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steve0discusses · 3 years ago

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S5 Ep 15 Pt 2: Don’t Trust Anyone Who Wears a Floor Length Robe Over Their Casuals in Yugioh

Hey, it’s my birthday, so I’m gonna release this early because the rest of today I just have to work like an adult and that’s no fun.

In the first half of this episode we dunked the worlds smallest plane into a lake and so this second half of the episode involved the kids running as far away from their only responsible adults as they could.

Which like...took whole of less than a second for them to peace out and enter mortal danger.

...I’ve never been in a jungle in India but...I have seen the Jungle book many times...and there’s like tigers and stuff in there, right? and tons of monkeys that are hella mean? And freakin snakes? They sing jazz and scat? That’s some terrifying stuff.

Like these city kids have to learn at some point to fear the woods. But they just freakin don’t. And strangely, the most dangerous thing in these woods isn’t even a snake or something, but a human man just being as suspicious as possible lying prone on the ground.

(read more under the cut)

The card cultist happens to have a British accent, because this voice acting team freakin loves to pull out their British accents. It’s not as lowbrow as Valon, but it’s not as...well whatever Bakura is supposed to be. He’s a lot more tame than Bakura’s, but still very British.

I don’t know if this is because British English tends to be taught instead of American sounding English in many parts of India, but, most likely they just wanted to do an accent. And like...he’s an archeologist...and so the stereotype is there...but honestly, the decision of making this guy British gets weirder and weirder as this episode goes on, get ready for it. None of you are ready for what I assume is the very obvious plot twist of this freakin guy.

Catfish of the century, this freakin guy, I’m pretty sure.

Yugi immediately believes this completely out of place white British stranger in the Indian backwoods next to this inaccessible lake and immediately thinks “yes, my Grandfather crash landed in India EXACTLY where I’m standing right now, and now I must save him.”

Thankfully, Yami exists to gently and politely tell Yugi to hella stop.

Also, I like that Yugi has finally stopped wearing his school outfit out of school. But, he is instead wearing a jacket that is so close to his school outfit I honestly couldn’t tell until the end of this episode. It’s like...I think one shade more purple, it has white piping, and his undershirt has a center seam. It’s nice Yugi has 3 versions of the same black sleeveless undershirt, and this show cares enough to show that tiny factoid about Yugi’s closet.

So, because Yugi is a dumbass and Pharaoh has to just sit back and watch this happen so he can say “told you so” later, they follow this random cultist they found in the woods. Much like Hansel and Gretel, we snack on cake crumbs all the way to the witches house, which in this case, is an undiscovered monolith you would have easily seen from outer space.

HMMMMMMMMMM.

And so get ready for this:

Hey guys.

Remember how Alexander the great was buried in a pyramid?

Now because they’re name dropping Alexander, that’s actually kind of helpful, because Alexander the Great’s favorite damn horse in the entire world died while he was at war with India so he named a city after it. It’s believed to be in Punjab, which is in the Northern part of India

Which means we first of all, definitely crossed the tallest mountain range in the world to get here, and also means that we are like...in some really disputed territory of India right now, and it is crazy that these kids went here for a vacation completely unsupervised.

Another fun fact about Alexander is that when he died, it took 6 days for his body to decompose. At the time, they thought it was because he was a God (or in Yugioh’s case, Extremely Cursed) but nowadays historians think it’s because it took him 6 days to fully die. He just wasn’t dead yet. Had to give it a minute and the ancient Babylonians just got way too excited.

Anyway, Alexander super died in Babylon so I don’t know what the hell he’s doing in India. There is a fun spot in History where his body did get dragged to a couple different places, meaning we probably did lose the original Alexander and there’s a lot of people just guessing at where he ended up...but putting him clear up in India sure was a choice when one of his assumed burial sites was literally Egypt, which would be a more fitting location for a Pyramid and a more fitting location for this show.

Especially since Alexander was trying to invent a new race and culture...it seems a little strange he’d be buried in such a massive pyramid, but maybe he got a really, really good pyramid deal from the funeral home when he was like 28 and just figured he’d change it before the time he died at 32.

Which...now that I’m older than 32, how crazy is it that Alexander the Great died at freakin 32? You blink twice and you’re 32. Is history seriously trying to tell me this guy wasn’t like secretly 62? That maybe he just celebrated his 20th for like 20 years in a row as a royal mandate? I just feel like history is playing pranks on me with Alexander.

Anyway, our weird shady new archeologist guy is named Alex and so take that as you will.

I sure hope Alexander the Great was revived to wear khakis and bother children. Guy conquered the world once and was one of history’s Freakin Worst so he does deserve it, but also...it would explain why he thinks it’s normal to wear a Darth Maul robe over your business casual.

Anyway, lets enter the obvious trap pyramid.

Joey just wanted a nice time running around Northern India. He just wanted to eat some yummy chaat and look at some tourist destinations and maybe glance at a Bollywood star or two. But instead he’s gotta deal with spike floors because Yugi couldn’t say no to a cultist.

Also...one of those spikes clearly went through Tea’s feet, right? And she is absolutely fine? Just checking on Tea’s godlike strength and clearly it is still godlike.

Alex gives us a very long explanation of how he went upstairs and Grandpa went downstairs, and there was a door or something so Alex turned back around and Grandpa was gone.

All of those steps were probably plot relevant and I’ll probably forget all about it in 2 episodes.

The thing is Alex...literally thinks he evaporated. Literally thinks that. But how do you disprove it to this freakin guy who like...might have named a city after his horse once and thinks that’s a normal and acceptable thing to do?

and so Joey immediately leaps onto the haunted playing floor.

the way Yugi said this line was sort of hilarious to me so I may cap it. If I remember to do it (I’ve been a little busier lately, with things opening up, as you can tell because my update schedule is in the toilet.)

So, if Joey jumps in...everyone else has to, also.

And we say good bye to Alex and enter the new forest zone, which looks a LOT like the other forest we were just in.

Nice Protoss armor.

We get some hijinks from the local wildlife, which are all cards but real (but not real because we’re in a board game...don’t think about it) and the off brand Sheikah tablets have helpful monsters in them if you touch em.

This season may have been better off as a video game, being honest.

Joey has gone somewhere else, despite going onto the same game tile, and he’s too busy on a mountain range to really help anyone out. So he’s just gonna vibe up here for a bit.

Tea got up after this point and said along the lines of “k, what’s next?” Because mortal danger does not affect her and she fears nothing.

At a beach somewhere, Tea and Tristan spend some quality time together forming a new family with whatever these creatures are.

And Tea’s love of her winged angel comes full circle and now I will suffer this winged orb for the rest of this arc, pretty sure.

Please admire the number of belts on Tea. Her outfit is like max 00′s and I appreciate that. We’ve had a lot of questionable fashion on Yugioh, but they actually dressed Tea pretty on point this arc. Like I often feel like 00′s fashion is hard to define or describe, but it’s Tea right now. That’s it. She did it, it’s right there.

Yugi gets a new flagship card for this arc, and this time it’s Celtic Guardian. Hell why? I feel like his defining card changes every single arc, and they need to like focus and just give him one. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s still Dark Magician...and maybe the show forgot?

Anyway, if you just got here, this is a link to read the rest:

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

I think I forgot that link in the last recap because yo it’s kind of been a while since I’ve updated, I feel. (well I had a graveyard post and those don’t count really) But, we’re back, we’re still going, slowly but surely.

#YGO #yugioh #Yu gi oh #episode recap #photo recap #S5 #Ep16 #yugi muto #yami #capsule monsters #tea gardner #tristan taylor #Joey Wheeler #Alex Brisbane #Alexander the freakin great #and a pyramid in the middle of Northern India #And lets just make it an isekai for kicks

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beauvibaby · 4 years ago

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staff - r.hintz

requested [x] yes [] no

request- in summary: reader is part of the medical/training staff and has a flirty relationship with Roope that becomes more.

warnings: not proof read lol

You saw the hit, you saw every hit, everytime. Not only was it part of your job, but it was a personal mission of yours to never miss a game that he played in. You chewed your lip as you could tell this was the hit that would put him out of the game.

“Well if it isn’t my favorite girl.” Roope smiled from his spot on the table, hiding the pain he was currently feeling, “Mhm, I wish it was under better circumstances.” You retorted. You raised a brow at him when he went to sit up and say he was fine but the bruise forming on his shoulder said otherwise. He stayed silent as you helped him sit up gently, careful not to put too much pressure on his shoulder. “I think you’d take any chance to see me.” He quipped, earning an eye roll from you. “Getting daring today, Hintz.” You smiled, snapping the latex gloves on, he groaned and tensed up as you went to feel around the shoulder. “Son of a-“ “language.” You cut him off, he glared at you, despite the playfulness dancing in his eyes. “Well the good news is it’s not out of place.” You paused, gently smiling at him, “bad news is I think you might have fractured your arm.” He threw his head back, using his good hand to rub over his face as he groaned. “I’ll tell them to send you for an x-ray.” You sighed, “sorry, Roope.”

Watching the rest of the games from outside of the bubble killed you, not only because you couldn’t be there to help the team, but even more so because you couldn’t see Roope. You knew it was highly frowned upon, any relationship between staff and team members was, especially when it came down to evaluating injuries, they worried about personal bias. You just couldn’t help yourself, he started the flirting, and before you knew it, you were flirting right back, and he’d found your Instagram, occasionally replying to your stories with cheeky responses. Always making your heart skip a beat, thinking there was a chance that he felt the same and wasn’t just being a flirt for no reason. You chewed your lip in thought, debating on what you were about to do, this would either be really smart or really dumb, and you hoped Roope would think it was the first option.

“Roope, you just about gave me a heart attack tonight! Be careful.”

You sent the message, instantly locking your phone and tossing it to the other side of the couch, you couldn’t bear to look at it. You changed the channel as they began going over the game you had just watched, of course replaying his hit into the boards, over and over, you couldn’t look any longer. You put some stupid reality show on for background noise as you began picking up your apartment, you saw your phone light up from its spot on the couch, you shook your head and decided to leave it for now, focusing your anxiety into cleaning, something you’ve been meaning to do anyways. But then your phone lit up not once, but twice more and you caved, breathing hitched in your throat as you saw the responses from Roope.

“Oh my, is THE y/n worried about me?”

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me… besides now I’ve got a reason to come see you when I get back, you know, to make sure I’m not really injured.”

“Goodnight, Y/N ❤️”

You opened the messages and stared at them, ultimately deciding on liking his response and sending a goodnight of your own, a nervous but hopeful smile etched into your face until you slipped into sleep that night.

***

You couldn’t get in to work quick enough today, not only were you finally able to get back to work, but you had a sneak suspicion that you’d be seeing Roope today. You were practically beaming under your mask, but luckily no one could tell, because of, well—the mask. “Y/N, I need you to help with the beginning of therapy, Roope needs to start rehabbing that shoulder.” You tuned out the rest as your boss raddled off jobs to your coworkers, now you were really glad you had a mask on, because it also hid the pink tint that covered your cheeks. You shook your head as you made your way down the hall, doing your best to knock any thoughts out of your head. You can’t do anything about them, so why even humor them. That’s what you told yourself, but it all went out the window when you stepped into the room and saw Roope sitting there on his phone. You hadn’t realized how worried you were about seeing him until now, you blinked a couple of times, pushing your emotions back, you cleared your throat to make your presence known. “Y/N.” He mumbled, shooting to his feet, his eyes looking even bluer in contrast of the black mask adorning his face. “You’re ok?” You breathed out, the statement coming out as a question rather than you confirming it.

“I told you not to worry about me.” He chuckled softly as you approached him, you shook your head, sighing into your mask, you pulled the sleeve of his shirt up to see a bruise similar to the last time you’d seen him. “It’s easier said than done, the way you hit those boards, it scared me..” you trailed off, mentally cursing yourself for being so vulnerable. Roope stayed silent for a moment, but you could feel his eyes scanning the side of your face. You were biting down hard on your lip, but he couldn’t see that. “I’m ok, Y/N, see.” He mumbled, raising his arm as high as he could before he winced. You let out a choked laugh, “don’t overdo it.” You mumbled, meeting his eyes. “Go on a date with me.” He spoke quickly, you took a step back, “what?” You gasped, widening your eyes as he remained calm, like he hadn’t just said what he just said. “Go on a date with me.” He said again, “please?” He added, watching as you warily eyed him. “Roope, we can’t, my job.” You stuttered out, hating every word falling from your lips. “One date, just so we know.” He stood, stepping closer, his eyes showing his smile when you didn’t step back. “If it doesn’t work, we can pretend it never happened.” He assured you, “and if it does work?” You all but whimpered, his hand resting on your waist. “We’ll figure it out.” Roope sighed, eyes pleading with you. “Ok.” “Really?” He gasped, groaning when he went to throw his arms up, you laughed at him, gently running a hand over the injured spot. “Let’s work on this first, yeah?”

***

Four dates later, it was safe to say you really enjoyed spending time with Roope, and him with you. Although, you did worry about people finding out, you hadn’t yet figured that out, it wasn’t that easy, you were possibly putting your job at risk, for him. He was worth it, but that didn’t make you any less terrified. “Hi, babe.” Roope mumbled appearing behind you, nearly sending you flying to the ceiling. “You can’t scare me like that!” You whined slowly turning to face him and shooting away from him when you saw Miro and Esa in the doorway. “They know.” Roope admitted, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, “they what?!” You shrieked, glaring at the trio of Finnish boys in front of you. “He didn’t tell us, I swear I just figured it out!” Miro rushed, coming to his friend's aid as you shot daggers at him. This sent you into a frenzy, if they figured it out, who else figured it out, who else could figure it out? You looked up at Roope with wide, completely worried eyes, “Y/N?” He questioned, eyebrows pulling together as you looked at him. “What’s wrong?” He asked, the two other boys stepping out into the hallway, you paid no mind to them as you shrunk away from Roope. “What if other people find out? What if it affects my job? What if-“ “Stop, breathe.” He cut you off, placing his hands on your shoulders. “Everything will work out, I have faith.” Normally you appreciated his optimism, but right now you felt like you were the only one being realistic. “Roope.” You sighed, stepping away from him again, hearing commotion out in the hallway, Esa shot his head in with a nervous smile, “Mr. Porter is here to see you.” He spoke, your boss appearing behind him, eyebrows raised high at the way Roope was reaching for you, and the fact that the two guys had been standing outside the door like guards.

“Y/N, Roope.” Mr. Porter nodded, eyeing the two of you as the fellow hockey players ran off like they’d be grounded if they didn’t. “Mr. Porter, what can I do for you?” You questioned, Roope awkwardly shifted away, knowing that if this didn’t go well you’d be furious at him for being so reckless. Your boss looked between the two of you, sighing as he shut the door, you sank down in your seat, cringing at whatever was coming. “Well, coincidentally I was looking for the two of you, to see how his rehab was coming, but it seems we have something else to talk about as well…” he trailed off, taking a seat beside your desk, motioning for Roope to sit as well, of course, being the way he is, he pulled the chair right up beside yours.

A sign of solidarity, if you will.

“Shoulders great, sir.” Roope piped up, and had you been alone you would’ve whacked his arm in annoyance, you settled for tapping him with your foot, glancing at him for a split second. “I’m sure it is.” Mr. Porter laughed, the both of you blushing softly, “Y/N, you can relax, you’re not going to lose your job.” He added and you didn’t realize how much breath you were holding in, you let out an exhale of relief, Roope having a small one of his own as well. “You can’t treat him anymore, that’s all.” You gasped at the words, “that’s it?” The two guys chuckled at you, and this time you did shoot Roope a soft glare. “Yes, I’ll switch you and Joey, you’ll have Tyler now.” Roope rolled his eyes, earning a chuckle from your boss as he stood. “Don’t be late, Y/N.” He called walking out the door, you turned to Roope and finally gave him the whack he deserved, he laughed at how lightly you hit him. “Ouch.” He faked hurt, whining dramatically. “You’re insane, and lucky.” You sighed, wrapping your arms around his waist in a hug. “Aw.” He teased, you pinched his back and he yelped, “hey, that really hurts!” He complained, leaning down to peck your lips. “Does that mean we can stop sneaking around now?” He asked hopefully. “The guys have been chirping me for not bringing my girl around, they’re saying I don’t really have one.” He pouted childishly.

“Well then bring me around, you guys are going out tonight right? Bring me.” You grinned, watching as he opened and closed his mouth trying to find the words, he settled on pulling you in for a kiss. “You better not get handsy with Seguin.” He mumbled as he pulled away, “that’s literally my job, babe.”

“You guys and your freaking shoulder injuries.” You chastised with a smile as Tyler was in rough shape considering how long he’s been working on it. “Rude.” He scoffed, you got along with all the guys really, but the flirting only ever happened with Roope, you were just sarcastic with the others, something they could appreciate, considering they didn’t want to be stuck doing these appointments anyways. “Have you heard?” He asked after a while, you lifted your eyebrows as you showed him how to stretch out the muscle, “heard what?” You mumbled, adjusting his position, softly apologizing as he winced. “Hintz has a girl.” He gave you a side eyed look as you played it off too calmly, “are you jealous?” He gasped, nearly whacking you as he turned with his arm still extended. You ducked and glared at him, “I’m not jealous.” You shrugged, only fueling him on. “That’s what you would say if you were jealous.” He pointed out, “it’s also what I would say if I wasn’t jealous,” you threw it right back at him, “get back to work Seguin.”

***

You were walking up to the bar, approaching the guys, but paused as you faintly overheard them talking. “I’m telling you man, she’s got the hots for you.” Tyler spoke, nudging Roope, you had to hold back a giggle when Roope rolled his eyes and looked away, his gaze falling on you for a moment. “Too bad, I’m spoken for.” Roope responded, leaning against the bar, Tyler followed suit, you walked in between them, Jamie on the other side of Tyler. “Y/N, what are you doing here?” He asked with a smile, you shrugged, “meeting up with my boyfriend.” You answered, casually leaning into Roope’s side, Tyler glanced up from his drink, doing a double take as Jamie started repeatedly hitting his arm with an open hand. “I told you!” Jamie snapped at his friend. “But you, you’re-I’m an idiot.” Tyler stuttered out as Roope easily pulled you closer to him. “Hi, baby.” Roope mumbled, kissing the top of your head as Tyler shook his. “Finally!” Esa cheered, “it was getting hard not to slip up.” He added, and both Tyler and Jamie whipped around, “you knew?!” They gasped, Miro appeared beside them, “yeah.” He nodded and they shot daggers at him too. “Geez, did anyone else know?” Jamie asked, you shook your head from your place in Roope’s arms. “No, they figured it out.” You answered, smiling when Roope squeezed you a little tighter. “You’re getting slow in your old age, boys.” You added teasingly, laughing when they rolled their eyes angrily. “Your girlfriend is rude.” Tyler grumbled to Roope, picking his beer up and trudging off to the rest of the guys, “I happen to think she’s pretty nice!” Roope called, earning a middle finger from Tyler. “I’m glad you came.” Roope whispered to you, kissing you softly when you turned to meet his gaze, “Mhm, me too.”

taglist: @starkeysdunn @kempe @vincecdunn @literarycharleton @wtfkie

#Roope hintz #Roope hintz fic #Roope hintz imagine #imagine #imagines #requested #dallas stars

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nialledfromfics · 4 years ago

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The Dating Game | Chapter Nine

The door closed. Niall stood motionless, his blue eyes transfixed to the painted wood panelling half expecting it to open again and for her to rush back through and jump into his arms like she had many times before. But he knew that wasn’t going to happen. He knew that beautiful, wistful, carefree part of their story was over. More over than he had failed to realize. His chest rose high with his quickened breaths and he swallowed hard, not wanting the slow blink of his glassy stare to move off of the door. His mind tried to rattle around the single thing that sparked the very reaction he couldn’t escape from: the look on her face.

He didn’t understand why she had looked so defeated, so anguished upon seeing Lila, maybe she was just shocked. He would have been too, he decided. He had been, many times. But that still didn’t explain to him, why. Her gorgeous light brown eyes peering up at him, wide and with a hint of sadness that Niall had only seen one other time over the course of their friendship. It felt like his heart was breaking all over again.

“Are you ready to go?”

Breaking him from his thoughts, Lila ran her touch down the center of his back. “Uh...yeah,” he sputtered.

The girl smiled at him. “That was Joey, huh?”

Niall pulled in a sharp breath. “Yeah.” His stare hadn’t left his closed front door, his jaw clenching slightly as he felt Lila’s fingers intertwine with his.

“She’s pretty.”

His eyes snapped over to the girl standing next to him, his lips just barely falling to a part. “Yeah,” was all he could muster in response.

Lila huffed out a short chuckle. “So what did she want?”

With his stare sliding back over to the door, Niall briefly shook his head. “I...dunno, to be honest…”

“Hmm...weird,” Lila mumbled as she shifted her body to stand right in front of Niall. His blue eyes, their entanglement with the closed door interrupted, locked with hers. “We should get going now so we’re not late.”

He tipped his head down slightly, running his hand through his hair and down the side of his face in a faint sigh. “Yeah…” he mumbled, a half smile pulling at his lips before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her mouth, “yeah, sorry, babe. Let’s go.”

