Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
znModeratoris his lack of trust for official sources.
I believe there are things we can know and nail down. We went through it ourselves years ago when we had to demonstrate in advance of the invasion of Iraq that the WMD argument was invalid. And it was.
It never gets down to simply trusting or distrusting “official sources.”
…
znModeratorWhich tells me this: It’s really, really okay for people to pursue the truth on this matter. It doesn’t mean they support the Clintons or the Dems. It doesn’t mean they support our intel agencies. It doesn’t mean they ignore our own history of international interference and worse. Much worse. It just means that Russia did X, and did that in many other countries, too, and it’s a good thing to prevent that from happening again if possible. No vindication for the Clintons or the Dems, and no acceptance of our own imperial ventures is required.
Just the pursuit of truth.
That’s my view of it.
Plus of course it pays to know if your elected officials are closely tied to a right-wing, rights-abusing and imperialist autocratic regime. I mean we criticized the USA for being allies with Pinochet. What’s the difference.
znModeratorfrom PFF: The league’s every-down RBs
https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/fantasy-football-metrics-that-matter-every-down-rbs
…
TODD GURLEY, LOS ANGELES RAMS
Despite Los Angeles winning by 25 or more points in a whopping 33 percent of Gurley’s games last season, he ranked third among all running backs in snap share. He was also heavily used in obvious passing downs. Gurley came into the season with 64 career receptions, but then put up that total in 2017 alone. It paid dividends for Los Angeles and fantasy owners alike. Los Angeles went from last to first in points per game and Gurley averaged 9.5 more fantasy points per game than he did a season ago.
…
znModeratorI want it officially on record that McVay did not once use the word “mindful” in this interview.
From 2017 (I just stopped after a few of these, there’s more):
“I think you also want to be mindful of what a special, unique, person he his”
“I think one of the things that you do want to be mindful of is the fact that we were so fortunate with the injures this year”
“For us offensively, you always want to be mindful of what you’ve run, but we’re always going to try to do things that are favorable for us”
“That was something that you had to be real mindful of especially when we played Washington”
“I think especially when you look at it where, they were the top rushing defense in the league, but our guys were doing a good job getting some movement. That’s something that I’ve got to be mindful of.”
“I’ve also got to be mindful of the play selection”
“we are aggressive and understanding the defense, some of the things that they’re presenting, provided being mindful of whatever the situation is”
“I think when you look at any game, you always want to first be mindful of, ‘Are we putting our players in the right situations'”
“I think everything is geared towards is just being mindful of in a physical game you want to try to provide the players with as much safety as possible”
“So, you certainly want to be mindful of – if you’ve got a guy that’s feeling it, to keep him in that rhythm and keep the ball in his hands”
“that is something that we just try to be mindful of, even when you’re going against non-divisional opponents”
“we do a good job of just being smart with the week, getting a good week of preparation, but also being mindful of getting these guys as healthy as possible”
“he’s also mindful of playing within the scheme”
“protect the team, always be mindful of that”
“that’s where it’s just being mindful of, ‘What am I doing every single minute to try to do a good job in this role?’”
“I think you always want to be mindful of how you communicate with your players”
znModeratorNo Newt. Some of us “imagined” how bad it was.
…
znModeratorznModeratorfrom NFL’s 10 most talented teams
Gil Brandt
…
===
[Note: Brandt’s top 10 in order are Eagles, Jaguars, Rams, Vikings, Titans
Chargers, Saints, Falcons, Steelers, Giants.Rams play 4 of those in 2018 (Eagles, Vikings, Chargers, Saints).]
znModeratorPoints allowed last year is a little misleading since the season splits in 2 when it comes to that.
Discounting the final SF game (played without the starters), that’s 15 games to consider.
In the 1st 4 games, in spite of holding the Colts to 7 points, the Rams allowed 105 points for an average of 26.25 a game, which taken by itself would have ranked 31st in the league.
