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Bulls Insider: Front Office Choosing Loyalty To Fred Hoiberg Over Jimmy Butler

By
Matt Peck
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bulls shopping jimmy butler

Vincent Goodwill, who covers the Bulls for CSN Chicago, just spoke with ESPN’s Bomani Jones on his radio show The Right Time. Goodwill told Jones he believes that the Jimmy Butler trade rumors currently circling the NBA are not just smoke, but actual fire. He said that more so than ever before, the Bulls trading Butler is not just possible but likely. According to his sources, Gar Forman and John Paxson are not just fielding phone calls about their star player. They’re making calls, actively shopping him.

One league executive told Goodwill, “It’s either Boston or Cleveland but he’s going.”

The reason Goodwill gave for the front office shopping Jimmy was rather alarming.

“The relationship between Jimmy and Fred is just not good. It’s been bad basically since Day 1…Jimmy Butler’s frustration with Fred Hoiberg and Hoiberg’s inability to be strong with the young players, to have accountability….At some point the organization was going to have to make a choice.” – Vincent Goodwill

Goodwill expanded on that final thought, saying the Bulls front office wants to follow through on their investment of time and money into Hoiberg.

“The coach usually doesn’t get chosen. Usually it’s the player…In this case, the Bulls have a lot invested in Fred Hoiberg and they want this to work. They’re trying not to have this be another coaching mistake and pay another coach off because they had to fire him. So they’re trying to make this work and Unfortunately for Jimmy Butler it appears he’s going to be the casualty of that.” – Vincent Goodwill

Look, if Bulls management decides that trading Butler now to finally rebuild is the right move, I’m fine with that. But if they honestly think they’re better served putting their eggs in Fred’s coaching basket over Jimmy’s playing basket?

Yowza.

Paxson did acknowledge in their season-ending press conference that Butler’s playing style doesn’t fit Hoiberg’s offense, which is true. But it’s more than coaching and playing style. The two have obviously clashed on a personality level since Fred’s arrival. As Goodwill said, when those instances happen in the NBA, usually it’s the star player who drives the coach out of town. Apparently the Bulls just don’t see that level of stardom in Jimmy.

More updates as news warrants.

The Anthony Rizzo Slide Was Completely Overblown, No Fine Or Suspension From MLB

By
Aldo Soto
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Let’s be honest here, the only reason the Anthony Rizzo was overblown by the San Diego Padres is because Austin Hedges was injured. A day after Rizzo crashed into Hedges, the Chicago Cubs first baseman met with Joe Torre and absolutely no disciple was handed down from MLB. That shouldn’t come as any surprise considering several players have violated the sliding into the catcher rule and no one has ever been suspended for it.

What did happen? A good conversation between Rizzo and Torre.

Here’s how the conversation probably went:

Torre: Hello, Anthony.

Rizzo: Hello.

Torre: Don’t go out of your way to slide into a catcher in the future.

Rizzo: Got it.

Torre: Goodbye.

Rizzo: Bye.

I’m not going to say their conversation was a big waste of time because it maybe lasted for 10 seconds, but it was a waste of time. Seriously, if you went on Twitter last night and saw the quotes coming from San Diego’s manager you would’ve thought Rizzo committed first-degree murder.

LOL 5-6 minutes to talk about nothing.

Was the slide dumb and reckless? Yes it was. The Cubs are lucky Rizzo didn’t end up with a broken leg or torn ACL. But there was no malice. It sucks that Hedges got hurt and had to leave the game and yeah if we switched positions here and Willson Contreras got hurt Cubs fans would be pissed too. However, it’s happened before and did people actually think Rizzo was getting suspended? Please.

Anyway, the biggest issue now is that the Padres might want to get revenge on their own and throw at Rizzo. That’d be stupid, but hey if they want real revenge just go all out and attack him with a bat. Man up, San Diego, go out there and show you’re not weak and stick up for your guy by attacking a player.

I hope it doesn’t happen, but it’s sad that I expect some bullshit to happen during tonight’s game. Hopefully Jhoulys Chacín isn’t all that into the “unwritten rules” of baseball.

