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TomIron361

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Yea it's pretty scary when you think of how a lot of opioid addicts get turned onto heroin - it all starts with them getting their hands on the pharmaceutical equivalents and then once those become no longer available they turn to the street drug. I totally agree with you on the negative effects of long term marijuana use - with the pushes to legalize it and neglecting the discussion on any long term effects of recreational abuse - when I think of drug use in this country and how it's being pushed and becoming normalized all I can think of is "Soma" from Brave New World. As an aside I find it ironic when the "left" in this country tries to use Orwell or Huxley to argue their causes for them.
Yep, "Soma" is coming and with the way people are nowadays, it won't be long before no one will ever remember drugs were once illegal.
 
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On one hand, opioid addiction is a serious problem, but on the other, I've seen patients who were told to take over-the-counter medication when they genuinely needed something stronger. Different people react differently to the same drug - when I took oxycodone after a surgery, I went through mild withdrawal, but nothing worse. Some people aren't that lucky.

If weed works for a particular case that's certainly a better alternative but it's not a cure-all. I'm all for marijuana being legal, medical or not, but I have zero respect for pothead clowns. It's the same with alcohol and alcoholics - it's a matter of self-control. Most people can handle it, a few can't.

I hope the rumors about opioids being "handed out like candy" in NFL locker rooms aren't true. This election cycle the ACLU (American Communist Lovers Union) is making a push for decriminalizing hard drugs, including heroin, under "muh disparate impact" ("too many" members of the Magical Race supposedly are getting locked up for heroin). No doubt they're trying to piggyback on the success of marijuana decriminalization/legalization, but they're not the same thing at all. Most people can use marijuana or alcohol and still have normal, functional lives. No one who shoots heroin has a normal, functional life.
 

Red Raider

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Looks like Eric Weddle retired yesterday. We have lost 2 defensive legends to retirement so far with Weddle and Kuechly.
 

FootballDad

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It's rumored that the Cowboys offered "Mr Mediocrity" Dak Prescott a contract worth $33 million a year, but that's not enough, he wants more. I think they should let him walk.
 

Westside

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Looks like Eric Weddle retired yesterday. We have lost 2 defensive legends to retirement so far with Weddle and Kuechly.
Weddle should make the HOF based on his years and stats. Eric Enjoy your retirement!
 
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Weddle should make the HOF based on his years and stats. Eric Enjoy your retirement!

Unfortunately, as was mentioned in the Weddle thread, HOF voting is based on politics as much as stats these days. That said, I think his chances are fairly good, as he was a great enough player to earn the respect of even (most) DWFs.
 

Leonardfan

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Philip Rivers won't be back with the Chargers - the official announcement was made today. They have been going solidly downhill for several years in terms of being white friendly. I wouldn't be surprised to see them draft a black quarterback and let Idler Arm have the job as the black quarterback develops. With the Chargers struggling to fill seats in the in a 27,000 seat MLS stadium it's not a terrible loss. Rivers probably has another year or two in the tank - the rumor is Arians wants him in Tampa Bay and they perhaps draft a young QB to develop behind him.
 

Shadowlight

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I am hearing that the Chargers are zeroing in on QB Justin Herbert to replace Rivers who has been with them for 16 years and clearly not in his prime anymore. If it goes down like that then it makes sense. Unless of course they pull the trigger on Brady?

The Chargers will be sharing a new stadium with the Rams this season. It seats 70,000 but can "expand" to over 100,000 for special events. What? Then I noticed they will use artificial turf. Huh? They can't grow and maintain grass in southern California? It's strange. The players bitch about this and that yet they don't hold owner's feet to the fire with less safe playing surfaces? Plus I am very skeptical that the Chargers will draw in LA? Hell if the team struggles to win things could get ugly real fast which in one sense won't overly bother me since their owner is a prick of the highest order.

Honestly the Chargers have been a no go zone for me for so long they have been at the bottom of my concerns for ages. Breaking a long held caste pattern they did draft WR Dylan Cantrell not too long ago but injuries etc. killed him off before he even had a chance. But things are still changing for the better for the Chargers albeit in small steps.

They do have a rising TE in Hunter Henry but on defense they are starting to show a pulse. Not only has DE Joey Bosa established himself as a star NFL player the emergence of rookie LB Drue Tranquill gives them a nice starting base on defense. Tranquill's down hill smack them up style made him one of the best rookies in the league last season. He was a serious upgrade over the old black guard that have played mediocre defense for them forever it seems.

