The Sports Nerd

Just Don’t Get It

By • September 3, 2018 • Football, NFL

This week the Raiders did the unthinkable.  They traded away the cornerstone of their defense, one of the best players in the league, a once in a lifetime talent.

Khalil Mack was the Raiders 1st round pick in 2014 out of the University of Buffalo.  He had played in all 64 games since becoming a Raider and racked up 40.5 sacks in the process.  He’s a game wrecker.  He wrecks havoc on opposing offenses because you have to plan for him.  You have to know where he is on every play.

Prior to this off season everyone felt it was a no-brainer that the Raiders would re-sign Mack and make him the highest paid defensive player in the league.  After the recent contracts received by Von Miller and J.J. Watt, many thought that was gonna be the standard market rate for defensive linemen of that caliber.  We all expected Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack to receive those $100+ million deals.  But something very strange happened along the way.

When Jon Gruden took over the reigns in his return to Oakland, things started looking a little different.  He immediately made contact with franchise QB Derek Carr, but strangely, there was no contact with Mack.  Why not reach out to your star defender, and former Defensive Player of the Year?  Seems odd.

Camp opens and Mack holds out.  He wants a long term deal, and reportedly wants to remain in Oakland.  Meanwhile, Aaron Donald is holding out in L.A., and the belief is that the two camps are waiting each other out to see who’s gonna blink first.  Well, preseason ends and there’s a break through in the Donald negotiations.  He gets the bag!  6 years $134 million.

The expectation is that Mack will get something similar, or even a little more.  But then the unthinkable happens.  We wake up on September 1st and see that Mack has been traded to the Chicago Bears for 2 first round picks.  So what happened?

According to sources, the Raiders made an offer in February somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million per season.  Mack’s camp made a counter offer that was so huge, the 2 sides entered a 6 month stalemate.

When it’s clear that a guy isn’t gonna sign, and is willing to miss games, there’s really no choice but to cut your losses at that point.  But I don’t think the Raiders respected the value that they had in a player like Mack.  If the Rams can pay Donald and Gurley, surely the Raiders could afford to pay Carr and Mack.  Based on what I’ve seen and heard, I just don’t think enough was done to pay this guy his worth.

It’s gonna sting, it’s gonna hurt.  As Gruden said, the Raiders will be 2nd guessed until the cows come home.  If the defense sucks, and the Raiders miss the playoffs again this season, the whispers will get louder and louder.  I hope Gruden and the Raiders organization know what they’re doing, the NFL world will be watching.

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The GOAT

By • June 18, 2018 • NBA

Every year about this time we seem to have the same discussion.  After the NBA Finals are over and we take a look at the season that’s just been completed we begin to talk about who is the GOAT.  For many followers of the NBA, the GOAT is considered as none other than Michael Jordan.  Most believe this because of his contributions to the game.  Jordan helped introduce the truly above the rim era of the game.  With his high flying aerial assaults on the rim, and his prolific points scoring it’s easy to see how folks would consider him the greatest.  But is he?

In recent years many have added LeBron James to the GOAT conversation.  But is he worthy of this assessment, or are folks just purely prisoners of the moment?  The NBA has spanned over 70 years, and within that time span there have been some magnificent players.  Such names as Russell, Chamberlin, The Big O, West, Baylor, Bird, Magic, Dr. J, Hakeem, Shaq, Kobe, Duncan.  The list could go on and on.  In my opinion, the one player that is forgotten in these GOAT discussions is none other than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

LeBron is a great player, but I don’t believe he qualifies as the GOAT.  The GOAT has to be someone who has succeeded and excelled at every level of the game.  LeBron has racked up some awesome stats in his 15 years in the league, but does that really make him the GOAT?  Kareem has done it at every level in his career; high school, college and in the NBA.  His stats and accolades speak for themselves.

Let’s just look at NBA championships.  While LeBron has gone to 8 consecutive NBA Finals, a feat that may not be equaled anytime soon, he’s only come out victorious on 3 occasions.  A 3-6 finals record is not very GOAT worthy.  Others will always point to Jordan’s 6 rings in 6 attempts, but many forget that Kareem also has 6 NBA titles in 8 appearances.  You can’t disregard over 70 years of history because someone is hot right now.  That’s not the definition of the GOAT.  That title encompasses longevity and excellence at every level of what you do.