Rockford Ice Hogs Sign Top OHL Defenseman Darren Raddysh

By
Matt Barbato
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While the rest of the NHL has focused its attention on the looming expansion draft involving the Las Vegas Golden Knights, the Chicago Blackhawks inked a minor league deal with the OHL’s top defenseman last season.

The Rockford Ice Hogs announced Tuesday they had agreed to a one-year contract with Erie Otters defenseman Darren Raddysh. The 21-year-old defender is teammates with rising Blackhawks prospect Alex DeBrincat. The two helped propel Erie to the OHL Championship last season.

Raddysh led all OHL defensemen with 81 points last season and was awarded the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the league’s most outstanding defenseman. He tallied 41 goals and 184 total points during his four-year OHL career.

The Blackhawks have been desperately trying to get younger on the blue line. Raddysh could serve as a useful puck-moving defenseman down the road. Chicago could use even more help on defense if Trevor van Riemsdyk winds up with the Golden Knights during the expansion draft process.

Chicago left van Riemsdyk exposed for selection and reports suggest he could be included in a potential package that would send Marcus Kruger and his $3.1 million salary to Vegas.

Jimmy Butler Trade Could Have Herschel Walker-Type Effect on Bulls

By
Erik Lambert
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jimmy butler trade

It’s often difficult to compare the NBA and the NFL. For one the sports they play are totally different and their league setups don’t reflect shared principles. At the same time certain similarities do show up. Specfically in regards to how jarring an impact trades can have. For the world of basketball, much of the buzz of late centers around a Jimmy Butler trade from the Chicago Bulls.

Cynical Bulls fans will scoff at this. It’s noise they’ve heard before. Butler is being discussed with this team and that team. Nothing ever happens. Still, it’s hard to ignore it this time considering the biggest rumor came courtesy of Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Apparently he’s heard it from multiple sources that the Cleveland Cavaliers are in hot pursuit of the Bulls All-Star.

Jimmy Butler trade could swing balance of power

“Jimmy Butler being Cleveland-bound picked up even more momentum on Tuesday.

According to multiple sources in Cleveland, not only have Cavaliers players – including LeBron James and Kyrie Irving – been reaching out to Butler directly and through back channels over the last five days to gauge his interest, but those players liked what they heard back from the Bulls’ three-time All-Star.

One of the sources indicated that Butler would even push his front office to get the deal done, which is a huge change of direction for Butler, who has told both general manager Gar Forman and vice president of basketball operations John Paxson numerous times over the last year that he didn’t want to be traded.”

It’s unclear what the Cavs will be able to do regarding a deal. Obviously they’ll need help from at least one other team to assemble the assets required to pry Butler away from Chicago. Not surprising since his value is sky high after an All-Star campaign that saw him set career-high numbers across the board. Why Cleveland is doing it shouldn’t be a shock. They need another big piece if they’re going to take down Golden State in the Finals next season. Butler the biggest fish in the pond who might be available.

Even more beneficial from the Bulls’ standpoint is that other teams might be interested as well including Boston and Phoenix. That will drive up the price further. So why mention the NFL angle? In large part to the fact that this could be the most franchise-altering trade ever. If done right, it could mirror one of the most famous trades in football.

The Herschel Walker trade built a dynasty

Back in 1989 the Dallas Cowboys were floundering. They were an old team clinging to old concepts. Their young head coach Jimmy Johnson realized something had to change. A complete rebuild was need. In order to do that though he needed draft picks and other offseason assets. His solution was simple but shocking. Trade the best player they had on the roster. That was running back Herschel Walker.

Walker had posted over 4,000 yards from scrimmage, scored 29 touchdowns and reached two Pro Bowls the previous three seasons. He was a genuine superstar at the top of his game. So the Minnesota Vikings, a team that had come up just short in the playoffs the past couple years, paid the heavy price to get him.

In return the Cowboys got three first, three second and a third round draft picks along with other minor additions. The team tanked for the rest of the that season but with those picks soon began to assemble a new roster. Within just a couple years they were back in the playoffs and won their first of three Super Bowls in four years in 1992. It was the trade that built a dynasty.