In the next 11 games, the Rams allowed 190 points for an average of 17.3 a game, which taken by itself would have ranked 2nd in the league.
What’s the difference? Dallas is the 4th game. After Dallas there were these changes: Brockers moves to DE and Johnson replaces Alexander at SS. I suppose it also didn’t hurt that by game 5 Donald was fully up to steam after missing the whole summer.
31st to 2nd is a huge leap. But they did it. However, this change is hidden if you average in the SF game plus the first 4 games, before they change up the defense a bit. Those 5 games are so bad that combined with the 11 consecutive better games, it changes the average points per game to 20.6 and the overall ranking to 12th.
znModeratorWell all of that sounds perfectly reasonable, boys.
But then i watch that tower no.7 going down. It wasnt hit by a plane. And it just drops like a rock. And some sciency folks say it absolutely could not happen that way, because of fire.
So wv-ram remains in a quandary and perplexity. I’m used to it, though. I still havent figured out how the Rams let Jerome Bettis go. I mean tell me ‘that’ wasnt some sort of conspiracy.
w
vWell first off all the issues with tower 7 were answered. https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/design/a3524/4278874/
And, again, the entire world is full of skeptical by nature and by profession scientists and engineers trained to understand these things, and there’s no broad-based outcry. Or even doubts. Or even a resistant minority among them.
People who do not believe climate change is real make similar claims. They claim to have sciency sounding people on their side. But they have not convinced the vast majority of people trained in all the relevant fields that they have a case.
And they have other, similar incidents to compare it to.
Since 9/11, at least two steel-framed high-rise buildings have collapsed following blazes — the Plasco Building in Tehran, Iran on January 19, 2017, and the Wilton Paes de Almeida Building in São Paulo, Brazil, on May 1, 2018.
Tehran fire: Twenty firemen killed as high-rise collapses: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38675628
50 firefighters killed in Iran as burning high-rise collapses: http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-iran-high-rise-20170119-story.html
Brazil fire: São Paulo building collapses in huge blaze: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-43960778
Blazing building collapses in Sao Paulo: https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/blazing-building-collapses-in-sao-paulo-idUSRTS1PEAM
.znModeratorFrom off the net:
“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”
znModeratorWhy would they increase the chances of something going wrong with the plan, and involving so many possible “leakers” in the event, when the same result could be achieved far easier, for far less cost, with much less risk?
Yeah typical government overspending.
I agree that as long as they were going to fake an attack, why not a smaller scale, more affordable one?
…
June 9, 2018 at 12:58 pm in reply to: Most Americans don’t think kneeling for the anthem is unpatriotic #87226znModeratorVoters are more likely than not to say professional athletes have the right to protest, with 53 percent saying players hold that right and 43 percent saying they do not. That split again falls mostly along party lines, with Republicans saying the players have no right, and Democrats saying they do. Similarly, most Republicans support the NFL’s decision to fine teams if players refuse to stand for the anthem, while most Democrats oppose it.
But the issue is also divided along racial lines. Black voters agree, 85 percent to 11 percent, that players have the right to protest. Hispanic voters also agree players have the right to protest, 67 percent to 28 percent. But white voters are more likely to say players do not have that right, with 53 percent saying players lack such a right and 43 percent saying they possess such a right
znModeratorif you look at a related but different stat, the Rams do quite well. That’s Big Play Passes of 25 Yards or More (the difference is with this one, you count YAC, well with the first stats I gave, it’s all ball in the air only). On this stat the Rams ranked 5th in the league.
