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I played chess a lot when I was a kid but I stopped when I entered college. Last year I tried to follow it again with the purpose of betting but then again life became busy and I really do not have much spare time for it. The only names I cannot forget in today's chess are Magnus Carlsen and Ding Liren. So I won't bet on chess tournaments these days only because I am not so updated as to who are the top players these days and their playing styles which matter a lot when it comes to betting.
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I'm still trying to understand Clippers as an ORG as this team is playing great basketball sometimes and the other times , they are considering basketball a joke...and if I remember well and I do , Clippers was the most hyped team some years ago right ? look what this hype made to them a few years later...
I think it was like 2019 when the Clippers were hyped by the media and other NBA fans because that is the year Kawhi Leonard joined the team. Understandable because he already made a name for himself by joining the Spurs in 2011 and was like one of the hottest players during the 2016 - 2017 season. Unfortunately though, he cannot really carry the Clippers all by himself. Pair him up with Paul George, another dude who's really prone to injury and you'll really have some problems. Well, Kawhi Leonard was a proven elite or even recognized as the league's best player at the time when he left Toronto. The Clippers gambled a lot just to satisfy his demands including his rumored residence that is far from Los Angeles which result in some of their delayed travels, etc. Although he was probably worth it that time, Clippers' management doesn't care if Kawhi would play or not or if he plays with limited minutes because they just want to see him healthy during the playoffs. Now, Clippers is becoming like a joke of an organization. Kawhi seems like he is not in his prime anymore. Maybe they can still reach the playoffs but what they are showing these days are not enough to go deeper. |
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Here is what Luis Garcia has to say regarding Tanks recent brushed with the law. “I don’t think he has lost focus because I’ve seen him continue with his great training and the way he has continued working, just like he has before,” Garcia said during his open workout earlier this week. “He’s a great fighter for a reason. And I know that he’s gonna want to represent his country and his city, just like I do.” https://www.ringtv.com/648203-if-hector-garcia-didnt-catch-your-eye-in-2022-he-says-youll-know-him-after-he-beats-gervonta-davis/And that is a good sign that he is not underestimating Davis because he knows that he will come full prepared despite the distraction from the background. I like though that Hector is really very confident that he will pull against upset in his career. And we knows that he is the underdog in this fight and he likes that kind of set up, maybe it will give more more fuel and fire and with no pressure at all in his shoulder. Edit: Here is the press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y4EOq_SS4MI think Tank remained focused in this fight. Otherwise, he could've easily canceled this fight with no problems at all as he is the PPV guy here. I would be impressed if they gave Hector Garcia a minimum of 2 months to prepare. With less time to prepare while Tank was obviously training already, it is hard to imagine an upset. Although I would love Hector to score an upset. PBC people and its partners always try to hype Tank's PPV events to their loyal followers. Here's the face-off where Tank tried to scare Hector Garcia. https://fb.watch/hT_cJYUb-2/ |
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It didn't took long before the Philippines won a belt. But this was unexpected as most of the country are rooting for the likes of Casimero, Donaire and Magsayo to grab the nation's first belt this year. Melvin Jerusalem captured the WBO minimumweight belt earlier today in Osaka, Japan. Jerusalem landed a perfect thunderous straight right on now former champion Masataka Taniguchi's face who fell hard and was not able to recover.
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56 - inthelongrun
Thank you and Merry Christmas!
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So Dana White and his family seem to remain intact unless his wife will change her mind. He and his wife Anne talked it out, exchanged apologies, and settled their differences. So Dana and his wife had been together since they were very young. It probably helped them both especially Anne to forgive and apologized as well. Otherwise, Anne would've been swayed by different rights and women groups to file a case and divorce Dana which would probably endanger the UFC. Anne's statement probably ends this issue sooner than later.  |
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I was already annoyed by Errol Spence and PBC since the days when they aren't responding directly or indirectly nor proposed counter-offers to Bob Arum and Terrence Crawford before. Now Spence is becoming more annoying. He actually has overdue mandatories to all his 3 belts but because he is a PPV fighter and PBC is one of the biggest promotions in boxing, these sanctioning bodies are reluctant to impose a serious mandate on him without getting the approval of PBC who's likely to get Spence approval as well.
Stanionis is supposed to get his shot at the real WBA belt. The same with Boots who already won an IBF eliminator since early last year. Vergil Ortiz had been the WBC number 1 for a time and should be given a mandatory status too or maybe an eliminator against Thurman. Too many good names are involved in Spence yet he continues to remain silent or post nonsense something in public. And I honestly do not understand why he won't take Thurman who's IMO the weakest of these names.