The setup of a Butler trade is almost identical. A player in his prime coming off his best season. A buyer who knows they might be one piece away from winning a championship and willing to pay big to get it. The one wild card in this is whether the Bulls brass have the same conviction for making a change as Dallas did.

Given the history of GM Gar Forman and his partner John Paxson, there is plenty of skepticism about that. Still, if they do pull the trigger it’s possible the long-term fortune of Chicago basketball could change overnight.

Jimmy Butler & Dwyane Wade Want Bulls To Cut Rajon Rondo Loose

By
Matt Peck
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jimmy butler dwyane wade bulls cut rondo loose

In a column that has the NBA world reeling, Chicago Sun-Times reporter Joe Cowley cited sources from Cleveland that suggest Jimmy Butler is in talks with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving about a possible trade to the Cavaliers.

That would be a massive deal, and one that requires a third-party team to give the Bulls the young pieces and/or draft picks they’re looking for if they start to rebuild. At this moment, two days away from the NBA draft, a Butler trade still seems unlikely given the high price set by Gar Forman and John Paxson.

We’ll keep our eyes on the Butler situation, of course, but there was another detail in Cowley’s piece that got buried under the huge news of Jimmy pushing for a trade. Based on the conversations Butler and Dwyane Wade had with management at their exit interviews, they’re ready for the “Three Alphas” experiment to end.

“A Bulls source indicated that the message coming out of the meetings with both Butler and Wade was the ‘Three Alphas’ storyline has played out. While Butler and Wade personally have no problem with Rajon Rondo, they would like a proven outside threat at point guard  to open up the floor.” – Joe Cowley

It’s no secret that with the exception of a few random hot streaks, the Bulls backcourt was woefully inefficient shooting threes last season. And no, Rondo is not a strong three point shooter. What’s funny, though, is that Wade was considerably worse (31%) than Rondo (37.6%) from downtown in their first seasons wearing Bulls jerseys. But according to Cowley’s sources familiar with those exit interviews, Rondo got the lion’s share of blame for the Bulls’ three point problems.

If GarPax decide to keep Jimmy and Wade opts in, will the surprise move become letting Rondo go? The Bulls have a team option on the second year of his contract, and can buy Rondo out for $3 million rather than keeping him on the roster for $13.4 million. Based on Paxson’s comments from their press conference after being eliminated from the playoffs, they have every intention of bringing Rondo back. They also praised him for his leadership skills, especially when dealing with the young guys on the roster. But if the other two alphas want Rondo gone, will GarPax cede their wishes to their two biggest star attractions? Very possible.

One possible free agent target the Bulls could pursue with Rondo’s money is Patty Mills. The veteran point guard served dutifully as a role player in San Antonio for several seasons. He shot 41.3% from deep this season, and has played in a more successful version of Fred Hoiberg’s offense under Gregg Popovich for six years. The only problem is Mills is expected to receive lots of attention on the free agent market next month. The Bulls have never excelled at luring hot commodity players.

The “Three Alphas 2.0” season seemed like a foregone conclusion after GarPax’s postmortem words to the media. Now – whether it be a Butler trade or releasing Rondo from his contract – that is far from a guarantee.

Jimmy Butler Pushing Front Office For Trade To Cavaliers

By
Matt Peck
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jimmy butler pushing bulls front office trade cavaliers

Has Jimmy Butler had enough of playing the “Mr. Nice Guy” role in Chicago?

Moments ago, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times released a report claiming that sources in Cleveland are aware of conversations between Butler and Cavaliers stars LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in recent days.

Here’s an excerpt from that report:

According to multiple sources in Cleveland, not only have Cavaliers players – including LeBron James and Kyrie Irving – been reaching out to Butler directly and through back channels over the last five days to gauge his interest, but those players liked what they heard back from the Bulls’ three-time All-Star.

One of the sources indicated that Butler would even push his front office to get the deal done, which is a huge change of direction for Butler, who has told both general manager Gar Forman and vice president of basketball operations John Paxson numerous times over the last year that he didn’t want to be traded.