Rams were actually 4th in yards after the catch: http://stats.washingtonpost.com/fb/leaders.asp?range=NFC&rank=230&type=Passing&year=
June 9, 2018 at 10:01 am in reply to: 6/7, 6/8 … Downtown Rams OTA Wrap-Up… & Simmons/Farr … & Joe Curley #87218znModerator[audio src="https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/15004262/dtrpodcast94.mp3" /]
Rams Take Over San Diego, OTA Wrap-Up & NFL Supplemental Draft w/ Joe Curley
Curley starts at around 5:50
He doesn’t think Goff is stepping up to another level in year 3. “I’m not saying he played poorly, he played well. But he was Jared Goff. He made some good passes and he had some issues. The level of consistency needs to improve in year 3.”
znModerator
znModeratorfrom NFC West offseason grades: Rams steal the show
…
Los Angeles Rams
Key additions: WR Brandin Cooks, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Marcus Peters, CB Aqib Talib, CB Sam Shields, LB Ramik Wilson
Key losses: WR Tavon Austin, WR Sammy Watkins, LB Alec Ogletree, DE Robert Quinn, CB Kayvon Webster, CB Trumaine Johnson
Key rookies: OL Joe Noteboom, C Brian Allen, DE John Franklin-Meyers
No team in the NFL made more offseason headlines than the Los Angeles Rams. If they made one thing clear over the past three months, it’s that they’re going to do whatever it takes to win the Super Bowl in 2018. If you need a quick rehash of the Rams’ offseason, here’s what they’ve done since Feb. 23:
Acquired Marcus Peters from the Chiefs
Acquired Aqib Talib from the Broncos
Signed Ndamukong Suh
The crazy thing is that those three moves were all on the defensive side of the ball. To be honest, it’s almost as if the Rams entire plan this offseason was to become the 2018 version of the 1985 Bears. The addition of Suh alone is going to be a nightmare for the other three teams in the NFC West and that’s because the veteran defensive tackle is going to be paired with the NFL’s reigning defensive player of the year, Aaron Donald, which seems like a pretty unstoppable combination.If Suh and Donald have any issues getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, that might not matter because the Rams also added two of the best cover corners in the game in Talib and Peters. By adding those two, there’s a good chance that no one in Los Angeles is going to remember (or care) that the Rams got rid of two of their starting cornerbacks from 2017 (Kayvon Webster and Trumaine Johnson).
The fact that the Rams spent so much time acquiring defensive talent this offseason means they’re probably going to take a step back on offense, right? Wrong.
Although the Rams won’t have Sammy Watkins and Tavon Austin this year, they arguably upgraded at the receiver position when they added Brandin Cooks from the Patriots. Basically, the NFL’s top scoring offense from 2018 might have actually gotten better this offseason.
As a matter of fact, if the Rams last few practices are any indication, coach Sean McVay is already fantasizing about what he’ll be able to do with Cooks on offense this year.
Although the Rams didn’t do much in the draft this year, we’re not going to penalize them for that. The team didn’t get to make their first pick until the third round, but that’s only because they traded away their first round pick to land Cooks from the Patriots.
Offseason grade: A
znModeratorIn terms of areas for improvement, I will be looking at some of these benchmarks to see how he’s doing.
* As mentioned, better performance in games against tough opponents (teams with both good offenses and a top 10 defense). Particularly in the final half-quarter of those games. His %Pass Completed in Close Games stat was 51.9%, which ranked 26th. He is even worse with this stat: %Passes Completed, Late & Close. With that he was 45.3% which ranked 31st.
* Long passing. 31 yards and over, he threw 3% of his total attempts in that range(which is low), and completed 33% (which is okay). 11-30 yards, he threw 27.7% of his total attempts in that range (which is high) and completed 46% (which is low-ish). Interestingly, if you look at a related but different stat, the Rams do quite well. That’s Big Play Passes of 25 Yards or More (the difference is with this one, you count YAC, well with the first stats I gave, it’s all ball in the air only). On this stat the Rams ranked 5th in the league.
* Throwing on the run. I initially thought he was good at this but as the season wore on he had his share of dirtballs with this.
znModerator<
That’s the stuff I don’t buy. The science on this is pretty clear I think.…
================
Well i used to think it was clear, but now i have doubts. There are plenty of sciency people that dont buy the official version. And i do not have the background to know. So…I have to ‘trust’…who? I dunno.