One can't hold out hope they draft a white WR in this draft because no one will but it will be interesting to see if they have the male nuts to pursue more white talent on defense. To me that would be a wise move but most teams pull in the reigns when their team "might" become more appreciably white than the average NFL team. That said I will be watching their draft extra close. I don't think their black HC is especially caste but that could change overnight.

Other news is Cowboys LB Sean Lee will return to play this season. He is 33 and last season was his healthiest in his entire career so kudos to him for wanting more. And he was terrific and still has some good seasons left if he stays healthy of course. He is a free agent so it is yet to be determined if he will resign with the Cowboys. I get leery with players who have long injury histories but in Lee's case I would make an exception because he is such an exceptional talent and like dearly departed Luke Kuechly truly understands how to play linebacker. Lee instantly can transform and improve a defense with his smarts, range, fundamentals and leadership skills.
 

Shadowlight

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The rumor mills are out in full force. Perhaps more than recent seasons there is more intrigue this go around. Mentioned in above posts were free agent linebackers Blake Martinez, Nick Kwiakoski, Joe Schobert and Sean Lee. It appears that the Packers won't resign Martinez but the other three have a fairly decent shot of resigning with their teams. The Browns and Bears especially would be foolish to let the above two linebackers loose. If Lee ends up on another team he will instantly become the leader of the defense.

Then there are the rumors surrounding QBs Brady, Brees and Rivers. Rivers is the only one certain to land on a new team. It is hard to imagine Brady not playing for the Patriots but the media keeps saying everything is up in their air. I have a great Patriots source but I have not crossed paths with him for a couple of months so I can only speculate like everyone else.

The Brees situation is very interesting because Taysom Hill figures predominantly. In my opinion Brees' biggest issue at this stage of his career is his proficiency dovetails dramatically when faced with a pass rush. Obviously all QBs will see their production falter when faced with a pass rush but Brees' production falls off even more. He is still a great accurate passer when given time but I think some of their playoff woes are in part due to dealing with an increased pass rush. At his age he doesn't want to get hit and can we blame him for that? But Brees has also lost something on his fast ball (deep passes) and that has become more noticeable the past couple of years.

Brees could retire but somehow I don't think that is likely. They could keep Bridgewater and dangle Taysom Hill looking for a first round draft pick for compensation. That would be interesting to see what team would go out of their way to obtain Hill. Or they let Bridgewater go elsewhere and if Brees retires they insert Hill as the starter. This scenario seems the least likely despite all the talk from the Saints camp on how much they love Hill. Hell if they loved him that much why was he still only seeing spot duty in their playoff game when he was single handily destroying the Vikings ? They certainly don't love Hill in the way the Ravens love Lamar Jackson who plays every snap. The Saints sure talk about Hill a lot for a player who they use as a play a few snaps a game gimmick? But if Brees does retire I don't expect the Saints to keep both Hill and Bridgewater.

So there are several possibilities although what seems most likely is that Brees returns but Hill fills in at QB much more than in the past as they try to reduce Brees' workload. Brees and Hill get along really well. Bridgewater signs elsewhere and Hill will be sort of a part time starter more than a stone cold second stringer. It was suggested that Hill could take up to 30% of the snaps. Not sure we will see that but not a bad idea and if you figure he could line up at other spots he could play close to 50% of the snaps. But the Saints have yet to go full hog on Hill so I would have to see it to believe it. Of course the media is focusing on Hill's lack of passing stats but if he was black the media, especially black media would be up in arms with the suggestion that he can't play QB. It would be folly at this point to suggest Hill could be as accurate and commanding as Brees but he offers up more mobility of course and he can throw a better deep pass so I could see this tag team working out well.

As for the QBs in the draft nothing is set in stone. On the surface it appears the Bengals will take Burrow at number one, the Dolphins take Tua at five and the Chargers take Herbert. But that could get scrambled if other teams move up etc..
 
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booth

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In an interview with the AP Taysom Hill said he considers himself a franchise QB. He loves the Saints but would be willing to go to another team that would give him the chance to play QB.
 