•

Of course he would be dating her. She was exactly who Joey had always pictured as his type. Irritatingly gorgeous with perfect bone structure and pore-less skin, beamingly white teeth and that model-slim body shape. She was athletic and perky in all the right places with not one ounce of body fat to be seen. Her hair was perfect, her smile, her nails, her clothes…

She was blonde, stunning and looked like she had stepped straight out of a damn magazine centerfold.

Lila was everything Joey wasn’t. And on top of that, she had him.

If Joey hadn’t felt like the biggest fool to walk the earth before, she definitely did after meeting Niall’s new girlfriend. The entire following week was spent cursing herself out for being so deluded into thinking he had even a fraction of feelings for her, and trying her hardest not to stalk Lila’s Instagram every five minutes like some kind of masochist. She had called Alexis on her way home from Niall’s house, tears streaming down her face, her voice cracking with the inability to stop crying enough to choke out how dumb and ridiculous she had been to even show up to his place like that. By the time she arrived back to her usually empty and lowly apartment, she had her best friend, her brother and his girlfriend there waiting to cheer her up. It was an unexpected welcome, and they spent the evening drowning Joey’s problems in cheap beer and greasy pizza and laughing until their cheeks hurt and they could no longer breathe. It was a nice distraction.

But the next morning Joey woke up to a text from Niall. And another later that night. And then again the following morning. She received 10 texts from him within that week. And Joey ignored every single one. She felt stupid and embarrassed and even if she were to answer him, what was she going to say? She couldn’t pour her heart out to him like she had planned, she couldn’t tell him how the thoughts of him kept her up at night and how badly she wanted to kiss him over and over and how no matter what...she could not get him out of her head. Joey couldn’t do that, and it wouldn’t be fair if she did. He was obviously with someone else, he had feelings for someone that was not Joey and she just needed to accept that.

But that didn’t mean she had to like it. It also didn’t mean she had to talk to him. Or see him. Or be around him.

Joey wasn’t sure she could ever be around him as long as he was with Lila.

It took another few days for her to really get a footing on the situation, and to come to terms that Niall actually had a girlfriend, and that person wasn’t her. Joey was jealous, she was a big enough girl to admit that, and she was heartbroken but most of all, she was beyond humiliated. How on earth she could have thought that someone like Niall would ever be into or want to be with someone like her, was enough crazy to send her to the looney bin. She was, once again, right back to square one.

Alone.

Taking what had happened to her over the previous six weeks as a sign, Joey decided to just let Niall do his thing, and she would do hers. It was well into springtime and the summer season was quickly creeping up on everyone, school would soon be out, and Joey thought her best bet was to immerse herself into her work and her students for the last couple months, and forget about everything else.

The following five weeks breezed by. Well, as much as it could breeze by when the only thing on Joey’s mind was the one thing she was trying not to think about. But she powered through, focusing on getting her kindergarteners ready for the first grade, spending some needed time with her bestie and giving her love to the only one who really deserved it; Sadie. Niall had stopped contacting her by the third week of Joey not responding to his texts and calls and while it did make her heart hurt to read over his pleas of wanting her to answer him, she knew it was for the best that she didn’t. At least not at that time. It was too fresh, like picking at an unhealed scab to just reopen the gnarly wound. Joey knew it was the right thing to do. But that didn’t mean it didn’t send her heart racing and make her knees weak and have that knot tie in her tummy every time she saw his name pop up on her screen. Because it did, every single time.

It was only a couple days later that Joey got hit with the most gut wrenching thing that could happen to her in this kind of situation: paparazzi pictures.

And not just any paparazzi pictures; lovey, cutesy, vomit-inducingly sweet kissing paparazzi pictures. Had she not been standing in the middle of the coffee shop’s line waiting to order, innocently scrolling through Instagram when she was assaulted with the shots of them, she probably would have screamed bloody murder and thrown her phone against the wall. But as she clicked on the post of some random celebrity gossip site, flicking through the two full sets of photos, she could feel the sweat beading up along her hairline and the heaviness invading her heart. Holding hands, his arm around her shoulders, his lips pressed to hers. Her hands on his face, on his chest, curling into the back of his dark hair.

Joey swallowed hard and she tried to resist, tried to tear her eyes away from the pictures, but she couldn’t. Her fingers were trembling, almost losing grip on her phone and the noisy space around her dissipated into a long drone of static as her mind jumped back to when she had felt Niall that way. Touching his pretty face, his toned chest. His arms around her, his big hands wrapped around her body as he held her tight. His warm breath against her ear, his soft skin pressed to hers. Easing her eyes closed, Joey quickly turned off her phone and dropped her arm down to her side. She could feel her chin start to wobble as the faint sound of her name being called out waved over her ears. It took another minute before Joey peeled her eyes open to see the barista repeatedly calling out her name, a puzzled look on her face.

Sucking in a jumbled breath, Joey threw her shoulders back and plastered on a smile, stepping up to the counter to retrieve her coffee order.

She didn’t mention the paparazzi pictures, or her reaction to them, to anyone. Not even Alexis. And her blonde friend knew better than to bring them up even if she had seen them. Joey was very grateful for that.

Not more than two weeks after Joey had been visually assaulted, she was curled up on her couch watching tv late one Saturday night with Sadie in her lap and her second glass of merlot, when a text came through her phone. Assuming it was Alexis sending her some useless Facebook link or her brother with another dumb meme, Joey mindlessly picked her phone up from the couch cushion beside her and glanced down at the screen.

N: Hey stranger

Her heart skipped three solid beats, her phone dropping into her lap and onto Sadie’s backend, making the little dog jump. “Sorry,” Joey managed to say, giving the pup a pet as she rested her head back down. Picking her phone back up, Joey pulled in a slow steadying breath, her hazelnut eyes flicking about her darkened living room for a moment before she decided to go ahead and shoot him a text back.

The first one in nearly 2 months.

J: Hey.

N: Holy Shit . . you answered me hahahaha

J: Lucky day, I guess.

There was a slight pause from Niall after Joey’s last text, and she thought maybe she was coming off a bit too harsh. She clearly didn’t hate Niall, in fact it was the total opposite, but it was like every time she even saw or heard his name, she pictured him with her. Him kissing her and touching her and it drove her absolutely insane. Joey swallowed hard as she stared down at the lit screen, watching those three little text bubbles flickering…

N: I miss you .

And there it was. Three words that Joey was dreading but also yearning to hear. She was so confused, so entirely fucked up from the entire situation, she wasn’t even sure what she was doing anymore. All she knew was that reading those words from him made her chest tighten and her fingers go numb and her skin bleed with a heat that could melt a glacier. Swallowing hard, Joey bit at her lip as she carefully constructed her next text.

J: Did you need something?

She was not about to let him know the hold he had on her.

N: uh haha yeah. . I just wanted to let ya know Im havin an album wrap party this Saturday and i really really want ya to be there .

N: Please , if you can

J: I don’t know. I might be busy.

N: Okay . Its at my place at 7 if you decide ya wanna stop by .

Joey thought for a moment, her teeth sinking further down into her bottom lip.

J: Can I bring someone?

There was another slight pause, almost as if Niall wasn’t sure how to answer or what she really meant by ‘someone’, and Joey’s stare drifted over the screen as she waited to see what he was going to say next.

N: Yeh , sure. Bring anyone ya want .

J: Okay. I’ll think about it.

And that was it. He didn’t respond, and Joey puffed out a long sigh and tossed her phone to the coffee table.

That was unexpected.

•

Joey immediately decided that there was no way she was going to go to Niall’s album wrap party. There was no way she was going to be able to hang around his house with people she barely knew, and watch him being lovey and cute with his perfect girlfriend. It sounded like pure torture to her.

But somehow, some way, Alexis had talked her into going. She promised that it would be good for Joey, it would help her heal and move on, confront the situation head on instead of hiding from it and pretending it didn’t exist. Joey knew she had a point. Alexis offered to go with her, to not once leave her side and if at any moment that things got too weird or too hard for Joey to deal with, they would leave. And Joey agreed.

That Saturday came without a hitch. The nerves surging through Joey, however, were as prominent and irritating as ever. It took her nearly two hours to just pick an outfit, something she usually had no issue with and it almost made her angry at herself for caring so much about what she looked like when obviously Niall didn’t care in the least. After applying her makeup, blow drying her hair into soft waves, and fussing endlessly with the tiny hairs that wouldn’t cooperate, Joey was finally ready to go.

Walking out into her living room where Alexis was waiting, Joey heard a low whistle come from the blonde. “Damn, girl,” she remarked, “you planning on sending this man to his grave?”

The girls both giggled and Joey looked down at her outfit. She didn’t seem to think she was that dressed up, but a pair of skin tight white ankle jeans, a low cut beige wrap blouse that showed off her ample cleavage and a bit of her midsection, finished with a pair of heels obviously was doing her lots of favors.

She smiled at the thought and peered back up at her friend, tucking some hair behind her ear. “Guess we should go get this party started, huh?”

•

Her anxiety only escalated the closer they got to Niall’s place. Her hands slowly rolled into tight fists in her lap as she stared out of the passenger side window of Alexis’ car. Her heart was pounding, like an annoying uneven beat of a drum in the back of her ears, as a dryness crept to the back of her throat. Joey nibbled at her lips, any trace of her lipstick long gone by the time they had pulled up to the front gate. There were at least two dozen cars parked along the main road, Alexis managing to squeeze her Toyota Corolla next to an old tree. Taking in a settling breath, the two friends climbed out of the car and started to make their way up the street to his house.

By the time they stepped into his kitchen, there were already at least forty other people spread throughout his house and outside, drinking and chatting and laughing. Music was blasting through the integrated speakers, Niall had his large patio doors swung all the way open onto his pool terrace and down by his grill and picnic area which was all perfectly aglow by hanging lights. There was wine, beer and liquor arranged along his kitchen table and the two young women had just shuffled over to help themselves to a beverage, when Niall walked up.

Joey didn’t even have to look up to know he was right beside her. She could sense him, and even though he wasn’t standing super close, she could feel the heat radiating from his body and the burn of his eyes on her, and the distinct scent of his skin. The air stuck thick to the back of her throat, trapping any kind of ability to function normally with it, as she slowly looked over at him.

“Hey, Jo,” he said, a sweet smile tugging at his lips. She hadn’t heard his voice in two months, but the low gritty baritone slid like warm caramel over her ears and made her knees just as weak as ever.

Joey breathed out a smile in return, lowering her stare for a moment as she nervously reached behind her neck to sweep her red hair over her one shoulder. It was Niall’s turn for his knees to go weak. “Hi, Niall,” Joey replied, glancing back at him.

“It’s been awhile,” he went on, clearing his throat as he dragged his stare down the length of Joey’s body. “You look...really good.”

She scraped her teeth across her bottom lip. “So do you.” His gaze was intoxicating, searing like lava into hers the longer they stood there, still and wordless. They just stared. Soaking each other in, relishing in the silent scorching heat that wafted between them, not sure what to say or what to do next. Alexis had grabbed a beer, quietly sipping on it as she stood off to the side of them and curiously darted her eyes back and forth between the two. Then Lila stepped up.

Swallowing hard as her stare shifted over to the blonde that was slipping her hand into Niall’s, Joey shook herself out of the trance she had succumbed to. “This is my best friend, Alexis, by the way,” she said, introducing her friend to Niall.

Niall looked over at Alexis and promptly stuck out his hand for her to shake. “Sick! I’ve heard a lot about ya,” he stated, “glad you could come.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, too,” she replied with a smirk.

Niall pointed a finger at Lila. “Eh, this is my, uh...this is Lila.”

“Yeah,” Joey spoke up, “we’ve met.”

Lila nodded her head. “Yeah, we have.” The girl turned her attention to Niall, holding his hand in both of hers as she gently pulled on his arm. “Can you get me a drink, babe?”

“Sure,” Niall replied, tugging his hand away from her grasp as he stepped just past Joey and grabbed a stemmed glass from the table, pouring his girlfriend a drink. “Would you guys like a drink?”

Alexis held up her beer bottle and Niall glanced at Joey over his shoulder. She shook her head. “I’m okay for now, thanks,” she mumbled.

“Alright,” he said to Joey, stepping back over to hand Lila her glass of wine. “Well, there's plenty of stuff to drink as ya can see, and tons of food, we’re grilin’ out and shit so...please just have fun. Enjoy yourselves.”

Joey nodded lightly, giving him a soft smile. Niall reached out and gently rubbed over her upper arm. “It was good to see ya, Jo,” he went on softly, “I’m glad ya came.”

“Me too.”

Niall licked over his lips and stuffed his hands down into his shorts pockets, Lila whispering a whiny ‘babe, let’s go outside’ as she clutched his bicep and proceeded to pull him away.

The two friends watched as the blonde led Niall out to the open terrace, forcing him to engage in conversation with a small group of people. “Well, she's an insufferable bitch,” Alexis scoffed, taking a sip of her beer.

Joey pushed a shaky breath past her lips, and rolled her eyes as she twisted her head to the side, glancing at her friend. “I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispered.

Swinging her arm up around her friend's shoulders, Alexis leaned in slightly. “Just don’t let either of them see that it’s getting to you,” she said, her voice low as she held her beer bottle close to her lips, “let’s just…forget about them, get some drinks and have fun being in this big ass house with all these people who are way cooler than us.”

Joey chuckled, dropping her head in her hand for a moment. “You’re right,” she admitted, looking back over at the blonde who took another big swig of her beer, “let’s get wasted.”

“That’s my girl!” Alexis cooed, tugging her friend over towards the table full of alcohol.

•

After a couple of hours, and about three drinks in, mostly everyone had moved out onto the picnic patio area. Niall had hired a chef to grill and prepare a plethora of foods, while all the guests hung out and drank and had a good time. Joey tried to keep her mind open, she had tried to keep her eyes off of Niall and Lila but as the night drew on, it got harder and harder to ignore them. Alexis had taken off somewhere to converse with some partygoers, leaving Joey standing alone near the sliding doors and taking small sips of her expertly made margarita as her eyes stayed glued to the couple. Niall was sitting at the end of the cushioned bench of his huge patio table, his head tipping back in his loud but infectious laugh with a smile swept over his entire face as Lila sat perched happily in his lap.

Joey couldn’t help herself but to stare, wondering and wishing, the knot in her tummy clamping tighter every time Lila leaned in and brought Niall into a kiss. She watched as his big hand gripped around her hip, holding onto her so she wouldn’t fall, and by the fifth time Lila had her arms tangled around his neck, her tongue slipping past his lips, Joey just couldn’t deal with it anymore. The jealous heat had found its way to her cheeks, a sick feeling bubbling up from her stomach and she pushed out a groan, stomping her way inside.

Niall had heard her. Niall had seen her. He had peeked up at the red headed girl that was standing by herself near his sliding glass doors, more than once while he had been sitting there uncomfortably engaged with the girl in his lap. He could feel the undeniable tension in her gaze, the slight scowl that was sitting on her pretty face as her stare stayed focused on him and it wasn’t until he opened his eyes, Lila’s lips still pressed firmly to his, that he saw her storm off inside his house.

Excusing himself and leaving Lila sitting at the table, Niall made his way inside in search of Joey. She had found her way into the main living room, the only room that was quiet and a bit further off from the bustle of the party. Her eyes had eased closed as she frantically paced in front of the massive open windows by the end of his grand piano. She was trying to settle her breaths, trying to fight off the urge to want to vomit but also break down in tears and she was so overwhelmed and fixated on the thoughts whipping around in her mind that she didn’t even hear Niall walk in.

“Jo...what’s wrong?”

The sound of his voice ripped her from the jumbled mess inside her head and her feet halted on the wood floor. Looking over at him, she saw the concern written across his face. His brows pulled in, his lips parted slightly. He was standing but ten feet away from her, but it felt like he was so close that she couldn’t properly breathe. But there was no way Joey was about to tell him anything that she was feeling. “Nothing,” she blurted out, shaking her head as she began to pace again, “nothing, I’m perfectly fine.”

Niall chuckled. A more nervous reaction than not. “You don’t seem perfectly fine.”

Joey felt a piercing anger start to over take the misery. “Really, Niall?” she shouted, her feet once again coming to a stop as she darted her stare with his. “How would you even know how I seem? I haven’t even spoken to you in over two damn months.”

Niall was taken aback by her outburst, his face scrunching up at her words. “And whose fuckin’ fault is that?” he snapped back.

“Excuse me?”

“Give me a fuckin’ break, Jo, I have tried to call ya, to text ya, to fucking see ya and hang out and I got nothin’ back,” he told her, holding his palms up as he spoke. “You’ve been the one ignorin’ me every single time I’ve tried.”

“No, I haven’t.” She lied.

Niall rolled his eyes. “Seriously, Jo? Jesus, I had to practically force ya to come tonight, to me own wrap party. I’m surprised ya even showed up at all.”

Joey crossed her arms over her chest in a huff. “As if it even matters that I came…”

“It does fuckin’ matter!” Niall yelled, his voice rising louder than Joey had ever heard from him. She lifted her eyes back to his, watching as he shook his head in disbelief at her. “This is a big deal for me, Jo and I wanted ya to be here, okay? I wanted to celebrate with ya.”

Joey flicked her eyes away from his, turning her head to rest her chin on the round of her shoulder. “You don’t need me here, Niall,” she said quietly.

Furrowing his brow, Niall pushed out a sigh. “What would ya say that?”

“Because you have Lila.”

“What?” Niall said, bowing his head to rake his fingers through his dark hair. His mind was reeling, any words that came to his head were instantly stuck on the tip of his tongue. “What-...what does Lila have to do with anythin’?”

Turning her face back to his, Joey caught his stare. Her brown eyes dragged over the gorgeous blue of his, and she stood silent, her jaw twisting as she pulled in a heavy breath. “Jo…” Niall desperately urged, his voice straining his throat and his brows raising as she remained quiet, “what the fuck does Lila have to do with us?”

“Nothing,” she finally said, fluttering back the wetness that was forcing its way to the brims of her eyes, “she has absolutely nothing to do with us.”

Her words spit out harsh, like rusty barbed wire cutting through exposed flesh and Niall was left stunned, his mouth hanging agape and his head ready to explode with confusion as Joey rushed past him and right out of his front door.

•

What in the hell was she thinking?

Alexis, who had caught the very last of their little argument, along with nearly everyone else at the party, ran after her friend, trying her very best to calm Joey down as they hopped into the car and drove back to Joey’s apartment. Dropping her off, Alexis was willing to stay with Joey, to talk or just hang out so she wouldn’t be alone, but the young woman told her good friend that she was okay, she just needed to be by herself that night. The past three months had been one humiliating disaster after another, and at that point, she didn’t even want to think about it anymore. Curling up in her bed with her little sidekick and a crappy tv show playing in the background to drown out the busy noises in her head, was all that she wanted.

An hour after Joey had changed into a pair of tiny cotton shorts and an oversized worn sweatshirt, she had settled down in her mound of cozy blankets with Sadie. She had dimmed all the lights and was flipping through the tv stations to find anything decent with just the flickering white glow of the screen glinting across her bedroom walls. A faint knocking sound made Sadie’s ears perk up, alerting Joey who, at first, brushed it off and assumed it was something on the tv that made the little dog react that way. But then there was another louder knock that made both of their heads turn towards Joey’s open bedroom door.

Creasing her brows, the redhead clambered out of her bed in an annoyed groan, Sadie right at her heels already barking as they both shuffled into the main living area over to the front door. She slowly eased it open, half expecting the person on the other side to be Aleixs coming back by to lovingly force company upon her, but it wasn’t.

It was Niall.

Her eyes met his, and for a moment she found it hard to breathe, hard to pull herself away, but then she remembered how upset she was, that she was hurt and mad at him. Mad at herself. He didn’t say a word, and Joey just watched as his heavy lidded stare dropped to the ground at their feet. His back swelled beneath his linen shirt as he pulled in a long breath, and for some reason it irritated Joey and she pushed out another groan, cocking a hip out. “What do you want?” she snipped.

Niall glanced up at her, his brows wrinkling slightly at her tone as he licked across his lips. “I wanna talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about, Niall.”

It was Niall’s turn to get irritated. “That’s some bullshit right there, Jo, and ya know it,” he grumbled, darting his stare over hers. The red haired girl rolled her eyes in haste and spun around, shuffling further into her apartment. Niall took the invitation and followed her inside, easing the door closed behind him. Sadie was already at his feet begging for a pet and Niall glanced down at the precocious little dog for a split second before he trailed after Joey into her semi-dark living room, only illuminated by a small lamp in the corner. “Why did ya have a go at me like that? And then storm outta me house all pissed off?”

Joey crossed her arms over her chest, peering down at her toes to watch as she curled them into the fibers of her living room carpet. “I don’t wanna talk about it,” she quietly detested.

“I wanna talk about it, Jo.”

The frustration and pettiness was boiling inside her and it was as if she would implode at any second. She just didn’t see the point in having this conversation with him, it wouldn’t change anything. But she gave in. Because it was Niall, she gave in. And she was not happy about it. “Fine!” she fumed between slightly gritted teeth. “You wanna talk about it? Then tell me, why did you send me those flowers?”

Niall questioningly peered at her out of the corners of his eyes, his hands perching on his hips. “What?”