Let’s compare Kareem to Jordan:

Jordan was great, but I think the numbers show that Kareem was greater.  This man did it consistently for 20 seasons in the NBA.  He was a national high school player of the year 3 times, won 3 state titles in high school, dominated the college game in such a fashion that the slam dunk was outlawed during his time at UCLA.  Who else has had a shot made illegal because they were such a dominant force?  In addition to all that, he developed what is still the most lethal, unstoppable shot in the history of the league, the skyhook.  And his all-time points record has stood for almost 30 years.

When you strictly look at the numbers and the accomplishments there’s no way you can deny the fact that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest player in the history of the game.  He may not be the “sexy” choice, but he’s the obvious choice.  If you think otherwise submit your comments.  Let the debate begin.

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Broken System

By • February 25, 2018 • Hoops, NCAA

This week it was revealed that several current and former NCAA college basketball players received impermissible benefits.  Several of the schools mentioned in the probe that the FBI is now involved in are national powers and include Michigan State, Alabama, Duke, Kentucky, LSU, Maryland, NC State, North Carolina Seton Hall, Texas, USC, Washington, Clemson, Kansas, Louisville, Wichita State, South Carolina, Utah, Xavier, Notre Dame, Virginia, Creighton, Iowa, Iowa State and Vanderbilt.

This all started last year when the computer of Andy Miller, founder of the ASM Sports agency, had his computer seized by the FBI amid allegations that his agency illegally provided under the table payments to several college and high school players and their families.

But enough about the allegations.  What is the NCAA gonna do about it?  This is a pattern that has continued to happen over and over again, and will continue to happen until a solution is brought to the table.

The issue is that collegiate athletes bring in millions and millions of dollars for their respective schools, but the athletes responsible for this windfall receive nothing.  Many argue that they do receive payment in the form of a full scholarship that pays for their education, and room & board.  But many of these kids come from disadvantaged situations where they would not normally be able to afford to pay for college.  So yes, their education is paid for, but many of these students don’t have spending money for basic necessities that scholarship money does not pay for.

With coaches getting multi-million dollar salaries, universities raking in 1oos of millions of dollars in profits, there’s something wrong when the players that are responsible for this happening get NOTHING.  Why can’t players receive a stipend?  Players should reap some of the benefits that they are helping these schools get.

If something isn’t done we will continue to see this happen over and over again.  The main reason you’ve got players leaving early is so that they can get paid.  If the NCAA is at all interested in seeing the probations and sanctions stop, or players leaving the college game early in order to pursue the riches of an NBA contract, they’ll do what is right.

The NCAA is a 501(C)(3) organization.  What that means is that they are a non-profit organization.  That being the case, what’s wrong with giving some of those profits that they can’t keep back to the students that create them?  A regular member of the student body is allowed to have a part-time job, but athletes are not.  Is that fair?  Let these kids get paid.  Time will tell, but we will soon find out how greedy the powers that be are.

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2018 NBA All Star Game

By • February 20, 2018 • Hoops, NBA

All Star Weekend has come and gone, and the results are in. All in all it was a pretty successful weekend. All Star Saturday entertained us with big men taking their shots at the skills challenge, a record breaking performance in the 3-point contest, and some drama in the dunk contest.

But would the game’s new format and increased payout to the winners lead to a more competitive game? Last year’s 192-182 spectacle left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. No defensive effort and a lot of points being scored at will.

This season marked the first time the NBA would deviate from its traditional East vs. West format in favor of the 2 highest vote getters being selected as captains and picking from the pool of starters and reserves.

Many felt that Team LeBron had an advantage over Team Steph due to LBJ picking guys with size and length as opposed to Steph’s approach in picking a more guard oriented lineup with bigs having guard-like athleticism, and who’s game was more suited for an uptempo style.