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With Nuggets if the joker can not play that will be a problem for the Nuggets, but for now, they are still playing with him, and has good health right now,
He will be crucial if he misses the playoffs. That means Gordon, Murray, and Porter Jr. will need to step up their game in a level they never had done. Jokic is the heart of their team, it's hard to imagine a Nuggets team without him. This is the negative side of a team that depends mostly on a single player. Teams like Milwaukee and Denver will be easily at the bottom of the rankings if Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic are out. I don't think the rest of the roster can really compete well. Unlike the other teams like Boston and Memphis, they are surrounded by too many talents that they can perform well even with the absence of one star. Denver is on top of the west and is even competing to lead the overall ranking is surprising to me. We are still half of the season anyways and there are a lot of swings that happens since the start of the season. But somehow after winning back-to-back MVPs, I like to see Jokic getting a ring. |
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What site ranking is this in the first place? I just want to know. I doubt it for the GSW this time around it looks like they won't gonna make it. These days it keeps getting unpredictable on who's gonna win the NBA championship, and, when the playoffs come that's when the most unpredictable thing happens.
I do not know where you are basing that comment, but GSW still looks solid even with their poor start this season. They are 19-18, which is above 500. They are currently on a 4 winning streak and 5-5 on their last 10. All that was done without Curry and Wiggins. They are currently ranked #9 which is still okay since they still have 45 games to play. Last year, I think, they finished 5th in the West and were still able to take home the Championship. As long as they are able to get into the playoffs, they still have a good chance of winning the chip. They are a different beast in the playoffs, especially if they are all healthy. 5 winning streak now for GSW. They are performing decently even without their 2 starters. And it is also clear that Steph and Wiggins can return this season so the experts are already anticipating the team to get a spot in the playoffs. This team is proven over time and they are indeed a different beast once they enter the playoffs. Due to their wide experience in the finals, their upcoming young players' confidence continues to grow each day as they are mentored by the very best of this decade. The odds I posted earlier was taken from BK8's NBA outright. Maybe some other sports betting sites have different odds but they aren't that far and they will become more and more close as the season progress. |
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With a quick submission by Makhachev against Oliveira, I think that's the reason why people think Makhachev will win against Volkanovski. Although Volkanovski was already fight everyone in his weight and remain undefeated, he seems can't compete against Makhachev. Volkanovski is a kickboxer, he will get a trouble since Makhachev is a wrestler, even Oliveira is a good wrestler too but can't survive for complete 5 rounds.
We know how strong Makachev is since he has been winning these past years because of his high skills and experience when it comes to wrestling and he is giving his opponent a really hard time when he looked them by submissions. But we also know Volkanovski is the number one rank in their division and might gonna be hard to beat because he is different from other fighters he fought before. It might be hard to believe but, obviously, most people are cheering for Volkanovski because Islam Makachev has been demolishing their idols and they wanna revenge using Volkanovski. While I agree that Makachev is a beast and a special talent, the champ hasn't demolished yet any big names that are idolized by the fight fans except for Oliveira. There are many fans that prefer to cheer for the underdogs. Most fight fans also prefer striking skills rather than ground and wrestling skills. Makachev should be able to handle Volkanovski in his first title defense. But it will be interesting how he feels fighting as the champion in an opponent's backyard which is the opposite when he took the belt from Oliveira in front of his fans. If Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje win their next bouts, they will probably get a shot on Makachev as well. They will be taken into the ground but these guys might land their bombs first to test Makachev's chin, something Oliveira handled but not before badly getting hurt. |
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 This is the current NBA championship odds at the start of the year. GSW is still the 3rd team favorite to win the title. It is because once the current active roster can maintain at least a 50/50 or 40/60 win rate they are still very capable of earning a spot in the playoffs once Curry, Wiggins, and co are back into their regular roles. The odds also favored the teams that have deep playoff experience rather than the teams that are performing well in this regular season. Fair enough, the playoffs are a whole new level compared to the regular games where sometimes defense and hustle are not fully activated. |
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I haven't seen the fight nor did I do a review on the full replay yet. But I did read and heard from a lot of people on social media that Franco deserved the win. Today I reviewed the punch stats and I am surprised that Ioka seems to have edged Franco. Based on the unbiased per-round punch stats, I have it 115-113 or 7 to 5 in favor of Ioka. Although there are times that jabs can be as good or even better than power punches, I just considered that generally, power punches weigh more than jabs. So I gave Franco rounds 4, 6, 7, 11, and 12 for a total of 5 rounds only. I agree that a rematch should happen or if not, let them face the other champions and stars in their division like Chocolatito, Estrada, and Bam.  |
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Beterbiev is older anyways, so the strength and reflexes aren't the same as the previous years.