So thats where I’m at.
And Mack has gone awol.
w
vWhat we do have is a world full of thousands of independent engineers, metallurgists, chemists, chemical engineers, and so on (how many other fields?) not just in the USA but all over the world, and they all have all the data they need to reach conclusions.
Is there a universal outcry from discipline-relevant scientists in american universities and around the world that something is fishy about the accepted story of what happened to the buildings? No.
Instead what you constantly find is things like this:
Did a European Scientific Journal Conclude 9/11 Was a Controlled Demolition?
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/journal-endorses-911-conspiracy-theory/
Viral news stories misattributed an article written by “9/11 Truth” advocates as one published in the European Scientific Journal; it was actually published in Europhysics News, which is not peer-reviewed.
znModeratorWeren’t we supposed to be going to one of the moons somewhere. Not sure if it was Pluto’s, or Saturn’s, or another. I know it was talked about. Supposedly, there is ice covering it, and the talk of water that may be underneath the ice. Can’t remember that moon though. When are we going start exploring that with a river of some kind? I know adjustments have to be made to handle the colder weather and such, and wonder what it would look like by the way? Still, when are we supposed to visit that moon?
Well that I know of, no one is going there. But the moons you may be thinking of are Europa, a moon of Jupiter, and Enceladus, a moon of Saturn. The theory is, there is liquid water underneath an ice surface in both places, and both places are sufficiently heated from their cores to sustain possible life.
znModeratorI think what bothers me most is that one tower that just crumbled the way it did. And there do seem to be plenty of sciency people who say the whole thing could not have happened by planes alone. And they say the Commission just didnt investigate lots and lots of stuff they should have.
That’s the stuff I don’t buy. The science on this is pretty clear I think. Mack once played around with this approach and then dropped it because the actual science demolishes it. I don’t even see it as the “official version”–we don’t need to listen to one single government supported statement because thousands of people with the right knowledge have discussed this independently of any “officiality.” I actually just call it the non-conspiracy version.
I think there’s a “masses accepted” version of the entire story, going beyond the science, which people accept, and it has big holes in it. So for example ask the normal everyday moderately patriotic guy or gal WHY al-qaeda attacked the USA and they can’t give you a coherent answer. BUT no terrorist organization exists without stated goals, for 2 reasons: (q) they’re trying to accomplish those goals, and (2) those who join or ally with them or just back them have to be pulling for the same thing. So for example, when the IRA was setting off bombs in English pubs, you would not want one of the operatives participating in a mission like that to say “yes! at last we’re sticking it to the jewish conspiracy!” cause the rest of his IRA comrades would have to go “wait? what!? no!” So in fact al qaeda’s reasons for attacking were made directly explicit–that’s the way that kind of thing works. Yet most people cannot accurately tell you what that reason was.
…
znModeratorEven with big names around him on the Rams DL, don’t overlook Michael Brockers
Lindsey Thiry
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Les Snead was happy to interject.
The Los Angeles Rams general manager sat alongside Ndamukong Suh and coach Sean McVay as Suh was introduced as the newest member of the team’s defensive line.
Reporters peppered the trio with questions about Suh’s addition to a group that already included reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.
A few minutes later, a reporter asked a question that mentioned a third — and less talked-about — starter on the line.
“I’m glad you brought up Michael Brockers,” Snead said. “He felt left out in the last two questions.”
At the outset of the offseason program last month, Brockers had become all but the forgotten piece in a position group that features Donald, a four-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro, and the recently acquired Suh, also a three-time All-Pro.
But as the Rams wrap up their third and final week of organized team activities, with Donald not having attended any part of the offseason program because of a contract dispute, the 6-foot-5, 302-pound Brockers has reaffirmed himself as an integral part of a line that is considered among the best in the NFL ahead of the 2018 season.
And Suh, whom the Rams signed as a free agent after his release from the Miami Dolphins, is adapting to defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ 3-4 scheme, a system the ninth-year pro has never played in.