Shadowlight

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The best case scenario is Taysom gets his own team. One ex Jets coach who worked with Taysom said he has a better arm than Lamar Jackson. Whether it be the Saints, if Brees retires, or another team it would be neat to see him run a show. To me the Colts would be a slam dunk. He would be an upgrade and change their boring persona immediately. Like the Ravens they have a terrific offensive line which would give Taysom better flexibility. See below.

https://coltswire.usatoday.com/2020/02/12/nfl-free-agency-indianapolis-colts-taysom-hill-option/
 

greyghost

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You have to think ....are the saints dumb enough to let taysom hill go !....I would be surprised ...I reckon hill will take over as starter next season with brees as back up ...hills time has come ....otherwise why have taken him in the first place ...and why give him up to an opponent ....hill can be the saints about for the next 10 yrs ... he has everything you want from a 2020 qb ....and his athleticism is as good , if not better than any other Qb In the league ....
 

greyghost

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I if we’re taysom hill I would be looking to stay in Nola .....not go to a side rebuilding with many questions and many weaknesses .....it’s all good til the losing starts ...and there’s been a lot of that in Indianapolis ...
 

Don Wassall

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I if we’re taysom hill I would be looking to stay in Nola .....not go to a side rebuilding with many questions and many weaknesses .....it’s all good til the losing starts ...and there’s been a lot of that in Indianapolis ...

I tend to agree. Hopefully Brees plays at least one more season, while FA Bridgewater signs elsewhere.

I doubt Hill will ever get the chance to be a starting QB -- I think his sparse gimmicky use by Sean Payton is about the best a "White Lamar Jackson type" can realistically hope for in the NFL, especially after this past season's "Year of the Black Quarterback." Hill will also turn 30 in August, which is a ready-made excuse for no team wanting to build around him as their possible franchise quarterback.

Maybe a team will surprise and seriously go after him to be their starter, but I don't expect that to happen.
 

dwid

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Brees was never known for his deep ball but I don't think he's lost anything. His wide receivers outside of Thomas were terrible, and while Thomas is good, he is nowhere close to being a deep threat. Ted Ginn has lost a step and can't catch worth a damn. I don't think Brees struggled too much with pressure, at least not any different than previous years. Outside pressure he can avoid but has always struggled with pressure up the middle because of his height. The Vikings had his number for several years with internal pressure. The guard play has declined over the past few years, I think if the Saints want to be legit contender they need to draft a good guard and have another receiving threat outside of Thomas.

Had the Saints just played Taysom Hill more at wr te and rb the Saints would have won and nobody would be talking about Drew's deficiencies. Many Saints fans want Bridgewater but the difference is during his 5 game stretch the Saints were more balanced with running and the defense stepped it up. All he had to do was manage the game. When Brees was back Payton became more pass happy which is fine until the postseason where deficiencies are easily exposed.

The Saints only Superbowl win was in 09 where they were more balanced and the defense had a ton of turnovers. I think if it weren't for that year Brees would be regarded like Marino nice stats but no championship. With a deficit I trust Brees more than any other quarterback besides Brady but I think they need to be more balanced if he wants to win another one
 

Leonardfan

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The NFL re-instated Myles Garrett after his assault on Mason Rudolph. Garrett's bogus play of the race card worked as the NFL refused to drop the 50k fine on Mason Rudolph. I feel bad for Rudolph who was the victim of a cheap shot by Earl Thomas earlier in the season which knocked him out cold and then we assaulted on national television with millions of witnesses and yet he is somehow the bad guy. Pretty accurate analogy on everything going on in larger society right now...sport reflects society right?
 

Bucky

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The NFL re-instated Myles Garrett after his assault on Mason Rudolph. Garrett's bogus play of the race card worked as the NFL refused to drop the 50k fine on Mason Rudolph. I feel bad for Rudolph who was the victim of a cheap shot by Earl Thomas earlier in the season which knocked him out cold and then we assaulted on national television with millions of witnesses and yet he is somehow the bad guy. Pretty accurate analogy on everything going on in larger society right now...sport reflects society right?

Spot on.
 

Shadowlight

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Taysom Hill at 30 still has a good 5-9 year window as a franchise quarterback. It is worth noting Steve Young with the 49ers ( he started late messing around with the USFL and then Tampa Bay and then sitting behind Montana) didn't become a starter until he was 30. And he had enough great years to earn entrance into the Hall Of Fame!

I am not suggesting Hill will follow that same route but it is an interesting back drop.
 

