#aj johnson (basketball)

[bxeckersz]

hickeys | Kate Martin x Female!reader

summary: y/n and kate have a good time but unfortunately y/n gets carried away and the team notices

warnings: p eating (kate receiving), language, making out

a/n: i’m not that good at smut guys, bare w me 😭.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

“Fuck” Kate moans as Y/n kisses down her neck. She tilts her head, giving Y/n easier access. “So needy, hm” Y/n says against her neck.

“Y/n, cmon. I need you” Kate whispers. “Patience, baby.” Y/n says, kissing down her legs leaving hickeys as she goes.

“Y/n, stop fucking with me, dude.” Kate says, her tone husky. “shh” Y/n hums against Kate’s thigh, making her way to Kate’s inner thigh, closer to Kate’s pussy.

“please” Kate pleads. By now, her chest, neck, thighs, and legs are covered in hickeys. Y/n knows that Kate is gonna get pissed at her but she doesn’t care.

“Y/n, cmon m-“ Kate starts before Y/n attaches her plump lips to Kates dripping pussy, licking and sucking.

“Oh, fuck” Kate moans, attaching her hand to the back of Y/n’s head, making Y/n go faster.

“Taste so good” Y/n mutters against Kate, Y/n’s talking sending vibrations against Kate’s pussy.

“Right there, keep going” Kate moans, bucking her hips against Y/n’s face.

“shit” Kate groans. “Y/n- go faster” Kate pleads, throwing her head back.

“mhm” Y/n mutters, moving her tongue faster against Kate.

“Fuck. I-I’m gonna cum” Kate moans.

“Cum for me, baby” Y/n wishes.

The band snaps in Kates stomach as she cums.

“Oh my God. Fuck, yes” A pornographic moan leaves Kate’s Mouth as she rides her high out.

“Shit, you’re so good at that” Kate shudders, out of breath. “you should let me take control more then” Y/n suggests.

“Fuck no” Kate shakes her head.

☆☆

“i’m so tired” Kate groans, taking a sip out of her water bottle. Coach Bluder was working them really hard today.

“Holy shit Kate- what’s on your neck?” Gabbie says from the side of Kate, pointing out the particularly huge purple mark.

“What do you mean?” Kate says touching her neck. Fuck, the makeup melted off. Kate thinks.

“Holy shit, Kate has a hickey!” Gabbie calls out as the team runs over. “Damn, Kate, that’s one big hickey.” Jada says, studying the mark intently.

“Alright, bruh, move” Kate waves the girls off, walking into the locker room.

“So freaky” Caitlin mutters as the rest of the team walks in behind her.

“You and Y/n had a good time last night, hm” Taylor says, raising her eyebrows.

“My god, hush your mouths” Kate says, pulling her shirt and shorts off to reveal way more hickeys.

“What the fuck? it looks like someone beat the shit out of you” Kennise snickers, pointing out the purple marks across Kate’s body.

“look at her thighs! Oh my Lord, ya’ll are freaky, freaky” Aj laughs causing the rest of the girls to burst out in laughter.

“Just say ya’ll are jealous that i’m getting laid and ya’ll aren’t” Kate shrugs.

“Child, please. I get laid every night” Caitlin snickers causing the entire locker room to say “eww”.

“Guys it’s true though, you don’t even know how many times I walked in on her and her girl.” Gabbie says, gagging.

“Okay, that’s your fault for not knocking” Caitlin argues.

“No, it’s your fault for not locking the door” Gabbie rolls her eyes.

“Kate, you need to figure something out because Lord have mercy” Kennise says, raising her eyebrows at Kate.

“Yeah, yeah.” Kate says, rolling her eyes at the freshman guard.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Thanks for reading!

dont know what else to say 😬😬 .

[captainmartin20]

iowa wbb = kate martin fanclub

[doubleclutch]

Remember is said Bucks got the steal of the draft. Jalen Green Jr

[nextgenreport536]

The latest NBA trade news is starting to fly thick and heavy as the NBA trade deadline approaches. Tomorrow, February 6th, is the last opportunity for NBA franchises to make deals before the end of the 2024 - 25 season and several teams are taking advantage...

[basketballupdates]

"The Bucks have traded Khris Middleton to the Wizards, ending his tenure as one of their franchise cornerstones in a multiplayer deal that sends Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania. The Bucks also sent rookie guard AJ Johnson and a pick swap to Washington, which dealt forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. and second-round draft compensation to Milwaukee, sources told Charania."

[ballplayersxo]

Jalen info I found while looking for his dad

1. Jalen has his dad’s last name and his dad has been present enough to be at his games, the youngest I found pictures is since he went to memorial HS, there are pictures with his biological father in it you just have to know what your looking for. I was surprised too when I saw jalen dad in certain pictures because he makes it seem like he doesn’t know his father at all. His father also went to his draft night with the paternal grandmother and one is his JG youth camp with his paternal little sister.He has a younger brother but haven’t seen the dad bring him anywhere with Jalen.

2. Marcus Greene isn’t Jalen’s dad or journee’s dad. He was a coach for a basketball team and jalen asked him to train him because his team beat Jalen’s team. Marcus later asked jalen if it was okay to date his mother and jalen said it was fine he sees him as a father anyway. Marcus and Bree broke up a while before jalen went to the g league but he still calls him his stepdad. Jalen looks like his actual dad a lot, the face shape his nose all of that, Jalen only has his moms eyes.

