fought in Las Vegas. Or what came after. I wouldn't have thought much of it myself, if it wasn't for the end results. Her name is Carmen by the way.  

I've been called away to a job - I'll be away for an unknown amount of time and it seemed it was high time the two of you got to know each other. I'm sure you'd agree with me that a child should know their parents. If only to see what poor life choices look like.

Before you start calling me a liar I have included some lab work you should see. My Medic owed me a couple of favors-.

Curious Engineer flipped to the next page. It looked like some sort of lab chart, "She included a paternity test." he said quietly.

"What?" the chart was yanked out of Engineers hands roughly. "How did she even…" Spy trailed off muttering profanity darkly under his breath.

The Texan sighed and went back to reading the letter.

- I expect you to take good care of her since she is your own flesh and blood. I will be back to collect her. Do not think you can dump her in an orphanage for your convenience. If you do, or if anything else happens to her be assured I will hunt you and every alias you ever used down and make you suffer. The same threat applies to your pudgy companion as well.

"Pudgy?" he repeated - rubbing the back of his neck.  

  "This has got to be a fake!" Spy fumed on, the floorboards creaking as he paced, "Where the hell would she even get a sample?"

Engineer sighed, half an hour ago he had been dozing on the couch, planning repairs to a tractor not worrying about some kid that got dumped on his doorstep. "Spook" he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Spook" he repeated again "Could'ya- Could'ya stop pacin' for a sec?"

[costchard98-blog]

The Linc - Tim Jernigan thankful to be back following potential career-ending injury

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

Eagles’ Tim Jernigan set to return after fear his career might be over - NBCSP Tim Jernigan feared his career was over. The Eagles’ defensive tackle, who will make his season debut Sunday, suffered a herniated disc that needed surgery in April. While Jernigan wouldn’t say how he suffered the injury because of “safety reasons,” it seems pretty clear it was serious. “S—, I’m blessed to play football again,” Jernigan said Friday. “One day, when this thing is over with or I’m wrapping it up, I’ll get more in detail with everything. But I’m lucky to play football again.” For months, the Jernigan situation has been shrouded in mystery and all of it isn’t gone yet. We still don’t know how he suffered the injury and we don’t exactly know how things transpired before he agreed to a significantly restructured contract after the surgery. What we do know is that the 26-year-old is going to play football Sunday after a lengthy rehabilitation process that prevented him from lifting weights for six months. That’s enough to make him smile.

Eagles vs. Giants Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the enemy - BGN The Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) and New York Giants (3-7) are set to play on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. In order to preview this Week 12 matchup, I reached out to our enemies over at Big Blue View. The expert Ed Valentine (@Valentine_Ed) took the time to answer my questions about the upcoming game. Let’s take a look at his answers.

Eagles-Giants Preview Spectacular - BGN Radio John Stolnis and Brandon Lee Gowton share their favorite Thanksgiving memories as Eagles’ fans before preview the upcoming Week 12 matchup with the New York Giants. Plus discussion about the implications of Cowboys-Redskins, NFL Picks, and much more! Powered by SBNation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Mailbag: Taking a shot in the dark, the Eagles’ 2019 first round pick will be... - PhillyVoice I’m going to sound like a broken record over the next five months, so my apologies in advance, but I believe the Eagles’ first round pick, wherever it lands, will be a defensive lineman, for two reasons: With Brandon Graham potentially walking in free agency, Chris Long maybe retiring, and Michael Bennett’s future uncertain, the Eagles have an obvious need to restock the edge rusher pipeline with young talent. Also, at defensive tackle, the lack of a complementary disruptive interior presence next to Fletcher Cox has been glaring this season. The 2019 NFL Draft has the potential to be one of the best defensive line drafts ever, loaded with first round talent. I’d be shocked if at least 10 defensive linemen didn’t go in the first round.

NFC East Update - Iggles Blitz One of the most intriguing aspects of this game will be Carson Wentz coming off an awful performance in New Orleans. I think part of the problem down there is that he was forcing things, trying to create big plays even when they weren’t there. The Giants don’t have a juggernaut offense so Wentz is more likely to play smarter this week. He won’t feel the same pressure to come up with big plays. Wentz is ultra-competitive so I’m sure he is dying to get back on the field and erase last week. I’ll be shocked if he struggles two weeks in a row. All this talk of standings won’t mean a thing if the Eagles don’t start making some plays and winning games. That’s games, with an “s”. Sunday would be a fantastic time to start.

DT Tim Jernigan Brings Snarl To Eagles Defense - PE.com A team needing a spark to turn things around in the right direction, the Eagles get defensive tackle Tim Jernigan back for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. Making his 2018 debut after an undisclosed (Jernigan chose not to discuss the nature of his injury) offseason injury that required surgery, Jernigan brings energy, nastiness, and a snarl to the defensive line. Amped to play, Jernigan knows he has the challenge of keeping his emotions in check against New York (1 p.m. kickoff) at Lincoln Financial Field. “It’s going to be tough, it’s going to be tough, but at the end of the day, I’ve got to be smart because it’s not about me. It’s about this team and right now our main focus is winning. We’ve got to beat the Giants,” Jernigan said. “I’m definitely going to bring energy, I’m definitely going to bring passion and just that swagger, man. We’ve got to get back to really just dominating up front. Our front seven has to dominate on Sunday.”

Eagles corner-starved entering game against Odell, Giants - ESPN One of the most startling facts surrounding this development is that LeBlanc, Sullivan, and Bausby weren’t even on the active roster as of a month ago. Bausby was released by the team in early September, re-signed to the practice squad on Nov. 5 and promoted to the 53-man roster a couple weeks later. Sullivan, a rookie out of Georgia State, was promoted to the active roster in late October. LeBlanc was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Lions in early November. He is on his third team this season, having been waived by the Chicago Bears in September.

Eagles’ Braxton Miller plays cornerback in practice due to banged up secondary - NJ.com This week, former Houston Texans gadget receiver Braxton Miller was asked to work as a scout team cornerback. Miller is comfortable with playing multiple positions, as he played quarterback and wide receiver at Ohio State during his college career. ”Being an athlete growing up, I played everything,” Miller said Friday. “So it’s just playing football. Just being instinctive and getting to the ball.” Miller said he played some cornerback in high school. While his job as a scout team cornerback was a temporary occurrence, he still tried to make the most of the opportunity.