Brockers, entering his seventh season with the Rams after he was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, is embracing his ability to assist younger teammates.
And get Suh up to speed.
“It’s been fun,” Brockers said. “I think it’s more informative for him because he’s new to this. He’s new to playing inside at nose tackle and between the A-gaps all the time. So he’s just trying to find where he fits in this defense and I think he’s jelling in perfectly.”
Brockers is expected to remain at the 5-technique (lined up outside the offensive tackle), a position he moved to last season when the Rams initially struggled to stop the run after switching from a 4-3.
Building a relationship with Brockers has been key to Suh’s integration.
“Overall communication, understanding in rush defense where people are lining up, how things are going to move, how he likes to play, how he likes to play off the center or guards when we have twist games, different things of that nature,” Suh said. “Overall it’s just pure communication is best. You guys probably don’t see it as much as you see it from a quarterback’s perspective, but as a front, for us all to be on the same page, we have to communicate.”
Brockers’ season ended abruptly in 2017 during an NFC wild-card playoff against Atlanta Falcons. In the second quarter, Brockers and Donald met at Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
“I’m going in for the sack,” Brockers said. “AD was coming low on the quarterback, I was going high.”
The play resulted in Brockers tearing his MCL. He remained on the sideline as the Rams fell in their first playoff appearance since 2004.
The injury did not require surgery but proved a sour end in a season Brockers otherwise regarded among his best.
He finished with a career-high 39 tackles, had 4½ sacks and deflected four passes.
“There’s always room to improve and get better, but as far as my first season playing — not even starting at that 5-technique but just getting thrown in there — and having a great season, like I did, it felt good,” Brockers said. “For me, personal satisfaction, yeah it was a good season.”
The defensive line’s chemistry will remain a work in progress until Donald’s holdout ends, but with most of the attention focused on the All-Pro players, Brockers should have plenty of opportunities.
“In this defense, the way that Wade coaches it, it’s an attack-style defense,” Brockers said. “So I think there’s enough stats around and enough tackles around for everybody.”
znModeratorI believe the US government may have been negligent, but not actively involved.
The prime directive of the Bush admin assholes was regime change in Iraq which was supposed to debut a grand Americanization of the Middle East. We know this without doubt.
So…if the US government had a hand in this, the pilots would have been Iraqis. That just would have been very simple to do, and vastly more effective.
They weren’t. They inconveniently were mostly from countries allied with the US.
The problem was that the new Bush administration kind of disdainfully got rid of a lot of procedures Clinton had established for intel sharing among the agencies to keep track of the possibility of a domestic attack. In this case the FBI knew some things and the CIA knew some things, and had they had regular meetings to share intel and hunt for red flags, they probably would have turned up enough to see something was brewing. The Bush administration treated those kinds of intel parleys as just part of Clinton making up domestic terror threats for political gain.
znModeratorhe moved toward the official theory.
What do you consider to be the “official theory”?
I mean it was an al queda operation, they even took responsibility for it.
Did the gov’t know in advance? Well as usual there’s a real story in there but it gets obscured by the gossipy conspiracy theory version. The real story is not a movie villain conspiracy type story, it’s something much less melodramatic.
znModeratorRams Behind the Grind: Episode 7: Chasing Chips
“The NFL is so competitive, you can’t afford to get complacent.”
