Sabado Already?? Open Thread

Jeebus, how time flies when…you alternate between taking naps and sweating like a Black man in an Alabama court.

Oh, and my office in downtown Raleigh shut down at 3p yesterday, and they forbade anyone from going in over the weekend.  Seems like some organized violence is going down.

You watch, THIS is how the Rooskies, Birchers, and uber allies will try to fix 2020 for Herr Fuhrer.  I don’t think it will work, but it sickens me to watch them try.  Thank fuck this overgrown child has not 10% the strategic capacity of Nixon.

In Lesser News, Leo Messi is showing his usual amount of self-awareness.  One can find the cabal running Barca clownish, and still recognize that Messi is part of the problem and has been for some time.

No club can carry that massive salary and ego, for a 33-year old that refuses to play defense, even in training.  He’s a less shitty version of what Wayne Rooney turned into, a circus sideshow.  Sure, still technically gifted.  But in the modern game, at the highest levels?  NOT ENOUGH.

God, though.  The prickly pear personality of failed Everton manager Ronald Koeman trying to put that fractured shambles back together?  Going to be a long couple seasons for the Catalans.

In happier news?  My Toffees look poised to add erstwhile World Cup hero Him-ez, on reasonable wages, even.  I’d be terrified about signing another famous dude at his age (29), if not for the specific history he has with Don Carlo.  So, I will try cautious optimism.

Keep safe, healthy, and marginally sane.

***

Balls Notes

So, you know I HAD to weigh in on the Messi saga.

Here are my dos centavos:

Bartomeu is absolutely to blame for this entire fiasco. He has been bringing in players Real Madrid Galáctico style without any thought as to how they would fit the team or the system.  He has also handicapped his managers by not giving them any say into player acquisition decisions.  Finally,  he’s made managers scapegoats for his bad decisions.

Messi has seen this and had been working to convince Bartomeu of doing things differently.  Two things happened this week that convinced Messi nothing would change: 1) They told Luis Suarez to fuck off.  And 2) Koeman told him his status as Barça God was gone.

This was bad because: 1) Luis Suarez is Messi’s best friend and 2) You don’t tell God he’s not God.

Teh Hippo is a bit incorrect in that he expects Messi to play defense and run.  Messi hasn’t done that for five years and he barely did it when he was in his youth.

What Messi does is draw people to him and create spaces for others.  He doesn’t need to run to do that.  The team succeeded when he was surrounded by players that were able to take advantage of that.  This team can’t do that.

Besides,  the reason that Barça lost La Liga and lost to Bayern 8-2 is that their defense was ATROCIOUS.  The focus of Bartomeu was to get defenders that could score,  not defenders that could,  you know,  DEFEND.

I firmly believe that Messi made the right move.  What was supposed to happen was that Xavi would take over the team,  eventually phase Messi out from the field and onto the coaches’ bench or the front office, and bring back the Barça style of high pressure and quick possession

You know,  the style that Bayern just won the treble with.

The fans agree with me.  There have been demonstrations in Barcelona demanding Bartomeu resign. They want Bartomeu to resign,  Messi to stay, and Xavi to coach.

But Bartomeu’s a stubborn bastard and won’t resign.  Koeman will get a year as coach and then a new Board will be voted in,  Xavi will come in and coach,  and the good times will return as the roster is overhauled.

Without Messi.

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King Hippo
Reclusive, vulgar Broncos fan. Also a proud fookin' Evertonian. Likely dropped on my head repeatedly as a small child. [Insert George Carlin quote followed by thoughtful nod.]
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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Unsurprised

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Selfie c. 1200.

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Ganymede’s mom warned him about this!

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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rockingdog

Weekend Reading:

What we Do In the shadows script

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a8sLdr9ScTTVA6FZ0EonZal70ls7sOrM/view

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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scotchnaut

Loved this tune back in the day. Not sure if it stands up today…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHTDkJ-bQqM&list=RDcHTDkJ-bQqM&start_radio=1&t=114

SonOfSpam

Still fun.

Dunstan

I hadn’t heard it until about a year ago I came across a list of Canadian hits and started checking out the ones I didn’t already know.