Silva’s Week 12 Matchups - Rotoworld Past the point of reeling amid legitimate coaching concerns, the Eagles can silence some noise with a win over their longtime NFC East rivals. Even if it seems like forever ago, Philadelphia tore the G-Men to pieces 34-13 at MetLife Stadium in Week 6. Logically speaking, Sunday’s rematch should be a relative breeze. Yet Philly lost three of its last four games and looked like a sincerely bad team in the process, particularly in Week 11’s 48-7 Superdome spanking. The seven points were fewest of the Doug Pederson era. Carson Wentz must put this team on his back. He is a narrative-driven, fade-recency-bias DFS-tournament play. This same Giants defense yielded 58 combined points in Weeks 10-11 to Nick Mullens and a Bucs team that benched its quarterback during the game. … It isn’t hyperbole to say Philadelphia’s lone Week 11 source of offense was Josh Adams, who broke a first-quarter 28-yard TD sprint and finished with career highs in routes (16), targets (6), and snaps (55%) while Corey Clement and Wendell Smallwood remained black holes. Secure as the Eagles’ lead back, Adams should push for 15-plus touches as a home favorite versus a Giants defense that has allowed 100-plus rushing yards in 8-of-10 weeks and 14 running back TDs in its last nine games. I feel like I’ve been saying this for weeks, but there are reasons to believe Week 12 can be a turnaround game for Philly. The Eagles’ Weeks 12-17 schedule is among the softest in football, and division-leading Washington just lost its starting quarterback to I.R.

2018 NFL playcaller ranking - PFF Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles: While the results of the 2018 season thus far have not been as stellar for the most successful member of the Andy Reid tree, Pederson is still offering substantial value as he builds his Eagles offense for the future. Carson Wentz is making a negatively-graded throw on fewer than 10% of his dropbacks, while they are making the correct run/pass decision on two-thirds of their second-down decisions so far this year in close games. Injuries to their offensive line, some fourth-down variance and having to come from behind due to a banged-up defense has obscured what continues to be one of the more well-run offenses in the NFL.

Giants vs. Eagles: Giants need to trust the pass against Eagles’ secondary - Big Blue View Philadelphia is 32nd in big play rate and that’s one of the places the Giants have excelled on offense — they’re fifth. Testing this secondary should lead to a lot of yards and a lot of points, way more than if the Giants try to get Barkley going on the ground. Foregoing the run doesn’t have to exclude Barkley from the game plan, part of what makes Barkley a special player. The Eagles are 24th against running backs in the passing game, which is exactly the type of mismatch the Giants should try to exploit. Over the past few weeks, the Giants have slowly unleashed Barkley on routes that should have been a part of the offense in Week 1. There was the angle route late in the game against the 49ers and the wheel route last week against the Buccaneers, which was wide open but resulted in the only incompletion of the day. These are the types of routes that should be worked into the offense early in the game along with more shots to the wide receivers.

The Winners and Losers From Thanksgiving Day Football - The Ringer Turkey Day was good for undrafted NFL players and creative celebrations. It wasn’t so great for Markelle Fultz.

NFL teams are getting smarter, and better, on fourth downs - PFT One of the hallmarks of last year’s Super Bowl champion Eagles was their aggressiveness on fourth downs: Eagles coach Doug Pederson listened to the analytics experts who have been saying for years that teams should go for it on fourth down more often, and the result was Philadelphia leading the league in fourth-down conversion and winning the title. The NFL is a copycat league, so it’s no surprise that this year, more teams are getting smarter about going for it on fourth down — and better at converting when they do go for it.

Film Room: Colts Offense - Football Outsiders Thankfully, the tides turned just in time for a playoff push. Since Week 7, the Colts have ditched the hobbled, scared iteration version of their offense for a more well-crafted approach that caters to the talent on hand. Sure, sure, catering to the talent on hand seems like it should be expected of an offensive coach such as Reich, but even the team he left not 12 months ago has admitted to not being able to find a role for the league’s best yards-after-catch threat, Golden Tate. It may have taken Reich and company a while to find their groove, but this offense finally has an identity and Luck is taking full advantage.

Bears vs. Lions: Notes from a 23-16 Thanksgiving win - Windy City Gridiron All things considered, Chase Daniel had a solid outing. Given a short week to prepare for making his first start in four years, the backup looked confident and poised. He finished the game completing 27 of his 37 passing attempts for 230 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Bears didn’t give him too daunting of a task in executing their play calls, as they rarely chose to stretch the field with deep passes. That said, Daniel was able to keep the offense rolling for the most part.

Texans Owner Bob McNair Passes Away - Battle Red Blog According to the Houston Texans, owner Bob McNair passed away today. He was 81 years old.

Winning is the worst possible thing for the Cowboys now. Thanksgiving NFL takeaways - SB Nation The worst thing possible is happening to the Cowboys right now. They are winning. Why is that bad? Because Jason Garrett might keep his job if they win the NFC East, and Garrett should not keep his job. I’ve written about it before. The offense is bland. It’s gotten better with the addition of Amari Cooper, but it’s not that different. It’s just Amari Cooper making plays. Thursday, was a great example.

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[lifeideserve]

Ep 1 - The Journey to a Better Life, Starts Here: What Jack Canfield Taught Me

We all have the ability, to be successful.  And, while it’s common knowledge that a great education, valuable skills, and strong relationships, are pivotal to success, there are actually some fundamental beliefs, perspectives, and disciplines, that will dramatically increase your chances for success, regardless of your education and skills.  Take this journey with me, as I share what I've learned, and we learn more together, to achieve success, beyond your wildest dreams!  :-)

Hi, my name is Adrian McMillian.  Welcome to “The Life I Deserve”!!

This show was designed to help you identify your passion.  And, figure-out, how to pursue that passion.

Here’s a quote that I learned from Jack Canfield, on finding your passion, and your purpose in life: “Don't ask what the world needs, identify what makes you come alive, and then go do that.  Because what the world needs, is people who come alive!”

“The Life I Deserve” project was designed to help you, come alive!  Join me, as I help you discover your passion.  And, then, determine, how to pursue your passion!