3. I found jalen dad because somebody tried to argue with me about Aj Johnson being Jalen’s biological brother and a bunch of other bs and I knew that Aj is a junior and jalen is for a fact a green.

Idk what the relationship between them is it seems strained and maybe Jalen’s dad was a deadbeat and didn’t do much in his life but it could also be that jalen just didn’t like him for another reason because in jalen hs pictures he seemed cool with him, I would also be upset if my son is claiming another man as his father to the world and I know I’m present in his life. It is a bit weird but there isn’t much information about his dad that would explain what happened between them.

the work you guys do is amazing 😭 i can’t even begin to imagine how you found this all out

[nbabaes]

The boys were in a silly goofy mood @ the Hawks Rookie Talent Show 🏀🎤

[90363462]

Kanye West's Donda Academy basketball team dropped from Scholastic Play By Play Classics

The Scholastic Play By Play Classics will no longer be hosting the basketball team from 's Donda Academy, in the wake of the  

In a statement announcing their decision to remove the team from this season's schedule on Tuesday, the Play By Play Classics said Kanye's recent controversial statements and actions violated the values held by their organization.

However, they did have compassion for the team players, calling them 'hardworking student-athletes' who are now having to suffer the consequences of Kanye's actions.

'In light of recent anti-Semitic statements by Kanye West, we will no longer be hosting Donda Academy at this year's Play-By-Play Classics events, including the Kentucky Play-By-Play Classic scheduled for December 11, 2022 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY.

'Kanye's words and actions violate our values as a company and a country, and what we seek to ensure at all of our events - a spirit of diversity, sportsmanship, inclusion, equity, and mutual respect.

'While we are firm in our reasoning for this decision, it does not diminish our heartache and regret for Donda's hardworking student-athletes who will lose out the most as a result of Kanye's actions. By all accounts, they are exemplary group of young men. Unfortunately, we cannot in good conscience host an organization founded and directed by Mr. West at our events.'

The organization also provided an updated schedule for the Kentucky Play-By-Play Classic on December 11, with the Donda Academy noticeably absent from the games.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's kids attend the Donda Academy

The Donda Doves, the name of the Donda Academy's basketball team, has five-star guards Robert Dillingham and AJ Johnson and several nationally-ranked players on their roster, according to . 

The Scholastic Play By Play has a number of notable alumni, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and the late Kobe Bryant.  

It is the latest organization to cut ties with Kanye amid his anti-Semitism scandal, which has also seen his business partnerships with Gap, Balenciaga, and Adidas come to an end.  

David Schwimmer calls out Kanye West's antisemitic remarks

The rapper sparked global outrage after he tweeted on October 8: 'I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.

'The funny thing is I actually can't be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also ... you guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.'

The rapper was asked by Piers Morgan on Wednesday if he regretted the tweet and he said: 'No - absolutely not, absolutely not ... I fought fire with fire - I'm not here to get hosed down - that's a different type of freedom fighter.'

Piers Morgan Uncensored: Kanye West makes an extraordinary apology

He later clarified: 'I will say I'm sorry for the people that I hurt. I feel like I cause hurt and confusion, and I'm sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I had been through and that I use my platform where you say, "Hurt people hurt people," and I was hurt.'

On Saturday, anti-Semitic banners reading, 'Kanye is right about the Jews,' were hung from a Los Angeles freeway following the rapper declaring war against Jewish people earlier this month.

A group of about five people from the Goyim Defense League, a group that spreads conspiracy theories about Jews, gathered in hats and masks while hovering around a series of anti-Semitic banners on the 405 freeway.

Group members were seen tossing up the Nazi salute as drivers read the signs: 'Honk if you know... Kayne is right about the Jews... GOYIM TV.TV. REV 3:9, John 8:44.'

A number of celebrities reacted in outrage to photos of the racist display on social media. 

His ex-wife Kim Kardashian finally broke her silence on the matter on Monday, tweeting: 'Hate speech is never OK or excusable. I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.'

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

Since we NEED more Mitch content, do you have any headcanons for our bomb boi?

I got you, anon!

Mitch is always tinkering with something, whether it’s carving a weapon, fixing or building something, or practicing his knife skills.

 He likes to keep his hands busy with something, even if he’s just sitting around or standing watch. 

In fact, most of the time he looks for something to busy himself with, even if it’s something small.

He doesn’t like to let on that he cares about everyone, but holy shit, he cares so fucking much and will go to lengths to make them happy. 

For example, one day he overheard Willy and AJ talking to Louis about basketball and how much fun it used to be to play. After Louis explains the game to them, they said something about wanting to play a game one day. 

Next thing you know, Mitch is breaking into the old gym and tearing down one the of headboards and hoops, as well as gathering every ball he can find while killing any stray walkers that might’ve stumbled in there. 

When morning comes, everyone wakes up to Mitch setting up the hoop and claiming that he just happened to find it and it’s not a big deal because it was just sitting there and it’s not like it was hard to put up okay Louis stop smiling like that-

Another time, while eating dinner with James, Willy, and Tenn, James expressed his desire to show Tenn how to paint like how true artists do. 

