I figured there should be a thread for random sport stuff.

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To start it off I have to say this year's Tour we France has been exceptional. The rider everyone thought would run away with it, two time TdF winner Tadej Pogacar (UAE), has not run away with anything. He had the yellow jersey for two days when Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo Visma) dropped him on a climb in stage 11, moved 2:22 ahead of Pogacar and got the yellow jersey. Pogacar has not been able to gain any time as of stage 15. We'll see what happens at the end of today's stage 16. 

The JV rider everyone thought would contest Pogacar, Primoz Roglic, was in an accident in an early stage dislocating his shoulder. He managed to pop it back in thanks to the help of a spectator's camp chair, get back on his bike and ride, but evidently also hurt his back and has not been riding to his normal standard. He pulled out of the race Sunday morning. Needless to say he has not contested anyone. 

Jonas Vingegaard, who was supposed to be Roglic's right hand man throughout the tour and help him win, has become race leader. Wout van Aert, another teammate, has turned into a beast. Well, he's always a beast. But more so during this race. 

It's just been crazy. Folks are saying the best Tour in years and here are still five days left.

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To start it off I have to say this year's Tour we France has been exceptional. The rider everyone thought would run away with it, two time TdF winner Tadej Pogacar (UAE), has not run away with anything. He had the yellow jersey for two days when Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo Visma) dropped him on a climb in stage 11, moved 2:22 ahead of Pogacar and got the yellow jersey. Pogacar has not been able to gain any time as of stage 15. We'll see what happens at the end of today's stage 16. 

The JV rider everyone thought would contest Pogacar, Primoz Roglic, was in an accident in an early stage dislocating his shoulder. He managed to pop it back in thanks to the help of a spectator's camp chair, get back on his bike and ride, but evidently also hurt his back and has not been riding to his normal standard. He pulled out of the race Sunday morning. Needless to say he has not contested anyone. 

Jonas Vingegaard, who was supposed to be Roglic's right hand man throughout the tour and help him win, has become race leader. Wout van Aert, another teammate, has turned into a beast. Well, he's always a beast. But more so during this race. 

It's just been crazy. Folks are saying the best Tour in years and here are still five days left.

What place is Lance Armstrong in?

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Lol .... I just looked up the list of winners because I could not think of the guy who dominated before Lance (it was Miguel Indurain). Anyway, it shows 1999 through 2005 as "No Winner" C'mon man ... a little blood doping here and there should be fine. IF YOU AIN'T CHEATIN' YOU AIN'T TRYIN'

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Lol .... I just looked up the list of winners because I could not think of the guy who dominated before Lance (it was Miguel Indurain). Anyway, it shows 1999 through 2005 as "No Winner" C'mon man ... a little blood doping here and there should be fine. IF YOU AIN'T CHEATIN' YOU AIN'T TRYIN'

Thank you Jim Rome. Probably the worst catchphrase in the history of civilization.

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"Remember Red, Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."  - Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption

I've had to accept that most, if not all, of those guys are doping. There is no way Wout van Aert can do what he has been doing without "help". The same for Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Nairo Quintana, and the rest of them.

It keeps being brought up that this is the fastest TdF since a year in the 90s. I don't remember which year but that's when everyone was doping. When the UCI stripped Armstrong of one of his wins they had to go 20 riders deep to find the guy who wasn't doping so there was no winner declared.

Crossfit is going through a round of athletes popping hot and the CF community are up in arms. People are so naive. If the 'lesser' athletes are testing positive you better believe the elite athletes are doping but not getting caught. If their elites were tested and found to be doping the CF organization would lose a boatload of money, endorsements, etc., and the gyms and athletes would lose their livelihood.

It's the same with professional cycling and pretty much every sport. The thing that gets me about Armstrong is he never fessed up until he did. It's likely because he knew he was being made a scapegoat and if no one else was going to be held accountable he was going to hold out for as long as he could. If i think about it that way I can't say I blame him. If I'm going to be made an example of in such a hypocritical way I'm going to give you plenty of reason to hang me out to dry and I'll bring you down with me so everyone sees the truth.

The professional cycling world limped away from that situation by the skin if their teeth. It took a long time to regain credibility but they did for the most part. There are still folks who don't want to believe the current generation are doping and there are others who believe they are and criticize it every chance they get. Then there are those who don't condone it but acknowledge it's happening and accept it as part of the sporting world.

UCI has decided to do a Formula One "Drive to Survive" and have allowed Netflix to film this year's TdF to become a docuseries premiering in May 2023. Only four or five teams signed on to participate but UCI wants to gain fans and followers for the sport and saw what DTS did for F1 and are hoping it works for them too.

