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turboturkey · 1 year

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A Cheesy Game on Christmas

The NFL Playoff Picture is winding down as the season comes to a close. A special Christmas day matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins proved to be a crucial game for both teams.

For the Dolphins, they started the season with an 8-3 record and looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders. At one point, they even led their tough division which included the likes of Super Bowl favorites Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately for Miami, they dropped their last 3 games in a row and have slid into the cusp of the Wildcard Playoff spot with an 8-6 record. Many did not criticize the Dolphins in their 3 game losing streak as they faced difficult opponents on the road such as the 49ers, Chargers, and Bills. However, the Dolphins were back at home and were favored to beat to 6-8 Packers.

For the Packers, they started the season with some dysfunctional offense as they lost key wide receiver Davante Adams in the offseason and struggled to find a wide receiver within the roster to replace Adams’ production. After a 3-1 start, the Packers would go on to lose 7 of their next 8 games. With a 4-8 record, the team looked ready to bow out the playoff race but a rejuvenated offense gave the team 2 consecutive wins to bring their record to 6-8. After their win on Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams, the Packers gave the Cheesehead Fandom a reason to believe in a playoff spot. Although very difficult to go on the road and beat a team with a winning record, Cheesehead fans all through Wisconsin hoped for a Christmas miracle.

The Dolphins started the game red hot by scoring an 84 yard passing touchdown to Jaylen Waddle. A drive later, Tua Tagovailoa connected on a 52 yard pass to Tyreek Hill which set up a 1 yard rushing Touchdwon by Jeff Wilson Jr! Although the Packers trailed 17-10, the need to win oversaw the conservative approach as they would run a fake punt on 4th down which did not convert. The Dolphins were set up in excellent field position and tacked on 3 points with a field goal.

After another Packer drive stalled out, the Dolphins regained possession with momentum to score again. With a 20-10 lead, Packers defensive tackle stripped Miami Dolphins’ Raheem Mostert of the ball and was able to fall on top of it. A crucial play that led to a Packers field goal to end the half down 20-13.

A great opening drive in the second half saw Packers’ quarterback lace a beautiful 31 yard pass down the sideline to Marcedes Lewis. That play would set up a 1 yard rushing score for AJ Dillon which even up the game at 20-20.

The Dolphins would try to respond with a 48 yard field goal, but Jason Sanders would miss wide right which kept the score even through the third quarter.

The 4th quarter started with the Packers tossing an interception in the endzone. Just when the momentum had shifted to the Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa overthrew his receiver an interception brought the Packers into excellent position! Although the Cheeseheads could not score a touchdown, they managed to tack on a field goal which gave them the lead for the first time in the game at 23-20.

Tua Tagovailoa looked to redeem his error by leading a drive down the field. Unfortunately for the Phins, Tua threw a pass down the middle without ever seeing the Packers’ linebacker De’Vondre Campbell who swooped in the intercept the ball!

A long drive filled with excellent runs by the Packers led to another field goal, extending the lead to 6 with just 2 minutes to go. Even with things looking bleak for the Miami offense, Tagovailoa still had one final drive to try to salvage a win.

The home crowd encouraged and cheered for a final game winning drive, but it was the Packers defense that would come up with another interception on a badly underthrown ball to seal the game!

Many fans were critical of Tua Tagovailoa’s performance as he threw a whopping 3 interceptions in the 4th quarter. The brutal nickname, Tua Turndaballova was trending on Twitter as fans criticize the lack of ball security Tua possessed in the 4th quarter. Understandably so, fans should also consider the amazing first half of football Tua played before bashing the young 3rd year quarterback. He threw for over 200 yards and a touchdown in just the first half.

Now I’m not trying to excuse the 3 crucial interceptions he threw in the first half, I just believe that fans shouldn’t berate the quarterback that brought excitement to Miami for the first time since Dan Marino. Fans should remember that Tua suffered a major head trauma injury in which the team doctor unwisely allowed him to play in the next day. This caused an even more significant head trauma injury that fans were not sure if he would return to play for a couple of months.

With this road win, the Cheesehead Packers inch closer to a Wildcard spot as they improve to a 7-8 record. The Dolphins drop to 8-7 which would still be good enough for a Wildcard spot, but many teams are lurking for that spot like the Jets, Patriots, and Titans with a 7-8 record.

Luckily for the Dolphins their final two games will be against the Jets and Patriots so victories in those games would clinch a playoff spot. For the Packers, they will finish with two home games against tough opponents such as the Vikings and the Lions. Even with victories in these games, the Cheesehead fans will need some losses from the Commanders and Seahawks to get their team into the playoffs.

