Hi all! First off, so glad this sub reddit exists because it was a life saver when I was making decisions on my own ACLr and knowing what to expect from surgery. I'm a 2x cancer surviver, Paramedic, Rugby player, and now have been a caregiver to my partner who just celebrated 3 months from her own ACLr. I collected a bunch of advice and tips and tricks that I have used both during cancer treatment, my own experience with ACLr, and now through care taking my partner through hers. I know there have been guides before, but mine is a bit different and aimed at caregivers so I thought I'd post it here since ya'll helped me so much instead of it just circulating the rugby community every time a teammate or friend has to have ACLr or some other reconstruction. Hope it's allowed and helps!
A Cancer Patients Guide To Knee Reconstruction Recovery
A Comprehensive Guide To Surviving and Thriving In the Pre and Post-op Period Built From The Perspective of Caretaker and Patient.
Before The Date
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Preparation

It is important to adequately prepare for surgery in the weeks and days leading up to the procedure. A significant period of immobility and reliance on support can be expected immediately post-op and will vary by procedure and personal experience. Physical modification of living space and thorough preparation allows for the immediate post-op period to be free of emergency store runs and the small inconveniences that can add up to big frustration. Not having food and drink nearby as well as other essentials may be a small deal now, but can turn into a big deal when you can no longer get those things for yourself. While physical preparation (home modifications, adaptive tools, meal prepping, etc.) are important, mental preparation is crucial to the long term success of the repair. Making small, achievable goals in the immediate post-op period and maintaining a long sighted view of recovery will make the pain and immobility that is initially experienced more bearable. Additionally, social support through a partner, family members, or friends is an essential part of recovery, as is maintaining contact with sports teams or other social groups during rehabilitation.

General PEARLs

• Pre-surgical rehab is an essential part of recovery and can improve immediate outcome so if it is a resource available to you- use it!
• Learn the basics of your procedure such as reconstruction technique, graft type, surgeons recovery timeline, where you will do your rehab, and what you should expect going into and coming out of surgery. Knowledge is power and can give a sense of control and set reasonable expectations in a situation that is otherwise out of your control.
• Seek out positive experiences and recovery stories from other people who have had your procedure and gather as much advice as possible from resources such as ACL. Know that some people will have negative experiences, everyone is an individual, and that much of your long term recovery is in your control.
• Expect and learn to advocate for yourself or the person you are taking care of. Be vocal and honest with any needs you may have and understand that issues may come up in the immediate post-operative time that you as a patient or caregiver may have to contact your surgeon to resolve. Familiarize yourself with who to call and when *before* you leave after surgery, as well as being quick to call with any questions or problems that arise. It is better to be told that what you are experiencing is normal than to sit with the anxiety of the unknown.
• Create a folder with all relevant information: Surgeons name, procedure information, follow-up appointment dates and times, phone numbers, emergency contacts, facility of choice in an emergency situation, and any other important information. Maintain this folder throughout your recovery and add paperwork as it comes.