And once again, Mitch is breaking back into the old art room on the abandoned part of the school in search of more art supplies for James and Tenn. 

When James comes back to his room that night and finds all of it, Mitch just shrugs and says he found it, no big deal. 

Or, whenever someone’s sick or injured, Mitch is the first one to volunteer for their watch shift or their hunting/fishing/scavenging trip. He complains about it, sure, but he’s not going to make someone who’s sick or hurt do anything more than they have to. 

By the way, it turns out basketball is not Mitch’s sport. 

But he fucking kills at volleyball.

After getting tired of basketball, he found an old, ratty volleyball net that he and Louis set up on the opposite side of the basketball hoop. 

They spent an afternoon teaching Willy, AJ, and Tenn how to play and everyone divided into teams with Aasim as their exasperated referee.

Every game ends with Mitch getting a ball spiked into his face because he’s a trash talker and Ruby’s a sore loser.

Mitch has a whole stash of firecrackers that he keeps hidden away next to his booze stash shhh don’t tell Ruby. 

He always carries a few in his pocket when he goes out hunting or scavenging in case of emergencies, like a huge herd of walkers coming towards them. 

Mitch may hate walkers and want them all dead, but he’s not an idiot. He knows when there’s too many to handle and the only way to ensure safety is to distract and escape.

He’ll light and throw them to direct the herd away from the group and the school.

James approves of this method as opposed to killing them, since this is how Mitch helps James gather walkers to keep in his barn. 

Y’know, for emergencies. 

He and Clementine are totally best friends. 

Like, he would never say it out loud, but Clementine’s a badass and she’s the only one truly fit to lead them. 

He also admires the strategic way she fights, like how she knocks out the knees of the walkers so that she can kill them easier. He tried this technique once and about ended up with a walker almost laying on top of him. After she saved his dumb ass, she taught him the proper way to do it.

Like, they’re a fucking duo when it comes to taking out walkers now. 

He also gets annoyed at how gross she and Louis are. Like, they know that they are all literally sitting here please stop kissing god-

But, he is supportive of their relationship, even though he himself would never ever fall in love because love is gross and a waste of energy and all it’ll do is hurt you…

Or so he says…

While they don’t always agree on everything and tend to bicker, in the end, Mitch always has her back and will do everything he possibly can to help her. 

Mitch hates Almond Joys.

They are literally the worst. 

The worst.

In fact, Almond Joys probably started the apocalypse. 

He once told Aasim his theory about how the walkers came because someone ate a radioactive Almond Joy to which Aasim said, “That’s fucking stupid, Mitch.”

“You can’t prove me wrong, though.”

Willy is his little brother, no ifs, ands, or buts.

He swore to himself that he’d look after this kid when the world went to shit. Willy was so little and after they were all abandoned, Mitch refused to let any harm come to him. 

When Willy was still little and scared, Mitch let him bunk with him in his room. He used to distract Willy with old comics that belonged to Justin; “The Adventures of Captain Riverhawk Johnson”

He also taught Willy how to use a knife and how to carve and build weapons. Willy’s his go-to partner when it comes to building things. 

Mitch doesn’t use the word “love” like… at all, but he fucking loves Willy, okay? He’s his brother, his family, and he’ll do everything in his power to protect Willy. 

[alexanderrogge]

Trailing the University of Massachusetts Men's Basketball team 33-40 in the 2nd Half, a #dunk by AJ Wilson began a rally with Xavier Johnson, Javon Greene, Josh Oduro & a trey by Jordan Miller that put #GMU on top 43-42.  George Mason Men's Basketball pulled ahead as #UMass tried to foul, taking a 73-63 win. #MasonNation #GetPatriotic

[thesportssoundoff]

“The XFL is a thing. Should you care about it?”

Joey

February 2nd, 2020

Another winter, another money mark attempt to figure out winter football.

The NFL has wrapped up another successful season and now it's Vince McMahon's turn to try once more with a brand new football league. In 2019, the son of his friend Dick Ebersole tried with the AAF which fell apart before the season finale could even take place. Vince McMahon seems more prepared than Charlie Ebersole and his backers, especially when you consider that the XFL apparently has long term financial backing place to absorb what figures to be some money losing seasons. The XFL's rule set which features things like a revamped overtime, a double forward pass concept, a continuously running game clock and a variety of different special teams related rules designed to entice an improved pace of play. Is the XFL going to revolutionize the NFL? Probably not. Will it provide some concepts that inevitably get stolen? I'm going with a pretty solid "oh yeah absolutely." It's live sports and chances are if you're reading this you know that the SportsSoundoff is all about live sports and activities that are able to cosplay as sports (axe throwing and chainsaw-ing come to mind).

If you're looking for more football to take in then the XFL figures to give you that and with readily-ish available-ish games across FS1/2, Fox, ABC and ESPN/2 platforms. Long story short, games will be out there for ya if you want to spell some time between the NBA's second half kicking off and the start of baseball and college basketball's tournament run. With a neat and tidy eight teams across a variety of markets, I'd like to go team by team and detail why you should try your hardest to give each team the benefit of your time. Some teams figure to be easy and some teams figure to be impossible BUT I've got free time and I gotta do something, right?