“The flowers, Niall,” Joey repeated, darting her light eyes over his, “like...two and a half months ago, you sent me flowers while you were in London.”

Niall’s face softened as he realized what she was referring to and he let out a long sigh, reaching up to comb his fingers through his hair. “I...I dunno,” he stuttered out, catching Joey’s stare again. “I was tryin’ to be nice. You’d just gone through hell with that fuckin’ idiot and I didnt like the thought of you feelin’...alone or-...or sad or whatever.”

“So they were pity flowers...” Joey scoffed, turning her head slightly to coax her eyes on anything but his. She fought to keep her chin steady as she chewed on her bottom lip.

“No,” Niall quickly argued, “no, I was tryin’ to show ya I was thinkin’ about you. That I-...I care.”

Glancing back over at him, Joey pursed her lips tight. “That you care…,” she mumbled with a shrug, “right, okay.”

Niall shook his head as he struggled to comprehend anything that was happening. He could tell that Joey was obviously upset with him, but he still had no clue as to why she was so upset. Taking a small step towards her, Joey averted her stare but Niall kept his eyes on her, his brows lightly wrinkling. “Now I’m really fuckin’ lost, Jo,” he said, his voice noticeably softer, “why are ya askin’ me about the flowers?” Joey remained quiet, lowering her head as she clamped her arms tighter across her chest. “Jo…” Niall went on, raising his brows at her demeanor, “why did you think I sent the flowers?”

Joey glanced up at Niall for a split second, enough to cause a rush of emotions to crash through her entire body before she eased her eyes closed and sunk her teeth down into her bottom lip. Really it was the only thing she could do to hold in the words that were sitting like a ticking time bomb on the tip of her tongue. She knew exactly why she thought he sent the flowers, she knew exactly what she wanted–needed–to say to Niall, and she struggled with wanting to let all the words flow like a burst dam that had been holding on with just a tiny crack in its foundation, or swallow it back down and keep it to herself forever. She wasn’t sure how he would react to any of it, and that was her fear, and what was holding her back.

Niall took another tiny step closer, the blue in his eyes becoming darker and filled with more perplexity the longer he stared at her. He swallowed hard. “Jo…”

“Because!” Joey snapped, finally meeting his gaze again as she held out her hands to him, “ ‘cause...I thought you liked me, okay?”

The words tumbled off her tongue like a slippery stone that you couldn’t get your grasp on, no way to control it and Joey’s eyes went big, her mouth hanging open as her outburst hung idly in the silent air between them. Her chest was heaving, her breaths so quick she had started to feel lightheaded and all she could do was dart her eyes over Niall’s as she forced herself to choke out the rest of what she needed to say. “And...and that day, the day that I stopped by your house and was going to tell you something?” she paused, looking for the change in Niall’s expression that confirmed to her that he remembered. “You were...you were there with her, this...perfect blonde gorgeous model who was fucking all over you, and of course I end up being the complete idiot that was going to run over there and confess all my feelings to you and pour my heart out like you would even care in the slightest–”

“...wait–”

“...but no, I’m just that big of a fucking dumbass to think you could ever have those kinds of feelings about me.”

Joey pushed out a long breath upon finishing her rant and she half expected Niall to start laughing, or even to say that she was being ridiculous and walk out. But he didn’t. Niall, instead, just stood there facing Joey, his eyes dragging over her features with his jaw hanging open as her words floated breezily through his ears like a lost melody he had been dying to hear his whole life. His heart was pounding in his chest and his knees nearly buckled under him as he tried to regain his sense of what had just flown out of her mouth. “Jo…” he whispered, his tongue shakily running across his lips, “you...had feelings for me?”

Joey rolled her eyes, a low breath hissing past her lips. “Niall, why do you think I’ve spent the last two months trying to avoid you?” she told him, furrowing her brow. “Because every time I see you, I see you with her and it fucking kills me, I just...I can’t do it. And I tried tonight, okay, I tried for you ‘cause I miss you and I really wanted to be there for you and I thought I’d be alright,...but...seeing her all over you, I–” Her voice waned as her words cut short and Joey peeked down at the floor as she carded her fingers through her red hair and swept it over her one shoulder.

Niall fell quiet again, his stare searching over her face, bathing himself in each beautiful little nuance of her that he could. But then it hit him, like a ton of bricks it hit him. Why she was so upset, why she had run off, why they were having that very conversation at that very moment and an alleviation instantly poured over him. “...you still have feelings for me.”

“Niall, even if I did,” Joey paused and shook her head, watching as she nervously picked at the edge of her fingernail. “What would it even matter?”

“It does matter.”

Joey shot her stare up to his, her head tipping to the side. “Why? Why would it matter if I still have feelings for you?”

A gentle smile tugged at the one corner of his mouth. “ ‘cause I still have feelings for you.”

Her heart stopped. Her chest tightening as her lungs twisted like rope around her breaths and it was all Joey could do but keep herself from succumbing to the dizziness that was filling her head. “What?” she sputtered, her brows folding in.

Niall pressed his eyes closed for a moment, taking a few steps closer to the girl standing before him. Gathering the words he wanted to say, he stuffed down the nerves that were raging through his body and finally peered back up at her, trapped by the sparkling light in her eyes. “Joey, I’ve had feelings for you since the first night we met. The second I laid eyes on ya...Jesus Christ,” Niall paused, rubbing over the back of his neck before he continued, “but I never thought ya saw me that way. You were always goin’ on all these dates, and even that night that I stayed over here with ya after your break up...you just kept tellin’ me how you felt so lucky to have me as a friend...and it broke me, Jo.” Niall swallowed hard, shaking his head slightly as he glanced down at the floor. “I knew after that, that I didn’t stand a chance to be with ya and it’s why I left. I couldn’t be where you were. I had to get away.”

Joey let her stare slide over Niall, every heartstring tugging inside her the longer she immersed herself in his words. “I-...Niall, I don’t even know what to say,” Joey finally spoke up, “this whole time you’ve had feelings for me and I’ve been...going on and on about my stupid love life and other guys with you...why didn’t you say anything?”

“What was I gonna say, Jo?” Niall faintly chuckled, darting his eyes with hers, “I knew how you felt, or at least I thought I did, so I just...dealt with it ‘cause it was better bein’ your friend than nothin’ at all.”

Joey dropped her shoulders, bringing her fingernail up to her mouth as she peered down at Sadie, who was curled up on the couch behind Niall fast asleep. There were a million different thoughts crashing through her head, a million different feelings and just when she had decided that it was time to get over Niall, to move on and leave that part of her life behind...he was standing in front of her confessing the very same feelings that she had for him. It was startling, electrifying, overwhelming and frightening, all at once. Her heart was going wild in her chest, swelling with each tiny breath that left her lungs and she peeked up at Niall and a single, excruciating realization swiped all of it away. “But...you’re with her. You have a girlfriend.”

Niall sighed, lowering his head as Joey kept her stare glued to him. “Niall, do you know how fucked up I’ve been these last couple months watching you with her?” she softly confided, “I can’t even breathe when I’m around you…”

“Yeh, I do know,” Niall quipped with a brashness, his eyes rising up to look at her as he cocked his head back slightly. “I felt the exact same way, watchin’ ya go out with all those guys who weren’t even worthy of bein’ with ya.”

Joey pulled her face in. “So...what, you’re just dating Lila to be vindictive?”

“No! Jesus fuckin’ Christ…” Niall rolled his eyes as he ran his hand over his forehead in a sigh. “I was tryin’ to move on.”

“Move on from what? We weren’t even together.”

“From you, Jo, from my feelings for ya,” Niall paused, shaking his head as he held his palm to the front of his chest, “I didn’t date Lila to hurt ya or make ya jealous, I swear. I didn’t know ya felt that way about me.”

Joey bit at her bottom lip. “I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

Stuffing his hands down into the front pockets of his shorts, Niall’s shoulders bounced in a light chuckle. “Well, love, we proper fucked that up, didn’t we?”

She pushed out a faint giggle, shaking her head as she reached up to tuck some hair behind her ear. A soft quiet had fallen between them, Joey bringing her stare up to Niall’s. “So...what now?” she then asked him.

“Um...dunno really, though, I guess it’d be a good time to tell ya that I broke up with Lila,” Niall told her.

Joey’s brows pulled in. “What?” she questioned. “Wait-...when did you break up with her?”

“After ya left me house.”

Her hazelnut eyes darted over his, and Joey almost couldn’t believe what he was telling her. It seemed a little too good to be true. “You broke up with her after I stormed out of your house? Today? Why would you do that?”

Niall gave her a shrug. “ ‘Cause I knew in that moment, after seein’ how upset you were, that I had to tell ya how I felt.” He paused, licking across his lips as he pulled in a deep breath. “There was somethin’ in your eyes when ya looked at me, Jo. Somethin’ inside me just...I dunno. But I knew I was done pretendin’ that I didn’t feel nothin’ for ya. That what we have between us could be real, whether ya felt the same way or not.”

Joey felt a warmth pulse to the top of her skin, curling in her belly and whipping through her veins. Her stare flitted over his, almost helplessly as she fought off the smile that was trying to break across her mouth. “It was the way I looked at you?”

“It’s always the way ya look at me,” Niall said softly. “It makes me heart stop dead in me chest. You said before that ya can’t breathe when you’re around me? I can’t breathe when I’m around ya either…”

Joey bowed her head down, a sweet smile spreading over her lips and a ruddiness punching to her cheeks as the heat swam through her body. Niall caught a hint of her expression and it made the same befall him. He couldn’t help himself; this girl, this beautifully exquisite, smart and captivating girl in front of him, made something inside him come alive. It made him want to burst at the seams and never be whole again without her. His blue eyes fawned over the long strands of her red hair that fell down the side of her face, to the soft slope of her neck and with his heart practically thumping out his chest, he wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and never let her go.

Easing in a breath, Joey caught his stare once more. “What’d you tell Lila?” she asked him, her curiosity taking over.

“I just told her it wasn’t workin’ out,” Niall admitted with a shrug.

“Did she believe you?”

Niall shook his head. “I don't think so. She heard us fightin’, so I think she knew the real reason I was breakin’ up with her.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Joey tipped her head to the side. “And what reason is that?”

“You.”

She lightly rolled her eyes in a tiny smile, the flutters in her tummy going wild. Niall smirked at her playfulness, overwhelmed by how damn cute she was and he slowly shuffled closer to her. Joey’s chin tipped up to meet his stare as Niall stood right in front of her. “I really like ya, Jo,” he breathed out, reaching up and using his fingers to delicately brush her hair away from the side of her face. “And I know ya really like me too…”

Her heart was racing, her legs nearly turning to Jello the longer they stared at one another and Joey could see the softness in his eyes, feel the heat penetrating from his body as his chest moved fast below the tan-colored buttons of his blue shirt. Her fingernails twisted into the material of her sweatshirt at her inner elbows, anticipating whatever was about to happen next as her eyes darted fast over his. The room was dead silent, burning and swirling around her ears like a tornado of fire and Joey tried to catch a decent breath, but all she wanted was one thing. One simple thing.

With her stare slowly moving down his features, over the prominent tip of his nose and the dusty shade of his grown-in beard, it settled on the one place that she had been dreaming of. His lips. Joey’s eyes fluttered and she anxiously shifted on her bare feet as she bit down on her bottom lip. “Niall?” she barely choked out.

“Yeah?”

His touch had fallen from her skin by then, his hands hanging down by his sides and Joey glanced back up to the darkening pupils of his eyes that were held steady on her. “Can you stop staring at me and just kiss me already?”

A short chuckle rumbled from his throat and he gave her a smirk. “Yeah, baby, I can do that…”

Hooking a finger underneath her chin, Niall slowly started to bring her mouth to his. Joey rushed to pull in a breath, her eyes easing closed as she felt Niall’s parted lips gently cradle around her own. With his hand moving from her chin to cup around her jaw, Joey fell into him; her hands pressed to the front of his chest, feeling the banging of his heart against her palms as his mouth slowly moved over hers.

His lips were soft, smooth and he had a hint of gin on his breath and as his head tipped further, Niall deepening the kiss, Joey felt as if the ground below her was fading away. She was floating, floating up and up, her hands slowly sliding over his shoulders to encircle his neck as his tongue slipped between her parted lips. Fireworks burst unstoppable in her tummy, sparking recklessly from her rising chest to the ends of her bare toes and Joey roughly tangled her fingers up into the back of his dark hair, not even willing to let him go if he tried.

She hummed against his open mouth, Niall tasting the sweetness of her breath on his tongue as he reached up with his other hand and curled it into the thick of her hair. He kissed her harder, not meaning to but not being able to hold back any longer. He wanted her; wanted her soft kisses and her fiery touch, he needed her; every bit of her trembling body and her enrapturing soul. Tiny whimpers edged from her throat, the feel of her fingers gently pulling at the ends of his hair every time his tongue swept over her own with the heat of her body pressed taut to the front of his, it was all more than he could have ever imagined.

It was only when Niall could feel himself fully reacting to her, that he was forced to pull away, their eyes slowly peeling open. Joey lightly ran her tongue over her lips as she rested her forehead against his to catch her breath, and just a few more heart-stopping moments passed before the young woman had urged him back into a kiss, peppering his lips with hers over and over.

#niall #niall horan #niall fic #niall fan fic #niall horan fan fic #niall fanfic #niall smut #ou #slowburn #tdg #chap 9 #YALL THIS MIGHT BE THE ONE YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!!!!!#ahhhhhhh #okay pleas pleaseee read and SHARE!!!!#let me know what you think #i love hearing yall's thoughts or yells or whatever lol #enjoy!!

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queenofcats17 · 6 years ago

Note

The recent stories have been TOO good! It keeps giving me new ideas because of how great they are! (Sorry if I’m overwhelming you though. You don’t have to do these it’s totally fine.) What if Alice/Susie starts to feel that it isn’t so bad being around Sammy and Wally again, and thinks about the good times she had with them? Meanwhile Sammy finds Henry all sad and broken from what happened and he and the other ink-creatures help make him feel better, because they’ve all been through it too?

Sorry this took so long.

Sammy, Wally, and Alice sat together, eating quietly for quite a while. Sammy and Wally eventually started talking about finding more resources and clearing out some of the Butcher Gang members. They were gathering in the administration level again and the Heavenly Toys area. One of the younger Lost Ones wanted a plushie because they’d remembered they liked sleeping with a stuffed animal.

“Why don’t we go play some of the warehouse games while we’re out?” Wally suddenly suggested. “Bertie probably wouldn’t mind if we rode his ride either.”

“I don’t know, we have a lot to do.” Sammy pursed his lips, tapping his fingers nervously on his bowl.

“Come on.” Wally hooked an arm around Sammy’s shoulder. “We deserve to have fun every once in a while.”

“You just want to show off that you’re better at the strength game,” Sammy muttered.

“Let me have that. You’re better at literally anything involving hand-eye coordination.” Wally leaned on Sammy’s shoulder, doing puppy eyes. Sammy snorted, allowing himself a small smirk. Alice couldn’t help but laugh a little. She remembered Wally dragging her down to the warehouse with Sammy to play those carnival games. It had felt like a big adventure, knowing that if Joey caught them they’d get yelled at for slacking off.

“Do you wanna come with us?” She snapped back to reality at Wally’s question, finding Wally and Sammy both looking at her.

“I-I…I’m sure you don’t want me along.” She turned her gaze downward, her grip on her bowl tightening.

“Of course we do!” Wally said. “You’re the only one who can beat Sammy at the milk bottle game!”

“She can beat Sammy at the milk bottle game?” A Lost One asked in wonderment. “I thought no one could do that!”

“Oh yeah, she’s great at the bottle game.” Wally continued, lighting up. “The first time we took her down there, Sammy wanted to impress her so he tried to show off at the bottle game, but he only managed to knock down a couple bottles cause he was so nervous. Susie knocked down all of ‘em on her first try.”

“I didn’t knock down all of them.” She felt her cheeks beginning to heat up.

“Well, you knocked down most of them.” Sammy chuckled. “You certainly showed me how it was done.”

“You were better at the shooting game.”

“Not by much. I’m not very good with firearms.”

“None of us are good with guns.” Wally pointed out. Alice laughed. She’d forgotten how much she’d missed them, missing being a part of their group. Being with them, it almost made her forget how terrible things were. Wally was still as happy and optimistic as she remembered. And Sammy was as kind and patient as he’d always been.

She didn’t deserve this, a sudden voice in her head said. She’d been terrible to the Lost Ones and Searchers. She’d tortured Butcher Gang members. She’d terrorized the inhabitants of the studio almost as much as Joey. She didn’t deserve this kindness. She didn’t deserve a second chance. She instinctively drew into herself, hunching her shoulders.

“You okay?” Wally asked.

“I should go.” She put the bowl on the ground and stood up. “I’ve wasted enough of your time.”

“You haven’t been wasting our time.” Sammy got up with her. He looked slightly panicked at the idea of her leaving again. He didn’t want them to go back to being enemies.

“I’ve been taking advantage of your kindness.” She shook her head. “I don’t deserve to be treated this well. I should just go.”

“Hey, we’ve all made mistakes.” Wally got up too. “You’re as much of a victim as the rest of us are.”

“But I’ve hurt people!” She turned around, hands clasped to her chest. “I’ve hurt all of you!”

“We’ve all hurt each other.” Sammy reached for her before quickly withdrawing his hand. “I don’t want to lose you again, Susie. Please. Stay.”

“We’re all pretty messed up at this point.” Wally offered a comforting smile. “Let us help you.” The creature who had previously been Susie Campbell hesitated. Behind Sammy and Wally, the Lost Ones and Searchers watched her. They were still rather wary, but they did look like they wanted her to stay.

“I’ll just hurt you in the end.” She said weakly.

“If you do, we’ll deal with it,” Sammy replied, taking another step toward her. “You’re not alone. We’ll help you.”

“You promise?” Susie whispered.

“I promise.” Sammy smiled softly. Susie glanced back at the boat before nodded, allowing the others to bring her back to where she’d been sitting.

“I need to go get something, and then we can go down to the warehouse level and play the carnival games,” Sammy said.

“Gotcha.” Wally made finger guns toward him. “We’ll be here.” Sammy slipped into his shack to recover the sack he used for gathering supplies. It was then that he discovered Henry curled up on his cot.

“Henry? When did you get here?” He asked, slipping his bag over his head.

“A while ago.” Henry mumbled. “Before Susie showed up.”

“Are you alright?”

“Is anyone ever alright here?”

“I suppose you have a point.” Sammy let out a small laugh. “What’s bothering you?”

“…I didn’t know I was dead.” Henry said after a moment. “I didn’t know that we all…died to become these things.”

“Ah.” Sammy sat down on the edge of the cot. “I had thought you knew.” Henry curled tighter.

“I died and I didn’t even get to see Linda.” His voice caught in his throat, threatening to turn into a sob. Sammy patted Henry’s back.

“I’m sure she’ll wait as long as it takes for you to get to her.” He said.

“You know, if she were still here, she’d probably beat Joey up.” Henry laughed, the sound both joyous and filled with sorrow.

“She absolutely would.” Sammy chuckled. “She always was a force to be reckoned with.”

“She was.” Henry smiled to himself. “Annette reminds me a lot of her. It’s part of the reason we became friends so fast.”

“I suppose she is quite like Linda.” Sammy nodded slowly, mentally comparing the two. “No wonder you two get along so well.”

“I don’t want her to end up like us.” Henry’s voice became small, the reality of the situation hitting him once more. “I don’t want to have to watch someone else I care about die.”

“She’s not going to die. Not while we have anything to do with it.” Sammy assured him.

For a moment or two, they sat in silence. Then Henry began to cry. Sammy said nothing, continuing to pat Henry’s back. They’d all gone through this when they’d realized they were no longer living.

“You’re not alone.” Sammy finally said when Henry had stopped crying so hard. “I know that probably isn’t much comfort right now, but I want you to know that you’re not alone. We’ve all been through this and we’re here for you.”

“Everything okay?” Wally stuck his head in. “You’ve been gone a…while…” He trailed off when he saw Henry on the cot. “Oh.”

“He just found out he’s dead,” Sammy explained. “I’m betting Drew said something he probably shouldn’t have.” The disdain in his voice was enough to elicit a small giggle from Henry.

“He would.” Wally rolled his eyes and walked in. A few Lost Ones and Searchers poked their heads in as well, accidentally pushing Susie inside. Susie stiffened upon seeing Henry, trying to stumble back.

“Hi, Susie,” Henry mumbled from the bed. Susie hesitated, her shoulders hunching.

“…Hello, Henry.” She finally replied.

“I’m glad you and Sammy are making up.”

“….Thank you.”

“So, you found out we’re dead.” Wally flopped down on the bed beside Henry.

“I appreciate that you’re probably going to try and spin this in a positive light, but I’m not in the mood for it.” Henry kept his back to Wally. “Nothing can make this better.”

“You’re right. Nothing can make it better.” Wally said. “This sucks.”

“But we’ve got each other at least.” A Lost One piped up. “We might be dead, but at least we’re not all suffering alone.”

“There’s nothing we can do to fix this.” Sammy conceded. “But what we can do is resist Joey and keep resisting until the time we might be able to do something.”

“It’s not perfect down here, but we’re happy.” A Searcher said.