Yarde's camp needs to work on this one. If they can find the best strategy to take this little advantage against Beterbiev, then he might have to get an opportunity to take down his opponent. Definitely, if they can find some loophole on Beterviev then good, take that advantage, maybe the way he throw his punch or his defensive stance that they can counter and who knows, maybe he can pull an upset. Yarde needs to be in his best form during this fight if he wants to handle Beterbiev. Yarde needs to have stamina enough to last for a 12-round fight because I believe the strategy is to move and fight smart in order to avoid getting hit by Beterbiev. Beterbiev is now a little slower with less strength so I guess Yarde will try to outbox, and throw counters, and if cornered he needs to hold and use his strength to avoid a close-quarter fight. I am rooting for Beterbiev to win so I hope that he still has enough to survive a possible early lead from Yarde who's also a big puncher. Yarde will probably get tired of running in the late rounds and Beterbiev will go for the KO. |
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Pasali kabayan. Kahit hindi na ako gaanong aktibo sa lokal natin. At di nadin ako gaano ka updated ulit sa PBA. Nagkabalita lang ako ulit sa PBA dahil andito si erpat nakabakasyon simula pasko at big fan siya ng Ginebra.  1. Hindi 2. Brownlee 3. Under 4. Kings 5. Kings 6) Kings 7) Kings 8.) Dragons 9) 180 Happy New Year sa ating lahat! More power at sana meron na tayong bagong fuente de merito sa 2023. |
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Enigma - Return To Innocence
I love this music. I am listening to it again now. I first learned this music when it was suggested on my youtube account, probably because I am an avid listener of Enya's music. I always feel happy listening to this music and a bit sad knowing how time flies so fast like it was only a few days ago. |
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5 straight wins for the Pelicans.
After defeating the 76ers today, they just had their 5th winning streak, we saw how they struggled two weeks ago and even had a 4 losing streak but now they are back on track.
Even without Brandon Ingram back yet they still manage to win. CJ McCollum stepping up his game way above the expectation of many, Zion Williamson's offensive stats is still growing and their bench players contributing on the defensive end.
This team really has a deep roster and now they are on the top of the Western Conference again tied with the Denver Nuggets.
The Pelicans are starting to cash in on Zion's contract. He is fit and totally carrying the team with the help of CJ McCollum. I was doubtful when the Pelicans offered a max extension to Zion but now, I see that it is worth it. If he stays healthy (thanks to the weight addendum in his contract), they will totally dominate the west. The addition of CJ was a good move too. It provided the necessary veteran leadership this young team needs. The Pelicans really have a case to go deep this season and its roster is not just depending on a single player. Together with Brandon Ingram, they are very dangerous with their offense. Zion is still very young and he continues to improve. Although the weight is an issue with Zion, somehow he knows how to take advantage of it. He is too strong and it is very difficult to stop him. I really cannot wait for the playoffs although we are still far from it and rankings may change hands knowing how competitive the NBA teams are nowadays. |
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This fight is not happening in early March. Tyson Fury I believe is a Christian devout and he will celebrate Christmas and the New Year with a bang. This means we need at least 3 months excluding the days of negotiations. I believe serious talks will only resume after the New Year as well. If an agreement, especially the major details are sealed in early January then we will expect this unification to happen in April. This fight is going to be huge no matter the location. I prefer a neutral venue though to be fair with Usyk. Middle East countries are most likely the ones with better offers unless Bob Arum will try to bring this fight to the US. There is nothing to suggest Fury will avoid having the fight in and around March 2023. How devout exactly is he? It was mentioned earlier that Usyk was a religious person but seriously we are talking about multi-million pay days for both boxers therefore how much longer will they be able to delay the fight that all boxing fans want to see? If a promoter insists on it taking place in March or April and offers the money, the boxers and their teams will oblige whether they are religious or not. Well, Fury and Usyk are superstars in this sport. At their level, they are the ones giving the final say, or their promoters might have problems retaining them once their contracts are done. They are too valuable that every promoter just wants to satisfy their demands. Tyson Fury I believe is a Christian devout and he will celebrate Christmas and the New Year with a bang. I would rather believe that Fury will arrange an alcohol/cocaine marathon than that the Christian holidays will interfere with his preparation  In general, I will be happy even if this fight takes place in April or May - it is in any case better than seeing another garbage fight. I didn’t watch the fight with Chisora even in highlights. I think it will take place between March 2023 and May 2023. Maybe at the very latest it will be June 2023 but that is it. Can they really delay the fight beyond June 2023? I am just very confident that this fight is not happening in March. April onwards are the most feasible dates. If Canelo Alvarez won't fight in Cinco de Mayo due to his injury, then early May is a perfect date for this megafight. |
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Jarron Ennis already flattened Custio Clayton earlier this year. This is the main reason why Boots is telling the IBF to man up and issue a mandatory on Spence since he already won the eliminator to get a crack at the IBF belt. It seems the IBF is quiet on Boots' concern. As for Bob Arum's words. He knows nothing since he is not anymore connected with Bud. Unless they are friends again and Bud will sign a new contract with Top Rank. But Bud at TR and with ESPN will further diminish the chances of a Spence fight who's residing with PBC and his fights televised by Showtime/Fox. I actually just wanted to see Bud moving up in weight a try to become a 4 division champion.