“The NFL is so competitive, you can’t afford to get complacent.”Episode 7: Chasing Chips
Posted by Behind the Grind on Thursday, June 7, 2018
znModeratorInspired by @gmfb: my all-time favorite NFL helmets which also ties in my fave unis themselves. What ya got 😤 pic.twitter.com/sLMovxvSmr
— andrew (@heiroferror) June 7, 2018
==
91 Days Until Kickoff… what's your favorite helmet of all time?@PSchrags 👉 @buffalobills (1965-73)@Nate13Burleson 👉 @RamsNFL (1949)@heykayadams 👉 @nyjets (1963)@adamrank 👉 @Patriots (1961-1992) pic.twitter.com/k4VoUky2xv
— GMFB (@gmfb) June 7, 2018
znModeratorField Yates@FieldYates
Patriots WR Julian Edelman is facing a four-game suspension for a violation of the league’s performance enhancing substances policy, league sources tell @AdamSchefter and me.AAF, XFL, and a third new league explore putting football in St. Louis https://t.co/yvGAXfYnVm
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 8, 2018
==
Robert People@PeoplesCourt79
YOU have never served a day in your life. I just retired after 21 years of service. Stop telling people why we do it. None of us serve to protect the anthem or a flag. We serve to protect rights. ALL RIGHTS. Stop acting like you understand that better than we doJune 7, 2018 at 11:48 pm in reply to: Terrell Owens says he won’t attend Hall of Fame induction #87175znModeratorTerrell Owens gave some insight as to why he won't be attending his Hall of Fame induction. pic.twitter.com/psC6dfmfva
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 8, 2018
znModeratorJust got word: Whitmer HS Grad Nate Holley has officially signed with the LA Rams. He joins his brother Nick who is also signed with them. Pretty remarkable..the Holley twins played together at Whitmer, Kent State & now in the NFL with the Rams.
— Jordan Strack (@JordanStrack) June 8, 2018
June 7, 2018 at 11:27 pm in reply to: 6/7, 6/8 … Downtown Rams OTA Wrap-Up… & Simmons/Farr … & Joe Curley #87173znModeratorRams43 sez:
I particularly liked their discussion about McVay’s devotion to self-scouting and the likely use of “tendency breaker” plays this year.
Also Farr’s humorous references to plays called in practice by McVay that seemed “unfair” to the D. Heh.
==
znModeratorOne-handed interception by Littleton, @PerezLuisQB ➡️ @BigGame81 + more.
🔟 Observations from OTA No. 10 📰 » https://t.co/G4SmCT0OeN pic.twitter.com/6u0WNsdC1f
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 7, 2018
===
Vincent Bonsignore@DailyNewsVinny
FYI on Eric Grubman leaving #NFL. This isn’t an insignificant loss. There are folks in the NFL who believe him to be commissioner material. A lot of strategy, toughness and intelligence is leaving that office.Had been speculated about for awhile now, but that’s a big loss for the #NFL
Ryan Kartje@Ryan_Kartje
Writing about the new kickoff rules for this weekend, and I’d forgotten that, prior to Pharoh Cooper returning a kickoff for a TD last October, the Rams hadn’t had a kickoff return for a TD since Oct. 2005 (!!!!)When I spoke with John Fassel this week — and asked him if it was really worth keeping the kickoff — he proclaimed that the kickoff was “the best play in football.”
But his team has only really reaped the major benefit of a kickoff return 0.4% of the time.
Seriously, I hadn’t yet been to my junior prom the last time the Rams returned a kickoff for a TD
Jared Goff@JaredGoff16
Incredible to have a dude like Torry at practice all week. Thank you! @BigGame81==
“We’re gonna have to work twice as hard as we did last year.”
One-on-one with @TG3II 🗣 pic.twitter.com/e61zdsNTDl
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 8, 2018
==
How do the receivers look? “They look fantastic.”
Coach @BigGame81 signing off from #LARams OTAs! pic.twitter.com/7SVgEDTEBR
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 7, 2018
==
Last day of OTAs 💪🏾🏈🐏 #mobsquad
📸 @RamsNFL pic.twitter.com/u7oZGnVUZQ— Ndamukong Suh (@NdamukongSuh) June 7, 2018
—
“I just feel confident."@J_Rey_11 Out to Prove His Versatility Beyond Red Zone 📰 » https://t.co/iVnOrlh21x pic.twitter.com/RdXSImW1zV
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 7, 2018
-
AuthorPosts