At the outset it looked as though Team Steph and his band of “snipers” were gonna run away with this game. But late in the 2nd quarter Team LeBron introduced some real defense that befuddled Team Steph and made it a close game at half time.

The 2nd half was close throughout until Team Steph opened up a double digit lead well into the 4th quarter. But with 2-minutes to play, Team LeBron starting cutting into that lead. Again, it was real defense that did it. Team LeBron began trapping and stealing, enabling them to take control with under a minute to play.

Team Steph had an opportunity to send it to overtime but was not even able to get off a shot as Team LeBron executed a perfect half court trap as time expired.

It’s always been said that defense wins championships, turns out defense also wins all star games. At the very least this game was truly entertaining. These were the best players in the world putting on a show that both they and their fans could be proud of.

The NBA might be on to something here. The new format appears to be a success. After all, the talent distribution between the eastern and western conferences is skewed towards the west, having made the last few games yawn-fests.

Next year the league has said that the all star draft will be televised. This will no doubt increase ratings and get fans excited about the impending matchup.

Kudos to you Adam Silver, I think you’re onto something here!

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The Aftermath

By • February 11, 2018 • Hoops, NBA

Now that the dust has settled this year’s trade deadline did not disappoint. Many experts predicted that there would be lots of movement due to teams positioning for a stretch run towards the playoffs and making salary cap room to pursue high valued free agents this summer.

The Cavs made a HUGE splash at this year’s deadline in an effort to right the ship and make a final push towards the playoffs and attempting to make the NBA Finals for the 4th consecutive year. The Cavs put an end to the IT experiment by sending Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and a 2018 1st round pick to the Lakers in exchange for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance, Jr.

The move frees up cap space for the Lakers to make a run at 2 max level free agents this summer and gives them a 29 game rental of IT. In IT’s first game as a Laker he looked closer to his old self than he has in almost a year after a hip injury sidelined him in the Eastern Conference Finals last year and for the first couple months this season. While the Lakers didn’t win, the IT experiment just might work. I don’t think he’ll be a long term option for the Lakers, but he definitely adds a proven veteran scorer to the lineup.

The Cavs, who were the oldest team got instantly younger and more athletic with Clarkson and Nance. In a three-team deal involving Utah Sacramento, the Cavs also traded Derrick Rose and Jae Crowder to Utah for Rodney Hood, and sent Iman Shumpert to Sacramento in exchange for George Hill. In a separate deal the Cavs sent Dwayne Wade back home to Miami.

After imploding almost their entire lineup, the question now becomes how will these new pieces gel together? They’ve got 29 games to get it right, and hope that this is enough to keep LeBron in The Land.

After their first game together, this experiment seems to be a positive. The Cavs destroyed the Celtics in Boston. The new look, younger, more athletic Cavs ran circles around the Celtics. With the All-Star break approaching only time will tell. Can they improve their playoff seeding? Will they be able to get past Boston and/or Toronto in a 7-game series? If this first outing together is any indication, they have a shot.

They’ll get Kevin Love back at some point, providing them with their full roster. It looks good on paper, but will it be fools gold? Defense is gonna be the key. The previous roster had no trust or cohesiveness. And it’s hard to say whether or not these four new additions are gonna improve that. None of these new guys are defensive specialists, but they do have the physical ability to be better on that end of the floor. But defense is a mindset. If you don’t want to do it, you won’t. We’ll just have to wait and see.

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Trouble in Oaktown?

By • February 7, 2018 • Hoops, NBA

For the past 3 seasons the Dubs have been the class of the NBA. 2 NBA titles, the most wins in a regular season, and three consecutive trips to the finals. This season seemed like it would be the same until recently.

While being an offensive juggernaut with the likes of Steph, KD, and Klay Thompson, they’re also one of the most efficient defensive teams in the league. However, as of late they have given up at least 100 points in 11 straight games, and have lost 3 of their last 4.

And some of the recent losses have been brutal. A 30-point loss to Utah, a 20-point loss to OKC and another loss to Houston. The losses to OKC and Houston are particularly concerning. The Dubs have OWNED these 2 teams in both the regular and post seasons over the last 3 years. But recent additions appear to have evened the playing field. Carmelo and PG13 in OKC, and CP3 in Houston.