“We’ve all been through this before.” Sammy continued, gently patting Henry’s back. “You get used to it, horrifying as that may sound. All you can really do is just keep going. If we give up, Joey wins.”

“That’s…That makes sense.” Henry nodded tentatively, slowly sitting up. “Thank you. For, um, trying to make me feel better.”

“No problem.” Wally winked at him. “Now, you wanna play some carnival games with us?”

“Sure. Why not?”

#bendy and the ink machine #batim saudade au #fanfiction #susie campbell #alice angel #malice angel #sammy lawrence #wally franks #henry #the lost ones #the searchers

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survivor-rotuma · 5 years ago

Text

Ep. 2: “iF yOu SeE a VoLcAnO wHy NoT jUmP oVeR iT” - Marie

Marie

Fuckin volcano

Felix

I feel secure because Charlie is going to be the one to go. I just know it. If we go to tribal that is. They have barely spoken and I don't know them too well. Might be the same for everyone else here

Marie

Still salty bout the goddamn volcano

Marie

iF yOu SeE a VoLcAnO wHy NoT jUmP oVeR iT

Flint

I am really enjoying the banter with Jay and our tribe. Having a great time with this immunity challenge and chatting with Joey and Felix. Wish the other tribe mates were as active.

Brianna

Ya know coming into this competition i didn’t expect it to be me and Bradley as the last two people representing our team. I guess he’s gonna be more active now since his busy week is over so that’s swell but like. God I really wanna sleep.

Felix

To sum up, I feel like I am getting a deeper bond with Flint and Joey. They seem to be willing to talk with me most often. So, even if we do go to tribal I am safe for the most part. I just feel like I am liked in the tribe. Also, I am the one putting in the most work for the tribe, so I have that going for me. I just feel safe because of the work I have put in, but I don't want to give up just yet. If I can avoid tribal, then I will. According to both Joey and Flint, Suzy and Charlie have been very inactive. Therefore, it will be them on the chopping block come time for tribal. Joey thinks Charlie is more inactive whereas Flint thinks Suzy is more inactive. It'll just come down to what Cassie and I feel in the end. Doesn't hurt us either way since I think they are the weakest links on our tribe, especially Charlie. I don't think she put in enough effort last immunity challenge. Plus, she was totally inactive for this challenge that she auto-lost. Cassie missed this challenge too, but she at least did really well last challenge. If we go to tribal, I think I would vote for Charlie in the end since they are the person I feel least closest to. If only Bradley dropped, I could win this challenge for my tribe and cement my place as a valuable asset.

Lysandre

I am SO SORRY GIGI! I thought you were a returnee so I decided to snap! The comment looked pretty mean compared to the others, which it was. The tribe, Marie and Kathleen, was wondering who said the mean comment and they believed it was David. I said yeah I think it was him as well. I love accidently painting a target in him and being a rat child.

Lysandre

Ok so I completely missed the challenge! I had no idea it was going to start early and I was at ine of ny sibling's events. I'm rooting for my team and hoping that my absence doesn't paint a target on my back. Also! I am loving being Lysandre! The writer in me is having a field day because I get to create a character and their background, quirks, and personality BUT THEN I GET TO BECOME THEM.

Flint

I couldn't outlast that second Immunity challenge. It was fun but my body couldn't carry on. I hope that Felix can pull through for Tuai! If we have to go to tribal I think it will be an easy vote, for me at least. I think that Cassie or Suzy should go. Cassie hasn't shown much initiative as our leader and Suzy isn't very social.

Bradley

This challenge is taking forever. Im the last one for my tribe. I dont want to lose cuz itll suck and havent been on that much so my soical game isnt too strong either. I just want to beat one tribe.

Cassie

I'm so proud of Felix for sticking it out for the tribe so that we don't have to go to tribal tonight. Plus we still have the numbers advantage, so that is always a positive.

Flint

So relieved we won immunity again! The Tuai tribe is unstoppable so look out! I'm a little jealous that Felix won an advantage but he deserves it and maybe with some buttering up he'll share the information with me.

Felix

Can you believe I have done THAT! I single-handedly won this challenge for my tribe, and got an advantage on top of that. I know why Raul and Kathleen gave it to me, though. If I won and people knew I had an advantage, I would have a big target on my back. It does seem that Kathleen and Raul are working together, so I have to watch out for them. Whether I tell this to anyone on my tribe is a different matter entirely. Though they all know I have an advantage. I think I won't be seen as a threat until later on in the game. I'm still an asset to them though this early on so I hope I would stay if we had to go to tribal in this stage of the game.

Raul

I really did not think I was gonna be able to compete but I got back into it was in the last 2 of our tribe. When it came down to 4 of us 2vs1vs1 we knew we needed to just knock out Bradley and he did that to himself. The best thing to come out was that Kathleen and I grew together plus I'm pretty sure I know the identity of Kathleen which helps cause I love this person. Also there was a individual advantage to be won and Felix had 0 while Kathleen and I had 2. Kathleen and I had decided that Felix could have it but try to work a little magic and make a relationship with him and a deal to work together if the opportunity arose. My smart self realized that that if we just gave it to him it would be announced we made a deal, so I said we continue the comp and just throw it that way it wouldn't be revealed what we were actually doing. This way it keeps this threesome possibility a secret. Whether it remains one or not we shall see. At the very least we aren't going to tribal. Hoorah, 1 point Raul the Snake 0 points survivor gods . . .

Kathleen

"Ohhhh bitch this ones gonna be different from my last one.

David? Trash. Will 100% be the one to go next tribal we go to if I have anything to say about it.

Marie? The sweetest and most opinionated 13 year old I’ve ever met. We love a politically aware teen.

Lysandre? *insert that lady Gaga gif of her going ‘gorgeous, amazing incredible’ ect*

And Raul? I’m sooo glad we were the last two left in the immunity challenge. We bonded AND made an underhanded deal with someone from another tribe. Can you say icons?

Hotel? Trivago."

Bradley

I could still potentially be going home. Since someone brought up the fact that they all talked how they havent talked to me a lot. They do appreciate me doing really well in the challenge and i have Apollo and Brianna wanting to work with me each separately. So hopefully i can avoid being voted off this round and just work on more social connections with them all.

Suzy

love felix but lowkey what if they are doing this for everyone

Boris

"Hello im STRESSED. I went from feeling like im in a comfortable position on the tribe, to the absolute bottom just in one day. Being forced to sit out of the challenge really fucked me up. I feel like the tribe is low-key bitter at me.

And on top of that. We have less than 12 hours to vote someone out. And NO ONE is really talking game to me. Im so nervous. The only person I connect with on a game level is Apollo. I have no idea where the tribe is leaning, but I have a sinking feeling its me.

God I hope im wrong and just insanely paranoid. "

Boris

"IN HAPPIER NEWS. I finally got something GOOD in the idol hunt? And it could be game changing!!!

I found 1 half of a super idol. It can't help me tonight but its leverage, and a super idol is the most powerful thing in the game, it could literally save my life in the future of the game. All i have to do is survive tonight, if I have to use the super idol piece as leverage, I will. "

Felix

I think the advantage is less about doing someone on the other tribe a favor. I'm telling everyone about it because, if I do that, it garners trust because they know I'll be open with them about any advantages I have. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to tell the truth to gain trust. The extra vote could also get me an ally on the other side. Let's see if this plays out like I hope it does.

David

Everyone is nice which makes it hard to decide who to vote off. Performance in the next challenge will base my vote and probably others.

Felix

I think my plan is working. Cassie offered me an alliance with her and Flint. I think those two are really cool so I think working with them is in my best interest. Also, I have connections with Mea through Raul and Kathleen. Hopefully, since I'm giving an extra vote to Bradley, I can gain a connection with him despite not having met him. I hope this plays out well! My social game seems to be climbing!

Felix

I have made my first alliance in this game! It's the Tuai Quad Alliance, LLC featuring Cassie, Joey, Flint, and I. It's basically everyone I wanted to work with since the beginning of the game! I think I have found myself in a good position on this tribe. To be honest, I'd like to see Charlie go first, but we'll see how this all pans out. I'm glad I finally have a security blanket though. Hurray for a good social game!

Cassie

I love being a part of the Tuai tribe and was happy to become the leader. Despite liking all of my tribemates, I've become part of an alliance. We're calling it the TQA, LLC. Maybe someday that can be trademarked, hehe. But the Tuai Quad power is strong with Felix, Flint, Joey, and myself.

Brianna

Well. We lost the challenge. I made a pact with Bradley that we should stick together since we were the last two people left in the challenge. I also talked to Apollo and Boris. I seem to be close to them. Boris mentioned making an alliance with me, him, Bradley, and Apollo and I would be totes down for that. So. Guess this will be pretty simple hopefully

Zest

I just cast my first vote and it was wild. I didn't know what to expect going in to tribal. I hope no one blindsides me because I am really getting invested in this game. I think while my performance in the last challange wasn't the greatest, I can still be a strong social player. Not sure if I'm feeling like Parvati or Hannah Shapiro. I need another few weeks to find out what kind of player I am going to be.

Charlie

I feel so bad for missing the challenge but once again not much new is happening.

Boris

"I have been putting in WERK todah to make sure I'm in the best possible position going into tonight.

I first was talking to Brianna, and she mentioned the only people she didnt wanna vote was me, Apollo, and Bradley. So, naturally, when presented with a majority of the tribe, I suggest an alliance! Ofc she agrees hehe, so now thats in the works.

On my tribe, the most likable people and those I get along with/vibe the most with is Apollo and Zest. I approach them both and plant that seed, another alliance of just us three forms. Im SO excited to be working with them, we bounce off each other really well and I truly think we can go to the end together.

So yeah, even tho I was worried this morning I think I placed myself in a near perfect position. I really don't think theres any way I leave tonight. "

Joey

unfortunately, i wasn’t the best in the challenge but at least i showed up! i was invited in by cassie to an alliance with her felix and flint, but it was obvious i was the last one asked. i plan on being loyal, but i need to let cassie play leader while i get closer with felix. slow and steady.

Thomas M

Not much, Bradley did well on the challenge but unfortunately we are in the bottom. Have been preoccupied with a big assignment so have not gotten to fully experience things in the last round at least. Am nervous of who is going to get booted, excited to see what's to come!

Marie

Wow, idol hunt hates me

Apollo

We lost, I feel like I’m getting played though, if this is the last you’ve seen of Apollo, it’s been a great run!

Brianna

I’m really laughing over Thomas’ first message to me after we lost 30 minutes before tribal....like...it’s a little too late sorry bud

Bradley

It looks like the vote should be Thomas which Im fine with. And theres an alliance of Borris, Apollo, and Brianna who want to make a four person with me which makes me really happy. Started off rocky in this game but with challenge preformance actually helped me a lot.

Apollo

Borris and Apollo? “Name a more iconic duo”

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fierycosmos · 6 years ago

Text

YGO Laurel Drabble: Not for You

(so back to Duelist Kingdom, after Yugi and Seto’s duel where Seto forces Yugi to concede the duel so Seto can go into the castle and get his brother)

“Kaiba I have never backed away and I’m not starting now! Kelptic Guardian, attack!” “Yugi! You can’t!” Tea said as she started getting up the floor rashly and running over to her friend. Laurel looked at Tea in disbelief. Yugi was going to win this thing, and she’s trying to stop him…? “You can’t take this risk, call him back! This isn’t like you, you need to stop!" Laurel saw Yugi hesitate, his body was shaking slightly and his face was contorting as if he was in pain. “STOP!” Yugi suddenly cried as he fell to his hands and knees and kept his head down. The Kelptic Guardian who was sprinting towards the dragon suddenly stopped and his shoulders slumped, his sword clattering to the ground. Laurel's eyes practically bugged out of her face since she's never seen a hologram capable of doing something so human before. He shock quickly vanished as Kaiba let out a laugh from deep in his chedst. “Couldn’t do it, huh?” Kaiba smirked, as he sounded content when Yugi’s turn ended, meaning the normal blue eyes head used it's white lightning attack to destroy the Kelptic Guardian. Laurel didn't smile on the surface, not feeling it was the right moment to show happiness but on the inside she was happy to see now that she and Seto could go in and take down Pegasus and save Mokuba. Laurel walked away from the sidelines to approach Seto and gave him a firm nod. Kaiba didn't reply or do anything to acknowledge her but he did step down from the ledge to Laurel's relief. He then removed his dueling device from his hand and collected the other piece. “I can’t believe it, that sleaze ball wiped Yugi out!” Joey said as he got up off the ground and stood to stare angrily at the jerk faced Kaiba. Sensing that Joey was going to do something reckless, she maneuvered herself slightly in front of Seto so that Seto was slightly blocked by Laurel's body. Laurel unconsciously turned her head around a immediately regretted it as soon a she saw the rest of Yugi's friends staring at the spiky haired teen on the ground. Tea watched Yugi from above shaking and letting tears roll down both their faces, Yugi’s spirit were officially broken. “Yugi!” The rest of the guys called as Tristan and Joey and Bakura started running towards Tea and Yugi. “It’s okay man.” Joey chided as he too knelt where Yugi was. “I almost couldn’t control it; this other presence deep inside me. He was willing to go all the way against Kaiba!” Yugi's voice was cracking. Laurel was confused by his statement but didn't say anything. She turned back towards Kaiba to find him staring at the group with a dark look on his face. It wasn't the usual darkness that hung around him whenever he was angry, he seemed like even though he won he wasn't content with the victory. Though Laurel wasn't either, she had to hold in her shrieks when Seto first stepped onto the castle's ledge. “Another presence inside you?” Said someone else from behind her, Laurel thought it was Tristan. “What do you mean? What the heck are you taking about, buddy?” Joey asked persistently. “Like me, Yugi also has some ancient spirit inside him; it has something to do with our Millennium items.” She heard the familiar white haired boy's British accent. “I’m afraid, of this spirit inside me. So afraid, that I will never duel again.” Yugi was holding back a sob. Laurel's heart tightened at the sound. She half-turned this time, only to look at Yugi as he was violently shaking and closer to the ground than before. His knuckles were ghostly white from how tight he was squeezing his hands. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry about your Grandpa but you did the right thing." Tea whimpered. Laurel almost rolled her eyes at Tea's outlandish apologies but she understood to some extent. "You couldn’t hurt another person, not even to save him. He wouldn’t want to be saved that way.” “Then I guess he got what he wanted.” Kaiba spoke up, making everyone stop what they were doing and whipped their heads towards where Kaiba was staring at them with his ice cold eyes. Laurel was surprised to hear him talk she stepped out of his way. “If Yugi had done what needed to be done, he would be entering the castle not me but he was too weak to follow up on his play.” Laurel wanted to eat him out slightly but understood underneath the anger that Seto would do anything for his brother, no matter the risk. If Seto had failed today, there wouldn't be a way for Seto to move on, he would never recover from a second loss by Yugi. “He spared you! Kaiba he showed you compassion, which is more than you deserve!” Tea yelled at him, standing up quickly and glaring at him to the best of her ability. Laurel noticed that it was hard for Tea's bright eyes to look angry, so didn't mind her gaze at first. “He lost the game.” “THE GAME. Yugi may have lost one lousy duel monsters game but at least he hasn’t lost his heart! Not like you Seto Kaiba! You’ve spent so much time with your machines that you forgot what being human is about!" Laurel's head shot up then and Laurel noticed Tea's stare was turning unnaturally cruel and it drove Laurel up the wall. "Yugi has a heart Kaiba, Yugi has us, he has friends that will stand with him no matter if he wins or loses some stupid game, and what do you have Seto Kaiba? What do you have at the end of the day? Tell me, tell me!” “Nothing.” Laurel whispers, shocking everyone because she was on ‘Kaiba’s side’. Even Kaiba broke his gaze from staring at Yugi's group scornfully to give Laurel a questioning glance. “What?” Tea and her friends gasped. “You’re right, he has nothing to go home to. If he didn’t win this duel, there would be no saving Mokuba and Kaiba would be living his life without his brother. But what life would that be?" Laurel finally raised her head, her hands in tight fists and her shoulders were shaking from built up rage. "He’d rather die than try to even attempt it. You say he doesn’t have the heart, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen Kaiba show how big of a heart he truly has! When you have nothing to lose you will do ANYTHING for the people you love! But you don’t seem to get that…you don’t even know the meaning of sacrifice.” Laurel growled as she stared at Tea with great intensity, the fire in her heart showing in her eyes. She calmed herself down a little bit and bent down and picked up the scattered star pieces on the ground. “We got what we came here for. C’mon.” Laurel growled as she tugged on Kaiba’s wrist, pulling him away from the geek squad and back the way they came to get to the castle’s entrance door. Once they’re down on the ground again, Kaiba tugged his wrist away from her and forced her to turn around. “I’m only telling you now because if I said it out there I would look like a fool and what you said would’ve proved meaningless." He seethed but then paused slightly to calm down, seeing that Laurel was still steaming from biting off Tea's head. "I don’t need your help nor do I take orders from you. I can walk there myself without you.” “I’m not doing this for you! I didn’t say that for you!" Laurel growled what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "I said that because that friendship-speech-crap Tea was spewing out was bullshit and I wasn’t going to accept that. I want to save Mokuba, and she was yelling at you for doing so.” “I was standing there fine on my own.” Seto stated firmly. “Well it didn’t look like that from where I was standing, watching you shake in fury as she continuously yelled at you and you did nothing to stop her." Laurel spat at him. "Now, I don’t care if you don’t want me to drag you down there, but I will if you don’t put those stupid star chips into that stupid door and take down stupid Pegasus and get Mokuba back, now.” “That’s what I’m going to do.” “Good.” “Hm.” Kaiba grunted as they walked up to the door where Kemo, the buff bodyguard with a pointier hairdue than Yugi’s friend Tristan’s hair guarded the door. Kaiba showed the guard Kemo the star chips he’s collected and placed them into the large lock on the door. “Your ten star chips qualify you to enter the inner sanctum.” Kemo said to Kaiba as large metal door with the ten star chips on it opened. “But not you,” He said as Laurel tried to follow Kaiba inside. “You can’t go in without ten star chips.” He said as he roughly grabbed on of her arms. “Get you grimy hands off of me, and don’t you DARE tell me what to do.” She said as she ripped her arm out of his grasp and then kicked him in the shin to knock him down. When he didn’t try stopping her, she proceeded through the doors after Kaiba. “Well that wasn’t very lady-like of you.” Kaiba commented softly as Laurel was almost in step with Kaiba. “Don’t you start with me, I’m in a bad mood as it is.” She said rudely as she brushed his shoulder forcefully as she walked past him to get farther into the castle.

#yugioh #Duel Monsters #seto kaiba #yugi mutou #Orginal character #OC #writing #fiction #drabble

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thesportssoundoff · 6 years ago

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“Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard deserve raises and hazard pay” The UFC 230 Preview

Joey

October 30th, 2018

So dig this action, Jackson. You're the UFC. You've drawn up this card for Madison Square Garden on paper----but all of your main event concepts fall apart. Woodley/Till winner vs Covington? Surgery for the winner of that fight. Holloway? Needs more time to heal up. Cejudo vs Dillashaw? 2019. GSP? On bad terms, sorry. Whittaker is hurt so you've got no 185 lb fight which in turn means you can't roll out him vs Gastelum either. You've loaded up this card with no main event and desperation starts to sneak in. Jones vs Romero for an interim title fight? Romero is hurt and Jones can't make the weight on short notice. You come up with an acceptable-ish main event with Shevchenko vs Eubanks but nobody wants that so you gotta back off of that because fans hate WMMA main events. Eventually somehow you find a way to luck into a really good intriguing HW fight sort of kind of. DC vs Derrick Lewis is probably the best you could do on short notice and at the very least, you get to have your HW champ style on a personable dude who is coming off a massive finish. Then bad gets worse:

-If you had been a betting man, you would've bet Nate Diaz doesn't make it to the dance. Instead it's Dustin Poirier who is hurt but not hurt enough to be back in early 2019. Go figure.

-That's fine, you still got a damn good co-main event! Well...then Luke Rockhold does as he do and now you gotta find a replacement, thankfully you loaded up on those, riiiight? Well see the problem is that by remaking one fight, you have to call on a replacement for the other SO:

Derrick Lewis vs Daniel Cormier Nate Diaz vs Dustin Poirier Chris Weidman vs Luke Rockhold Ronaldo Souza vs David Branch Yoel Romero vs Paulo Costa

TURNED into

Derrick Lewis vs Daniel Cormier Chris Weidman vs Ronaldo Souza Jared Cannonier vs David Branch Jack Marshman vs Karl Roberson Israel Adesanya vs Derek Brunson

It's at this point that I go back to the header; Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard are underpaid. No other profession asks you to deal with this level of chaos in short order. In any other sport, injuries create excuses but these dudes are expected to reshake up cards on a moment's notice and do it with pride and joy. That's really hard. UFC 230 is the weaker of the three cards upcoming but it's not for a lack of effort. Maynard and Shelby handled some bad situations and turned out an acceptable card. Not a GREAT card but an acceptable one.