This is a huge development in the Jimmy Butler saga. Until now, Butler and everyone in his corner have stated repeatedly that the star wants to stay in Chicago. But the Bulls are nowhere near contending for a title, and it’s understandable that Jimmy doesn’t want to waste his prime years waiting for his organization to get itself together.

Obviously a third team would need to join the Bulls and Cavaliers to make such a trade happen. If the Bulls do trade Butler, they’re looking for young prospects and draft picks. The Cavs have nothing to offer in that regard. The Phoenix Suns have been mentioned as a possible third-party candidate, and the Cavs are open to moving forward Kevin Love.

Also included in this report from Cowley is the fact that Butler has been talking to USA teammate Kyle Lowry about joining him in Chicago. Lowry will enter free agency next month and it’s unknown at the moment whether or not he plans to stay in Toronto. One thing’s for sure, though: The Bulls current cap situation would not allow them to sign a max-level star like Lowry without making major moves to free up financial space.

We’ll keep you up to speed on any further developments.

Dwyane Wade ‘Leaning Toward’ Picking Up Option To Stay With Bulls

By
Matt Peck
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jimmy butler reveals learned trade timberwolves

This won’t come as a surprise to many folks, but early this morning ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported that Bulls guard Dwyane Wade is likely staying in Chicago next season.

It’s been widely believed for a while now that the three-time NBA champion would pick up his $24 million player option to play a second season with his hometown team. His family has settled happily back in Chicago, and there’s virtually zero chance Wade finds that kind of money on the free agent market were he to explore offers from other teams.

After his season-ending exit interview, Wade told the media in Chicago he has the luxury of making the best choice for himself and his family. Specifically, he made it clear he feels no need to “ring chase” at this stage of his career.

The only possible scenario that might encourage Dwyane to opt out and leave that $24 million on the table is if the Bulls decide to trade Jimmy Butler and begin a full-scale rebuild. Wade stated earlier this season he would have little interest in playing on a rebuilding team comprised of mostly young kids. However, Shelburne’s sources suggest Wade will pick up his option and stay in Chicago even if the front office deals Jimmy.

“While Wade is monitoring the situation with Butler and how the Bulls approach this week’s NBA draft, sources indicated that he’s leaning toward picking up his player option regardless of what the Bulls do in the next week.” – Ramona Shelburne

On Monday, several reports of multiple teams trying to acquire Butler via trade hit news feeds like a tidal wave. The week leading up to the NBA draft (this Thursday) is always packed with trade rumors and speculation. Butler has been linked to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns. And of course, there’s always the Boston Celtics, lurking in the wings with their enormous vault of future draft picks.

Wade’s deadline to make a decision on his player option is June 27th. If the Bulls shock the NBA world and trade Butler before then, there’s a slight chance you’ll see him opt out. But most signs point to the veteran putting a Bulls jersey back on next season.

Who’s excited? *eyes rolling out of head*

Rizzo’s Collision At Home Plate Has Everyone Debating The Rule

By
Gus
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PHOTO: Padres/MLB

Last night, the Cubs pulled out a dramatic come-from-behind victory over the pesky San Diego Padres who if you recall, swept the Cubs less than a month ago in San Diego. The Cubs took the lead thanks to a go-ahead Willson Contreras home run that just so happened to fall on the one year anniversary of his first big league home run on the first pitch that he saw.

Wade Davis slammed the door on the Padres in the bottom of the ninth and the Cubs took game one of the series. With the win, the Cubs are now two games above .500 and with the way things have gone thus far in the season, those two games feel like ten.

The Contreras home run was the turning point in the game but it was another play that has everyone talking this morning. Anthony Rizzo collided with Padres catcher Austin Hedges in the bottom of the sixth inning in what turned out to be a very controversial play that forced Rizzo (and Cubs coaches) to defend themselves for playing ‘dirty.’

You be the judge.