I like it fine, but it doesn’t trigger a nostalgia itch for me.

WCS

My kids actively ask to listen to this song, and Pantera.

DAD ROCK ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Stands up if you still like it.

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Gumbygirl

I’m still all in for Elvis.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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BrettFavresColonoscopy

Wow I forgot my FF draft is tomorrow. Gotta decide if I’m keeping Ekeler. Leaning against.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Gumbygirl

Mrs. Vaughn has got it going on.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Never forget.

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Gotta admit; his hair was beautiful in this movie, a shampoo commercial.

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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yeah right

I found a unicorn house listing this morning. I walked by to look and it’s definitely an “Ok now tell me what’s wrong with it.” It’s incredible and the neighborhood and you can’t be serious with how inexpensive it is. I’m waiting for a reply email. There’s always a catch.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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If you need to “dispose” of someb……. thing, we can help.

herodotus450

“Oh and uh, the neighbors are very nice, they run a manure and mosquito breeding company out of their home but you’ll hardly even know they’re there. “

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

The neighbors on the other side are very quit:

https://www.talkdeath.com/forensic-body-farms/

scotchnaut

So quit they failed the spelling Bee.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

I quit too know. That ironic type is fucking excellent.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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scotchnaut

The reason I’m laughing out loud? This looks like a young-ish Christopher Hitchens haughtily dismissing someone’s argument while wearing a nun’s uni.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

It’s hard being right in falsetto.

scotchnaut

Actually, I think he was being left.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Well, correct anyway.

Last edited 3 years ago by Moose -The End Is Well Nigh
scotchnaut

[refuses to pay for ‘just the tip’]

-Mother Theresa

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Viva La Tabula Raza

Built on Indian burial ground? Walls full of blood and flies?

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Gumbygirl

That’s exactly what I thought. GET OUT!

Don T

It’s a HerbaLife commune.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Horatio Cornblower

“Next door? Oh, that’s the DFO Clubhouse. They’re…eccentric.”

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Don T

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Traveling Mads.

Don T

[“How gauche” eyebrow raise]
-Hannibal

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Let’s see Hannibal after 17 fucking hours on a plain.

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Versus on a plane.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Spielberg’s best movie.

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scotchnaut

Meh. I’d like to see the objective view of this scene.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Yes, he was still a Hollywood libtard elite then. What about all the good the murdering ghost trucker has done.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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yeah right

Love “Duel”. Incredible tension for what’s basically a one man movie.
Another favorite, not Spielberg, was “”Sorcerer” with Roy Scheider. That was my first introduction to Tangerine Dream.

scotchnaut

You know who else loves Duel? Me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnQ2zOmb6Hg

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Tangerine Dream, great stuff. I think my intro was high as fuck and a friend who had an album. I was hooked after that for that era of their music. They could make a shitty movie better.

yeah right

I saw them perform live in I’m gonna say 1984 here in LA. So. Many. Hallucinogens.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Peak Dream time.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

IMO.

herodotus450

Bruins with the rare half-a-period powerplay, still struggaling to score.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh
scotchnaut

I stumbled across this awhile ago and it continues to amaze me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX3KOaJvly4

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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It’s fine.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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herodotus450

Apparently some peaches I bought today are contaminated with salmonella, WEIRD! Where are all the good Canadian fruit dealers when you need them?

ballsofsteelandfury

Somewhere in Northern Ontario,
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scotchnaut

That’s fucking excellent! HOWEVER! [pushes glasses up nose]

Canadian peaches from the Niagra region are free from the salmon.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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litre_cola

Okanagan too

scotchnaut

/satellite TV conks out during heavy downfall

Me: [calls customer support]

Customer Support:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI5IA8assfk

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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scotchnaut

[desperately looks for his lines that are posted on walls nearby]

-Brarlon Mando

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

From what I read; he ain’t care what the fucking “writing” was.

Horatio Cornblower

Clearly not a clip from ‘Justified’

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Obviously.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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herodotus450

Things start looking bleak for Boston, and here come the pretzels dirty hits.

Gratliff

More things you hate to see in Toronto

scotchnaut

“I’ll take ‘Minorities’ for $800, Alex.”