The Dallas Desperados The most intriguing coaching staff in the entire league

Let's start from the obvious; if Bob Stoops truly wanted to, he could be coaching in the NCAA right now. This is a guy who left Oklahoma as an insanely successful well liked legacy coach who won a national title and 10 conference championships. Bob Stoops took Oklahoma football to a level not seen since the Barry Switzer run and is clearly one of the greatest coaching minds of his era. Health and perhaps a general all around malaise for football led to Stoops stepping down but when you look around the number of college teams divided by the number of quality of minds currently available for head coaching jobs, there's zero doubt Stoops could've been the guy at any school he wanted to over the past two years. Hell, I would NOT be surprised if Stoops would've been on the radar of NFL teams if he did an Urban Meyer-esque TV gig as opposed to just falling off the face of the Earth and living life in the shadows. Instead he re-emerges in the XFL as the GM and head coach of the Dallas Desperados. Stoops admittedly took this gig because of its proximity to his recruiting trails of the past and just general all around comfort with the area. Stoops was the prized announcement of the XFL, the first coach they revealed and put in the biggest football media market of the entire XFL league. Long story short? Bob Stoops was a rare coup for the XFL and he's being advertised and promoted as such. So much so in fact that when Stoops stopped appearing in XFL promotional material for a short spell, there were rumors that the XFL was going to lose the only drawing card it had with Stoops maybe making a move all the way up to the NFL for the Cowboys head coaching gig. The fact the XFL has Stoops gives it something the AAF never had; a familiar well liked face who isn't tired or old hat; the two knocks that basically hurt the AAF when Steve Spurrier was limping around on the sidelines for the Orlando Apollos.

The intrigue goes beyond JUST Bob Stoops as the Bob Stoops coaching staff is genuinely pretty ridiculous. If you love the Lincoln Riley and Mike Leach style offenses then you know of the name of Hal Mumme. Mumme is the father of most of the modern air raid offenses you see today, the likes of which that get mediocre-y college coaches like Kliff Kingsbury head coaching gigs in the NFL. Mumme is a bit of a college coaching legend with concepts that have bled into the highest levels of football. Stoops will be the offensive coordinator for Stoops' offense and with a few years away from the coaching circuit, I'm intrigued to see if Mumme has anything new left to offer. Defensively, Chris Woods and Jim Jeffcoat have long ties to Bob Stoops or Hal Mumme. The offense has a mastermind, the defense has a glut of former defensive coordinators and there's a damn good chance that Bob Stoops could turn a solid run in the XFL into a head coaching job elsewhere. Just keep an eye on the Desperados coaching staff as a potential breeding ground for coaches into the next level.

DC Defenders Name defensive talent = ???

It seems like the XFL is going to make it a lot harder for defenses to really play a meaningful part in the games with rules clearly designed to go for more of a high paced scoring first and foremost brand of play. That said, the DC Defenders do have some defensive talent to keep an eye on. They've got a name defensive line with guys like former Giants starter Jay Bromley, USC's Kenny Bigelow, Washington Huskie Elijah Qualls and a linebacking core with Arizona undersized legend Scooby Wright, former Atlanta Falcons player Jonathan Massaquoi and former Bills player and early retiree from football AJ Tarpley. In the secondary is where things really have "could play in the NFL potential" with former draft picks Jalen Myrick and Bradley Sylve and former starters Shamarko Thomas and Matt Elam at the safety spots. Most of the attention will be on former National Championship winner Cardale Jones at the QB spot with name weapons like Malachai Dupree and Rashad Ross but in truth, I'm curious to see if their defensive talents can find their way back into the NFL.

Houston Roughnecks Actual NFL name talent

Soooo yeah, let's take a second to talk about the Houston Roughnecks. There's a WEALTH of NFL level talent on here, if not in actual talent but in name value. We can start at the QB spot where the Roughnecks at the very least boast an interesting "What if?" scenario. Going into the 2016 NFL Draft, a lot of teams needed QBs and the draft boasted some really interesting ones. The top two were pretty much locked in (Carson Wentz and Jared Goff depending upon your preference) and Paxton Lynch seemed like a solid lock as the #3 QB. After that? Free for all! The likes of Cardale Jones, Dak Prescott, Jeff Driskel, Connor Cook, Nat Sudfield and Christian Hackenberg were all fighting for spots to try and eek themselves into that next tier. There was a belief of sorts that Cook was the leader in that clubhouse but concerns about his personality and how teammates viewed him at Michigan State dogged him all the way down to the 4th round. The Cowboys were going to take Cook (who they had as a late 2nd round pick on their draft board) but he got snagged up as the Raiders as a developmental QB behind Derek Carr. The Cowboys, not exactly heartbroken but not exactly thrilled, moved to taking Charles Tapper out of Oklahoma and then with their comp pick (thanks Eagles! Thanks DeMarco Murray!) picked Dak Prescott at the behest of their coaching staff, bucking scouts who had him behind Jeff Driskel. Dak Prescott will likely earn anywhere from 30 to 40 million next year and Cook is trying to carve out his path in the XFL after failed stints in Oakland, Cincinnati and Detroit. It's a fun "What If?" scenario to toss around while Cook can perhaps reset his career in the XFL.