If you watch that full clip you’ll hear Padres manager Andy Green go on make the asinine claim that the play by Rizzo was a “cheap shot.” The rule that appears to be in question is Rule 7.13, which notes: “A runner may not run out of a direct line to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher.”

The video doesn’t really show if Rizzo ran off of a direct line to initiate contact with Hedges and clearly the umpire agreed with the rule. The rule was put in place to protect catchers from very violent and dangerous collisions at the plate to which Rizzo was very clear about what the rule was.

“I’ve talked to a lot of umpires about this rule,” Rizzo said. “My understanding is if [the catcher has] the ball, it’s game on.”

Regardless of my love for the Cubs, I’m still able to be a relatively objective fan when it comes to plays like this. Meaning, I try not to let my fandom turn me into a blind fan when dealing with controversial plays but for the life of me, I just can’t see how this would be seen as a cheap shot or dirty play.

My fellow Sports Mockery writer, Dhruv Koul, put the play into pretty simplistic (but very true) terms.

“It’s weird, it didn’t look like the catcher blocked the plate but it also didn’t look like Rizzo deviated either. The contact was probably unnecessary but I can’t say it was a dirty. It was just a weird play.”

Rizzo scoffed at the notion that the play was dirty and said he prides himself in playing the game the right way, running the bases hard, and doing everything with maximum effort. His manager, Joe Maddon, had his back as always.

“I loved it, absolutely loved it,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “That’s part of the game. If the catcher’s in the way, you hit him.”

Green went on to imply that the Commissioners office should fine and suspend Rizzo for the play to set the example for future players who think about making contact with the catcher. I wonder how much of Green’s comments stemmed from the fact his team just choked a game away and his level of saltiness may have been a bit high or maybe the fact that his catcher had to leave the game injured. I get it. You’re standing up for your player but to make the claim that the play was dirty is a bit much. Shit, even his OWN PLAYER doesn’t agree with his cry-baby bullshit.

Here’s Green’s center field (and former Cub) Matt Szczur:

“I played with Rizz for six years, and he’s not the type of player that’s going to go out intentionally to hurt somebody.”

Tonight’s game two of the series should be very interesting to see if the Padres have the nuts to throw at Rizzo during his first AB in the bottom of the first. Even the Padres radio Twitter page is stoking the fire.

If that happens, I’m putting my money on the 6’3, 240 pound Rizzo versus tonight’s Padres pitcher, Jhoulys Chacín.

[poll id=”63″]

ESPN Hints Bears Didn’t Even Try To Re-Sign Alshon Jeffery

By
Erik Lambert
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alshon jeffery bears divorce

The Alshon Jeffery Bears divorce was the low point of the 2017 offseason for Chicago. He was the only proven target the team had left in the passing game. Both Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett had been traded and GM Ryan Pace has yet to prove capable of replacing either of them. Kevin White can’t stay healthy, nor can Zach Miller.

It’s unclear where things went wrong between the mercurial wide receiver and the front office. Most assume it was about money. Jeffery believed he was worth a certain amount, near the top five receivers in the NFL. However, after missing 11 games in two years the Bears felt he hadn’t shown that same level of reliability.

Fans still held out hope the two sides could work something out. Then Alshon signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a moment made worse by the information from MMQB hinting Jeffery contacted insider Adam Schefter to find out what the other receivers on the market were making. It was validation that it had always been about the money with him.

Then again, the Bears may have made his decision easy.

Alshon Jeffery Bears divorce likely a manipulated move?

The thing about divorces is it involves two sides. Jeffery may have wanted out because of money issues, but then again the Bears may not have tried hard enough to work something out. In fact according to ESPN reporter Jeff Dickerson, it’s possible they didn’t try at all.

“Move I didn’t like: Letting Alshon Jeffery walk away in free agency. The Bears have nothing but question marks at wide receiver. Kevin White — the seventh overall pick in 2015 — has played in only four regular-season games. Markus Wheaton missed most of last year with an injury. Kendall Wright is coming off his worst season in the NFL.