But before we start pushing the panic button let’s take a step back. This is the same Dubs team with 4 perennial all stars and one of the deepest benches in the league. These are the “dog days” of the NBA season as players are eagerly anticipating the All-Star break for a little R&R.

While they’ve lost their last 4 matchups against their rivals OKC and Houston, it has yet to be seen that either of those two teams can beat them in a 7-game series. And when you’re on top, you’re gonna get your opponent’s best shot. They’ve lost 3 of their last 4, but they’ve still got the best record in the league.

They have not endured any major injuries and I do believe that the Dubs will rebound and right the ship down the stretch. But I also feels that this is a wake up call.

The Dubs were like Mike Tyson in his hey day. When they walked on the court with their swagger in toe, you were intimidated from the opening tip. They’d pounce and the game would be over before it started. For whatever reason, teams aren’t intimidated and they’re making the Dubs play all 48 minutes.

It’s time to get back to basics. Can’t afford to come out flat; can’t turn the ball over 20+ times a game; can’t keep complaining about calls/non-calls by the officials; and they have to get back to playing shut down defense. These things can be corrected, the question is whether or not they still have the discipline to do so.

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Greatest Game Ever?

By • February 6, 2018 • Football, NFL

Super Bowl LII. This was to be the crowning moment for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. After not getting off to the greatest starts to a season that many had picked the Pats to go undefeated, they righted the ship after a rough September and entered the post season with home field advantage throughout. Once again, the AFC’s path to the big game would go through Foxboro.

On the NFC side, after losing Wentz in week 13 no one expected Philly to be here. Nick Foles was a journeyman that had recently considered retirement. Many thought Philly’s hopes and dreams would be dashed again. But they had something to say about that.

The Pats ran over Tennessee and were tested by Jacksonville, but they were once again in the Super Bowl attempting to repeat and win their 6th overall, tying the Steelers.

The Eagles were underdogs in both their playoff matchups, but outlasted the Dirty Birds from Atlanta and knocked the stuffing out of the Vikings and their dreams of being the first team to play a Super Bowl home game.

Just like last year’s game, New England started slow and trailed Philly by 10 at the half. But we’d all seen this movie before. All of Brady’s Super Bowl wins have been 4th quarter comebacks, so we were expecting this to be no different.

In the 3rd quarter the Pats began to surge as Brady threw TDs to Gronk and Hogan to cut the lead to 3. As the fourth quarter came upon us, the only question was when Philly’s hearts would be ripped from their bodies. The two teams went back and forth with Philly getting a field goal and Brady getting the go ahead TD from Gronk to take a 1-point lead at 33-32. Then Foles connected with Ertz to put Philly up again.

But it wasn’t over. There were still 2-minutes remaining and Tom Terrific had the ball. But the Eagles weren’t intimidated. Brady was matriculating down the field when Brandon Graham was able to strip-sack Brady allowing the Eagles to recover the ball and kick a FG to go up 41-33.

With less than a minute on the clock the Pats still had a chance. Brady got them to mid field and heaved a desperation Hail Mary that fell helplessly to the turf.

This game featured 1,151 yards of total offense between both teams, only 2 turnovers, and just 1 sack. It was an offensive explosion that was well played by both teams with a minimum amount of penalties.

In a losing effort, Tom Brady threw for 505 yards and 3 TDs. That’s a winning stat line in most cases. Nick Foles threw for 373 yards, 3 TDs and even 1 TD reception becoming the first player in SB history to both throw for and catch a TD in a SB game.

With its ebbs and flows, and offensive fireworks, this could go down as one of the greatest Super Bowl games ever played.

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Wasted Opportunity

By • November 9, 2017 • Baseball

Failure?  Maybe not, but definitely a waste of a perfect opportunity.  All season, the Dodgers had shown themselves to be the cream of the crop of Major League Baseball by consistently steam rolling one opponent after the other.  They set a team record with 104 wins, swept division rival Arizona in the division series, avenged last season’s loss to the Cubs in the NLCS, and seemed primed to do away with the Astros in the Fall Classic.  But I guess that’s why they play the game.