Beyond Connor Cook? Houston boasts a kicker in Sergio Castillo who as an all star in 2019 and boasts an NFL quality leg potentially. Kickers come and go in the NFL and if Castillo is good then he probably has a chance to pop up somewhere. RB De'Angelo Henderson was a 7th round pick who has bounced around the NFL and figures to probably get similar looks as a 3rd round COP back somewhere if he's good in the league. Cam Phillips and Kahlil Lewis are former NFL camp bodies while Sammie Coates played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers. SS Marqueston Huff played in the NFL for a variety of teams and has a pedigree as a former 4th round pick. DL Kony Ealy, Gabe Wright and Walter Palmore could probably fill out the back end of an NFL defensive line rotation right now. There's some actual NFL talent lurking in these waters, even if most of it is probably training camp filler variety. Those guys still have merit!

LA Wildcats The Josh Johnson Situation

So let's chit chat a spell about this. Josh Johnson is one of those guys that seems to pop up once a year on an NFL roster. He's been in the league since the dying days of the Gruden Era in Tampa Bay, a former fifth round pick who carved out a career as a somewhat competent-ish back up. He bounced around, played in the United Football League (consider THAT one) and seemed set to flame out. When the Redskins brought Josh Johnson in in 2018 after injuries to Alex Smith and Colt McCoy, Johnson stepped into the starting role and actually played pretty well! Not well enough to get brought back but well enough to earn another shot in the NFL as a back up for the Detroit Lions. Johnson was let go and continued his playing days by adding onto the XFL. I think Josh Johnson is the only dude to play in all three short term gimmick leagues (the UFL, AAF and XFL) but that's not where our story ends. Injuries to Jeff Driskel and Matt Stafford opened the door to play the NFL again when the Lions came calling. Surprisingly the XFL refused to follow the AAF's lead and kept Johnson to his XFL deal, forcing him to pass on a Lions opportunity. Josh Johnson basically has to be the best QB in the league to justify the XFL's decision to force him to stay in the league. Otherwise they'll probably be looked at unfavorably by future players for robbing a guy of an NFL opportunity. Also keep an eye on Nelson Spruce to be a big third down guy who racks up 1st downs.

New York Guardians ???

So I've looked over the roster a bunch, taken a gander at the coaching staff and honestly? I mean I don't have anything. This team on paper is pretty boring with no real flashy star name value and a head coach and offensive coordinator in Kevin Gilbride who had his best years some fifteen years ago if not longer. I suppose there may be some interest in seeing former AAF names like Jamar Summers and Luis Perez do stuff? This team is boring but boring teams can win games and boring games can win championships. Just don't expect the Guardians on paper to be something you'll feel compelled to go out of your way to see. In a way the Guardians match up pretty well with Vince McMahon's current WWE product; a severe lack of storylines and star power that compel and force you to go out of your way to tune in on a weekly basis.

St. Louis Battlehawks Football is BACK in St. Louis!

The Rams left St. Louis for LA in 2016 and to be entirely honest, I'm not sure if it worked out any well for the NFL. Surely the Rams bring in more money and notoriety in theory but it sure feels like the Rams have not exactly caught on with the locals in LA who are clearly baseball fans during the summer/fall and basketball fans every other time else. The Rams boast a tremendous team and watching a city like Kansas City enjoying its first Super Bowl win (in the great state of Missouri or Kansas or Kansourri) has me wondering how much more fun the NFL would be if the Greatest Show On Turf stayed in St. Louis as opposed to venturing out west and had kept up the tradition of having two teams playing in a rather "small" market. The fans of St. Louis will get to show how much they support football when the Battlehawks take flight (Ugh) in a few days. The Battlehawks have an intriguing roster with plenty of Mizzou names on it like WRs L'Damian Washington and former TE turned WR Markus Lucas. They also have swagmaster Marquette King trying to rebuild his NFL case after his falling out in Oakland. To add to the madness, the Battlehawks boast the most QBs on any of the 52 man rosters in the XFL and are led by Ole Miss QB legend Jordan Ta'amu who is coming off a failed stint in the NFL. I still really like Ta'amu and think he's got developmental upside for what it's worth but that's neither here nor there.

Seattle Dragons Holy shit Jim Zorn is still around?

The Redskins have a rather....interesting history in the modern era. Outside of a few brief periods of success from the likes of Joe Gibbs and Mike Shanahan, the Redskins head coaching history is rather no bueno. Among those bodies lost to the annals of history you have Jim Zorn. Zorn was a bit of a QB whisperer for the likes of Mike Holmgren and Dennis Erickson before surprising folks by making a massive leap from QB coach to head coach for the Washington Redskins in a stunning move. Zorn's move went...about as well as you'd expect. Jim Zorn became the latest victim of Redskins incompetence and then sort of just disappeared. He coached QBs for a bit after getting fired and then became the NFL equivalent of a ghost. Well Jim Zorn's back and back in Seattle where he led Matt Hasselbeck to some insane-o Seahawks records. The Dragons roster overall isn't exactly must see as it's mostly AAF leftovers with the occasional 2019 UDFA but at the very least seeing if Jim Zorn can wash off the Redskins stench some 10+ years later might be a bit of fun.