Cameron Meredith — the most productive Chicago receiver in 2016 — hurt his thumb during OTAs. Victor Cruz can play, but he hasn’t been the same player since his knee injury three seasons ago. The Bears’ decision to not even attempt to re-sign Jeffery remains a head-scratcher — especially after spending so much at quarterback.”

That’s certainly an eye-opener, and says a lot if it’s even close to true. It was speculated for over a year that Pace might not be as high on Jeffery as others. For starters he wasn’t a player the GM drafted. He also hadn’t demonstrated that same Pro Bowl ability since Marshall left. Throw in the persistent injury issues and one can understand why Pace might’ve soured on him.

At the same time the same goes for Jeffery. One got the impression he wasn’t happy in Chicago. The team was losing and his best friend on the team, Marshall, had been traded. A move he clearly did not approve of. So when the contract negotiations strung out for longer than expected, it became increasingly clear that either he wanted out or they wanted him out.

Seem it might’ve been both.

The One Name Who Might Pleasantly Surprise The Bears in 2017

By
Erik Lambert
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daniel brown bears

Pretty much all the big names have had extensive conversations about them for the Bears. Of course the names dominating all media outlets are Mitch Trubisky, Jordan Howard, Kyle Long, Leonard Floyd and Akiem Hicks among others. That shouldn’t be a surprise. Those men are considered the vital components to what is hoped will be a winning team in the near future. So what about the names nobody is talking about? If that’s the case, then it’s time to bring up the Daniel Brown Bears story.

Remember him? Probably not. The 25-year old tight end was a late free agency signing last year. This after spending two seasons riding the bench with the Baltimore Ravens. He was looked at as nothing more than emergency depth in case injuries struck. Well, needless to say that’s exactly what happened.

Martellus Bennett was traded. Zach Miller went down for the year, as did Gregg Scruggs. Veteran Logan Paulsen was almost useless as a receiver. Thus the Bears were in a major predicament. They had to get somebody out on the field. So just one month after claiming Brown off waivers, they started him against Tennessee.

Daniel Brown Bears era began with a bang

Low and behold the guy made an impact. It came during a play in the first quarter. The Bears were driving into the Titans red zone. Matt Barkley dropped back to pass and after looking left he came back right and fired a pass in the end zone. There making a diving play on the ball was #85. A player fans had no clue about. Other than the fact he shares a name with a world famous author.

Sure it wasn’t what one would call a breakout performance, but it was the first sign that maybe the Bears had found somebody. A tight end who could make some things happen. The trend continued for the rest of the season. Brown would surface two or three times per game for a nice catch. This included a career-best six catches for 42 yards against Detroit. Again, not game-breaking stuff but definitely confidence-building.

Brown coming out firing in 2017?

Ever so quietly it looks like GM Ryan Pace may have forged one of the deeper tight end positions in the NFC. Zach Miller is back from injury and he’s joined by free agent Dion Sims and rookie second round pick Adam Shaheen. The latter of whom is already making an impression in practice. As it turns out though, he’s not the only one.

Adam Jahn of the Chicago Sun-Times noted the tight end during OTA and minicamp practices.

“The player with the most to prove in camp is … Tight end Zach Miller. The Bears love him. He has been a productive player, and his personality fits the Bears’ ideal profile. But cornerback Tracy Porter was the same way — and now he’s gone. Tight end is deep. Second-round pick Adam Shaheen and free-agent addition Dion Sims are locks. But Ben Braunecker and Daniel Brown also showed improvement during the offseason program.”

At this stage the Bears could use every piece of good news possible. Their offense is a bit of a jumbled mess right now. Outside of Jordan Howard most of their other personnel are unproven from the quarterbacks to the wide receivers and yes, the tight ends too. Unlike the other two though, it genuinely looks like Chicago has something going at tight end.

Not only would Brown’s emergence showcase their potential depth, but also provide competition. Miller is 33-years old and an injury hazard. Having Brown show something might give the Bears the excuse needed to cut ties with the veteran and go young with him, Sims and Shaheen.

Don’t think for a second that Ryan Pace wouldn’t do that. Miller checks both criteria in being old and not an original acquisition of his.

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