I also want to help you, to enhance your health, grow your wealth, and fill your life, with happiness.  Subscribe to the Podcast, and stay tuned, as we explore these different areas.  

Health

I will share ideas, perspectives, and interviews, on how to enhance your physical, mental, and spiritual health.

My favorite exercise, is dancing.  For several years, I’ve been very involved in salsa dancing, and the other dances, you would find at a salsa club, like Bachata, and Cha Cha.  I love all types of dances!  I started taking West Coast Swing classes a few years ago.  And, then I got busy with other things, and stopped the West Coast Swing.  But, I really enjoyed it!  I really think I’m going to have to work more West Coast Swing, into my life.  :-)

Wealth

I will share information, insights, and opportunities, that may help you to, increase your income, and increase your return on investments.

I grew up in San Leon, Texas.  Which, is between Houston and Galveston.  I have 2 brothers and 2 sisters.  We didn’t have much money growing up, but we did have very caring parents.

Through many years of study, and hard work, I am now a Director of Technology, for a major motion picture company in Los Angeles, California.  

However, the path to true financial freedom, is passive income!  I discovered the power of rental properties, about 15 years ago.  I bought my first property on Halloween day, of 2002, in beautiful Santa Monica, CA.  I have learned a great deal in the last 15 years.  And, I’ve developed a strategy that works very well for me.  Stay tuned, for episodes, in which I share more about my experiences, and strategies in real estate investing.

Happiness

I will share insights and perspectives, that will help you to discover your passions, and empower you with the skills, resources, and support, to pursue your passions

Happiness, can be an elusive pursuit.  What makes one person happy, can be drastically different, from another person.  And, for each of us, the source of happiness, changes over time.  To make the happiness pursuit even more complex, it is heavily impacted by our past, and associations that we’ve made.  True happiness, is often connected with, helping, reaching-out, and connecting with others.  It’s human nature to help our brothers and sisters.  I believe happiness must be a shared experience.  Because, if we only look out for our own happiness, we will end up feeling empty.

What makes me happy?  Besides dancing, I love spending time with family...visiting my Dad, creating memories my sisters and brothers.  And, of course, I really enjoy time spent, with with my, amazing and talented, nieces and nephews.  I also love catching-up with friends.  I enjoy tropical vacations.  And, I really love helping people.

So, how can we, all, take our happiness to the next level?  And, how can we spread that happiness, to the people we love, and care about?  Listen to upcoming shows, as I interview experts in this area.

Listen to this entire episode, as I share with you, a powerful formula, that will allow you to take control of your life.  Also, I will share with you a story, that has impacted me, and my view of the world.  And, I have no doubt, that it will impact you as well!

Questions, Comments, Compliments

“The LIfe I Deserve” is here for you!  Please let me know what type of topics you’d like me to research.  What kind of people you’d like me to interview.  Or, if you, have something valuable to share.  If you have any knowledge, insights, perspectives, that can help people to improve their health, wealth, or happiness, reach out to me.  Visit “TheLifeIDeserve.com”.  And send me email or voicemail.  From the Web Site, click on the “Contact” tab, and you’ll see a button, that will allow you to record voicemail.  Or, if you’d rather leave email, just fill-in the form, just below the voicemail button.  

I really want to hear from you!!  And, yes, I mean you!  Reach out!  Let me know what’s on your mind.  Let me know how I can help you.  Or, maybe you have an inspirational story, or thought, that you’d like to share.  I really want to hear from you!!  Just go to “TheLifeIDeserve.com”, and then go to the Contact Page.

Unlocking Success

Jack Canfield, is known as America's #1 Success Coach.  He is the founder of the billion-dollar book brand "Chicken Soup for the Soul", a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success.

So, how did I discover Jack Canfield? While in college, I was got a job at the NASA Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas.  I was very excited! As a staff member, of the "Scientific and Technical Research Library", I worked hard to prove myself. And I was humbled by the fact, that some people I met, would literally leave Earth for a Space Mission. What made the difference, between a person, doing a job they dread, and a person living their dream, as an Astronaut? Looking for clues, I noticed that many patrons of the library, would put themselves on a waiting list, for a particular set of videos. Out of curiosity, I added myself to the waiting list. After a few months, it was my turn to check-out the coveted videos. The videos were by Jack Canfield. They were titled "Self-esteem and Peak Performance". I watched the videos. Despite the fact, that the videos were already several years old, everything Jack talked about in the videos, made sense to me. The lessons were timeless.  And, the concepts were simple, but powerful. Before watching the videos, I had no idea, why some people seem to be on the easy road to success, while others, seemed to be heading down a dead-end road. Watching the videos, I realized that I would be able to accomplish anything, by re-programming how I thought and reacted to my world. Those videos, were the beginning of a new life for me! It's amazing how small changes in the way you approach life, can dramatically change your world! Let's Do This! This is the reason for "The Life I Deserve". I invite you to take this journey with me. I invite you to try, new ways of thinking, and ways of being, that may help you to become the person you want to be, for yourself, and for the people that you care about. Over the next several months, I will evolve "The Life I Deserve" into a medium for sharing, learning, and growing together. Please feel free to share with me your thoughts, suggestions, comments, and questions. If I can help even one person in a significant way, this project, and the effort involved with this project, will all be worthwhile. We are all trying to navigate our way through life. Working together, we will not only survive, we will thrive!