Tampa Bay Vipers A Florida all star team

The Vipers have the world's most name recognizable pseudo all star squad in the entire XFL. With former Bears head coach Marc Trestman at the helm, the Vipers boast a wide array of talents from various schools in the state of Florida. Miami Hurricanes WR Stacy Coley, Florida OL Martez Ivey and TE DeAndre Goolsby, South Florida QB legend Quinton Flowers will be trying his hand at RB as well as FSU RB Jacques Patrick and DB DeMarcus McFadden. That doesn't even begin to cover the number of Central Florida, South Florida and FAU players on this team as well. Also Aaron Murray is here and it seems like people are still going to try and make him into a thing after being a 4th round pick back in 2015.

[captainmartin20]

my babies 🫶

[orbemnews]

How LeBron James Uses His Influence to Improve Community Development AKRON, Ohio — Professional sports stars often use their prominence to influence public opinion and advocate change, including in real estate development. One standout is LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers forward and four-time National Basketball Association champion. In Akron, Mr. James is building a model for advancing education and social assistance in the West Market Street neighborhood, where he was raised. A new school, three residential buildings and a sports-and-entertainment complex represent more than $20 million in investment by the LeBron James Family Foundation and its partners. In building projects that serve the public interest, Mr. James has joined an expanding movement of developers around the country who mix new ingredients into the formula for socially responsible development. The term was initially defined by advances in design like energy efficiency, environmental safety and affordability. Developers now construct buildings and neighborhoods that make those assets and others — health care, recreation, good schools, safe streets — accessible to residents in neglected communities. Examples are numerous. Among them is the East Harlem Center for Living and Learning, a mixed-use project on 104th Street in Manhattan. The $84 million building, completed in 2015, includes 89 affordable housing units, office space and the Dream Charter School for 500 students from kindergarten through the eighth grade. The project also includes a renovated public park. “LeBron James is part of a movement of community revitalization,” said Jonathan F.P. Rose, president of Jonathan Rose Companies in New York, the center’s developer. “He’ll find the more he does, the more these pieces connect and make a difference.” Other sports stars invest in struggling communities. Magic Johnson Enterprises, the former N.B.A. star’s company, has invested in movie theaters, Starbucks franchises and restaurants in underserved neighborhoods across the country. In 2015, Magic Johnson Enterprises joined with Loop Capital to form JLC Infrastructure to invest in urban transportation, utilities, communications and energy. Mo Vaughn, who spent part of his baseball career with the New York Mets, is a co-founder of Omni New York, which specializes in buying and renovating apartment buildings for affordable housing in struggling neighborhoods in and outside the city. Sports stars can leverage their personal prominence to help move projects along. When he was the mayor of Sacramento from 2008 to 2016, Kevin Johnson, a former N.B.A. All-Star, led the campaign to keep the Sacramento Kings in California’s capital. He worked closely with Vivek Ranadive, the team’s majority owner, to build a $500 million arena that is the centerpiece of the $1 billion mixed-use Downtown Commons, which turned empty central city blocks into an active center of entertainment. Mr. James’s model of development, real estate authorities say, differs from those efforts because it relies on his stature to recruit public and private capital to embrace a suite of social goals, and then build projects to pursue them. The value proposition is to develop projects that help curb family disorder and instill learning, life and work skills so that underperforming children graduate from high school, attend college and have a successful career. The individual pieces, though, are owned and managed by different agencies. “It’s a promising model for community redevelopment at a holistic level,” said Jeff Levine, a lecturer of economic development and planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “It delivers high-value development in places where there aren’t resources for people to do it themselves.” The source of the idea, Mr. James says, is the uncertainty and disruption that he experienced early in his life, like when he missed 83 days of school in the fourth grade. That challenge, and others he faced as an underprivileged child, inform and guide the foundation’s development decisions. “When we started this work in education with my foundation, we never dreamed we’d be owning buildings and developing new properties,” Mr. James said in an email. “As we dug deeper into the work, we learned what it takes to create real, visible change. And that’s listening to what our community needs and then rolling up our sleeves and getting to work.” The foundation’s latest and largest project is the $2.875 million it paid in December to buy the Tangier, an entertainment and events center in Akron. Renovation of the 60,000-square-foot building, renamed House 330, started in January and is expected to be completed next year. The project will provide training and jobs for students interested in careers in food service, hospitality, management, maintenance, finance and other professions. It is also the first to develop a revenue stream for the foundation’s work, said Michele Campbell, executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation. House 330 is attracting prominent partners. JPMorgan Chase is opening an office there to provide families with financial advice and resources. The J.M. Smucker Company and Old El Paso, a General Mills brand of Tex-Mex foods, each donated $1 million for restaurants. Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation committed $1 million more to build a sports complex on the top level of the 500-space parking deck alongside the project. Mr. James’s development career began five years ago when he recruited support from Akron Public Schools to start the I Promise School for underperforming elementary and middle school students. His foundation spent more than $2 million to renovate a former McDonald’s office building for the school. It opened in 2018, serves third through eighth graders and will reach its 720-student capacity in 2023. The school inspired Cheryl L. Stephens, chief executive of the East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation, to get involved with the city and the foundation to build I Promise Housing, a $14.5 million, 50-unit affordable housing project that starts construction in the spring on 1.75 acres the city donated. “He talks about inspiring people to do more,” Ms. Stephens said. “I thought we should do more. We should do affordable housing.” I Promise Housing is close to I Promise Village, a 22-unit apartment building that provides temporary housing at no cost to families in crisis. It opened in July and includes space for social services and community events. Graduate Hotels, a Nashville developer, spent $850,000 in 2019 to buy the 98-year-old, four-story brick building. Ben Weprin, the company’s chief executive, then went to work with his staff to recruit suppliers and contractors to donate materials and labor to complete a total renovation and furnish the apartments. The parent company of Graduate Hotels, AJ Capital Partners, donated the finished project to the foundation. After it opened, the foundation, which has nearly $5 million in assets, spent $52,500 to buy a house across the street. It is being renovated for use by Shannon Shippe, the foundation staff member who manages the housing and services program. “The impact LeBron is having in Akron — it’s amazing,” Mr. Weprin said. “He’s doing this while he’s winning championships.” Recognizing that his approach might have merit in other cities, Mr. James and the foundation staff convened a three-day “huddle” in Akron in October to describe the I Promise model to attendees. About 200 educators, philanthropists, activists, city leaders and development professionals showed up. “This work requires a long-term investment, a lot of heart and a lot of hard work,” Mr. James said. “There are people across the country who are willing and want to be a part of that in their own community.” Source link Orbem News #community #development #improve #influence #James #LeBron