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Lol .... I just looked up the list of winners because I could not think of the guy who dominated before Lance (it was Miguel Indurain).  Anyway, it shows 1999 through 2005 as "No Winner"    C'mon man ... a little blood doping here and there should be fine.  IF YOU AIN'T CHEATIN' YOU AIN'T TRYIN'

Thank you Jim Rome.  Probably the worst catchphrase in the history of civilization.

You really think Rome came up with that?  LOL.  Pete Rose and Gaylord Perry used to use that phrase and I doubt they were the first ones.

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Thank you Jim Rome.  Probably the worst catchphrase in the history of civilization.

You really think Rome came up with that?  LOL.  Pete Rose and Gaylord Perry used to use that phrase and I doubt they were the first ones.

Never said he 'came up with it'. But he was one of the more recent popular commentators in sports to use it as a catchphrase.

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"Remember Red, Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."  - Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption

I thought stage 11 of the TdF was exciting but today's stage blew it out of the water. What an awesome day in the sport of road cycling. It had everything. Suspense, excitement, drama, sportsmanship, determination, endurance, strategy, teamwork, crashes, beast mode, joy, disappointment, winning, defeat, acceptance. It was really good stuff. 

I've been learning two new sports this year, or at least new to me. Formula One and road cycling. Two very different sports but also similar in how strategy and tactics come into play to determine an outcome. They are both a team sport but also an individual sport which can create conflict when a driver/rider wants to help the team succeed while also accomplishing their own goals. Very interesting. 

I also got into curling during the winter Olympics so that makes three. It is a team sport. Period. You won't get ahead focussing on yourself. Your goal has to be the team. 

I'm enjoying learning new sporting things and it gives me something to look forward to while waiting for football season to start. For example, it's been two weeks since the last F1 race weekend but I've been busy watching the Tour de France. This Sunday the TdF ends but F1 is in France for the race this weekend. The first week of August will see the Crossfit Games, a few weeks later will be another big road cycling race then it's NFL preseason.

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That was one heck of a Tour de France. I've never seen anything like it. This being my first TdF it set a high standard that I doubt will ever be duplicated.

Congratulations to Team Jumbo Visma and their winner of the yellow jersey, Jonas Vingegaard, who unseated two time Tour winner UAE's Tadej Pogacar (2020 & 2021) who was a sure thing to win again by pretty much everyone. Then Jumbo Visma came in and dismantled that whole idea. Both teams lost riders to Covid or crashes but they kept fighting until the end. What a masterpiece this Tour was.

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That was one heck of a Tour de France. I've never seen anything like it. This being my first TdF it set a high standard that I doubt will ever be duplicated.

Congratulations to Team Jumbo Visma and their winner of the yellow jersey, Jonas Vingegaard, who unseated two time Tour winner UAE's Tadej Pogacar (2020 & 2021) who was a sure thing to win again by pretty much everyone. Then Jumbo Visma came in and dismantled that whole idea. Both teams lost riders to Covid or crashes but they kept fighting until the end. What a masterpiece this Tour was.

I used to pay a lot of attn to the tour when I was younger, but doping soured me. I hope they've cleaned that up.

Kinda thought they could do like the American Le Mans series where they have multiple classes of cars on track at the same time - you have the doper class, the clean  class, and separate standings for each one

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Welp.. It's been a season with my Sox.. So many ups and downs this season. We get rid of Vasquez (Arguably one of the best catchers in the game), We lose Sale (twice), pitching has been atrocious except for a few games with Wacha.

Chaim Bloom is going to giving me the fits.. Not 1 pitcher by the trading deadline, not 1.. How the hell did he think this team was going to make the post season with no damn pitching?!?

Well, we have some real talent that came up from The Woo.. So I'm excited for that. Tristan Casas and Conner Wong. Both are pretty awesome to watch.

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Aaron Judge hit #62 tonight!  New AL record and probably MLB all time (without steroids).

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge launches 62nd home run, sets AL's single-season record (espn.com)

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When you get into the endzone, act like you've been there before.

Aaron Judge hit #62 tonight!  New AL record and probably MLB all time (without steroids).

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge launches 62nd home run, sets AL's single-season record (espn.com)

This is the real HR record.

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"Remember Red, Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."  - Andy Dufresne, The Shawshank Redemption

How ‘bout them Phillies…

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Imagine how good sports would be if there were no rules against performance enhancing drugs.

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Imagine how good sports would be if there were no rules against performance enhancing drugs.

Depending on the sport there seems to be a "don't ask don't tell" attitude. Crossfit and professional road cycling being two that I watch and suspect all of the top athletes are doping.

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https://youtube.com/shorts/DwAwxpdvu88?feature=share

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Still digging’ me some Phillies. If they can pull off one more win they’re in the Series. Ain’t no gimmee yet. Pads are tough.

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Went to the Iceman opener last night and they won. Not NHL level competition but great entertainment value for the money.

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I'm condescending. That means I talk down to you.