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turboturkey · 1 year

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“Fake Wannabe All-Star” Proves Doubters Wrong

Tyrese Haliburton is a name that most sports fans should be ready to learn about. Born on the special leap year day of February 29, 2000; the 6′5 point guard from Wisconsin was born with something special about him. Haliburton was drafted out of Iowa State with the 12th pick of the 2020 draft class to the Sacramento Kings. Most basketball fans remember this class through the likes of All-Star Lamelo Ball and 1st overall pick Anthony Edwards. While they may share the spotlight, Haliburton’s rise as steadily been a focus of some select fans. Although he made the All-Rookie 1st Team back in 2021, the Kings seemingly did not think much of his potential because just a couple months later they would trade Haliburton to Indiana. While Sacramento management felt accomplished in aquiring All-Star Domantas Sabonis, many Kings fans were furious at the organization for letting go of a talented young prospect. At this time, Haliburton was averaging 14 ppg (points per game) with about 7 apg (assists per game). With numbers like these, it was uncertain whether he would flourish into a Star, or remain as an essential role player.

After the trade, Haliburton revealed that he cried uncontrollably. At 21 years of age, he had been dealt the harsh reality of life in the NBA. His love for the city or organization had been crushed with a business deal. Although shocked by the news, he manage to tweet out to his fans, “Sacramento, I love y’all! Can’t put all my feelings into words yet, but know I’m forever grateful and appreciative of each and every one of you.”

Now with the Indiana Pacers, Tyrese took a major step into stardom as he no longer had to share the point guard position alongside Kings’ De’Aaron Fox. With the point guard position all to himself, Haliburton exploded this season with his numbers jumping from 15 ppg to 20 ppg this season. His playmaking has also vastly improved as he now leads the entire NBA in assists per game averaging 10 and a half. Haliburton’s defense has also improved as many around the league have claimed. His 1.7 steals per game is in the top 10 of players in that category.

Unfortunately, greatness comes with a price. Hate! No matter how great a player is, or how great of a storyline, there will be haters out there. In Haliburton’s case, we look at former NBA All-Star Wally Szczerbiak. Wally played for multiple teams, however he is best remembered for playing alongside MVP Kevin Garnett on the Minnesota Timberwolves. The former player now turned Basketball Analyst had this to say about Haliburton when he missed a crucial shot in a narrow loss to the New York Knicks. “Mister supposed wannabe fake All-Star with a big miss. He’s a very good player, he’s not going to make the All-Star team. Guys like Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson will make it over Tyrese Haliburton, and tonight we saw why.”

The comments seemed to come from a place of hate and not at all a critique of his play. Some would suggest that Wally should have more empathy given that his only All-Star appearance came down to the wire on whether or not he would make the team. While an arguement can be made about which player deserves to make it, the comments were confusing to Haliburton as he had never mentioned or petitioned to make the All-Star game. He responded saying, ““I know the name Wally Szczerbiak. I couldn’t tell you where he played. Couldn’t tell you what he did as a basketball player. I don’t know. He had a lot to say about me. I was really questioning, first, who is this? And why is he talking about me like this? I think he was just excited about a Knicks win. He’s just doing whatever he can to get attention. That’s just the media these days.”

After a large backlash from the NBA fan base and former NBA player/media member Matt Barnes, Wally Szczerbiak retracted his comments by saying, “I want to apologize personally to Tyrese Haliburton. He’s a wonderful young player and is definitely in the All-Star conversation, along with guys like Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson. It’s going to be interesting to see who makes it. All those three players are wonderful players.”

Although the apology was made, the comments cannot be wiped away from existence. Some fans will choose to use the words “Fake” and “Wannabe” to demean Haliburton’s game. However, Haliburton did not get distracted from this incident. His focus was on playing the reigning Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics on the road. With some excellent shooting and determination, Haliburton proved that he wasn’t some wannabe All-Star has he led his team to a victory against the team with the best record in the NBA. In that game, he put up 33 points and 8 assists while also knocking down 6 triples.

In their next game, the Pacers would face the Miami Heat on the road. This was another tough matchup as the two teams sit at 8th and 9th in the Eastern Conference Standings. Given that the Miami Heat won the Eastern Conference back in 2020 and were in the Conference Finals last season, many believed Miami would win this game. Haliburton had other ideas as he notched a career high 43 points with 10 triples made! To wrap up a spectacular performance, he hit an extraordinary 3 pointer from the edge of the Miami Heat logo in the middle of the court to win the game!

While doubters can continue to criticize or even hate on Haliburton’s game, there is no question that he likes to prove his doubters wrong. With 2 spectacular performances against the last 2 Conference Champions, there is no question that Tyrese Haliburton deserves a spot in the All-Star Game. If you agree with that statement, don’t forget to vote for Tyrese Haliburton for the All-Star Game on the NBA app.