-Doug Ford

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

Except for the restaurants?

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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herodotus450

Hockey talking guys: “That’s a 5 minute penalty (on Boston).”
No penalty called on the play.

Mr. Ayo

A random Brad smirks.

blaxabbath

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blaxabbath

Just paid $124 to settle up a medical debt. I’d have let it float longer but I could see my wife was getting sick of the mail.

I have the money. I hate the healthcare system. We talk about the systemic anti-minority bias build into so many of our systems — then can we ALSO (not ‘instead’) discuss the anti-consumer bias in our systems? How, regardless of your race, no one should be owned by a fucking paycheck loan store. And how we shouldn’t fail to teach children personal finance because it’ll make them smarter consumers outside of the classroom.

Dunstan

(looks longingly at his “Warren for President” button)

blaxabbath

Where’s the hidden camera?!

scotchnaut

Speaking of Gretzky, the reason Dave Semenko existed is because Bobby Orr had to fight a goon-multiple times/before the term even existed-by the name of Keith Magnusson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pbwEGFiVDA

Mr. Ayo

A community *shield*?

No serious lesser footy match should offer anything other than a cup of some sort.

Gratliff

lol they visibly fucked up the ice

Gratliff

Paquette with the timeless “Show your belly” fighting strat

herodotus450

Fun Fact: the movie Memento (or is it Momento?) is based on real life hockey talking guy Mike Emrick, who seems to forget the basic elements of hockey every 5 seconds and is consistently surprised when a player passes, shoots, or skates, or time elapses.

Mr. Ayo

I think it’s Momonto

#MomoStrong

Gratliff

Mumunto
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Last edited 3 years ago by Gratliff
Don T

I’m behind Balls’ firm counterpoint to Hippo’s Messi heresy. Comparing Lio to Rooney is fighting words. Which I like.
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Gratliff

Tampa’s swarming is fucking scary. I don’t think Rask would make this any better.

Dunstan

RASK FACKIN’ SUX AND WAS NEVAH A TRUE BREW-IN!

ALSO, THIS SERIES DOES NAWT COUNT BECAZ WE WERE DEPRIV.. DERPI… NOT ALLOWAHED OW-AH NUMBAH ONE GOALTENDAH. THESE POINTS ARE NAWT IN CONTRAHDICTSHUN. NO ONE DENIES THIS!

yeah right

After 5 months plus I’m finally going to get together with Eldest right and the two elder granddaughters today. Dammit I’ve missed the hell out of seeing them.

blaxabbath

Enjoy.

Gratliff

Players and coaches from around the state protested in Lansing over HS football getting pushed back to Spring.You would think at least one of these rallies would have the self-awareness to push for masking and social distancing to at least create the illusion that they can be trusted to not be completely fucking morons. Fairly small (~500), but the pictures are very funny to me.
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Fronkenshteen

We’re terminally stupid.

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Gratliff

Look at this perfect sample of Michigan’s student athlete demographics. There has famously never been a Black athlete in Michigan.
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Unsurprised

I hate this fucking country so much, and I hate this demographic group most of all.

Last edited 3 years ago by Unsurprised
yeah right

This past year has provided me a checklist of states NOT to retire to.
Wisconsin, check.
Michigan, check.
Idaho, check.
Montana, check.

Looks like I should just stay in California.

Gratliff

It’s funny, because Michigan’s government has done very well despite its death cult legislature and a population desperately trying to kill itself. Unfortunately, the lemmings don’t much care for being told what to do.

Gratliff

If that 2018 election broke differently, we’d be the Texas of the north for sure.

scotchnaut

[Yoopers and Flatlanders nod in agreement]

blaxabbath

Keep the government’s hand out of my arsenic water! That’s between me and the factory upstream who takes our town’s annual tax base in public handouts every April!

Unsurprised

There is no place in the U.S. that is safe. This fucking shithole has no safe havens

Moose -The End Is Well Nigh

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Unsurprised

Imagine being so fucking delusional as to think the Russians have anything to do with this. Americans have always been this fucking stupid and blaming anyone else is the biggest fucking problem because it means we will always find a way to just blame someone else.