After game 1 of the World Series, and through the first 7 innings of game 2, it seemed like we were going to crown the Dodgers as this season’s champs.  Kershaw was lights out in game 1 and while Rich Hill didn’t make it past the 4th inning in game 2, the bullpen was looking strong and looked to be on its way to holding home field as they would go to Houston for the next 3 games.  But the Astros had something to say about that.

 

Many point to this game as the turning point in the series.  Many, including myself think that the pro-analytic mind-set of Manager, Dave Roberts proved to be what ultimately helped the Astros win, and the Dodgers lose.

All season Roberts utilized his bullpen masterfully.  There’s a phrase that if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.  If it was so effective during the regular season why couldn’t it work during the post season?  At some point you have to throw analytics and stats out the window and use your gut to squeeze out a win.  Why pull Rich Hill after the 4th inning of game 2 when he had only given up 1 run on 3 hits?  Why use your primary set up man in the 7th inning and then lean on your closer to get the last 6 outs (which he had not done all season)?  This overuse/mis-use of a dominant pitching staff is what ultimately cost the Dodgers their first world title in 29 years.

While it was just one game, it ultimately set the stage for an epic collapse that could not be stopped.  There’s such a thing as going to the well too often.  Think about it.  If you’re using the same guys out of the pen every night, and they’re pitching to the same hitters, they’re gonna get accustomed to what, and how they throw.   It’s like watching the same movie every night and expecting a different ending.

The Dodgers deserved better, after all, they were the best team in baseball all year.  In the end, what got them to the doorstep is ultimately what hurt them the most.

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Enough is Enough

By • September 23, 2017 • General

Typically I try to stay away from political subjects in public forums due to the fact that I have an audience that is broad based and I have friends and acquaintances that have vastly different views than I.  However, in light of what has transpired in the media over the last 24 hours regarding our current president and the athletic community at large, I can no longer be silent.

As all of sports fans know, the Golden State Warriors won the NBA title this summer, their 2nd in the last 3 years.  Typically the champion in any sport in the U.S. makes a trip to the White House to be recognized by the country and the President for a job well done.  However the current resident in the White House has been very divisive.  He has refused to call out white supremacists for their actions; he is insistent on erecting a border wall along the Mexican border to keep out what he says are the dregs of society; he has the lowest approval rating in the history of the office; and today he decided to turn his attention upon the sports community and uninvited Steph Curry and the Warriors to the White House.  Who does that?

But he wasn’t done there.  He criticized and called for NFL players who protest during the National Anthem to be immediately fired/released by their teams.  He even referred to these players as “sons of bitches”.  This is highly inappropriate behavior for the leader of the free world.  This guy is out of control.  Sports has always been one of the avenues that has united this country because it stretches across racial and soci0-economic barriers.  But “Agent Orange” has managed to throw his divisive nature into that arena as well.  And athletes have always been socially aware.  Think about John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the ’68 Olympics; Muhammad Ali refusing to be drafted; and even the U.S. boycott of the ’80 Olympics in Moscow.  So this is nothing new Mr. President.

Many stars such as LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant have spoken on this situation because “The Donald’s” Twitter fingers are out of control.  As the President you cannot refer to citizens as “sons of bitches” because they are peacefully exercising their freedom of speech under the Constitution.  This country was founded by immigrants who protested the status quo.  Achievements were made during the Civil Rights Movement of the ’60s due to protesting against racism and segregation.

Athletes like Colin Kaepernick, Michael Bennett,  Eric Reid, Brandon Marshall, and Marshawn Lynch are sitting or raising fists during the National Anthem because it is open season on Black men in America.  Unarmed Black men are being killed by the very people  that are supposed to be protecting them.  And it’s occurring at an alarming rate.  With their high profile voice these athletes are bringing attention to this issue in hopes of starting a dialog and bringing about a solution.