The Universe Is Speaking

Last November, I visited my family, in Houston, for Thanksgiving. For some time, I have been trying to figure-out the next steps to take in my life.  During that trip, I remembered, it was Jack Canfield’s teachings, that significantly impacted my life, years ago.  Maybe I should meet Jack in person.  Maybe I should go to one of his events.  After discovering Jack Canfield, years ago, I checked-out other motivational speakers, to see what I could learn from them.  Zig Ziglar was another great inspiration. Zig was a Texan, full of Texan personality and charm.  And, a great sense of humor. He would tell amazing, impactful, true stories.  He also, would sometimes tell fictitious stories, that would either make a great point, or inspire his audience with laughter, or both.  Here’s one of Zig’s funny fictitious stories. A lady in Dallas, went to see an attorney, about a divorce.  The attorney said, “Do you have any grounds?”.  “Why yes”, she said, “we have about 40 acres, right out here, on the north end of town”.  [laughing]  He said, “ma'am, that’s not what I’m talking about, do you have a grudge?”.  She said, “No, but we have a nice little carport, on the side of the house”.  [laughing]  He said, “Ma’am, does that man ever beat you up?”.  “Oh no”, she said, “I’m up every day, at least an hour, before he even turns over”.  [laughing]  He said, “Ma’am, do you accept any responsibility for the difficulties?”.  She said, “What do you mean?”.  He said, “Well, do you ever wake-up, grouchy?”.  She replied, “Oh no, I just let him get-up, on his own”.  [laughing]  He said, “Well, why do you want to divorce the man?”.  She said, “He just can’t communicate.”  [laughing]  I remember hearing about Zig’s passing several years ago.  And I remember thinking, I should’ve seen him, in-person.  Well, no more should’ve’s.  I’m going to meet Jack Canfield. So, I checked-out the date and location for the next event.  At the end of February, in Newport Beach, Jack was teaching his “Breakthrough to Success” course.  This course is based on his amazing book titled, “The Success Principles”.  Okay, end of February would work.  Okay, now how much.  $3,000.  $3,000?  Hmmm.  Am I really going to get that much more out of meeting him in person. I decided to go to the gym, get a workout, and think about it.  I worked out, came back to my room, and noticed that my binder was not on the nightstand, where I usually put it.  I searched everywhere.  I went out to my car.  Not there either.  I looked for at least an hour.  Then I started taking inventory, in my head, of the valuable items, in my binder.  A cashier’s check for $2,500, from a real estate deal, I had in progress, and gift cards, totaling $500.  I had exactly $3,000 in my binder.  I told myself.  Okay, if I lost the binder, and the $3,000, it’s not the end of the world.  I’ll deal with it.  After more searching, I finally fell asleep.  I woke up the next morning, and somehow remembered exactly where I last placed my binder.  I found the binder, with all of the contents inside, including the cashier’s check, and gift cards.  The universe was telling me, I can afford the $3,000 to work directly with Jack Canfield.  So, I went online, and registered for Jack’s “Breakthrough to Success” seminar.  Ironically, it was the last day for the early registration bonus, which was VIP status.  VIP status meant, even more time, to spend with Jack!!

A Week of Learning, Exploring, and Sharing

I’ve been to many real estate seminars, but never a motivational seminar.  So, I really didn’t know what to expect.  The first night was only for the VIPs.  I got there early.  I spoke to some of the other VIPs.  One girl, I spoke with, had been to several motivational seminars.  A couple of them, were from Tony Robbins.  She told me that she really like the Tony Robbins seminars, however, that nobody got to meet, or spend time with Tony.  Tony was on stage, then escorted backstage by bodyguards.  Just after telling me that, she said “there’s Jack”.  I turned around.  And Jack Canfield is standing right behind me.  He was speaking to someone.  But, as soon as he finished, he warmly said hi, and greeted me.  I introduced myself.  Told him how he’s already impacted my life, and gave him my “The Life I Deserve” card.  He read my business card, “The Life I Deserve”, what a perfect name! I spoke with Jack briefly.  I noticed that the girl who was sharing, her motivational event experiences with me earlier, was waiting anxiously.  So, I graciously introduced Jack to her, and stepped away.

Broken Agreements

The next morning, we all met in a big hotel ballroom.  Music was playing.  And the Jack Canfield team gave us high 5’s as we entered.  Jack laid-out the logistics.  And had us sign to a list of rules, we would abide by.  “Arrive on time”, “Do all of the homework”, “Sit in a different seat, after each break”, “No alcohol (until the end of the week)”, “No new, major decisions within 2 weeks after course ends”, and several other commitments.  Jack explained each.  Different seat each time, to get us out of our comfort zone, and so we would do the exercises with different people each time.  Alcohol (even the prior day/night), can affect our focus.  And, no major decisions, for 2 weeks, because, in Jack’s words, people sometimes leave the course with a natural high.  Jack asks us to then sign the page.  Basically, it’s a contract.  Oh yeah, Jack also had us read every item out loud.  We then had to all stand, if we agree to play by the rules.  Jack walked around to see if anybody was not standing.  I’ve never experienced so many measures to have everyone keep their word.  A couple of days later, while everyone was seated, Jack asked people to stand if they had broken any rules.  I was surprised to see, that most of the attendees, stood.  Apparently, we all need to work, more diligently, on keeping our word.  I remained seated, at first, anyway.  But, then I began to review in my head, all that we promised.  Okay, we were supposed to think of 100 successes in our life.  I think I only wrote down about 60.  So I stood.  The lesson, if you give your word, keep it.  This will improve every aspect of your life.  Especially, with yourself.  We need to be able to tell ourselves that we are going to do something.  And follow through.  Broken promises, deteriorate relationships, and they also deteriorate your belief in yourself.

Silent Hug Process

Everyday began with different exercises, physically, and mentally, to get into a state, in which we could open up about our goals, challenges, self-image, and fears.  One great exercise, was the silent hug process.  I didn’t think I would get much out of this, since I do a lot of dancing, and I’m close with my family and friends.  However, Jack taught us how to hug.  Kinda seems silly, huh?  A lot of the exercises felt kinda silly, at first.  However, after years of acting and improv classes (earlier in life), I realized, sometimes you have to just let go.  Try the exercise.  In improv classes, I learned, if to don’t commit to the scene, it just feels awkward for everyone (you and the audience).  Back to the hugs.  Jack’s guidelines for hugs;  Left to left, so the hearts are closer aligned.  No talking.  No fidgeting.  Breathe.  Make eye contact for a couple of seconds after (instead of trying to quickly run away).  Okay, let’s give some hugs.  After about 10 minutes, you feel, an amazing amount of positive, loving, energy in the room.  It was a great way to start each morning.  It enabled us all, to feel a little more connected (which enabled everyone to share a little more).