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turboturkey · 1 year

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Raiders Win in Bizarre Play

The Las Vegas Raiders season has been a roller coaster for all. After acquiring Davante Adams and Chandler Jones in the offseason, many believed that the Raiders would compete for a Super Bowl. To say that the Raiders have greatly underachieved would be an understatement. The Raiders entered this Sunday evening game against the New England Patriots with a 5-8 record. The Raiders had a terrible start to the year when losing to the Chargers, Cardinals, and Titans. The Raiders woes would continue as the Raiders would go 2-4 in their next 6 games. With a 2-7 record the Raiders looked ready to bow out of the playoff picture when they put together a 3 game winning streak which included a monster 303 yard game from running back Josh Jacobs against the Seahawks. With a 5-7 record the Raiders gave fans hope that they could salvage their playoff hopes. However, it would’ve been too simple of a story and in usual rollercoaster chaos, the Raiders blew a 13 point lead to the Rams on Thursday Night which seemingly killed their playoff hopes.

So, coming into this game the Raiders face an uphill battle knowing that they must win every game and hope for some losses. Fortunately for the Raiders, the Patriots are one of the teams in their way that would need to lose for them to gain a spot in the playoffs. The Patriots and Raiders both share 3rd place position in their respective divisions, however the Patriots hold a 7-6 record entering the game which would put them closer to the Wildcard spot that the Raiders coming for.

In typical Raider fashion, the Raiders jumped out to a 17-3 lead at halftime. The Raiders have been notorious this year in giving up big leads as they are the only team to lose 4 games when leading by double digits. And in typical Raider fashion, a pick 6 (interception returned for touchdown) by Patriots linebacker Kyle Dugger immediately shifted the momentum. The Patriots would continue to score and take a 24-17 lead late in the 4th quarter. When Raider fans started to feel defeated yet again, the Raiders quarterback Derek Carr threw a beautiful pass to the sideline of the endzone where Keelan Cole of the Raiders caught and barely struck his right foot in bounds. After a long review, referees could not clearly deemed Cole’s foot out of bounds. And without sufficient enough evidence, play stood as a 30 yard Touchdown which tied the game with an extra point.

With a 24-24 game and 37 seconds remaining, Raider fans were still on the edge of their seats. Given the momentum of the Patriots 2nd half offense, it seemed likely that the Patriots could march down the field and kick a game-winning field goal. The Raiders defense was not the best in this situation last week as they gave up a 97-yard drive to Baker Mayfield and the Rams in just 2 minutes.

After multiple incompletions from Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, the Patriots decided to play for overtime. With 3 seconds left, the Patriots call on a draw play which basically means a delayed handoff to the running back to catch the pass defense off guard. The play typically picks up about 7-10 yards, but surprisingly Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson ran for about 25 yards before ever being tackled. With some quick thinking, Stevenson remembered that at any point in football a player can lateral the ball backwards to a teammate to continue the play. Stevenson lateraled the ball back to Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Myers or then inexplicably ran 10 yards backwards in order to evade Raider defenders. With star defensive end Maxx Crosby closing in to tackle him, Myers threw the ball about 20 yards across the field in a lateral attempt to get Mac Jones the ball. Unfortunately for Myers, his throw was off target and went directly into the hands of Raiders star offseason signing Chandler Jones! Chandler Jones received the ball with only one Patriot in his vicinity and it has quarterback Mac Jones. The size difference of the two players is egregiously large as Chandler Jones is 6′5 250 pounds and Mac Jones is 6′3 210 pounds. A quarterback needing to tackle someone is already a difficult task because they usually don’t attempt to tackle in order to stay uninjured. Combine it with a 40 pound difference and you get a once in a decade type stiff arm that sends Mac Jones into the ground! With nothing but green grass ahead of him, Chandler Jones ran 48 yards to the end zone to cap off one of the wildest games and most memorable play ever! The Raiders crowd was stunned and yet ecstatic for what they just witnessed! A play that will likely never be replicated had just saved their season!

After the game Jakobi Myers took responsibility for the mistake on the game winning drive. He said, “I was just doing too much. I should’ve just went down with the ball.” While we can all sit around and say what a bonehead play it was, we should at least acknowledge the way Jakobi Myers handled the situation. Instead of sulking or blaming someone or something else, he took accountability for his lack of judgement on the last play.

The Raiders pull closer to making the playoffs by beating the Patriots. Patriots record drops to 7-7 while the Raiders jump to 6-8. With just one game behind, anything is possible in this rollercoaster of a ride we call the Las Vegas Raiders season!