So in the words of Chris Paul, #StayInYoLane Mr. Trump!  Concentrate on running the country.  Concentrate on uniting a country that is splintered more so than I’ve seen in my lifetime.  Dividing us will NOT make us GREAT!

 

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G.O.A.T.?

By • June 15, 2017 • Hoops, NBA

The Finals are over and the dust has settled.  The Golden State Warriors avenged last years melt down and beat the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 1.  The Warriors ended the post season with a 16-1 record and won their 2nd title in the last 3 years.  So now that the Finals are over, the question has come up regarding LeBron James’ legacy and whether or not he should be in the conversation regarding being the G.O.A.T.

So let’s get down to business.  LBJ is a fantastic talent, he’s a great all around player, and has been considered the best player of this generation.  But is he the G.O.A.T.?  From my perspective, he’s far from it.  And there are several reasons why.  Number 1 being that LBJ had the best team in the Eastern Conference in 2008 and 2009 and came up short by losing to the Magic and the Celtics. Why would you pack up and leave town after winning 60+ games 2 seasons in a row?  He left town and decided to take his talents to South Beach and in the process created a spectacle called “The Decision” and went to go play with his buddies (D Wade and Chris Bosh).

Most of the greatest players in our league have stayed with the same franchise throughout their careers (e.g. Magic,  MJ, Russell, Bird, etc.).  Secondly, if they did leave, it was via a trade that they really had no say in (e.g. Kareem, Wilt, Moses, etc.).  After saying they would win “not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5…” they ended up winning 2 in the time that they were together and then LBJ bolts back to Cleveland to win a chip for northeast Ohio.  Now that’s sweet, but it shows a gypsy mentality.  He’s willing to do whatever it takes to chase rings.  In 2015 they lost to the Warriors 4-2.  In 2016 they made an epic comeback from being down 3-1 and won the series 4-3.  This year, 2017, the Warriors dominated, winning 4-1.  The 1 win by the Cavs being almost the perfect game.

So if you’re 3-5 in the finals can you be considered the G.O.A.T.?  Jordan was 6-0, Russell was 11-2, Kareem 6-4, Magic 5-4, Kobe 5-2, Shaq 4-2.  You’ve lost more than you’ve won, so no G.O.A.T. there.  But LBJ has become the media darling.  He’s the most verstatile, and best all around player we’ve seen.  But is he?  He’s used the media to perpetuate his “greatness”, however flawed it may be.  A great talent that has continually come up short when it counts.

Let’s first understand the rules changes that have occurred since the “Golden 80s and 90s”.  You can’t touch guys on the perimeter anymore, and hard fouls are now considered flagrant or technical fouls.  LBJ and all his contemporaries have clearly benefited from these changes, so it’s hard to compare eras.

One thing that we need to look at is how the media has adopted and promoted LBJ as “The Best Ever”.  Is it warranted?  He’s 3-5 in the Finals, his teams are clearly the best in a currently inferior eastern conference, he’s switched teams twice, and may soon do it a third time, and yet the media has still found a way to crown him “king”.

Let’s look at his last press conference at the end of the Finals.  He said he’d never been on a “super team”, and didn’t support them.  However, he went to Miami to team up with buddies Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade to form a “super team”.  When they lost to Dallas in the Finals, he was part of the recruiting effort to get Ray Allen to Miami creating what amounted to a “Big 4”.  Isn’t that a “super team”?  Such hypocrisy.  You can’t have your cake and eat it too.  Just because you are the self proclaimed “king” doesn’t mean you don’t have to play by the same rules as everyone else.  And when your shit starts to stank, you wanna change the narrative in your favor? Not gonna happen.

In this writers opinion, LBJ’s weakness is his lack of heart.  His strength is the fact that he’s been able to get the NBA to do his bidding.   Stats are great, but they don’t tell the whole story.  You can manipulate stats to cater to whatever narrative you have in mind.  Let LBJ be LBJ.  If he’s not liked, so be it!  He’s the most polarizing figure in the league.  You will not convince NBA purists or old school fans to crown him until he develops a killer instinct and wins more Finals appearances than he loses.

 

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