Fuck this fucking asshole.

Unsurprised

Also, “From all of us.” Get the fuck out. “All of us” aren’t doing a GODDAMN thing.

scotchnaut

Back when I was a kid I played net and absolutely hated the beginning of every period because the ice was fresh and you slid around on it like crazy. Sure, I mucked up the ice in the crease as much as possible but it didn’t really seem to make a difference.

scotchnaut

Okay, okay. Calm down-I’ll tell you an anecdote. One time I was filling in for the travelling team (I was good enough but mom didn’t have money enough) and we were playing in Sault Ste. Marie. I made a sliding save early in the period but couldn’t get back in front of the net to save the rebound shot. At intermission a kid gave me shit for allowing the goal and I said “it’s like glare ice out there at the beginning!”. The coach said nothing but at the beginning of the next period all the defensemen were helping muck out the crease.

Gratliff

Was somewhat excited to get to spend time in Sault Ste Marie after meeting my future wife in college. I was familiar with the city name from the stars that had gone through the Greyhounds. Fucking Gretzky played there. Then I got to Sault Ste Marie, and got to spend 6 years looking at that Sault Ste Marie from across a river. Turns out Soo, MI, is basically a shopping mall for Soo, ON.

scotchnaut

I remember my dad and uncle agreeing, “we’ve gotta go see this fucking kid. How is he putting up those numbers?” I was invited to go but it was a school night and the mom put her foot down. Was not happy. I saw him the following year when he played for the Indianapolis Racers.

Mr. Ayo

Fun fact. I only know Sault Ste Marie exists thanks to crossword puzzles.

Sadly, those assholes never use Gretzy as an answer.

scotchnaut

The Toronto Star Saturday edition has two crosswords*-one for normal people and the other is for folks on the spectrum that have memorized the map of Canada. Clues include ‘river northwest of Saskatoon’, Alberta’s southern-most community’ and ‘Aunt Greta’s General Store is 300 meters from this famous grain silo’.

*yeah, I’m living my 50+ years to their fullest. What of it?

ballsofsteelandfury

I love geography. I would actually enjoy that.

scotchnaut

So you’re on the spectrum. Did you enjoy watching the fat lady sing?

ballsofsteelandfury

Was she naked?

scotchnaut

There are some naughty Kate Smith pics in my possession…

ballsofsteelandfury

Do tell….

Or show.

ballsofsteelandfury

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Mr. Ayo

Saskatchewan river and Acadia?

scotchnaut

Okay Rain Man, Wapner is on in 9 minutes.

Fronkenshteen

Early (Boston-instigated) fistfight in this one?

scotchnaut

Why do they never wrist wrestle? Makes you think, huh?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_UC2AyhYQk

Dunstan

Agenda for today:

  1. Breakfast. Coffee. Reading on the patio.
  2. Go to brewery, pick up beer.
  3. Go to liquor store, pick up liquor.
  4. Go to butcher shop and pick out tonight’s victim.
  5. Drink and eat myself into a coma.

Agenda for tomorrow:

  1. Recover.
scotchnaut

[Buzzer sounds]

“Sorry. That’s wrong. We would have accepted ‘Rinse and Repeat’. Dolores, could you escort Dunstan off the stage please.”

Dunstan

I plead middle age.

scotchnaut

Oh, look who’s all, “I’m too good for an early death”. smgdh…

Fronkenshteen

Yeaux. So, Messi and Ronaldo are going to join a team that already has Mbappe, DiMaria, and Neymar? Fuck’s the point of that?
Glad you’re hanging in there, Hippo. Myself, I’m heading back to the CPAP machine as soon as the VA can rustle me up one. I’ve been doing nothing but waking up, gasping for air, all night long, for a couple of weeks now. And although I’m not currently sick, as I sit here, it’s difficult for me to get a full, bottom-of-the-lungs deep breath. Probably haven’t gotten any r.e.m. sleep for a month. Fuckin’ heart is gonna explode.
The kid from Illinois who shot everyone up? Scaring the shit out of me. Not only do I think he just mobilized an army of young kids who feel the same way, but he has the right look. He wasn’t drenched in camo. Just a t-shirt and jeans. He was photographed cleaning graffiti earlier in the day, looking every bit the concerned citizen. He’s just an all-American fresh faced kid who was brainwashed. Took tucker carlson ONE DAY to say “can you blame him?”
Buying guns is over. They have them all, and I hear you can’t get bullets anymore, anyway. The cops are going to side with the white terrorists. All we have left is to hope the national guard or (can you fucking imagine?) regular army troops come down on the side of the left. And that’s a LOT to hope for.
You don’t have to be Nostradamus to envision the coming election. Trump wins at the polls, then loses states that flip the election to Biden after absentee/mail-in ballots are counted. He then sues each state he needs back, and appeals all the way up to SCOTUS. They hand the election to Trump. People take to the streets. Then? Well, like I said; they have the cops and all the guns.