Fights: 13

Debuts:

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations:8 (Valentina Shevchenko OUT, Roxanne Modaferri IN vs Sijara Eubanks/Nate Diaz vs Dustin Poirier CANCELLED/Yoel Romero vs Paulo Costa CANCELLED/Luke Rockhold OUT, Ronaldo Souza IN vs Chris Weidman/Ronaldo Souza OUT, Jared Cannonier IN vs David Branch/Ruslan Magomedov OUT, Adam Wierozcek IN vs Marcos Rogerio De Lima/Sultan Aliev OUT, Ben Saunders IN vs Lyman Good/Domingo Pilarte OUT, Motel Jackson IN vs Brian Kelleher)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 9 (Derrick Lewis, Daniel Cormier, Ronaldo Souza, Chris Weidman, Israel Adesanya, Derek Brunson, David Branch, Roxanne Modafferi, Lando Vannata)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC: 1 (Jason Knight)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: 3 (Daniel Cormier, Derrick Lewis, Israel Adesanya)

Main Card Record Since Jan 1st 2016 (in the UFC): 31-15

Daniel Cormier- 4-0 (1 NC) Derrick Lewis- 8-1 Chris Weidman- 1-2 Ronaldo Souza- 3-2 David Branch- 2-1 Jared Cannonier- 3-3 Karl Roberson- 1-1 Jack Marshman- 2-2 Israel Adesanya- 3-0 Derek Brunson- 4-3

Divisional Breakdown:

Middleweight- 4 Featherweight- 3 Heavyweight- 2 Welterweight- 1 Bantamweight- 1 Women's flyweight- 1 Lightweight- 1

Too Low- Julio Arce vs Sheymon Moraes

There are two fantastic featherweight fights on this card. The one I didn't choose was Shane Burgos vS Kurt Holobaugh; two strikers of various styles which normally make for a big money action fight. That and I'd like to see how Burgos responds to the challenge of his first loss in a high profile spot. Gimme Moraes vs Arce though; two tremendous strikers with Arce having a bit more versatility to his game. Moraes is an ascending talent at 145 lbs while Arce is on a crazy hot streak right now. That's the fight to make on the main card in my eyes especially if you have plans to do more South American cards.

Too High Up- Karl Roberson vs Jack Marshman

So I like Karl Roberson and I kinda get what the UFC sees in him. They see an ascending talent at a division that's beginning to grow some legs and teeth currently. I get it even if I don't really agree with it given the weaknesses Roberson showed in his pro loss. He vs Marshman on paper is an intriguing battle of strikers since Marshman will throw hands with Roberson who should sign in that sort of a capacity. The UFC might've rushed Roberson vs Cezar Mutante BUT I get what the hope was. They were aiming for something and missed which happens sometimes. Having said that, this being on a main card feels like a waste. Make it your prelim headliner or do whatever you want with it but this fight as a main card fight? Definitely not easing Roberson in after a rough loss.

Stat Monitor for 2018:

Debuting Fighters (Current number: 27-35-1):

Short Notice Fighters (Current number: 27-20): Adam Weiczorek, Roxane Modafferi, Montel Jackson, Jared Cannonier, Ben Saunders

Second Fight (Current number: 35-27): Matt Frevola, Montel Jackson, Sijara Eubanks, Kurt Holobaugh

Cage Corrosion (Current number: 19-34): Chris Weidman, Jack Marshman, Lyman Good, Marcos Rogerio De Lima

Undefeated Fighters (Current number: 29-21-1): Israel Adesanya

Keeping An Eye On But Not Really:

The UFC Win Check Test The records of fighters who have 4 or more UFC fights (or three full calendar years in the organization) but 0 wins against people still in the UFC: Marcos Rogerio De Lima

Ponderings are inside, y’all.

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- Don't overthink this main event. It's going to be fun.

2- Can Cormier avoid chaos? MMA is all about chaos. The short notice dude pulling off the upset, the weight cut snafu, the PED testing alarm. Can Cormier avoid the fact that Derrick Lewis well and truly has a few weapons to beat you with but he seems to use said weapon insanely well? Lewis has won 9 of his last 10 fights and a portion of those were late round stoppages where he SHOULD be falling apart but just kind of finds a way to survive until you dip yourself into a fuck up and get finished. Is Cormier SO good that even he can avoid the chaos?

3- If Daniel Cormier lifts and slams Derrick Lewis, I think we're all going to lose our shit.

4- Chris Weidman and Jacare Souza may be old and broken down but let's be entirely fair at the same time here. Weidman is still a tremendous fighter even as a more beat up version of what he used to be. It was barely over a year ago that he beat Kelvin Gastelum to pretty much save his career and we all know how good KG is. Similarly Jacare gave Gastelum fits at times in their fight and it could be argued that Jacare's more complete now as a fighter than he ever was---unfortunately becoming more complete at a time where he's just naturally eroding due to age. Jacare's only REALLY been soundly ran over once and that was by Robert Whittaker. Chris Weidman, even in his current form, is still really good. This is one of those rare fights where old and broken down is right----but "still really good is also right." What's more, I'm most excited to see the grappling exchanges between these two which could be a gas however long it lasts.

5- Chris Weidman is talking like he's going to get a title shot if he wins. Y'all up for that?

6- Jared Cannonier going down to 185 lbs just SEEMS like a risky proposition. Cannonier could probably continue to exist at 205 lbs as a weirdly solid kinda decent kinda bad LHW who just never gets cut because he can always beat SOMEBODY but the drop to 185 lbs just feels like going from the old and bad division to the old and still pretty good division. Risky.

7- Did ANY fighter see his career turn around at such a dramatic rate the way poor Jason Knight's did? Knight went from being a really exciting up and coming prospect to start 2017 to coming off three losses. Losing to Ricardo Lamas is no shame (but also losing to Lamas if you're a prospect feels like you can't jump over an important hurdle at 145 lbs) but he didn't even show up vs Moggly Benitez. Now part of that is due to how damn solid Moggly Benitez is but everything about Knight seemed off that night. Against Makwan Amirkhani, I thought he performed a lot better but still fought like a dude who is either at war with what he thinks he is as a fighter or out of touch with the skills and abilities he actually has. The fact that Knight fights anybody and is the rare "scrapper with genuine skills" makes him a guy who will stick around as long as he wishes but you get the feeling he vs Jordan Rinaldi is a way to reset Jason Knight's stock a bit.

8- The last time a UFC card had this many lightweights on it? UFC 155 in 2012. Want a gander at how quickly the quality of 185 seemed to jump up? The middleweight fights on THAT card were Tim Boetsch vs Costa Philippou, Alan Belcher vs Yushin Okami and Chris Leben vs Derek Brunson on short notice. Comp that to the what we're getting here and the only fight below the quality of those three combined is the Marshman-Roberson fight. This division HAS improved even if we still poke fun at it.

9- Israel Adesanya vs Robert Whittaker feels like the sort of fight the UFC thinks will sell big in Australia----only to come back and be like "I guess not" in reality.

10- There are three featherweights on this show and we sort of hit up Knight/Rinaldi but the other two ones are the REAL dandies. Shane Burgos was racking up wins all over the place and then he ran into Calvin Kattar. What's interesting is Burgos made a lot of very intriguing key adjustments in that fight to at least give himself a sporting chance vs Kattar. I had it tied up going into the third before a perfect Kattar read and one of the best uppercuts you'll ever see ended the fight for him. Burgos has been gone a LONG time but I'm still hopeful and optimistic on his upside. He gets probably the perfect opponent in Kurt Holobaugh who is a solid all around 145er who Burgos should be able to beat while also getting tested. If he struggles, we'll open our eyes and have to reassess him. On the other hand also on the card is a genuinely stupendous battle between Sheymon Moraes and Julio Arce. It's pretty crazy to think the UFC didn't think Arce was worth a deal right out of the Contender Series but an injury opened the door for Arce to get in and thus far he's been great; bullying Dan Ige and finishing Daniel Teymur in 2018. Moraes was one of WSOF's more enjoyable fighters to watch and after getting steamrolled by Zhabit, he bounced back to take a decision win over Matt Sayles. On the feet, this should be great and this is one of those fights at 145 lbs where it's such a shark tank that even when you want to avoid running two prospects against one another, it just inevitably has to happen. This is IMO talent wise one of the best fights of the night.

11- Cage Corrosion has been a fun study thus far and so I'd like to point out that cage corrosion eligible fighters are 3-7 in their last 10 bouts. After a September where they went 3-1, October brought a six fight losing streak. November starts off with a really good fighter in Chris Weidman but also has some questionable dudes like Jack Marshman and Pezao. Gonna be interesting to see how the picture shakes out there.

12- What is the appropriate buyrate for this one? DC's lowest is vs Gus at around 250K and his highest are obviously the Jones fights (725K and 850K). As a solo act outside of those guys, he's a comfortable-ish mid to high 300K range dude. Does Lewis help him hit that mark again? What's more, is the fact that there's even a SHOW at this point considered a win?

#MMA #UFC #Derick Lewis #Daniel Cormier #Chris Weidman #Jacare #New York #Combat sports

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auburnfamilynews · 5 years ago

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Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Tough loss, frustrating loss... see our thoughts from right after the game.

Yesterday felt a lot like the Florida game, except that we didn’t play from behind for the entirety of this one in Baton Rouge. Auburn lost to LSU by a field goal, and had every chance to not only lead for the duration, but possibly pull away. Inaccuracies from Bo Nix and the steady inability to find running room up the middle doomed a great defensive effort by the good Tigers, and now Auburn sits at 6-2 overall. What did we think? Find out below:

SNAP JUDGMENTS

Not good enough on offense to win these games. No sign that we will be at any point. Great on defense. Whatever.

Fastest player in the world, 3 catches, 33 yards, 0 touchdowns.

-Son of Crow

This defense is elite, don’t judge them on getting burned late. They played some 95 snaps.

Derrick Brown is in the discussion for best Auburn defensive lineman of all time. He may not have the sack numbers but the way he shuts down interior running is insane.

Throwing that ball before the half was the correct call. Was it the perfect play call? I don’t know, it wasn’t the best ever, but it wasn’t bad. If Seth high points the ball (like he does ALL the time) that’s a drop at worst, PI or catch at best. He had the inside position.

Bo has to be better. If he hits those slants in the 3rd quarter and just gets the defense some rest and field position, Auburn wins. Ultimately, the game came down to him in the 4th, and it was too little too late. He’s a freshman. As frustrating as it is, that’s what you have to expect in August when you decide to start a true freshman. You’ve got to let him grow, and no, you can’t just yank him for Joey.

Should Joey have played more? Yeah, probably. But guys, let me break it to you — he’s not a better passer than Bo. You pick a young quarterback, YOU HAVE TO LET HIM DEVELOP.

The hopes for winning the SEC are pretty much dead. Let’s go mess up somebody who still has dreams. The season’s not a loss.

-Ryan Sterritt

Incredible job by Kevin Steele. For most of the night, AU only had 4 guys in the box and 3 DBs on the field. Jamien Sherwood basically was a hybrid S/LB and was outstanding. AU’s defense faced something like 90 plays and gave up only 23 points. They never quit battling and gave AU a chance at the end that seemed impossible to comprehend.

Offensively, things are a mess. Gus’ offense is predicated on running the football yet his senior laden OL can’t move anyone with a pulse. As a result, he asks Bo Nix to sling it but Bo Nix isn’t ready to sling it. I don’t think benching Bo fixes the problem, but I would give Joey a series or two just to see if it injects some energy. But the root ill of this offense is they failed at recruiting elite OL the last 2-3 classes and don’t have the sheme to run an RPO spread attack.

Still think this team beats UGA and you never know with the Iron Bowl in Jordan-Hare. But, it’s hard not to be frustrated watching another defensive masterpiece wasted.

-AU Nerd

Auburn’s defense deserved better. As we’ve come to know over the last few years, they play their tail off and have nothing to show for it. Holding that offense to 23 is mighty impressive and if Auburn’s offense would have just mustered a bit more, OR finished drives like the first one of the second half, we’re having a different discussion right now. I’m amazed at how our offense disappears in these types of games. And only 3 touches for Anthony Schwartz? I don’t get it. You aren’t gonna win games with 15 penalties either.

Whether you like it or not, Gus is gonna ride or die with Bo. I’d like to see Joey get a few more snaps too, but it’s not going to happen. Gus even said postgame they never considered going to Joey.

The Auburn offense will probably hang 45-50 on Ole Miss so we can sit here and wonder where that was in Baton Rouge. I think a 3-1 November is realistic and mabe LSU can go beat Alabama... maybe.

On a positive note: at least we don’t have to wait a month for Auburn Basketball — just 9 more days!

-Will McLaughlin

The offense couldn’t have played much worse and we lost by 3 on the road to the #2 team in the country. Kevin Steele pulled a 3-1-7 defense out of nowhere and gave the country the blueprint to beat LSU... if you have Derrick Brown and Marlon Davidson.

The bad news is LSU made a ton of mistakes and failed multiple 4th and shorts. We can’t count on those stops against UGA and Alabama.

Watch this jackass LSU team lose to Bama. I’ll go ahead and make my pick. Bama 42-27.

-James Jones

I’ve deleted this and rewritten it now three times because while I’m frustrated, I’d rather not react out of emotion. What I’ll say is that we’re stuck. Stuck because of personnel that isn’t good enough to whip equal or better competition across the line of scrimmage. Stuck because the best option Auburn football has at quarterback is a true freshman. Stuck depending on a select few skill position players to bail us out instead of having everyone in a position to contribute. Everyone is frustrated with Bo Nix right now, but I’m telling you, our lack of ability to consistently run the football is the problem with the team. Is Bo Nix ready to beat LSU in Death Valley or Florida in the Swamp? No. No he’s not. But we aren’t good enough up front to bail him out. Is this group going to be good enough at home to ruin Georgia and/or Alabama’s season? That remains to be seen. It’s not what we sign up for at Auburn, but it is where we are today. Stay with this team. Their best game is still in front of them.

-Josh Black

Auburn didn’t win. They could have! There were a lot of chances. Auburn just couldn’t run the ball the way they needed to win. Auburn has two losses to teams that are a combined 15-1. Two losses on the dadgum road, in two of the toughest places to win. Luckily, Auburn doesn’t have another road game this season. Four more contests, all at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

-Josh Dub

***GUEST SNAP FROM LYDIA***

I’m not saying that there aren’t things to criticize, or that everyone needs to be a sunshine pumper. Flaws exist in both wins & losses, but they’re always magnified in a loss.

— O&T Eternal Champ of the Week (@AUSquid) October 27, 2019

Man, it really sucks to know that with the smallest improvement from a pretty terrible game, Auburn wins this one. If Bo Nix hits just a couple of those rough misses, it snowballs. The middle opens up for the run, or the defense gets some rest, or the offense gets momentum, or he gets confidence and hits more. I know the main issue with the team is the lack of true ability to run the football reliably, but we didn’t need to yesterday. This loss hangs squarely on the shoulders of Bo Nix, as tough as that is to say. There were plenty of opportunities to move the ball through the air, and he just couldn’t give the receivers a chance. It wasn’t even that we had drops, or good defense by LSU. More often than not, the ball was completely uncatchable. That’s how close we are, though. If Bo goes 50% through the air, Auburn might have run away with the game. Instead, it’s a 23-20 loss.

There isn’t any more that can be said of the defense except that they may actually shut out Georgia the way the Bulldog offense is going right now, and we’ll win a 6-0 ballgame at home (how hilarious would that be??), and we’ll have a chance to really slow Bama down too. The difference between what the Auburn offense has been on the Plains versus everywhere else is impressive. In the end, Auburn’s lost to two teams with a combined one loss, and the overall record of our opponents is something like 40-24. If we finish 9-3, this is a successful season. Split Amen Corner, and get a chance for 10 wins in the bowl game. Don’t give up on this team, because they’re not going to give up on themselves.

-Jack Condon

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/10/27/20935121/snap-judgments-2-lsu-23-9-auburn-20

#IFTTT #Blogger #auburn #auburn fast #wareagle #AuburnFamilyNews #war eagle #sec #football news #aubu

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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100 percent correct predictions for the 2019 NFL season that we definitely won’t regret later

Patrick Mahomes and Myles Garrett are two of the NFL’s brightest young stars.

Last year, we whiffed on the MVP and Super Bowl winner. This year, though, we totally nailed it.

NFL predictions in early September are, for the most part, garbage.

The league is an untamable beast whose undulations can cast off even the most iron-clad locks. The rise of onetime cellar dwellers at the expense of former contenders is the NFL’s proudest cycle. It keeps all but the most downtrodden fans invested in the promise of a new season, even if the last one ended in utter failure.

While some of the league’s elite will remain their status in the old guard — the Patriots, if we’re being honest with ourselves — new arrivals will challenge that throne in both the postseason bracket and the NFL’s individual awards.

This all makes the process of preseason predictions a silly exercise. The league’s ever-changing landscape reduces all manners of expertise into a raw collection of educated guesses. Like last year, when some of us picked Aaron Rodgers to return to MVP form or Dante Pettis to win offensive rookie of the year honors. We came back and tried again in February, only to see many of those derailed by the draft, free agency, and one shocking retirement.

So yeah, our picks are mostly going to be wrong. But you should read them anyway, because they’ll still offer valuable clues as to how 2019 will unfold, from the first snap in September until the moment the confetti falls at Super Bowl 54 — even if it’s in ways we never saw coming.

2019 MVP

Russell Wilson, Seahawks — Christian D’Andrea Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs — Sarah Hardy Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs — James Brady Baker Mayfield, Browns — Adam Stites

Wilson is always left hanging around the periphery of the MVP race, guiding his Seahawks to contention despite a typically sparse lineup of targets. 2019 should be no different. Injuries and Doug Baldwin’s retirement have left Seattle with one of the league’s worst WR corps, but Wilson — now flanked by a potent running game led by Chris Carson — will likely finish his year with something like 35 touchdown passes, 3,500 passing yards, and one of the top QB ratings in the NFL.

Those aren’t typical MVP numbers, but factor in another postseason appearance from a team that’s supposed to be past its sell-by date and you’ve got a recipe that will swing AP voters to Wilson’s side. If the Seahawk can live up to his lofty standard and ride a revamped defense and scattershot offense into the playoffs, he’ll be deserving of MVP consideration. — D’Andrea

Boring, I know. But we can almost guarantee the winner will be a quarterback, and until I see any sort of evidence that Mahomes or the Kansas City offense is headed for a regression, I won’t believe it. — Hardy

Screw it, let’s go all in on the hype train. Mayfield threw 27 touchdowns last year, setting a new NFL rookie record despite not starting until Week 4. Now he’s got another year’s worth of development and the addition of Odell Beckham Jr. working in his favor. Expect a ton of touchdowns. — Stites

Defensive Player of the Year

Myles Garrett, Browns — Sarah Hardy Joey Bosa, Chargers — Christian D’Andrea Fletcher Cox, Eagles — Charles McDonald Bradley Chubb, Broncos — James Brady Chris Jones, Chiefs — Adam Stites

You could call last year a breakout season for Garrett, the dinosaur-loving, dessert-declining, Grecian God wannabe. He flashed as a rookie in 2016, but languished on an 0-16 Browns team. In his second season, the former No. 1 pick racked up 13.5 sacks — three of which came against Ben Roethslisberger! — on a defense that was still kinda average.

Now, Garrett has more pass-rushing help than just fellow third-year lineman Larry Ogunjobi. This offseason, the Browns added two Pro Bowlers, Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson, to their defensive front. Not only should Cleveland’s D-line be one of the best in the NFL this year, those reinforcements will let Garrett unleash his true disruptive powers — we’re talking 20+ sacks territory here.

On the field, that is. Off the field, he’ll probably just chill and listen to a little Fleetwood Mac. — Hardy

Jones had 15.5 sacks for the Chiefs, despite mostly playing on the interior. It was 2.5 more sacks than edge rusher Dee Ford. It’s still a mystery how on Earth he didn’t make a Pro Bowl last year, but if his production continues to rise, Jones will be impossible to ignore. — Stites

Coach of the Year

Kyle Shanahan, 49ers — Christian D’Andrea Kyle Shanahan, 49ers — James Brady Matt LaFleur, Packers — Charles McDonald Adam Gase, Jets — Adam Stites Bruce Arians, Buccaneers — Sarah Hardy

I don’t know what to expect out of the Bucs this year. They could finish in last place in the NFC South for the third year in a row, or they could make their way back into the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Not much would surprise me, unless they’re somehow worse in their first season under Arians than they were in their last season under Dirk Koetter.

I doubt that’s the case, though. In six seasons as a head coach (including his interim year with the Colts), Arians has only finished with a losing record once, when the Cardinals went 7-8-1 in 2016.

Arians should get the Bucs back on the right track after his brief retirement, and that’ll impress the voters who might be a little tired of Sean McVay clones. Plus, NFL circles love him. He’s already won the award twice before. — Hardy

Super Bowl 54 prediction

The Eagles over the Chiefs — Christian D’Andrea The Patriots over the Eagles — Charles McDonald The Patriots over ... The Chiefs over the Eagles — Sarah Hardy The Saints over the Chiefs — James Brady The Chiefs over the Seahawks — Adam Stites

Last year at this time, I picked the Vikings to beat the Steelers in Super Bowl 53. Let’s pause for a sec so you can go ahead and LOL at me.