E + R = O

Have you ever heard someone say, that person “made me mad”?  In reality, things happen, people do, or say things, we may not like.  However, it’s up to us, to decide how to process, whatever happens, or what is said.  Jack gives a great example of this.  He’ll pick on someone in the front row of his seminar.  For example, he might say, “Look at Susan here, can you believe her?  She’s dressed like she’s going to a picnic.  She’s not dressed for a seminar.  And boy, does she ask a lot of questions.  Is she even listening?”  After giving an example like this, Jack would then ask, “how many people think this would make the person feel bad?”.  People would raise their hands.  He would then tell them, it was actually a trick question.  Because, in this example, only Susan, has the ability to make Susan feel bad.  Susan could say, “I knew I should have dressed differently”.  And she could say “I guess, I’m asking questions, because, I’m the only one not getting the concepts”.  Or, Susan, could say, “Jack’s just picking on me, because he knows I”m confident.  I mean, look at me!  I’m in the front row.  And I ask questions, that other people are afraid to ask.  As a matter of fact, with the way he’s looking at me, I bet he has a crush on me”.

The secret formula here is E + R = O.  This stands for Event + Response = Outcome.  You see it’s not the event, alone, that determines the outcome.  It’s what Susan says to herself afterwards that determines the outcome.

That’s just a quick example of this powerful concept.  We will cover this more in future episodes.

Come As You Will Be

There were many great lessons.  And, I think everyone, became clearer on their life purpose, there goals, and the necessary actions, to get to those goals.  For me, the most powerful exercise was the “Come As You Will be Party”.  This was the final exercise, in which everyone, was to attend a cocktail party, as if we were 5 years, into the future.  As for the people, I talked with, at the Come As You Will Be Party, Phillipe-Franz was the most prepared.  He had a copy of his book.  The custom cover had great detail.  He was dressed in a tux.  And he discussed, in detail, how successful he was.  And, how he gives back, to the world.  I would provide more detail, on Phillipe-Franze, “Come As You’ll Be” image, but I was preoccupied.  In my mind, I was thinking, “maybe, my goals should be more aggressive?”.  So, where was I, for this, 5 years into the future, party?  I had sold over a million copies of my book “The Life I Deserve”.  I think Phillipe-Franz had sold 100 million copies of his book.  I speak internationally.  I was recently interviewed by Oprah Winfrey.  And, I’ve been invited to do a Ted Talk.  I have a 4,000 square foot house in Santa Barbara, CA.  Same town, as Jack.  How convenient.  As a matter of fact, we occasionally meet for lunch, and brainstorm on ways to help more people in the world.  Also, I have a 3,000 square foot house in Maui, where I frequently entertain family and friends. I travel the world, speaking, and training, on how to each person can achieve the life they deserve.  And, of course, teach some salsa dancing, while I’m at it!!  The “Come As You Will Be” party is powerful because we all have a mental image of ourselves.  And we do things unconsciously to support that image.  If you’re image, of yourself is 30 lbs overweight.  You will quickly get back to that weight, no matter how great the diet.  If you’re image, of yourself, is making $75,000.  It will be extremely difficult to ever make $100,000.  At the “Come As You’ll Be Party”, we spent about 2 hours, with an image, that we were each, very successful.  We talked in detail, about our businesses, investments, books, vacations, and philanthropic activities.  After the party was over, you want to take the actions to make it a reality!!

Rule of 5

Ever since, I listened to Jack’s “Self Esteem and Peak Performance” videos, years ago, I knew about the “Rule of 5”.  A simple concept.  In summary, we should each perform 5 actions, every day, to move us toward a breakthrough goal.  A breakthrough goal, would be a goal that would really impact your life.  A goal that would be so significant, that not only meeting it, would positively, influence your life, but also the pursuit of it, transforms you into a better person.  The “Rule of 5” is such a simple concept, that I overlooked how great it could work.  Normally, we think of our end goal, and we breakdown what needs to be done.  And set a date for each of those items.  The Rule of 5, however, forces you, if you are disciplined about it, to get things done every day.  It doesn’t matter if they are tiny steps.  The Rule of 5 works well, because it keeps the momentum going.  If you’re writing a book, for example, which happens to be my breakthrough goal, you must come up with 5 things you can do, toward that goal.  You could study someone’s work who you admire.  You could add some items to the outline for your book.  You could do a little research on one of those items.  And, at the end of the day, if you don’t have 5, you push yourself to come up with another item or two.  Since I took the “Breakthrough to Success” course, I’m happy to report, that I’ve been implementing the “Rule of 5” every day!!

BTS Summary

Overall, the Breakthrough To Success experience was great!!  I’ve learned many great skills from Jack, which have already made a huge impact on my life.

“The Success Principles” Book

I would highly recommend the “Breakthrough to Success” training.  If nothing else, at least buy Jack’s book “The Success Principles”.  Or, if you’re like me, and you’d rather have a narrator, with an amazing voice, read you the book, while driving, or on the treadmill, you can get the audio version instead.  I have Amazon links to both of these on “TheLifeIDeserve.com”.  Please use the links from “TheLifeIDeserve.com”, as they will provide me with a very small commission, which will help to support this show.  The price to you, is exactly the same, as going directly to Amazon.  I sincerely appreciate your support!!  :-)

Teaching is the Best Way to Learn

Since the Breakthrough To Success week, I’m happy to announce, that I’ve decided to become an official Jack Canfield trainer!  I’m very excited to be taking this journey!!  I’m confident that working with Jack, and his training program, will empower me with the tools and skills to be even more instrumental, in helping people discover their passion, set goals, overcome obstacles, and build a life that they deserve!!

Story

I’m going to leave you with a story that I heard Jack tell.  This story was part of my inspiration, to create “The Life I Deserve”.