Mr. Ayo

Wait, Bartomeu has offered his resignation. Also, never lead your team with fan requests.

ballsofsteelandfury

That’s a bullshit resignation offer. Basically, he’s saying that IF Messi stays, THEN he’ll resign.

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Mr. Ayo

I mean, if Messi is that upset with them, he should stay just for that result. Then bolt next year.

ballsofsteelandfury

He doesn’t trust Bartomeu. No one should. Let’s say he stays and Bartomeu stays and Koeman stays.

That’s a wasted year. And he’s in his 30s now. He can’t afford a wasted year. Why would he do that?

Mr. Ayo

Damn, what a cocksucker. But who’s paying the 700MM for him? And why would they lower that price?

Also, how the hell is Man Shitty going to get away with this?

ballsofsteelandfury

The thing that makes this possible is that Messi has a clause in his contract that says he can walk without a transfer fee if he declares his intention to leave within a week of the end of the football season (essentially, the Champions’ League Final). Bartomeu claims that the deadline passed because the Final was supposed to be in May. Messi claims it doesn’t matter as COVID forced it to end now. Since he filed his intention to leave officially (via the now-famous “burofax”), Messi believes he is free to play for any club and no transfer fee needs to be paid.

montythisseemsstrangetome

My thoughts on Messi are as follows:

herodotus450

Well that wasn’t messi at all it was very well organized.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

HE’S STEALING YOUR BIT!

blaxabbath

Just looked like he lost balance for a sec and recovered. I hate the guy and wish he had fallen and broken his head wide fucking open but I’m actually more upset he has the ability to recover his balance like that.

Unless I missed something.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

He looks pretty petrified while it’s happening:

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Trump is captured in this image during a stumble today. Notice his eyebrows are dramatically elevated while his eyelids are tightened. The corners of his mouth are pulled laterally and down. His nostrils are flared. This is the face of Fear.<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BodyLanguageExpert?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BodyLanguageExpert</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/BodyLanguage?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#BodyLanguage</a> <a href=”https://t.co/LHEeicjSTu”>pic.twitter.com/LHEeicjSTu</a></p>&mdash; Dr. Jack Brown (@DrGJackBrown) <a href=”https://twitter.com/DrGJackBrown/status/1299548378305425408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>August 29, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

litre_cola

I am pretty sure I know what you lads are voting but can I present my new candidate?
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herodotus450

Hmm, his “Dog Bites Man” stance is intriguing, but his “Man Bites Dog” stance is worrisome.

ArmedandHammered

My vote is for whomever wants to fund time travel so the dude who ate the bat is given a cheeseburger instead and a certain orange asshole is strangled in the cradle.

rockingdog

found a funny:

here is to hoping SNL re-runs that episode where Chadwick hosted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzMzFGgmQOc

rockingdog
scotchnaut

No sports this morning? Ah, but what about DAZN featuring Fish O’Mania live from Hayfield Lakes in Doncaster?

The Chub are right peckish today, gentlemen!

litre_cola

/checks DAZN
/checks bet365
/can’t believe you weren’t joking

Mr. Ayo

F1 is at Spa! The best racing sports!

Also, ice footy is back.

Col. Duke LaCross

Yep! My favorite track.

Also, Lewis Hamilton is very good at driving a race car.

And Ferrari’s engine is liquid shit this year.

Mr. Ayo

lol at those cheaters.

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