I knew then that it was nothing more than wishful thinking, because my reason for choosing the Vikings was as follows: “they’re not the Patriots, who will probably end up here anyway.” Then when that Voldemort of a sentence came true, I wrote in February, “I’m picking the Patriots to win every Super Bowl until the end of time now.”

I still believe that deep down, but you don’t want to hear about how the Patriots’ schedule looks like the SEC’s Cupcake Week stretched out over an entire year And neither do I. So once again, I’ll just try to The Secret a non-Patriots Super Bowl into existence.

The Chiefs were a penalty away from making the last Super Bowl. Their Madden-like offense is more or less the same, and the defense will be better (not that it has much choice to go anywhere but up). The Eagles have one of the most complete rosters in the NFL and a majority of their players have already been on this stage before. If you think the Chiefs are cursed, well, a lot of people said the same thing about the Eagles until two seasons ago. This is the year, Kansas City. This is the year!

I’m sorry. I already regret this. — Hardy

Which second-year player will have a breakout 2019?

Dante Pettis, 49ers — James Brady Dante Pettis, 49ers — Christian D’Andrea Mike Gesicki, Dolphins — Charles McDonald James Washington, Steelers — Sarah Hardy Marcus Davenport, Saints — Adam Stites

Let’s see what my 2018 offensive rookie of the year pick can do with a whole season of Jimmy Garoppolo (and a limited number of high-impact wide receivers around him) can do. — D’Andrea

Well, SOMEONE has to catch passes for the Dolphins. Kenny Stills is gone, leaving the Dolphins in need of targets. Gesicki has all right tools to be a dominant receiving threat. Now, he has the opportunity. — McDonald

No AB, no problem? The Steelers wish it were that simple. While there’s no replacing Antonio Brown, I think Washington can take advantage of getting more opportunities this year. He caught just 42 percent of his targets as a rookie, which came out to an underwhelming 16 catches, 217 yards, and one touchdown for the second-round pick. If his preseason performance can translate to the regular season, then his first-year struggles will soon be nothing but a distant memory. — Hardy

The Saints drafted Davenport because of his outrageous physical talent, even if he was very green. He’s just 23 and now that he’s been in the league for over a year, it’s time to watch that potential get unleashed. — Stites

Who will be the first starting quarterback to be benched?

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dolphins — Charles McDonald Case Keenum, Washington — Christian D’Andrea Case Keenum, Washington — James Brady Case Keenum, Washington — Adam Stites

Have you seen that Dolphins’ offensive line? This isn’t even a real indictment of Fitzpatrick — no quarterback would stand a chance behind that line. Unfortunately, poor production will likely lead to him being benched. — McDonald

Jay Gruden may be staring down a situation where the only way to keep his job is to prove he can develop Dwayne Haskins into Washington’s next franchise passer. If Keenum gets off to a slow start — and he did last year with the Broncos — he could be in for a quick hook. — D’Andrea

Which 2018 playoff team will be the first to be eliminated from contention?

Chicago Bears — Charles McDonald Indianapolis Colts — Christian D’Andrea Houston Texans — James Brady New Orleans Saints — Adam Stites

The Bears’ defense is still one of the best units in the league, but expecting them to replicate their 2018 production is unreasonable. They’re going to need third-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky to finally start looking like the elite passer he was drafted to be, which might be too tall of a task for him right now. — McDonald

Sorry, Jacoby Brissett. — D’Andrea

Which 2019 trade will look smartest by the time the season ends?

The Patriots steal Michael Bennett from the Eagles for a swap of Day 3 picks — Christian D’Andrea The Dolphins trading Laremy Tunsil to the Texans for two first-round picks — Charles McDonald The Browns landing Odell Beckham Jr. because the Giants are weird — Sarah Hardy The Browns landing Odell Beckham Jr. because the Giants are weird — James Brady The Steelers sending Antonio Brown to the Raiders — Adam Stites

New England desperately needed to punch up its pass rush after losing Trey Flowers in free agency. Enter Bennett, whose versatility and veteran gravitas give him the chops to play anywhere along Bill Belichick’s defensive line. — D’Andrea

Miami did exactly what every rebuilding team should do: acquire future assets. The Dolphins won’t be in playoff contention at all, but their 2020 offseason should be exciting with their own top-five pick and a potential top-20 pick from Houston. — McDonald

It’s too early to tell if Dave Gettleman was right all along about Daniel Jones. I refuse for him to be right about OBJ, though. — Hardy

Brown’s bizarre 2019 hasn’t stopped being bizarre. He spent August dealing with frostbitten feet, a gripe about his helmet, and has already accrued over $50,000 in fines from the Raiders for absences. It’s definitely possible he’ll make up for all that by being the same dynamic playmaker he was in Pittsburgh. But until that happens, the Steelers are looking smarter every day. — Stites

Which late draft pick or undrafted free agent will make the biggest impact in 2019?

Ben Burr-Kirven, Seahawks — Christian D’Andrea Lamont Gaillard, Cardinals — Charles McDonald Byron Cowart, Patriots — Adam Stites

Burr-Kirven was a fifth-round pick who had to fight his way onto the Seattle roster this summer, but he should have plenty of opportunity to stand out in a defense in desperate need of linebacker depth. While his measurables are unimpressive — he’s small at 6’0 and 230 pounds and not overly athletic — he’s a tackling machine who finished his college career with 176 tackles as a senior. He’ll find a way to contribute for Pete Carroll. — D’Andrea

The Cardinals will be rebuilding their offensive line over the next few seasons, but they might already have a keeper in sixth-round center Lamont Gaillard. Gaillard anchored dominant rushing attacks over the last few years for the Georgia Bulldogs and even performed well against Quinnen Williams in the SEC Championship Game last year. Gaillard won’t be enough to overturn the Cardinals’ offensive line woes by himself, but he’s a nice start. — McDonald

Once upon a time, Cowart was the top high school recruit in the nation. It didn’t translate to much success at Auburn. But the Patriots took a fifth-round flier on the defensive lineman and saw early signs that it was a good call when he folded the Titans’ Rodger Saffold like a lawn chair. New England loves to keep its defensive linemen in rotation, so Cowart will get chances to show that same explosion in the regular season. — Stites

Which team ends up with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft?

Miami Dolphins — Sarah Hardy Miami Dolphins — Christian D’Andrea Miami Dolphins — James Brady Miami Dolphins — Adam Stites

I mean ... they’re pretty clearly trying to get the No. 1 pick. — Stites

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watchingthesuperbowl · 7 years ago

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Grading Super Bowl XL

What was the final score?

Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10

How much of the game was close? What was the “edge of your seat factor” like? (20 points)

The entire first half was close; it was 7-3 Steelers after two quarters. Pittsburgh’s Willie Parker torched the Seahawks for a 75-yard touchdown run on the second play of the third quarter. That put the Steelers on top by 11 points, which meant that if Seattle were going to win this game, they’d need to put together the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.

And the Seahawks had a chance to do just that. After cutting the Pittsburgh lead to 14-10 later in the third quarter, Seattle put together a long drive deep into Steelers territory before Matt Hasselbeck made a terrible throw directly to cornerback Ike Taylor at the five yard line. That turnover, and the touchdown the Steelers scored four plays later, put a fork in the Seahawks. (Score: 12 out of 20)

Was there any kind of comeback? Was there ever any indication that the team which was trailing had a chance to come from behind and win? (15 points)

As I mentioned earlier, a comeback seemed entirely plausible until Hasselbeck was picked off in the red zone. On their ensuing drive, Pittsburgh ran a reverse run-pass option to Antwaan Randle-El, a wide receiver who had been a college quarterback. Randle-El looked like someone who knew what he was doing, throwing an inch-perfect bomb to Hines Ward for a score. Those two plays turned a potential 17-14 Seahawks lead in the fourth quarter into a 21-10 Pittsburgh lead. Given the Steelers’ ability to move the ball on the ground, it was pretty much game over at that point. (Score: 7 out of 15)

Did the great players come through with great performances? (15 points)

Apart from Hines Ward, nobody had a great performance. Ward made five catches for 123 yards and a touchdown en route to the Super Bowl XL MVP award. Ward only had six touches, but was as good a selection for MVP as there was on the field.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, one of the top young quarterbacks in the league, went 9-for-21 for 123 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. His backfield mate, Jerome Bettis, playing the final game of a Hall of Fame career, ran for 43 yards at 3.1 yards per carry. Starting running back Willie Parker had one huge run - that 75 yard touchdown, the longest rushing play in Super Bowl history - but otherwise averaged two yards per carry. Other than Ward, no Pittsburgh Steeler had more than 22 receiving yards in the game.

On the defensive side of the ball, Troy Polamalu was good but wasn’t a game-changer. The stars for the Steeler defense in this game were Ike Taylor, Clark Haggans, and Deshea Townsend. All good players, certainly, but nobody was tuned into the Super Bowl to see what Clark Haggans would do this week.

For the Seahawks, league MVP Shaun Alexander was the most consistently dangerous weapon on the field. Alexander ran the ball 20 times for 95 yards - a good performance, but not a dominant performance or the sort of thing you’d hope to see from the league MVP on the sport’s biggest stage. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was 26-for-49 with a touchdown, a pick, and 273 yards through the air. His receivers were all reasonably successful. Joe Jurevicius was the best of the bunch with 5 catches for 93 yards. Bobby Engram (6-70) and Darrell Jackson (5-50) were similarly solid. It’s worth noting that all five of Jackson’s catches were early in the first quarter. He didn’t touch the ball in the final 53 minutes of the game.

So there just wasn’t a ton of greatness on display. It wasn’t terrible, but there wasn’t much in the way of individual excellence. (Score: 7 out of 15)

Were the teams historically great? (10 points)

Not really.

The Steelers went 6-10 in 2003, 15-1 in 2004, 11-5 with a Super Bowl win in 2005, and then 8-8 and 10-6 in ‘06 and ‘07. They were a really good team, but they didn’t sustain their success for long enough to be elite. It should be mentioned that the 2008 and 2010 Steelers played in the Super Bowl, but they missed the playoffs entirely in 2006 and 2009. Is that historical greatness? Probably not, but three Super Bowls in six years is commendable and not something to dismiss lightly. It’s historical reallygoodness.

For their part, Seattle had the best record in football in 2005 (13-3), but it was their first 11+ win season in more than two decades. They were actually outscored by their opponents in 2004 and 2006, which suggests this success was less “greatness” and more “talented players and an excellent coach having everything fall into place at the same time”. This core was not the same group of players that played in back-to-back Super Bowls for the Pete Carroll Seahawks in the 2010s. That team should be considered entirely different for the purposes of this category. (Score: 8 out of 10)

Were there memorable moments that will be talked about for decades? (10 points)

Seattle fans could probably list a half-dozen times the referees conspired to cost them the Super Bowl championship they obviously deserved. I know that feeling - I’m still salty about all the uncalled incidents of defensive pass interference by Washington in XXVII - but jeez. Tell your quarterback not to throw the ball to the other team inside the red zone. Tell your receivers not to push off the defensive back right in front of an official. I understand the frustration, but the Seahawks lost this game because they did a bunch of stupid crap at inopportune times. I don’t like the Steelers - I grew up in a Browns family in Northeast Ohio and would like nothing more than to crap on Pittsburgh - but they won this game because they deserved to win this game.

For those of us who aren’t wearing tinfoil caps, there were a few huge plays that turned the tide of the game. On the second play of the third quarter, Steelers running back Willie Parker took a handoff from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and was just flat gone. Nobody was going to catch him. That completely changed the complexion of the game, from a 7-3 nailbiter to a two-score second half lead.

Seattle fought back, though, and had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter until Matt Hasselbeck inexplicably through the ball right to defensive back Ike Taylor at the Pittsburgh five yard line. That ended the Seahawks drive and led directly to the third memorable moment, an Antwaan Randle-El to Hines Ward touchdown pass that stuck the fork in Seattle. They were done and the Steelers finally had one for the thumb. (Score: 9 out of 10)

How was the quality of play? Were there a lot of penalties, punts, and turnovers? (15 points)

Good. Not great, but good. There were no fumbles and not a ton of penalties. Both teams ran the ball well, both defenses were strong, and the only big mistake was the game-changing interception Hasselbeck threw in the fourth quarter. On the negative side of the ledger, Roethlisberger was poor, missing open receivers and looking a bit overwhelmed in his first Super Bowl.

As I mentioned earlier, Seattle fans would argue that the quality of the officiating was horrendous, but I’m not buying what they’re selling. I wish I were, but I’m just not. (Score: 9 out of 15)

Are there any other factors that add to the greatness the game? This covers things like weather, story line, rivalry matchup, legacy franchises, unexpected results, etc. (15 points)

This was Pittsburgh’s second attempt at “one for the thumb”, the fifth Super Bowl championship in Steelers history. The team of the 1970s struggled through the 1980s and spent most of the 1990s as second banana in the AFC, first to Buffalo and then to Denver. They’re pretty much the definition a “legacy franchise” and it was a big deal to have them back atop the NFL.

Super Bowl XL was the final Bus stop, as Jerome Bettis finished off a Hall of Fame career by earning a championship ring in his hometown of Detroit. This was the big talking point as the game approached: Would Bettis retire, win or lose? Is there a better way to end a legendary career than by winning a championship in your hometown?

The Steelers became the third team to win the Super Bowl despite playing zero home playoff games, after the Packers (Super Bowl I) and Chiefs (Super Bowl IV). Pittsburgh was the #6 seed in the AFC in the 2005 playoffs and beat (in order) the #3, #1, and #2 seeds to reach the Super Bowl. Seattle, meanwhile, became the first team in history to reach the Super Bowl without playing a division champion in the postseason. They, of course, didn’t even play a division champion in the super Bowl itself.

In addition to the Bettis story, the other talking point in the days leading to this game was the war of words between Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens and Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter. I won’t go over it because it was dumb at the time and it’s still dumb, but people were talking about these two jokers talking. (Score: 9 out of 15)

How does the game grade overall? (sum of all previous categories, 100 points)

61 out of 100. Tied for 18th out of 40, which seems right. This was sort of a nothingburger. Wasn’t great, wasn’t awful. It was good enough that you wouldn’t feel cheated out of 3-4 hours of your life, but not good enough to be more than Generic Super Bowl.

Ratings and rankings of Super Bowls I-XL:

T1. Super Bowl XIII - Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31 - 87 points T1. Super Bowl XXXVIII - New England 32, Carolina 29 - 87 points 3. Super Bowl XXXVI - New England 20, St. Louis 17 - 86 points 4. Super Bowl XXIII - San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16 - 85 points T5. Super Bowl XXV - New York Giants 20, Buffalo 19 - 84 points T5. Super Bowl XXXIV - St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16 - 84 points 7. Super Bowl X - Pittsburgh 21, Dallas 17 - 80 points 8. Super Bowl XXXII - Denver 31, Green Bay 24 - 77 points 9. Super Bowl VII - Miami 14, Washington 7 - 74 points 10. Super Bowl XXX - Dallas 27, Pittsburgh 17 - 69 points T11. Super Bowl IX - Pittsburgh 16, Minnesota 6 - 68 points T11. Super Bowl XXXI - Green Bay 35, New England 21 - 68 points T13. Super Bowl XVII - Washington 27, Miami 17 - 67 points T13. Super Bowl XXVIII - Dallas 30, Buffalo 13 - 67 points 15. Super Bowl XXXIX - New England 24, Philadelphia 21 - 66 points 16. Super Bowl XIV - Pittsburgh 31, Los Angeles 19 - 65 points 17. Super Bowl XVI - San Francisco 26, Cincinnati 21 - 62 points T18. Super Bowl XL - Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10 - 61 points T18. Super Bowl XIX - San Francisco 38, Miami 16 - 61 points T20. Super Bowl III - New York Jets 16, Baltimore 7 - 58 points T20. Super Bowl XXII - Washington 42, Denver 10 - 58 points 22. Super Bowl XXI - New York Giants 39, Denver 20 - 57 points 23. Super Bowl XXVII - Dallas 52, Buffalo 17 - 55 points 24. Super Bowl XXXIII - Denver 34, Atlanta 19 - 53 points 25. Super Bowl VI - Dallas 24, Miami 3 - 52 points 26. Super Bowl XX - Chicago 46, New England 10 - 51 points T27. Super Bowl I - Green Bay 35, Kansas City 10 - 50 points T27. Super Bowl XXXVII - Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21 - 50 points T29. Super Bowl XVIII - Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington 9 - 49 points T29. Super Bowl XXIV - San Francisco 55, Denver 10 - 49 points 31. Super Bowl XXVI - Washington 37, Buffalo 24 - 48 points 32. Super Bowl VIII - Miami 24, Minnesota 7 - 47 points 33. Super Bowl XV - Oakland 27, Philadelphia 10 - 44 points 34. Super Bowl IV - Kansas City 23, Minnesota 7 - 43 points 35. Super Bowl XXXV - Baltimore 34, New York Giants 7 - 42 points T36. Super Bowl II - Green Bay 33, Oakland 14 - 40 points T36. Super Bowl V - Baltimore 16, Dallas 13 - 40 points 38. Super Bowl XXIX - San Francisco 49, San Diego 26 - 39 points 39. Super Bowl XII - Dallas 27, Denver 10 - 38 points 40. Super Bowl XI - Oakland 32, Minnesota 14 - 35 points

#nfl #football #super bowl #super bowl xl #pittsburgh steelers #pittsburgh #steelers #seattle seahawks #seattle #seahawks

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yahoo-big-league-stew-blog · 7 years ago

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Aaron Judge, Jose Altuve, Giancarlo Stanton among finalists for MLB's top awards

Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Altuve are among the MLB awards finalists. (AP)

Now that the World Series is finished, there’s one big piece of drama still left in the 2017 baseball season: The awards.

Next week, the Baseball Writers Association of America is handing out the awards for Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young and MVP. But first, we’re getting three finalists in each category, so we can ponder and debate for a week before the awards are handed out. Well, some categories don’t need to be pondered too much. See: AL Rookie of the Year.

Among the people who could get recognized next week as the best in MLB in 2017: Aaron Judge, Jose Altuve, Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Giancarlo Stanton, Chris Sale and lots more.

Here’s a rundown of all the finalists, plus our take on the field and one or more notable snubs.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is one of three finalists for the AL MVP. (AP)

AL MVP • Aaron Judge, New York Yankees • Jose Altuve, Houston Astros • Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Indians

Our take: This will be a tight matchup between Judge and Altuve. Judge had the higher highs (and the lower lows) but Altuve was consistent from start to finish. Judge’s strong finish — including 15 homers in September — put him back in the conversation. But will it be enough to make up for his post-All-Star slump? Altuve seems to have a slight edge, but it’s no guarantee he’ll win.

Notable snub: This is the first full season in his career that Mike Trout won’t finish in the top two of MVP votes. Missing a portion of the season with injury is to blame there.

Is Joey Votto’s crazy OBP enough to win him the NL MVP? (Getty Images)

NL MVP • Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks • Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins • Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds

Our take: This might be the toughest award of them all, since each finalist brings something different to the conversation. Goldschmidt is your typical candidate, good across and board the played for a winner. Stanton’s offensive assault might be more impressive in a few categories, but his team didn’t make the postseason, which matters to some voters. And Votto will inspire an argument all his own. His team lost 94 games but his .454 on-base percentage was easily tops in MLB and he complemented that with 36 homers, 100 RBIs and 106 runs scored.

Notable snub: The Rockies are feeling the snub right now. Both Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado deserve some MVP love and they’ll get plenty of votes. They’re just not in the top three. Perhaps their stellar seasons stole votes from each other.

Max Scherzer’s workload makes him the slight favorite over Clayton Kershaw for NL Cy Young. (AP)

NL CY YOUNG • Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers • Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals • Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals

Our take: Scherzer seems like the favorite here, as he pitched more innings and struck out more batters than Kershaw, whose NL-best 18 wins and 2.31 are in his favor. Strasburg was good, especially in the second half, but this comes down to Kershaw vs. Scherzer.

Notable snub: These are the correct three finalists, but expect Robbie Ray of the Diamondbacks and Gio Gonzalez of the Nats to also get some love down the ballot from voters.

Chris Sale led all of MLB in strikeouts this season. (AP)

AL CY YOUNG • Luis Severino, New York Yankees • Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox • Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians

Our take: There’s a good debate to be had here between Sale and Kluber. Sale was MLB’s strikeout king, but Kluber had the better ERA. Part of that is Sale losing some of his mojo toward the end of the season. Sale looked like a sure-thing early in the year, but Kluber was better down the stretch. Kluber will be fresher in the mind of voters, so that should give him a slight edge.

Notable snub: Like in the NL, these are the best three finalists. Carlos Carrasco, Kluber’s Cleveland teammate, is certainly worthy of some down-ballot attention after 18 wins and a 3.29 ERA.

Aaron Judge is your no-doubt AL Rookie of the Year. Question is, will anybody else even get a first-place vote? (AP)

AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR • Trey Mancini, Baltimore Orioles • Andrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox • Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

Our take: Judge, no doubt about it. Zero.

Notable snub: Astros fans will be upset that Yuli Gurriel didn’t get a nod after hitting .299 with 18 homers and 75 RBIs. Likewise, Matt Chapman of the A’s and Mitch Haniger of the Mariners both fared well, according to Wins Above Replacement. But they’re all competing for something beyond first place because this is Judge’s award.

Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger is a lock for NL Rookie of the Year. (AFP)

NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR • Josh Bell, Pittsburgh Pirates • Paul DeJong, St. Louis Cardinals • Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers

Our take: Bellinger, and it’s as sure of a thing as Judge winning in the AL.

Notable snub: Like the AL, it doesn’t matter a ton, because there’s a no-doubt winner. But we’ll say this: Phillies wunderkind Rhys Hoskins was more valuable in 50 games (2.2 fWAR) than Bell was (0.8 fWAR) in 159 games. It’s a small-sample size, sure, but he did have a big impact in Philly.

Can Terry Francona win another AL Manager of the Year award? (AP)

AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR • Terry Francona, Cleveland Indians • A.J. Hinch, Houston Astros • Paul Molitor, Minnesota Twins

Our take: All fine choices and Manager of the Year is sometimes the most unpredictable category. Voters will give votes to the manager whose team most surpassed expectations (that would be Molitor) or they’ll give them to manager with the best record (Francona). The Indians’ big winning streak seems to give Francona a slight advantage here.

Notable snub: It’s easier this way for the Yankees, but Joe Girardi can expect to get some down-ballot votes for his team’s surprising season. Even though, you know, he was fired afterward.

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo turned his team from a 69-win team into a 93-win team. (AP)

NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR • Bud Black, Colorado Rockies • Torey Lovullo, Arizona Diamondbacks • Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers

Our take: Look at those all NL West managers! Lovullo should be considered the favorite here for the way he turned around an under-performing D-backs team and made them one of the best in the NL. They went from 69-93 to 96-69. Nice!

Notable snub: Craig Counsell, whose Brewers won a surprising 86 games in the NL Central, probably deserved a top-3 finish here. We’d be shocked if he’s too much further down the list.

THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED … Awards will be handed out daily starting next Monday. First up are Rookie of the Year awards on Nov. 13, then Manager of the Year on Nov. 14, Cy Young on Nov. 15 and MVP on Nov. 16. The announcements will air at 6 p.m. ET on MLB Network.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz

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survivor-rotuma · 5 years ago

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Ep. 5: “Our tribemates had to die for MYSANDRE to rise.” - Lysandre

Felix

I'm kind of glad Raul is gone. To me, he was the biggest liability in all the alliances I had with him. It is just a shame to see someone I made an alliance with early in this game get eliminated like that. However, now that means Marie will continue to be a target for Cassie at merge, and I can still work with Lysandre. They are a valuable asset to me. I would not want to bring them to the end, but I would love to take them as far as I could to ensure my own safety. Right now, if it is a final 3 scenario, I want to take Flint and Joey since they seem the least active and the most trustworthy. Plus, they don't seem to have games at the moment, but I'll have to keep an eye on that as we go along. Final 2 scenario for me is definitely with Joey though at his point in the game.

Boris

"Sorry for my lack of confessionals lately. Just literally nothing is happening. My tribe basically died completely as far as activity goes and I'm just sitting pretty until merge anyways so!

Yeah go me woo"

Felix

"I don't want to summarize. So take this chat log instead.

TLDR: Joey confirms to me that we're ride or dies which makes my FTC plans more possible. He wants Sumi to win the challenge and for either Mea or us to go to tribal. I want us to go to tribal because, well, I don't trust Charlie to remain loyal to us.

What do you think about all that's happened?

Joey, 8:10 PM: i think we're the only ones who have never been to tribal

8:10 PM: Yeah I think so!

Joey, 8:10 PM: what's the tribe that's not mea

8:10 PM: Sumi

Joey, 8:10 PM: yeah i think at merge it's gonna be based on tribal lines

8:11 PM: Mea will defintely be the people in the middle. We need to reel them in if we want to stay the majority based on tribal lines

Joey, 8:11 PM: exactly that's why i'm wondering if losing the next challenge would be bad for us

8:13 PM: Yeah someone will have to lose it. If Sumi loses then they have 4 against our 5. But that means Mea will want to work with them more since we'd be a threat due to our size. Though if we lose, then we have to convince Mea on the same principles to vote out a person from Sumi. It's kind of a tricky situation to be in. But hen if Mea goes to tribal again, then that'd just be one person to convince but then it'd be deadlocked

I think this might be the most important immunity pre-merge

Joey, 8:14 PM: i agree like honestly best case scenario is Mea loses again lol but i think if sumi loses we could be in trouble obviously i'm loyal to the four but above all you're my ride or die man

8:15 PM: Are you suggesting that you throw the challenge? Tsk tsk how unsportmanlike lol. But I wouldn't mind it. The worst that happens is that we vote out Charlie

Joey, 8:15 PM: i hate throwing challenges lmao but i think it depends on the challenge i think regardless of what happens we want sumi to win make them the threats

8:16 PM: I think so too. Whatever direction you take this in, I'll follow. And you're my ride or die too! I've bonded with you the most out of everyone here and think you're awesome!

I'll trust your instincts on how to tackle this immunity. Good luck either way!

Joey, 8:17 PM: haha i appreciate it man!! we'll definitely touch base and see what happens "

Felix

This eraser will definitely help out at merge, especially those early votes. I think I'll use it the second merge starts just to make sure we have the numbers to kick out someone from Sumi. It sucks that I didn't get one of those big advantages tho

Flint

That auction was cut throat, woof!

Marie

"Hi, I’m Spencer from Cagayan you might of heard of me as the most unlucky survivor player ev-

NO BITCH MOVE OUTTA THE WAY ITS ME MARIE. O k, so my tribe is already down to 2 people. And now our chances are even worse?????????? Wow I have horrible intuition "

Cassie

Well that auction was a bit of a bust for me personally, but as for our five person unit it wasn't too bad. After I brought in a ten percent overall disadvantage for the next immunity, Joey scored big with that advantages. Plus Felix as well. I still believe in the Tuai power!

Joey

So I had a chat with Felix earlier today about the game. At this point I've coasted very easily through pre-merge since i have yet to attend a tribal council, but as the individual game approaches, it's time to go from a direct UTR/MOTR to a CPM legend! Obviously, Sumi and Tuai are pretty evenly placed going into the merge, but personally I think we're the bigger threat. We've never lost a challenge nor attended tribal together, so it's a lot easier for us to band together with numbers and I think the other tribes are smart enough to see that. So, I was throwing around the idea of potentially throwing the next challenge and booting Charlie so that we would go into merge with a numbers disadvantage to Sumi and have a lot of swaying power for the Mea duo. However, with my challenge advantage as well as Felix's vote eraser, we have a lot of opportunities opening up that we can hopefully capitalize on!

Flint

Turns out my machete advantage from the auction holds no power. So now I have to decide, tell people that I didn’t receive an advantage or lie about it and create a fake advantage to gain favor in the game. I’m a terrible liar but I think I should create some lie to help gain insight from others

Bradley

I am truly a mess and Jay deserves better. Been dealing with life changing stuff and its been keeping me away from checking in the game. I got a strike and its my first one ever and i feel so bad. Gunna try harder but still dealing with stiff so we’ll see.

Lysandre

"Oh boi I hope your'e ready for a thicc confessional. So I survived last round miraculously! Marie didn't vote me out lmaooo.

The reward challenge is here!! And the reward is an Auction!! I'm heading into the auction trying to snag something so that I can at least boost ability to navigate in the game. Some notable things from the auction: Joey gets a 15% advantage in the challenge, Felix gets to negate a vote, Marie gets a 10% disadvantage in the challenge hjefwkbvkaevbkj.fe bdka and Boris gets to pick someone from any tribe for a movie night.

I SNAGGED AN EXTRA VOTE at the AUCTION AND HOW I DID IT WAS ICONIC. So me and like 5 people bid on the same item and it got randomized 3 times and I picked spot number 4 to be the winner. The person in spot number 4 was none other than LYSANDRE. AHA!!

Now the speculation begins. Charlie bought a mask and I believe that the mask holds the ability for her to see the votes for one round. I have no idea what Apollo has but it may be an exile pass or like a clue to merge idol?? I think the first tho. Also who the hell knows what Brianna has. I believe Flint bought the power to give someone a disadvantage.

OMG BORIS PICKED ME FOR THE MOVIE. This is literally the best outcome I can think of. During the short time that I was on another tribe I really clicked well with Boris and I liked him a bunch. I really want him to be my ride or die moving forward into the game. I'd love to hear who he's close with and could pull me in with. I also want to gain a lot of his trust by willing off my extra vote to him since I have my idol. the only way I would do that is if I tell him about my having an idol .

JAY RELEASED THE CHALLENGE AND IM IN SUCH A CRISIS. It's Duolingo which is really oof. What makes it Biig OOOOF is the fact that we are learning the language of Game of Thrones or something. Do I look Like Arya or something???? So in order to drag me AND Marie into the merge I'm going to have to speak like the Valyrian, eat like the Valyrian, become the Valyrian, experience Valyrian. "

Lysandre

Marie is kind of a liability. She publicly announces things that shouldn't be announced and she now knows about my extra vote even tho its obvi. She was cute until she started anti returnee propoganda dbkvka l but I probably will keep her around unless we lose and battle.

Marie

Lys and I have a fire lit under our asses, but maybe that’s what we need to get our tribe of two to win

Bryan

I. Hate. Duolingo. So much. I hate being one of the two people participating. And I hate that Bradley is never online and is probably gonna barely contribute so it all rests to me. That sounds rude. If Bradley does end up contributing I will make an apology confession.

Felix

With recent news that we are losing majorly in this challenge, it seems Tuai might have to go to tribal for the first time in this game. The vote would obviously go towards Charlie, but what if she has an idol? I have an idol, but is that the only idol on the island? Things get crazier and crazier everyday but I am hopeful that things turn out alright. I really do hope she gets eliminated if we go to tribal, then we can make it to merge

Lysandre

People call me Lys now. I guess Lys is short for Lysol because I stay cleaning these bitches

Charlie

"I have a feeling I might be voted out this round, I think it has to do with how im performing in challenges

Boris

"that auction... whew!! So many hidden powers that's def gonna fuck me up in the future. And all I got was a pair of $400 movie tickets. The most EXPENSIVE movie i've ever seen, and it's gonna be a documentary about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lmao.

I chose Lysandre for the movie night bc? They're my fave from our fake swap tribe and even though they probably don't have a lot of juicy tea to spill because they're on Mea, I might as well start trying to build a strong relationship to prepare for merge"

Boris

also I was kinda worried about Brianna and Bradley having to compete in this next challenge for us because they sat out last time but so far it looks okay? Brianna seems to be doing #that and Tuai is trudging behind, which is perFECT because it'd give Sumi a numbers advantage in the merge. so yeah! come thru!

Apollo

2 things. Thank god I don’t have to compete in the duolingo challenge and I am so lucky to have received the extra vote. With a super idol and a vote steal and who knows what else out there, any extra advantage that’s out there? From now on? I’ll take it. I have the time to complete the challenge but not the patience nor the desire to. The gag is if Brianna or Bradley don’t put up enough effort and we lose? They don’t know that it’s their asses on the line. If we lost I think Brianna should go since she’s more of a threat than Bradley could ever be. Bradley will end up being loyal to us if we lose. It’s convoluted but if we lose my plan is. Convince Brianna and Bradley to vote for Zest. Convince Brianna that’s zest is voting for her. Convince Brianna that Zest has an idol and to vote Bradley in case Zest isn’t lying. Actually vote Brianna along with Borris and Zest. Brianna leaves in a 3-1-1 vote. Bradley would be shook and thankful that we saved him and we’d tell him afterwards that Brianna wanted him out. Then we’re a strong foursome with a goat in Bradley. Would I like to execute this plan? Yes, absolutely. But winning immunity would be just as satisfying.

Cassie

Waiting on results for this challenge has left me feeling quite nervous. Both Charlie and Joey have their reasons for not being able to catch up as much and it makes me more nervous. I don’t like feeling this way.

Marie

OH MY GOD WE MIGHT NOT GO TO TRIBAL, but then again those might be my famous last words

Lysandre

"So this duolingo challenge is agonizing but I'm giving it all I have so that me and Marie can rock this thing. She wants us to get 1st place because she thinks that the last two tribes will both be going to tribal council. I would agree with her and I'm aiming for first.

Also can't wait for my movie night with Boris to begin!! I know its going to be good and I plan on solidifying something with him!"

Brianna

2nd place. But we still have to go to tribal. Ugh. Um. Kind of don’t know what’s gonna happen. Probably gonna be zest or Bradley.

Felix

Charlie is gone. Or she will be. There's no way the Tuai Quad LLC will vote for each other. Unless we are snakes in the grass. Also, this double tribal council is iconic. Now the stakes are even going into merge. Let's see how this goes

Cassie

Well damn. I had a feeling we wouldn’t make it without a tribal, at least as a whole tribe. It seemed as though the disadvantage didn’t matter too much though as we were below Sumi anyways. Tonight should be the easy vote, I hope.

Marie

THE TRIBE OF TWO LIVES ON!

Felix

"Flint does not trust Joey which is understandable. I mean he doesn't trust Charlie either, but he hasn't talked to either extensively. Joey seems to not have a social game which proves that he is the perfect goat to bring to FTC (at least in this stage in the game). I have no doubt that Charlie will go since Cassie has already cast her vote, and Joey will vote Charlie since he's the other one on the chopping block. I will also vote Charlie. That 3-2 if Flint goes against us. But that most likely will not happen.

Cassie is so smug. She already cast her vote for Charlie. She cannot fathom us betraying her. She thinks she is in charge of this tribe which might be true. But she's got me so close that she can't see the snakes in her garden. It's infested honey! Flint already has doubts about the alliance, and I'm already plotting your downfall. Her garden of snakes will be the end of her!"

Lysandre

"Wow I can't believe that me and Marie are in the lead for this challenge!!

And my movie night with Boris was a huge success from it I learned that he has half of a super idol and he found an advantage that allowed him to see how many alliances a person was in and he chose Felix and revealed it was 2 alliances he was in. I first had to share my extra vote with him and we were solid. We started watching Knock Down The House documentary on Netflix and so Alexandria Ocasio Cortez or AOC for short was the icon that we bonded over. Since I had already seen the documentary I had just opened my duolingo in another tab and continued that lmao I refuse to lose!! Towards the end when AOC won I decided to really really solidify things with Boris by telling him about my idol. LITTLE DID I KNOW Boris the Brute had an idol as well!! From that point we decided to really work together and share our collective power.

Other notable events during movie night include an exposing Felix party as well as Briana possibly having the other part to the idol. Oh and Me and Boris also decided to name our alliance after AOC. Thats our final 2.. the AOC FINAL 2!!"

Lysandre

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Me and Marie WON!!! Mea WINS and we get to avoid fire making!!! Also Marie was right! The losing TWO tribes went to tribal. SO WE DID THAT by getting first place. Our tribemates had to die for MYSANDRE to rise.

Now that we won I can't help but hope that Boris survives. He needs to up his social game or else he's in trouble. Apparently his social game is ok at best because Apollo didnt tell him what his advantage was and yet Boris claims they are close so what is the truth.

Meanwhile me and Marie are discussing the game and our potential future at a merge and a strategy that may work for us. Lets go Mysandre and Lysoris!!

Flint

Ugh this is a tough loss and I’m so torn on what to do. I’ve heard both Joey and Charlie’s names being thrown out as an option. I was close with Joey at the beginning but we’ve seem to have drifted apart. Charlie did better in the challenge so that could also factor into my vote. With all the auction items on the table and talk of a potential merge this could be an interesting tribal.

Apollo

Imagine, me, finally getting the opportunity to play with Zib Zab. Imagine, me, thinking she was Karen in the beginning of the game. I think Boris is my mom. And if she’s not, And she is Karen, well, she’s doing a great job of being incognito

Marie

It’s so weird not planning for tribal, I’m so proud of lys and myself

Colin

"Last nights movie date has me SHOOK. Im so glad I picked Lysandre, we built such a strong connection in the limited time we were allowed to spend together, and I think despite us barely having time to connect I can consider them my biggest ally, even across tribal lines, so I hope we can both make it to merge in one piece!!

Lysandre gave me so much info last night; Felix is playing hard asf, there WERE alliances made on one world and the fake swap that I wasnt included in, and both Lysandre and I have our tribe's idols.

Knowing all of this is a game changer, I have to adapt my strategy to how everyone else is playing and hope it works out in my favor. "

Boris

ALSO this double tribal is ugly at. Bradley did the absolute bare minimum to not get a strike but we all see how poorly hes performing. Ugh I want him gone so badly so that we can have a strong tribe going into merge. Apollo and Zest are giving me a little push back, insisting Brianna is more of a threat but i don't care!! We got way bigger threats to worry about when merge hits!! We need to make it through as a stronger tribe, not a weaker one

Felix

Welp, she's gone. I wonder how things will go for Sumi. I'm just excited to make it to the merge!

Flint

The last tribal went off as hoped with no idols or funny business played. I feel bad for voting Charlie out but I can’t play with my heart and need to toughen up to make it far in this game.

Lysandre

It feels so good to not have a tribal or fire to worry about?? I am really relieved lol. It looks like Charlie left and thats ok because I didn't even know the person. I just hope Boris doesn't die lmao. I hope he uses his idol this round though.

Apollo

"https://media1.tenor.com/images/224ee4a75a647fa6154d57dfada003ac/tenor.gif?itemid=13920223

I suppose I’ll be a passenger for now. Brianna is going to stay and Bradley will be leaving if all goes according to plan. I’ll let Borris take control so that he becomes a bigger target than I come the merge. I love Borris but I guess I would cut him if it was a f2. I’m going to try and use this time to try and get Zest to be my f2 partner."

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footballleague0 · 7 years ago

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From wild-card chases to MVP races: Your guide to season’s final two weeks – SweetSpot

Two weeks left in the regular season. Stay focused. You’re not going to win your fantasy football league anyway. Here’s a quick rundown on the important races to follow:

Division races still up for grabs

The New York Yankees last led the American League East on July 31, but have been closer than three games on just two days since Aug. 4, both times 2.5 games behind. You get the feeling that, if they could get it down to two games, then maybe the Boston Red Sox feel that little added bit of pressure. The Yankees have gone 11-5 in September, but the Red Sox have gone 9-6. So Boston’s lead is three games with 13 remaining. Remaining schedules (of course, the schedule-makers couldn’t do the fun thing and schedule two Boston-New York series the final two weeks):

Yankees — Minnesota (3), at Toronto (3), Kansas City (1), Tampa Bay (3), Toronto (3)

Red Sox — at Baltimore (3), at Cincinnati (3), Toronto (3), Houston (4)

Aroldis Chapman and the Yankees are just three games behind the Red Sox. Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

Prediction: Tie. We deserve a tie somewhere, somehow. A tiebreaker game would be played Oct. 2, a Monday, with the loser then hosting the wild-card game on Oct. 3. Who would start that game? Right now, our pitching schedules have Chris Sale in line to start the final Sunday of the regular season, but it’s much more likely he goes Wednesday-Monday-Saturday, which would give him four days of rest before the division series starts on Oct. 5. In other words, no matter how the rotation falls, he’s unlikely to be in line to start either a division tiebreaker game OR a potential wild-card game.

Meanwhile, in the National League Central, the Chicago Cubs basically eliminated the St. Louis Cardinals with a three-game sweep this weekend. Their lead over the Milwaukee Brewers is four and the Cubs do play four in Milwaukee the final week — and remember that the Brewers swept the Cubs at Wrigley last weekend.

Prediction: Cubs take it.

American League second wild card

Well, so much for our seven-way tie. This has basically turned into a two-team chase between the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels. The Twins are just 8-8 in their past 16 games, but in this race to mediocrity, that has been good enough to keep a two-game lead over the Angels. That’s not even a joke. September records for wild-card contenders:

Twins: 8-8

Mariners: 8-8

Angels: 7-8

Royals: 8-9

Rangers: 7-9

Rays: 6-9

Orioles: 5-11

Good job, everyone!

Remaining schedules:

Twins — at Yankees (3), at Detroit (4), Cleveland (3), Detroit (3)

Angels — Cleveland (3), at Houston (3), at White Sox (4), Seattle (3)

The Twins get seven games against the Tigers. That should help them hold on.

Prediction: Twins

National League second wild card

That road trip to Los Angeles and Arizona probably saved the Colorado Rockies’ season — they won all four games in L.A. and the first two in Arizona. With a 2.5-game lead over the Brewers, their odds of winning the second wild card register about 88 percent. They head out on another road trip, but it’s to San Francisco for two games and San Diego for four, before finishing up at home against the Marlins and Dodgers. The Brewers are without ace Jimmy Nelson the rest of the way and have tough series against the Cubs and Cardinals.

Prediction: Rockies hold on.

Nolan Arenado is a candidate for the NL MVP award, but he still has to get the Rockies in the postseason. Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Home-field advantage

In the AL, the Cleveland Indians are 1.5 games up on the Houston Astros. In the NL, the Los Angeles Dodgers have recovered from losing 16 of 17 and are six up on the Nationals. Cleveland’s next three series are at the Angels, at the Mariners and hosting the Twins, so no easy ones there, but they’re so hot right now they should hold off the Astros. They also hold the tiebreaker edge if they finish with the same record, having won the season series 5-1.