Susanna Crowder was a homeless person, living on the street, in a city, in Ohio.  It was winter, and she was 8 months pregnant.  She didn’t feel that she had the capacity to take care of herself, much less, a newborn baby.  She was very depressed.  She was also not in a good mental state. She wasn’t taking her medication.  She would dig in dumpsters, for food.  She was basically, trying to survive long enough to give birth to the baby.  After that, she was planning to kill herself.  She had already planned to throw herself in front of a train, that came by, every day, at a certain time.  When it was really cold, she would seek shelter in the local library. The library would kick people out, if they weren’t reading, or buying books.  One day, she went into the library, to get out of the cold.  She walked by a table of books.  Susanna said, “I just grabbed one, and I went to a corner, where nobody would bother me”.  It happened to be the first “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book.  She randomly, opened the book to a story called “Puppies for Sale”.  It was a story, about a little boy, who saw a sign, outside of a store, that said “Puppies for Sale”.  The little boy went in, and asked to see the puppies.  The guy whistles to the back, and someone brings out the box of puppies.  The little boy said, “How much are you asking for the puppies?”.  The man replied “$20 to $50, depends on the dog”.  The little boy replied, “I’ve only got $3.28”, as he put all of his money, on the counter.  But I’ll pay you $.50 a week, until it’s paid in full.  The man asked, “Which puppy, do you want?”.   “I want that one”, the boy said, as he pointed to a puppy, who was limping.  The man said, “Oh, you don’t want that one. He has a damaged hip socket.  He’ll never be able to jump, run, and play, like the other puppies”.  “That’s the one I want”, the boy said.  “Kid, are you listening?  He’ll never be able to play like the others”, the man replied.  The little boy, continued, “That’s the one I want”.  The man replied, “Well, you can have that one for free”.  The little boy, said, “No, I want to pay full price for him.  That puppy is just valuable as the other puppies”.  The man replied, “Why would you want to pay full price, for that puppy?”.  At that moment, the boy reached down, to pull up his left pant leg, revealing his badly twisted left leg, which was in a brace.  “You see, mister, I figure that puppy is going to need someone who understands him”.  As Susanna, read that story, she got goosebumps, and said to herself, “If someone could love that puppy with his brokenness, perhaps someone could love me with my brokenness”.  And at that moment, she decided not to kill herself, at that moment, she left the library, and went to a mental health center, she got back on her medication.  In the course of a year, she got out of that situation, she got a job, she bought a house, she started something called “Soup Kitchens for the Souls” where she not only feeds people, but she teaches people the skills to become self-sufficient.  And she still runs her foundation, to this day.

That story resonates with me.  Did it resonate you?  If so, let me know.  Visit the “Contact” page on “TheLifeIDeserve.com”, to send me voicemail or email.  We all have the power to inspire, and make a difference, in someone’s life.  What difference will you make?

Okay, now time for something a little different.  What time is it?

It's Trivia Time

Jack Canfield holds the Guinness Book World Record, for having seven books, simultaneously on the New York Times, Bestseller List.  However, it took determination to get there.  In 1993, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, approached publishers with the very first, “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book.  How many “no’s” did Jack and Mark get, before a publisher said “yes, I’ll publish your book”?

Send your answer from the Web Site, “TheLifeIDeserve.com”.  From the Web Site, you can leave voicemail or email.  Just click on the “Contact” tab.  Again, today’s trivia question is, how many “no’s” did Jack get before publishing “Chicken Soup for the Soul”.  Go to  “TheLifeIDeserve.com”, to submit your answer.

That’s going to do it, for today’s show.  My mission, is to inspire and empower, those that I encounter, to live full and meaningful lives, by sharing lessons learned, tools for self improvement, and life-­changing perspectives.  I’m starting a journey.  A journey, to pursue a better me, to inspire a better you, and to help influence, a better world.  Subscribe to the Podcast, so we can take this journey together.

Closing

Thanks again, for listening to the “The Life I Deserve”.  This Podcast was designed for you!  Designed to enhance your health, grow your wealth, and fill your life, with happiness!!  Visit “TheLifeIDeserve.com”, and send me voicemail, or email.  Let me know something about you.  What inspires you?  How I can help you?  What advice do you have?  Do you have a suggestion on, how I can improve the show?  Let me know.  And, if you just happen to love the show, please post a review on iTunes!  :-)

Thanks, again!  I love you all!!  Until next time… goodbye.

[thereal-courtneycrosslin]

“I Will Sink or Swim with My Race: Ladies and Gentlemen: You will not expect a lengthened speech from me to-night. My health is too poor to allow me to indulge much in speechmaking. But I have not been able to resist the temptation to unite with you in this demonstra-tion of respect for some of my noble but misguided ancestors.

White Americans have taken great pains to try to prove that we are cowards. We are often insulted with the assertion, that if we had had the courage of the Indians or the white man, we would never have submitted to be slaves. I ask if Indians and white men have never been slaves? The white man tested the Indian's courage here when he had his organized armies, his battlegrounds, his places of retreat, with everything to hope for and everything to lose. The position of the African slave has been very different. Seized a prisoner of war, unarmed, bound hand and foot, and conveyed to a distant country among what to him were worse than cannibals; brutally beaten, halfstarved, closely watched by armed men, with no means of knowing their own strength or the strength of their enemies, with no weapons, and without a probability of success. But if the white man will take the trouble to fight the black man in Africa or in Hayti, and fight him as fair as the black man will fight him there—if the black man does not come off victor, I am deceived in his prowess. But, take a man, armed or unarmed, from his home, his country, or his friends, and place him among savages, and who is he that would not make good his retreat? "Discretion is the better part of valor," but for a man to resist where he knows it will destroy him, shows more fool-hardiness than courage. There have been many Anglo-Saxons and Anglo-Americans enslaved in Africa, but I have never heard that they successfully resisted any government. They always resort to running indispensables. The courage of the Anglo-Saxon is best illustrated in his treatment of the negro. A score or two of them can pounce upon a poor negro, tie and beat him, and then call him a coward because he submits. Many of their most brilliant victories have been achieved in the same manner. But the greatest battles which they have fought have been upon paper. We can easily account for this; their trumpeter is dead. He died when they used to be exposed for sale in the Roman market, about the time that Cicero cautioned his friend Atticus not to buy them, on account of their stupidity. A little more than half a century ago, this race, in connection with their Celtic neighbors, who have long been considered (by themselves, of course,) as the bravest soldiers in the world, so far forgot themselves as to attack a few cowardly, stupid negro slaves, who, according to their accounts, had not sense enough to go to bed. And what was the result? Why, sir, the negroes drove them out from the island like so many sheep, and they have never dared to show their faces, except with hat in hand.