[90363462]

Kanye West's Donda Academy basketball team dropped from Scholastic Play By Play Classics

The Scholastic Play By Play Classics will no longer be hosting the basketball team from 's Donda Academy, in the wake of the  

In a statement announcing their decision to remove the team from this season's schedule on Tuesday, the Play By Play Classics said Kanye's recent controversial statements and actions violated the values held by their organization.

However, they did have compassion for the team players, calling them 'hardworking student-athletes' who are now having to suffer the consequences of Kanye's actions.

'In light of recent anti-Semitic statements by Kanye West, we will no longer be hosting Donda Academy at this year's Play-By-Play Classics events, including the Kentucky Play-By-Play Classic scheduled for December 11, 2022 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY.

'Kanye's words and actions violate our values as a company and a country, and what we seek to ensure at all of our events - a spirit of diversity, sportsmanship, inclusion, equity, and mutual respect.

'While we are firm in our reasoning for this decision, it does not diminish our heartache and regret for Donda's hardworking student-athletes who will lose out the most as a result of Kanye's actions. By all accounts, they are exemplary group of young men. Unfortunately, we cannot in good conscience host an organization founded and directed by Mr. West at our events.'

The organization also provided an updated schedule for the Kentucky Play-By-Play Classic on December 11, with the Donda Academy noticeably absent from the games.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's kids attend the Donda Academy

The Donda Doves, the name of the Donda Academy's basketball team, has five-star guards Robert Dillingham and AJ Johnson and several nationally-ranked players on their roster, according to . 

The Scholastic Play By Play has a number of notable alumni, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and the late Kobe Bryant.  

It is the latest organization to cut ties with Kanye amid his anti-Semitism scandal, which has also seen his business partnerships with Gap, Balenciaga, and Adidas come to an end.  

David Schwimmer calls out Kanye West's antisemitic remarks

The rapper sparked global outrage after he tweeted on October 8: 'I'm a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I'm going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.

'The funny thing is I actually can't be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also ... you guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.'

The rapper was asked by Piers Morgan on Wednesday if he regretted the tweet and he said: 'No - absolutely not, absolutely not ... I fought fire with fire - I'm not here to get hosed down - that's a different type of freedom fighter.'

Piers Morgan Uncensored: Kanye West makes an extraordinary apology

He later clarified: 'I will say I'm sorry for the people that I hurt. I feel like I cause hurt and confusion, and I'm sorry for the families of the people that had nothing to do with the trauma that I had been through and that I use my platform where you say, "Hurt people hurt people," and I was hurt.'

On Saturday, anti-Semitic banners reading, 'Kanye is right about the Jews,' were hung from a Los Angeles freeway following the rapper declaring war against Jewish people earlier this month.

A group of about five people from the Goyim Defense League, a group that spreads conspiracy theories about Jews, gathered in hats and masks while hovering around a series of anti-Semitic banners on the 405 freeway.

Group members were seen tossing up the Nazi salute as drivers read the signs: 'Honk if you know... Kayne is right about the Jews... GOYIM TV.TV. REV 3:9, John 8:44.'

A number of celebrities reacted in outrage to photos of the racist display on social media. 

His ex-wife Kim Kardashian finally broke her silence on the matter on Monday, tweeting: 'Hate speech is never OK or excusable. I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.'

[wsmith215]

Anthony Joshua has new Nigerian rival in Raphael Akpejiori who targets world title fight in Africa | Boxing News

Nigeria’s Raphael Akpejiori has made an explosive start to his professional career

Nigerian heavyweight Raphael Akpejiori has already visualised how a world title fight with Anthony Joshua would bring his nation to a standstill.

“I can guarantee that the whole country would be tuned in. I can guarantee that the whole of Africa will be tuned in,” Akpejiori tells Sky Sports.