True, he has no longer inside track of anything that Bud do moving forward so I wouldn't trust his words. But he might be right when he said that it's difficult to make arrangements with PBC without any promoter. He said that if he will still be handling Crawford though, he will sit down with Al Haymon and try to settle down all the nitty gritty of this mega fight like what he did on Manny vs Floyd. In any case, it's foregone conclusion already, the fight is not happening for this year. Spence will have to look for Thurman or anyone that PBC will thrown on him. My thought is that Al Haymon and PBC are only willing to risk their big stars if they saw something to exploit or if their fighters are heavy favorites against the other networks' fighters. Spence is good but Bud's skills and ring IQ are at a different level that allowed him to conquer 3 divisions and was even a former undisputed himself before moving up to the weight where Spence is campaigning. Even boxing people and earlier sports betting odds are favoring Bud to win. So Arum won't even get a chance to sit down with Haymon for a Bud-Spence proposal. It will be the same scenario that happened before when Bob seemed on a rampage after not receiving nor hearing any replies from PBC on this match-up. The only big star that PBC risked against other networks was when they challenged a comebacking and out-of-shape Tyson Fury who just returned after a long lay-off and personal problems. It didn't end well for PBC. The next risk they agreed to deal with was Tank against the unproven Ryan Garcia though this might not happen after the former seems to be in prison already. The 2 cases obviously showed PBC tried to exploit someone outside their network. Why would Wilder enter the ring and directly challenged Fury who clearly needed tune-ups. Why not do it on AJ which would be the perfect match at that time. AJ who's holding 3 belts means the winner becomes the first ever undisputed in a 4 belt era. Ryan Garcia is another case who's not even a world champion. Tank and PBC should've challenged Haney who's holding all the belts at lightweight. |
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I just voted today. I didn't pick some of the very best players. I picked those exciting and underdog players like Markannen, Clarkson, Sabonis, and Haliburton. I voted for Clarkson also. Is there any site to see who got the number of votes? Like the stats of the starting line up of both teams? Or maybe it's still too early? no idea about this but if there's a stats, it would be nice to see them so we will be able to support our favorite player to get a chance to participate. IMO, this is the best chance for Clarkson to be an all star, he already won a 6th man of the year award, getting to the all star is just another huge achievement in his career. I cannot find in NBA official website or any other sites the voters ranking. You're probably right, it is still too early to make a ranking. Next month I project a ranking will be released. Clarkson and Markannen will probably enter the ranking since Utah will host next year's All-Star games. The voters' result though is only a small percentage because it is the panel that has the biggest percentage of who's playing in the All-Stars. Utah needs to win more games in order to convince the panelist that its stepping-up non-superstar roster deserved a spot or 2 in the coming All-Stars. |
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The Utah Jazz lost again in what could've been a winnable game. They were leading most of the time against the defending champion GSW. I am now expecting the Jazz management to exploit some of its players that performed well despite this rebuilding period. Lauri Markannen and probably Jordan Clarkson too are players that can be traded in exchange for future first-round draft picks where the Jazz has been collecting a lot already.
I think they will not be traded, I read rumors about the Jazz keeping Clarkson, they will be their leader and he has a very outstanding season so far. Yes, they loss this game, but a team that is expected to tank this season has a decent 19-18 record this season. I just have the feeling that their management will attempt another squeeze after an unexpected performance by its supposedly losing team. The Wembanyama lottery is just too big IMO and the current Jazz fighting in the last spot isn't also a guarantee for a strong playoff. If Markannen and some players are traded then if I am Clarkson, I won't be happy to play in a rebuilding team. If ever trades will happen again for the Jazz, I am looking forward that both Markannen and Clarkson be traded into a playoff team. Have you guys already cast your votes for the coming NBA All-Star? Is Lauri Markannen finally getting his first All-Star appearance?
I have not voted yet, but I will vote for Clarkson to be in the all star. [/quote] I just voted today. I didn't pick some of the very best players. I picked those exciting and underdog players like Markannen, Clarkson, Sabonis, and Haliburton. |
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