Our true and tried friend, Rev. Theodore Parker said, in his speech at the State House, a few weeks since, that "the stroke of the axe would have settled the question long ago, but the black man would not strike." Mr. Parker makes a very low estimate of the courage of his race, if he means that one, two or three millions of those ignorant and cowardly black slaves could, without means, have brought to their knees five, ten, or twenty millions of intelligent brave white men, backed up by a rich oligarchy. But I know of no one who is more familiar with the true character of the Anglo-Saxon race than Mr. Parker. I will not dispute this point with him, but I will thank him or any one else to tell us how it could have been done. His remark calls to my mind the day which is to come, when one shall chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight. But when he says that "the black man would not strike," I am prepared to say that he does us great injustice. The black man is not a coward. The history of the bloody struggles for freedom in Hayti, in which the blacks whipped the French and the English, and gained their independence, in spite of the perfidy of that villainous First Consul, will be a lasting refutation of the malicious aspersions of our enemies. The history of the struggles for the liberty of the U.S. ought to silence every American calumniator. I have learned that even so late as the Texan war, a number of black men were found silly enough to offer themselves as living sacrifices for our country's shame. A gentleman who delivered a lecture before the New York Legislature, a few years since, whose name I do not now remember, but whose language I give with some precision, said, "In the Revolution, colored soldiers fought side by side with you in your struggles for liberty, and there is not a battle-field from Maine to Georgia that has not been crimsoned with their blood, and whitened with their bones." In 1814, a bill passed the Legislature of New York, accepting the services of 2000 colored volunteers. Many black men served under Com. McDonough when he conquered on lake Champlain. Many were in the battles of Plattsburgh and Sackett's Harbor, and General Jackson called out colored troops from Louisiana and Alabama, and in a solemn proclamation attested to their fidelity and courage.

The white man contradicts himself who says, that if he were in our situation, he would throw off the yoke. Thirty millions of white men of this proud Caucasian race are at this moment held as slaves, and bought and sold with horses and cattle. The iron heel of oppression grinds the masses of all the European races to the dust. They suffer every kind of oppression, and no one dares to open his mouth to protest against it. Even in the Southern portion of this boasted land of liberty, no white man dares advocate so much of the Declaration of Independence as declares that "all men are created free and equal, and have an inalienable right to life, liberty,"

White men have no room to taunt us with tamely submitting. If they were black men they would work wonders; but, as white men, they can do nothing. "O, Consistency, thou art a jewel!"

Now, it would not be surprising if the brutal treatment which we have received for the past two centuries should have crushed our spirits. But this is not the case. Nothing but a superior force keeps us down. And when I see the slaves rising up by hundreds annually, in the majesty of human nature, bidding defiance to every slave code and its penalties, making the issue Canada or death, and that too while they are closely watched by paid men armed with pistols, clubs and bowie-knives, with the army and navy of this great Model Republic arrayed against them, I am disposed to ask if the charge of cowardice does not come with an ill-grace.

But some men are so steeped in folly and imbecility; so lost to all feelings of their own littleness; so destitute of principle, and so regardless of humanity, that they dare attempt to destroy everything which exists in opposition to their interests or opinions which their narrow comprehensions cannot grasp.

We ought not to come here simply to honor those brave men who shed their blood for freedom, or to protest against the Dred Scott decision, but to take counsel of each other, and to enter into new vows of duty. Our fathers fought nobly for freedom, but they were not victorious. They fought for liberty, but they got slavery. The white man was benefitted, but the black man was injured. I do not envy the white American the little liberty which he enjoys. It is his right, and he ought to have it. I wish him success, though I do not think he deserves it. But I would have all men free. We have had much sad experience in this country, and it would be strange indeed if we do not profit by some of the lessons which we have so dearly paid for. Sooner or later, the clashing of arms will be heard in this country, and the black man's services will be needed: 150,000 freemen capable of bearing arms, and not all cowards and fools, and three quarters of a million of slaves, wild with the enthusiasm caused by the dawn of the glorious opportunity of being able to strike a genuine blow for freedom, will be a power which white men will be "bound to respect." Will the blacks fight? Of course they will. The black man will never be neutral. He could not if he would, and he would not if he could. Will he fight for this country, right or wrong? This the common sense of every one answers; and when the time comes, and come it will, the black man will give an intelligent answer. Judge Taney may outlaw us; Caleb Cushing may show the depravity of his heart by abusing us; and this wicked government may oppress us; but the black man will live when Judge Taney, Caleb Cushing and this wicked government are no more. White men may despise, ridicule, slander and abuse us; they may seek as they always have done to divide us, and make us feel degraded; but no man shall cause me to turn my back upon my race. With it I will sink or swim.

The prejudice which some white men have, or affect to have, against my color gives me no pain. If any man does not fancy my color, that is his business, and I shall not meddle with it. I shall give myself no trouble because he lacks good taste. If he judges my intellectual capacity by my color, he certainly cannot expect much profundity, for it is only skin deep, and is really of no very great importance to any one but myself. I will not deny that I admire the talents and noble characters of many white men. But I cannot say that I am particularly pleased with their physical appearance. If old mother nature had held out as well as she commenced, we should, probably, have had fewer varieties in the races. When I contrast the fine tough muscular system, the beautiful, rich color, the full broad features, and the gracefully frizzled hair of the negro, with the delicate physical organization, wan color, sharp features and lank hair of the Caucasian, I am inclined to believe that when the white man was created, nature was pretty well exhausted-but determined to keep up appearances, she pinched up his features, and did the best she could under the circumstances. (Great laughter.)

I would have you understand, that I not only love my race, but am pleased with my color; and while many colored persons may feel degraded by being called negroes, and wish to be classed among other races more favored, I shall feel it my duty, my pleasure and my pride, to concentrate my feeble efforts in elevating to a fair position a race to which I am especially identified by feelings and by blood.