“I’ve actually thought about the prospect of that, I still have a lot of work to do.”

The unbeaten 29-year-old wants his name to resonate in boxing’s top division after his imposing 6’8″ frame and athleticism brought him from Lagos to Florida.

He has already excelled in college basketball at the University of Miami, where he also bolstered the ranks of their American football team with his strength and size.

The rising contender has given a glimpse of his power in swift knockout wins

But Akpejiori quickly reveals: “I actually always loved fighting. I don’t know if that’s a good thing, but when I was in secondary school in Nigeria I fought like every other day.”

Years on from hurling fists in a schoolyard, he has opted to trade brutal punches with the biggest men in boxing.

His raw credentials caught the eye of trainer Glen Johnson, the battle-scarred Jamaican, who famously toppled Roy Jones Jr to become IBF light-heavyweight champion.

Since then, he has acquired six professional victories all by knockout, with only one opponent reaching the second round. Had Akpejiori easily earned the approval of Johnson?

No.

He has such high standards, because you know as a champion, you see things from a championship perspective.

Raphael Akpejiori on Glen Johnson

The fledgling fighter had made a similarly destructive entrance into the amateur ranks, swatting aside a string of opponents in his 14 bouts, with just a solitary defeat. If he had expected an exuberant speech from Johnson about conquering the world, he was wrong.

“He saw my amateur tapes and kind of thought I was terrible,” recalled Akpejiori.

“He has such high standards, because you know as a champion, you see things from a championship perspective, and I was the second ever boxer that he was training.”

There would be no competitive fights for a year as Akpejiori received his harsh lecture from Johnson about graduating at the highest level. Akpejiori’s weekly tutorial would be sparring sessions with a succession of accomplished fighters, instead of quick and easy amateur wins.

World amateur champion Bakhodir Jalolov and Olympic bronze medallist Ivan Dychko were among the esteemed sparring partners, along with Filip Hrgovic, Croatia’s ruthless contender. But Akpejiori was quick to dismiss any suggestion that he might be daunted by hurtful sessions with Hrgovic.

“It’s boxing man. If you can’t box, that’s when you’re going to say somebody is mean. If I’m sparring guys like Dychko, or Jalolov – world championship guys, guys that we’re going to fight in the future for money.

“If I’m sparring those kind of guys on a weekly basis, I can’t come here and be complaining. I have goals to see them in the future.”

Every hopeful heavyweight has their eyes currently fixed on Britain’s two world champions – Tyson Fury, the newly crowned WBC champion, and Joshua, the unified title holder.

Joshua has paid homage to his African heritage on a recent trip to Nigeria, even venturing into Makoko, a floating slum in the Lagos lagoon, to draw inspiration following his stunning first professional loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. An outline of Africa is etched onto Joshua’s right shoulder and he has spoken openly about boxing in the continent.

“For the next fight, Africa is not the right time. But at some point, he 100 per cent wants it,” Joshua’s manager Freddie Cunningham told Sky Sports in December.

How AJ re-lit his fire in Makoko

Anthony Joshua reignited his burning desire for a rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr by returning to Nigeria.

For Akpejiori, who was raised in Surulere, a short drive from Makoko, the prospect of a future showdown with Joshua on Nigerian soil is a serious ambition, although he recognises that he will not be challenging for the WBA, IBF and WBO belts in the near future.

“Obviously I want to fight Anthony Joshua tomorrow,” admits Akpejiori.

“If he has the belts at that time, I’m going to collect the belts from him at that time.

Britain’s Anthony Joshua holds three world heavyweight titles

“Fighting Joshua is not just about having a great record, or whatever. There’s a business side to it that I have to accomplish too.

“I have to get my name out there. I’m going to have to show some quality, in my boxing. I’m going to have to present myself to the public and to promoters as this is a fight that needs to happen.

“But if that happens, it would be a great fight for the country and for the continent. That could happen in Nigeria, that can happen in Lagos, Nigeria, that can happen in Abuja, Nigeria, that can happen in Calabar, Nigeria.”

Having achieved his initial aims in basketball and American Football, Akpejiori has set himself a target of two years to reach world title contention. He expects to resume his climb up the rankings in September, with a fight in Miami.

Will another swift knockout send out a warning to potential rivals?

Whether you feel I mean business or not, it’s your problem, in my opinion, because when we face, you will get knocked out.

Raphael Akpejiori

“The quality of my boxing itself tells you I’m here to mean business. I don’t need my record to tell you that I mean business. If you stand in front of me, you will get knocked out. That’s how it’s going to be for the next 50 fights, or for the next how many more fights I go to.

“Whether you feel I mean business or not, it’s your problem, in my opinion, because when we face, you will get knocked out.”

An early nickname, ‘The Nigerian Hurricane,’ has been discarded by Akpejiori, who is not interested in acquiring a grandiose title.

“I don’t know where that name came from, because that’s not my name.

“I see it on the internet all the time. It’s not my job to give myself a name.”

If boxing brings him to where he expects, Akpejiori’s reputation will soon ring out in a heavyweight landscape that is ruled by Fury and Joshua.

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[captainmartin20]

sue bird with the hawkeyes 💛