Prediction: Indians, Dodgers

American League Cy Young race

I was listening to the Kansas City Royals-Indians game on the radio on Sunday as Corey Kluber was spinning seven shutout innings and, at one point, the Indians broadcaster cheered that “Chris Sale has had a terrific season, but Corey Kluber has had a better season.” My first thought was that enthusiasm may have been ripe with a little homerism, but it does feel like Kluber has the momentum. He now owns a notable lead in ERA and has cut into Sale’s lead in innings and strikeouts:

Kluber: 17-4, 2.35 ERA, 191.2 IP, 129 H, 34 BB, 252 SO, 7.1 bWAR, 6.5 fWAR

Sale: 16-7, 2.86 ERA, 201.1 IP, 153 H, 41 BB, 287 SO, 5.9 bWAR, 7.6 fWAR

Sale should get those final three starts, but Kluber may get only two more starts — with an off day on Monday, he probably starts again on Saturday and then once the final week. If Sale gets to 300 strikeouts that could help his case, and he also owns the lead in FanGraphs WAR. It wouldn’t surprise if Terry Francona backs off Kluber’s pitch counts a little bit as well, although he’ll have plenty of time off between his final start and the first game of the division series. Point being: I think it’s still basically a coin flip. When Kluber won in 2014, he barely edged out Felix Hernandez. This one will be close as well.

Prediction: Kluber

National League Cy Young race

Max Scherzer has allowed 11 runs in his past two outings, which suddenly opened up this race. Zack Greinke has had a run of outstanding starts while Clayton Kershaw leads in ERA and is tied with Greinke in wins. Those seem to be the top three guys, with apologies to Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg. And don’t ignore Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, who is 5-0 with 38 saves, a 1.27 ERA and 101 strikeouts against just seven walks. Relievers don’t get the support they once did, so he’s probably a long shot.

Prediction: Kershaw. He starts Monday, so should get three more starts, which gives him a chance at 20 wins. If he gets 20 while leading in ERA, I think that may push him over the top in a split vote, even though he won’t come close to 200 innings because of the 40-day DL stint.

American League MVP race

Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor got a lot of play for their unbelievable production during Cleveland’s 22-game win streak, but this still looks like Jose Altuve’s award thanks to his .348/.409/.556 line. He leads Mike Trout and Aaron Judge in both Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs WAR (with Ramirez fourth in both). My only hesitancy is that while MVP voters have gotten a lot smarter, they still naturally side to the RBI guys and Altuve has only 77 RBIs. That seems a little weird since he has hit third in the order almost all season — yet he’s .348 with men on and .310 with runners in scoring position.

Prediction: Altuve. Trout’s only chance is if the Angels make the playoffs. Even then, he’ll likely fall short as voters can’t look past the 45 games he missed.

National League MVP race

No consensus has developed here, although public opinion seems to have narrowed the field to Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and maybe Anthony Rendon (Joey Votto will get a lot of top-five votes, but with the Reds mired in last place, he is an unlikely winner). Stanton had possibly emerged as the favorite despite playing for a non-playoff team, but he has hit .170 in September with three home runs, so his pursuit of reaching 60 is in jeopardy. If he gets to 60, maybe he’s back to being the front-runner. Can he hit six in 13 games? The Marlins do have three games in Arizona and three in Colorado, two homer-friendly parks. The two Rockies need to make the playoffs to have a chance.

Prediction: Goldschmidt. With Arenado right behind. They’re 1-2 in RBIs. Arenado has the amazing defense, but also carries the Coors Field anchor (although he has hit a solid .289/.359/.543 on the road). Goldschmidt has a much higher OBP without playing half his games at Coors. Arenado has the best chance to do something dramatic these final days to help the Rockies clinch a playoff spot. Another big moment — like his three-run homer off Kershaw that kicked off that four-game sweep of L.A. — could get him the extra credit he needs.

The post From wild-card chases to MVP races: Your guide to season’s final two weeks – SweetSpot appeared first on Daily Star Sports.

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thesportssoundoff · 7 years ago

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“Friday Night With Marlon Moraes” The UFC in Utica Preview

Joey

May 28th, 2018

A casual perusal of the Fight Night in Utica, reveals a nothing special lower level card to the average eye at least. It's very light on star power on a not normal UFC night from a place nobody probably equates MMA with (sorry Utica!) without the usual big hook and sell to it. After watching a PPV with some big names then the first MMA card in Chile and then the biggest free WW fight in quite some time in Till/Wonderboy, it might be hard for some folks to then turn around and get giddy over a show in Utica on a Friday night. Making matters worse? Its headlined by bantamweight which is still one of those weight classes struggling to find some acceptance. Having said all of that? I really like this card. It's not a great show by any stretch of the imagination but the main event is sublime, there's a few debuts I'm excited about on the card and there are some damn good action fights on it. It's not going to compete with UFC 225 for card of the year or anything but I believe it's well worth checking out on a Friday Night. Maybe you'll be able to say you saw the next bantamweight champion debut live.

Fights: 13

Debuts: 4 (Jose Torres, Nate Wood, Sijara Eubanks, Chance Rencountre)

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: (Bryan Barberena OUT, Ben Saunders IN vs Jake Ellenberger/Leonard Santos OUT, David Teymur IN vs Nik Lentz/Niko Price OUT, Chance Recountre IN vs Belal Muhammad, Hector Sandoval OUT, Jose Torres IN vs Jarrod Brooks)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 1 (Jake Ellenberger)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC: 6 (Ben Saunders, Jake Ellenberger, Gleison Tibau, Desmond Green, Walt Harris, Jessica Aguilar)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: 6 (Jimmie Rivera, Marlon Moraes, Belal Muhammad, Gregor Gillespie, Vinc Pichel, David Teymur)

Main Card Record Since Jan 1st 2016 (in the UFC): 26-17

Marlon Moraes- 2-1 Jimmie Rivera- 3-0 Vinc Pichel- 2-0 Gregor Gillespie- 4-0 Walt Harris- 2-2 Daniel Spitz- 1-1 Ben Saunders- 2-3 Jake Ellenberger- 1-3 Daniel Teymur- 0-1 Julio Arce- 1-0 Sam Alvey- 6-3 Gian Villante- 2-3

Divisional Breakdown: Lightweight- 3 Welterweight- 2 Bantamweight- 2 Light Heavyweight- 1 Flyweight-1 Featherweight- 1 Heavyweight- 1 Women's Flyweight- 1 Strawweight- 1

Too High Up- Jake Ellenberger vs Ben Saunders

I feel bad for kicking two guys when they're down, I really do. Ben Saunders and Jake Ellenberger probably shouldn't be fighting anymore but this is MMA and you have to basically go out feet first. The winner of this fight will probably wind up getting fed to another dude way higher up in the food chain than them.The loser probably fights Michael Venom Page in Bellator. Both guys are on losing streaks with Ellenberger in particular rocking a nasty 3 wins in his last 10 fights. All of this paints the picture of a really sad fight on the main card because both Saunders and Ellenberger are still "names".

Too Low- Nik Lentz vs David Teymur

So why is this here on the prelims? Nik Lentz since moving up to 155 lbs is a cool 3-1 with wins over Will Brooks and Danny Castillo. David Teymur is 4-0 in the UFC with wins over Drakkar Klose and Lando Vannata plus he's normally good for either a snazzy finish or an exciting fight. Lentz isn't the same dude who would lay and pray his way to wins, dude's improved as a striker, has tremendous grappling chops and still brings pacing and cardio to all his fights. Color me bummed this one is buried on the prelims package since it's not even the prelim headliner (Sijara Eubanks vs Lauren Murphy is in that spot).

Stat Monitor for 2018: Debuting Fighters (Current number: 11-16): Jose Torres, Nate Wood, Chance Rencountre, Sijara Eubanks

Short Notice Fighters (Current number: 12-6): Jose Torres, Chance Rencountre, David Teymur, Ben Saunders

Second Fight (Current number: 16-15): Jodie Esquibel, Julio Arce, Daniel Teymur

Cage Corrosion (Current number: 10-16, 5 straight wins): Jessica Aguilar, Jake Ellenberger

Undefeated Fighters (Current number: 18-13): Gregor Gillespie, Jose Torres

Keeping An Eye On But Not Really:

The UFC Win Check Test The records of fighters who have 4 or more UFC fights (or three full calendar years in the organization) but 0 wins against people still in the UFC: Nik Lentz. I would've been SURE that Gleison Tibau would be here but Tibau has two insanely impressive in hindsight wins over Francisco Trinaldo and RDA. Dude was really good once.

Twelve Precarious Ponderings

1- Every fight is its own story and journey through the careers of two athletes. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out how friggin' insane the "How we got here" for both of these guys is. Marlon Moraes was 7-4 going into a fight with Miguel Torres on the first WSOF show, he was there to lose but apparently didn't get the memo. After beating Miguel Torres, Moraes was put up against WSOF's prized signing Tyson Nam. He finished Nam who was coming off an upset over Dudu Dantas which in turn made Moraes a bit of a fan favorite as this super underdog beating all of the hyped dudes. Moraes is now 20-5 which means that since his time as "the opponent" vs Torres until his UFC debut, he went undefeated and racked up 11 wins all over relatively quality competition. It's easy to accuse a dude on a run like his of can crushing but Sheymon Moraes, Josh Hill, Carson Beebe and Josenaldo Silva are quality regional fighters (Moraes has the ability to be a lot more). In the UFC, Moraes' lone loss is a "What can ya do?" split decision vs Rafa Assuncao who basically neutralized him as he tends to do. Since then Moraes decisioned John Dodson in a close scrappy fight and became the only man to finish Aljamain Sterling when he ruined his life with a step in knee. Moraes has proven his worth and his reward is his first ever UFC main event less than a year into his run with the organization.

The road was equally weird for Jimmie Rivera. Rivera's pre-UFC career is littered with fighters you'd know (Jared Papazian, Brian Kelleher, Willie Gates, Carson Beebe) in big time organizations (Bellator, WSOF, ROC and CFFC) but he never really stuck or found a home. Bellator used him frequently but for some reason, never featured him as a name. Perhaps that's because he was a guy who went to the decision more often than secured a dominant statement win. Maybe Rivera is just difficult to negotiate or deal with (more on that later) or perhaps he was just overlooked. He tried out for TUF and fought up a weight class in deference to his friend Louis Gaudinot. That decision proved to be the wrong one as Rivera drew Dennis Bermudez and lost by TKO in the try outs. Rivera eventually did make it to the UFC----as a short notice replacement on an international fight card. Since that point, RIvera has gone 5-0 with wins over Thomas Almeida, Pedro Munhoz and Urijah Faber. Jimmie Rivera has proven his worth in the UFC and his reward after being "the opponent" for what seems like his entire UFC run is his first ever main event spot in Utica.

There's a pride in this, I suppose. We see guys debut, get hyped and get main events far earlier in their careers than Rivera. We've seen guys be "the favorite" long after they've proven they're not the guy for the job while guys like Moraes have to just keep winning. For two guys who had to really earn it, I'm glad they're in a main event spot no matter if it's a Friday UFC event or a Fox spotlight. These guys earned it and in a sport where earn and deserve is more about timing and opinion, it's nice to have two definitive cases of "earning it" colliding at the same time.

2- I'd ALSO be remiss I suppose if I didn't point out how long it's taken this fight to come together. Both guys claim they were supposed to fight on the regional circuit but those sorts of "You might fight X" type rumors are what they are. What we DO know is that Moraes was offered the opportunity to fight Rivera in December as a fill in for Dom Cruz. Moraes said he couldn't make weight and depending on who you ask, he either needed to fight at 145 or higher to fight Rivera. The fight fell apart and THEN it was rebooked for UFC in Orlando. According to Moraes at least. Rivera has said that he wasn't offered a contract or wouldn't sign it or etc etc etc. Whatever the case may be or may not be, we've got it now. The whole back and forth created legitimate realistic tension. Sometimes it's nice to have dudes who dislike one another a little bit.

3- Jimmie Rivera is currently the slight betting favorite and while that might seem controversial for some, I think it's insanely realistic that he can take a decision. Marlon Moraes' weakness has been guys who can counter strike with him, force him to think and react more than he wants to and challenge him with either a size or a speed advantage. Rivera can fight going forward and backwards, has all sorts of versatility to his game and carries consistent pop in his hands. He's not a fight finisher by any stretch but we've seen him drop dudes like Thomas Almeida and Iuri Alcantara. He's also far more likely to be active during the lulls where Moraes seems to just be trying to patiently stalk a dude down for power shots. Conversely Moraes winning this fight by KO is pretty possible as well given that Rivera loves to exchange, often times abandons defense and security for swangin' n bangin' PLUS Moraes really does hit fucking hard.

4- Is the main event a #1 contender fight? The winner will probably have a hell of a case for the shot, no? The alternatives are Raphael Assuncao who I'd bet the UFC would rather cut than put in a title shot if they were given only those options (although Rapha vs TJ/Cody winner sounds like a fantastic way to kick off your ESPN run), Dom Cruz or John Lineker. Lineker is a guy who people assume is a draw but never really generates any numbers worthwhile of backing that up. Both Lineker headliners at BW did pretty poorly which, I suppose, helps create the mythos that BWs can't draw viewers. I also can't imagine an audience being that giddy for Lineker vs TJ 2 if Dillashaw wins again. You could make the argument that Dom Cruz has a case over both guys but if Garbrandt wins then whats the point? We've been there and Cruz was soundly handled by Cody. Cruz vs Dillashaw 2 might be a lot more intriguing a second time around for some folks? Still I couldn't count on Cruz to make it to fight night again since 2016 seemed like an anomaly across the board for him health wise. Perhaps the ultimate question mark is Rob Font who seems to be finally getting his act together en route to a clash with Raphael Assuncao in July.

5- So just WHO necessarily is it that the UFC is attempting to hype up and develop in the famed "special showcase third fight" slot? Will Harris is 34 years old and he's already been in the UFC for close to six years now on and off. Harris is coming off two straight losses and while he deserves credit for stepping up vs Fabricio Werdum on like thirty minutes notice, his performance vs Mark Godbeer was hilariously heavyweight. Is the focus on Daniel Spitz? Spitz is a newbie HW who has a 1-1 record in the UFC with a win over Anthony Hamilton and a loss to Daniel Spitz. Was this just a case of wanting a big guy in a key spot because you've got a bantamweight and a lightweight up top?

6- Sijara Eubanks attempting to make the cut to 125 lbs again seems....dicey. I suppose conversely the same could be said for Lauren Murphy as well so let's just hope everybody makes weight healthily.

7- It took me 7 spots to talk about Gregor Gillespie and at first it kind of bothered me that I had forgotten about. In hindsight, I guess I just don't know what would make him worth remembering to begin with. As a fighter Gillespie is fantastic and while he's slowly creeping out of his athletic prime (he turned 31 in March), he's pretty much dominated everyone he's faced. The only thing a detractor could cling to would be a short brief moment where he was hurt in a firefight vs Jason Gonzalez, a fight he ultimately won in the second round. He's a tremendous wrestler with serious control on the ground plus his hands are really powerful. I just don't know what else there is to really comment on about him. Seems like a nice enough guy, am I right? He fights in an insane division where thus far he's wiped out everybody he's faced----but it's likehe's the world's biggest afterthought. He's really good and really forgettable at the same time. I hope this fight vs Vinc Pichel showcases more of why we SHOULD be excited about Gillespie's prospects. Pichel is one of those guys who exists just below the level of good but way above the level of opposition Gillespie has faced thus far. I'd like a bigger step up for Gregor but in a showcase fight with a moderate step up in competition, you could do a lot worse.

8- If you pay your $9.99 for UFC Fight Pass, your reward for such is the debut of two fascinating prospects who figure to be players in the lighter weight classes. We can begin with Nate Wood who is the easier of the two to explain. Think of everything you liked about Brad Pickett and then make him slightly less chinny and slightly more athletic. The wrestling improvements (or lack thereof) will determine his upside his ultimately. I think he has a more fundamental game than Tom Duquesnoy but I feel more confident on Duquesnoy turning into a bigger deal. On the same card you have the long overdue debut of Jose "Shorty" Torres, a tremendous prospect who has shades of everybody from Chris Weidman to Kelvin Gastelum in his game. He has tremendous pop in his hands, great cardio, a stalking power style on the feet and the ability to absolutely mix it up on the ground as well. I don't know if Torres will be as good as a lot of us think he can be but he's the most excited I've been about a lighter weight fighters debut since probably the aforementioned Duquesnoy last year. Shorty is a really good fighter who I think can comfortably be a force at either 125 lbs or 135 lbs. Both guys get tough matches as Nate Wood gets Johnny Eduardo and Jarrod Brooks welcomes Jose Torres to the UFC.

9- If Sam Alvey vs Gian Villante leaves the first round, I think you're within your right to spend the next 10-20 minutes doing something more important.

10- Daniel Teymur with a full TC is going to give Julio Arce more problems than people imagine. I think that speaks more to the qualities Teymur has than it does about Julio Arce.

11- We're six fights into Belal Muhammad's UFC career and I have zero idea what kind of fighter he really is at this point. I know he's good (wins over Randy Brown, Jordan Mein, Tim Means proves you're quality) but I have no idea if he's anything more than a placeholder in an aging 170 lb division. The Niko Price fight would've told us a lot about him but now he's facing the pretty good Chance Recountre; a regional fighter who would've probably found his way onto the DWTCS eventually.

12- Is Demond Green contractually obligated to just fight massive wrestlers in the UFC? Four fights in he's had Josh Emmett, Rustam Khabilov, the oversized Michel Prezares who was basically fighting at MW vs him and now Gleison Tibau.

Under Pressure

1- Jake Ellenberger

We might as well start here. Ellenberger is no longer the dude who flirted with title contention on multiple opportunities. Those days are long and gone. What remains? Well....it depends. We can start with the cynical view; the raw numbers aren't pretty. Ellenberger is coming up on close to 50 pro fights before the age of 35 in the USADA Era where the dramatic "he's turning back the clock!" runs aren't going to happen. Since the start of 2014, he's just 2-6 with only one decision loss. He's taken damage in his losses and of his two wins, he's Matt Brown changing his mind again away from having 0 current UFC wins. He's chinny, spotty with his offense and it's fair to wonder if he's just been figured out by better fighters who have evolved quicker than he has. An optimistic POV? Ellenberger was far too good for far too long to fall apart this quickly. The quality of competition hasn't helped either given his losses are to genuinely top tier dudes like Rory Mac, Robbie Lawler, Jorge Masvidal and Wonderboy. Even in the losses, he had some moments of life to make you believe that something STILL is in there. In his most recent fight vs Mike Perry, it sure felt like the "old" Ellenberger was back----right before Perry exploded his face with an elbow. He had glimpses vs Masvidal and I felt like he did damn good vs Tarec Saffiedine as well. What if this is just a really bad ugly sort of slide that'll eventually even itself out? Maybe against weaker competition even? Ben Saunders is really the last in the line for Ellenberger. It's win or go home.

2-Jimmie Rivera

Jimmie Rivera's 5-0 run has been fantastic during his time in the UFC----but outside of the cage? It hasn't been as smooth sailing. We detailed the Moraes fight scuffle but beyond that, Rivera sort of got put in an awkward spot as his wife and Aljamain Sterling had a back and forth on twitter that was pretty cringy. Beyond that Rivera has been known to turn down fights in the past and we know that puts a spotlight on a dude. He's not the guy the UFC "wants" so to speak as much as he's the one they got. Rivera has his main event in what is essentially home turf against an opponent with a ton of buzz. You gotta step up and show out.

3- Sijara Eubanks

The Eubanks we saw on TUF was a hell of a lot better than the Eubanks from Invicta. Even with that said, she got yanked from the event the day before fighting for the title due to an awful weight cut. She might've had enough to beat Nicco Montano but alas and alack, it's back to the drawing board. Lauren Murphy is a really tough go of it in your UFC debut but if the TUF Eubanks shows up? Good chance she pulls this off.

4- Jose "Shorty" Torres

It's short notice and that normally is the caveat needed. This is a different situation though. It's not just some prospect but arguably MMA's best unsigned prospect. We're talking about a guy in Jose Torres who is too good to not have these sorts of expectations put on him. He has the ability to be a genuine lightning bolt in a struggling 125 lb weight class or a blossoming 135 lb weight class. It's a lot of pressure to put on somebody making a short notice debut but again, Torres is a different kind of fighter and a different kind of prospect.

5- Vinc Pichel

He is the opponent. Gregor Gillespie is the guy that everybody is excited about which leaves Pichel in the spot of "don't lose too badly!" which is always a bad place to be. Pichel is the sort of fighter who presents enough stylistic questions for Gillespie that even if Gregor is better, you're still looking at a guy who has the ability to give Gillespie some problems. The pressure is on Pichel to not get blown out here and test Gillespie.

Five Can't Miss Fights

1- Marlon Moraes vs Jimmie River

2- Jarred Brooks vs Jose Torres

3- Walt Harris vs Daniel Spitz on the Walt Harris factor alone

4- Julio Arce vs Daniel Teymur

5- Nik Lentz vs David Teymur

#MMA #UFC #Moraes #Rivera #Teymur #Ellenberger #Saunders #Utica

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