Leonardfan

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Yea never trusted him. I'm hoping either Jordan Love or Tua end up there. He contradicts himself with this statement to:

"There are some guys that can win from the pocket, but when you look around the league, most of these guys are mobile quarterbacks that can move," Lynn told 570 AM, when asked what style of quarterback he prefers. "All you have to do is watch high school football on Friday nights. High school football told me 10 years ago the direction the NFL was headed.

"So that's just the world that we're in right now -- you can do more things and be more cutting edge [with a mobile quarterback]. But that guy that can stand back there, pick up all those protections, throw the ball from the pocket and use the quick passing game [instead of] his legs, you can still win with a classic pocket passer."



In a small bit of good news the Jets signed former Rutgers CB Anthony Cioffi after he played in the CFL for two seasons. He had a strong preseason in 2017 only to be cut by black jack del rio.
 

Bucky

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Yup besides Bosa and Tranquil not much to root for in these LA Chargers. I agree with @Shadowlight their owner is a sellout, I hope they continue to struggle finding their footing in Mexican LA.

Great news about Cioffi, but at this point it'd be a miracle to see him on their 53man roster!
 

Leonardfan

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Yup besides Bosa and Tranquil not much to root for in these LA Chargers. I agree with @Shadowlight their owner is a sellout, I hope they continue to struggle finding their footing in Mexican LA.

Great news about Cioffi, but at this point it'd be a miracle to see him on their 53man roster!

The Jets have several affletes in their secondary set for free agency. I know it's a long shot but I do hope he somehow manages to make the team. I remember watching one Raiders preseason game and recall he made a few big time plays only to be cut. It's good to see him back in the league as I wrote him off once Black Jack cut him.

As far as Taysom Hill goes - it's an interesting situation. His injury history in college scares me some and I have to wonder why Payton played Teddy Melonhead rather than Hill if he is supposedly very high on him. If I were the Saints I'd enjoy the last year of Brees and draft Jake Fromm and have him sit for a year and learn under Brees.
 

Don Wassall

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The NFL re-instated Myles Garrett after his assault on Mason Rudolph. Garrett's bogus play of the race card worked as the NFL refused to drop the 50k fine on Mason Rudolph. I feel bad for Rudolph who was the victim of a cheap shot by Earl Thomas earlier in the season which knocked him out cold and then we assaulted on national television with millions of witnesses and yet he is somehow the bad guy. Pretty accurate analogy on everything going on in larger society right now...sport reflects society right?

Garrett not only gets reinstated, but continues to falsely accuse Rudolph. NFL games are mic'd up to the gills; gee I wonder why there's no evidence available to back Garrett up, especially when the improper use of the "n-word" now allows blacks to get away with murder, sometimes literally. Part of the terms of his reinstatement should have been for Garrett to put the hoax to rest.

Speaking in an interview with ESPN's Mina Kimes, Myles Garrett stood by his allegation that Steelers QB Mason Rudolph called him a racial slur before last November's brawl.
"He called me the N-word," Garrett said. "He called me a 'stupid N-word.'" Garrett has never wavered from his explosive accusation, though he did say he never intended for it to become public. The NFL said it "found no such evidence" during Garrett's appeal of his indefinite suspension. Garrett was reinstated on Wednesday. Rudolph has strenuously denied the allegation.
 

white is right

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Garrett not only gets reinstated, but continues to falsely accuse Rudolph. NFL games are mic'd up to the gills; gee I wonder why there's no evidence available to back Garrett up, especially when the improper use of the "n-word" now allows blacks to get away with murder, sometimes literally. Part of the terms of his reinstatement should have been for Garrett to put the hoax to rest.

Speaking in an interview with ESPN's Mina Kimes, Myles Garrett stood by his allegation that Steelers QB Mason Rudolph called him a racial slur before last November's brawl.
"He called me the N-word," Garrett said. "He called me a 'stupid N-word.'" Garrett has never wavered from his explosive accusation, though he did say he never intended for it to become public. The NFL said it "found no such evidence" during Garrett's appeal of his indefinite suspension. Garrett was reinstated on Wednesday. Rudolph has strenuously denied the allegation.
This is utterly ridiculous does anybody think that if an Italian-American was called one of the various ethnic slurs against his people he could try to clobber another player over the head with helmet and have it justified in his mind.

Left wing lunatics have taken this slur and put it in this sanctified air of untouchable and above any other slurs, lately though gay slurs seem to be rising to this level, but nobody would get homicidal over them(as far as I know).
 
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