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turboturkey · 1 year

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Lionel Messi the G.O.A.T.

If you’re new to sports or new to football/soccer, you need to know one thing. Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time. Throughout the sports world people often use the phrase GOAT which is an acronym for Greatest of All Time. Some people argue Lebron James is the GOAT of basketball and other argue it is Michael Jordan. What cannot be debated any longer is the Greatest of Football. After winning the World Cup for his country Argentina in 2022, Messi acheived an accomplishment that many football players have not. Messi has won every major tournament he could possibly win. From Champions League, La Liga, Copa America, World Cup, and so many other trophies that if I was to list them all out, it would cover a whole page.

The 7 time Ballon D’or winner has often been argued that he can’t be the greatest ever without a World Cup victory. Most people that argue this claim that Christiano Ronaldo is the greatest of all time. While Christiano has exemplified brilliance throughout his career, he has not won a World Cup trophy for his country Portugal. Some will claim that Ronaldo has succeeded in multiple leagues in Europe while Messi played most of his career in one league. However, Messi recently won the French League with PSG making him a multi-league winner.

As people will continue to shoot down greatness and downplay Messi’s success, his accolades will always prove doubters wrong. The legendary Pele won multiple World Cups with Brazil, but played in an era where defense was not a priority, thus leading to many goal scoring opportunities. The late Diego Maradona has been considered the best by many since he played against defensive lines with 4,5, and sometimes even 6 players. However, Maradona’s addiction to drugs while playing cut his career short and many believe he would have had a long a successful career had he been able to continue playing. Although Diego Maradona could not be here to watch Messi and Argentina win both the Copa America and World Cup trophies, I’m sure he is proud of all the players and proud to pass on the torch of the GOAT status onto Lionel Andres Messi.

#football #messi #argentina #ronaldo #pele #maradona #soccer #world cup #goat #europe #south america #goal #players

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turboturkey · 3 years

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Lakers Trade Options

The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching and team’s are scrambling for new additions to their teams. The Los Angeles Lakers are a team to look out for during this week since they are a competitive team who just lost their two most valuable players. Anthony Davis suffered an achilles injury in the early part of the season and Lebron James was widely considered the MVP of the league before suffering a high ankle sprain last week. Since the departure of Lebron James, the Lakers have lost 3 games in a row with their last game being a complete blowout loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Given that the Lakers are reigning champions, they want to remain competitive even if their star players are sidelined. With the team in such terrible form and the deadline fast approaching, a trade seems likely in store for the Lakers. The only question that fans of the Lakers have is, “Who are the Lakers going to trade for?”

The first player on the list is Andre Drummond of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Drummond plays the center position which is a desperate need for the Lakers. In the only two complete games played without Lebron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers have given up 50+ rebounds to opponents. Andre Drummond is a two-time NBA all-star and led the league in rebounds per game 4 times. Drummond is clearly no longer part of Cleveland’s future as the team as announced their intention to either trade or release him. The Lakers are looking into a possible buyout situation where the Cleveland Cavaliers buy Drummond out of his contract to make him a free agent. Once Drummond is a free agent, the Lakers will look to sign him to a minimum deal for the rest of the year.

Kyle Lowry is a six-time NBA all-star and an NBA champion. Although he plays the point guard position and isn’t much of a need for the Lakers at this time, he provides the leadership that the team lacks at this moment. A veteran player at the point guard position such as Lowry understands the determination needed to win at all cost. Late game situations are often decided by savvy veteran plays like taking a charge or running the time out. The Lakers proved that without their stars, there isn’t much leadership given the inconsistency of their play. Although it is unlikely for the Raptors to trade a player that has been with the team since 2012, it is still a possibility because of the unsureness of the Raptors ability to be competitive. If the Raptors decide to move on into a rebuild, Lowry will be the first man to go.

Lastly, Demarcus Cousins remains a free agent. Cousins plays the center position which was earlier mentioned as a need for the Lakers. Cousins hasn’t particularly had a positive impact on the teams he has played with throughout most of his career, but he remains a mystery for future teams. Cousins was part of the Lakers last season but unfortunately tore his ACL prior to the season beginning. The year before he was part of the Golden State Warrior team that made it to the finals. Cousins played during the finals, but his performance was disappointing to his standard and wasn’t enough to win the series. Although his recent failures may be alarming, his career 21 points per game and 11 rebounds per game are a great indication that Cousins can be an excellent center. Given the right opportunity, Cousins can surge into an elite status that he once had. The Lakers provide that excellent opportunity Cousins needs to get back into being that four-time NBA all-star status.

#nba #lakers #trades #trade deadline #basketball #demarcus cousins #kyle lowry #andre drummond

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