My friends, we can never become elevated until we are true to ourselves. We can come here and make brilliant speeches, but our field of duty is elsewhere. Let us go to work—each man in his place, determined to do what he can for himself and his race. Let us try to carry out some of the resolutions which we have made, and are so fond of making. If we do this, friends will spring up in every quarter, and where we least expect them. But we must not rely on them. They cannot elevate us. Whenever the colored man is elevated, it will be by his own exertions. Our friends can do what many of them are nobly doing, assist us to remove the obstacles which prevent our elevation, and stimulate the worthy to persevere. The colored man who, by dint of perseverance and industry, educates and elevates himself, prepares the way for others, gives character to the race, and hastens the day of general emancipation. While the negro who hangs around the corners of the streets, or lives in the grog-shops or by gambling, or who has no higher ambition than to serve, is by his vocation forging fetters for the slave, and is "to all intents and purposes" a curse to his race. It is true, considering the circumstances under which we have been placed by our white neighbors, we have a right to ask them not only to cease to oppress us, but to give us that encourage-ment which our talents and industry may merit. When this is done, they will see our minds expand, and our pockets filled with rocks. How very few colored men are encouraged in their trades or business! Our young men see this, and become disheartened. In this country, where money is the great sympathetic nerve which ramifies society, and has a ganglia in every man's pocket, a man is respected in proportion to his success in business. When the avenues to wealth are opened to us, we will then become educated and wealthy, and then the roughest looking colored man that you ever saw, or ever will see, will be pleasanter than the harmonies of Orpheus, and black will be a very pretty color. It will make our jargon, wit—our words, oracles; flattery will then take the place of slander, and you will find no prejudice in the Yankee whatever. We do not expect to occupy a much better position than we now do, until we shall have our educated and wealthy men, who can wield a power that cannot be misunderstood. Then, and not till then, will the tongue of slander be silenced, and the lip of prejudice sealed. Then, and not till then, will we be able to enjoy true equality, which can exist only among peers. Sources: http://www.blackpast.org/1858-john-s-rock-i-will-sink-or-swim-my-race

Liberator, March 12, 1858.

[viralhottopics]

Justin Rose scents Masters glory but Jordan Spieth eyes redemption

The Englishman ended the third round of the Masters in a share of the lead with Sergio Garca as he looks to win his second major

As Jordan Spieths Sunday playing partner, Justin Rose was afforded a closer look than anyone at a record-breaking procession towards Masters glory in 2015. Even as a fellow contender, Rose was taken aback. Twelve months have now passed since Spieths horrible, unforeseen capitulation when being denied successive triumphs.

The Masters has a wonderful habit of throwing up recurring themes. As Spieth charged through the field on Saturday, making a 68 to propel himself to four under par, Rose was not of a mind to play second fiddle again. This time in the group immediately behind Spieth, the Englishman signed for a 67 the lowest score of the day and a minus six total.

If both Spieth and Rose have points to prove, the great news for the rest of us is that a compact Augusta leaderboard lends itself to several more potential outcomes. That duo just happen to lay claim to the most intriguing which, in part, are intrinsically linked.

Rose could make a lovely piece of golf history by becoming the second man after Ben Hogan to win majors at both Merion and Augusta National. I have played really well all week, Rose said. I felt after a couple of rounds my score could have been significantly lower. Things began to click today and I had my run.

This is precisely the position Spieth has dreamed of for 12 months. His resilience is so strong that he might have regarded it as inevitable, even from the position of 10 shots off the Masters lead at the end of round one.

Spieth now finds himself 18 holes from Augusta redemption. The stumble which cost him back-to-back Masters a year ago both intensified attention on the 23-year-old this time around and intensified his own desire to don the Green Jacket.

I couldnt ask for much better than this after my first round [of 75], Spieth said. We have fought back brilliantly to have a chance to win this. Tomorrow might free me up a bit, coming from behind. I plan to play aggressively. At this point its win or go home. Finishing fifth versus 10th doesnt mean much to me.

By nightfall Rose shared the lead with Sergio Garca. The Spaniard made a 70 in the third round, five shots better than his previous Saturday average here. Rickie Fowler is one adrift; Ryan Moore, Charley Hoffman, Adam Scott and Charl Schwartzel lurk with intent.

It was a good day, Garca said. I didnt feel particularly well or comfortable with my setup early on, even on the range, but I found something and I worked with that and tried to make sure I stayed as consistent as possible. I couldnt be as aggressive as I would have liked if I was firing on all cylinders but I was able to fight hard with what I had and managed to shoot a good two under.

Nobody should be in any doubt that on the basis of recent history Spieth is the man to beat. It is unfathomable to say otherwise when a player holds a career Masters record of second, first and second.

Perhaps a glimmer of alternative hope can be derived from the fact that, like now, Spieth did not look a golfer with capacity for meltdown in 2016. That, and in the case of Rose there was such quietly effective movement.

Spieth could become Masters champion having made a nine at the 15th hole on Thursday. When the Texan played a wedge shot to kick-in birdie range during round three, the only shock was Spieth used a bridge to negotiate the greenside water as opposed to walking on it. He was back in the zone.

Specifics of Augusta National and painful memories aside, Spieth is seeking to become the youngest three-times major champion since Jack Nicklaus achieved that treble in 1963.

Rose, the Olympic gold medallist, produced a stirring back nine of 31. His celebration of an 18th-hole birdie was telling. The 36-year-old knows he can win here and would have done in 2015 at 14 under par but for Spieths extraordinary performance. I take confidence from two years ago, Rose added. And from Rio; the Olympics arent a major but I held off great players down the stretch.

Rory McIlroys birdies at the 2nd and 3rd hinted at a Saturday charge. His body language suggested a man with the necessary impetus to claim the one major that has eluded him thus far. Yet McIlroys momentum was halted by a bogey at the 5th and double bogey at the 7th. He later missed what looked like key birdie opportunities at the 13th, 14th and 15th.

Having signed for a 71, McIlroy is not out of this tournament at even par but he needs to summon some Sunday magic. The warming up of the Northern Irishmans putter will inevitably be key to such a scenario. Wasted opportunity, was the key phrase from McIlroys Saturday analysis.

Lee Westwood, last years joint runner-up, shot his finest round of the week, 68, to move to one under par. On the grounds of experience alone, Westwoods chances have to be taken seriously. I did what I needed to do today, said Westwood. I needed to get into the red. Obviously I would like to be deep in the red but one under is pretty good. Ive got half a chance.

Paul Casey is a shot adrift of Westwood after a 69 which was tempered slightly by a dropped shot at the last. Matthew Fitzpatrick shrugged off his 73 for plus six in total having learned that his beloved Sheffield United had been promoted to the Championship. That makes the day 10 times better, he said.

The disconsolate Spieth placing a Green Jacket on the shoulders of another Yorkshireman, Danny Willett, will forever be a Masters reference point. The mistake would have been any assumption that Spieth did not immediately have the capacity to paint an alternative, celebratory image. Or, indeed, that Rose is not capable of denying him.

Read more: http://bit.ly/2ntjXE7

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