Days Leading Up To Surgery

• Contact support people and confirm any arrangements that have been made including but not limited to: Who is taking you to/from surgery, child or pet care, transportation to first PT appointments, meals, etc.
• Recommended Items we found essential:
  • Ice Machine (Polarcube, etc) if at all possible
    • Recommend checking facebook marketplace or other second hand options, as they cost hundreds new but can be found for $40 or so used.
    • Studies have shown these do actually reduce pain and lend to earlier mobilisation and our experience has shown this to be essential not just immediately post-op but in the weeks and months afterwards so if you *can* obtain one you absolutely should.
  • Large sweatshirt and oversized shorts for surgery day, especially if you wear a bra, as putting clothes on after surgery can be a struggle and it’s easiest to just throw on a sweatshirt and shorts that fit over your post-op bandages and brace.
    • In particular, we found a blanket hoodie to be very useful both for going home and the first few days as it could stay on when moving around/when napping.
  • Neck Pillow
    • Helps with reading or other activities during long hours spent in bed or on the couch and really helped in the first two days to prevent neck strain and provide head positioning during napping.
  • Large pillows for body positioning and elevation of the leg
    • We found cheap, giant, dog beds from places like TJ Max or Marshalls to be more affordable than specialty products
    • A large, thin, dog bed (or blanket) rolled into a tube and secured with stretch bandage or tape around the surgical leg and brace helped significantly with comfort during sleep so that the leg was padded, comfortable, and the other leg didn’t get roughed up from the brace.
  • A shower chair
    • Can be found used at second hand stores like Goodwill, or cheap online
    • Easy substitute is a chair covered in a trash bag
    • Allowed showering the second day post-op which was a huge mental boost and relieved physical discomfort and achy muscles
  • Extra large leg cast cover
    • Can be found cheap online
    • Placed around outside of brace covering the entire leg initially, we then found it easier to place on the leg and place the brace outside of the cover for the remaining healing period for the incisions: We did this after the first PT appointment when it was safe to take off the brace for short periods while laying down. We acquired a second post op brace from a friend (you can find on eBay for cheap) and it was amazing to have, as we could let it dry after showering and immediately put her post op brace back on.
  • Foldable stool
    • Great for elevating the leg during transfers, while on the toilet, etc.
  • Lap Desk
    • Great for eating on the couch or in bed, but we also found it useful as a side table for holding drinks/meds/remotes/books that could be taken to whatever room they landed in at the time
    • A small table works as well, really just anything that can be used to set things on within arms reach
  • Assortment of sodas, water, seltzers, snacks, etc.
    • There is no way to know what you will want and when, but when you want it it’s nice to *have* it available
    • Appetite often decreases after surgery so make sure to have favourites on hand so that when you *are* hungry you have it immediately before your body changes its mind
  • A big bucket
    • We used a soft plastic beach type bucket from the dollar store, it was extremely useful to have to put small items in, a small towel, a spare water bottle, extra meds, baby wipes, etc.
    • Also doubled as an emergency puke bucket, as you never know when a sudden bout of nausea might hit in the first day or two after surgery
  • Extra reusable ice packs and bags of ice
    • Your home ice maker will not be able to keep up with the demands of constant icing the first week or so
    • Reusable ones are great for ‘hot spots’ and short trips where you can’t take the ice machine
  • Extra steri-strips and assortment of bandages
    • Sometimes there’s extra leakage, sometimes your steri-strips come off and you need to slap a new one on, sometimes you’re allergic to the ones they put on you at the hospital. Always consult a medical professional, but it’s handy to have these on hand just in case.
    • We also used a bulky padded bandaid to keep the brace off the healing incisions once the large post-op dressing was taken off which helped immensely.
  • Compression sleeves
    • Aside from helping with swelling these also provided a layer of protection under the post-op brace
    • We found cheap ones at Wal-Mart (copper brand) but also just bought a cheap pair of leggings a size down and cut off one of the legs to use before getting a more expensive one once swelling had fully subsided after a few weeks. Your leg will change so cheap works great at first, then you can get something a bit more substantial when you know what you’ll need long term. Now she wears high compression socks to sleep 3 months out.
  • Slide on shoes
    • Self explanatory, bending down to put on shoes becomes a chore after surgery. Avoid flip flops or other styles that can become a trip hazard.
  • Baby Wipes/Dude Wipes/etc.
    • Wiping down after you get home from surgery can help prevent that icky feeling and restore some sense of normalcy, then can be used over the next few days before you can shower more normally
  • Lotion and chapstick
    • Hospitals dry out your skin big time, and lips are often cracked post surgery from intubation/LMA placement
  • Small, easily labelled tupperware containers
    • Regular pill containers are too small to hold pain meds, OTC pain meds, anticoagulants such as aspirin, supplements, and edibles or other small things you take with your medication. We got small tupperware boxes with lids from the dollar store.
    • We found it very convenient to have six sets of meds set up and labelled with times which meant we never missed doses and could leave the next dose of meds at bedside, take them with us when going to appointments, and keep up with what had been given and when.
  • Small notebook to record med times and other important information
  • Two extra changes of clothes already setup and ready to go
  • Compression device
    • We are athletes so we already had leg compression sleeves but these days off brand versions can be bought online cheap. Studies have shown these lead to reduced pain, increased mobilisation, reduced the chance of blood clots, and there is even some evidence they help with bone healing.
    • We used it 3 days post op and beyond and her range of motion was significantly improved after the first time.
  • A yoga strap
    • Excellent for strapping to the brace and moving the surgical leg
• If possible, pick up post-op medications prior to surgery to prevent any unexpected delay in obtaining them. If this is not possible, verify that the prescription can be filled the day of the surgery by your selected pharmacy and that it has been filled prior to leaving after your surgery. Controlled substances cannot be transferred to another pharmacy without a new prescription sent directly from the provider. You do not want to be trying to get in contact with a physician in the hours after surgery, unable to manage pain, before the pharmacies close for the night.
• Do a thorough clean of your living area, it will make the time after surgery when you cannot independently do normal activities more bearable and a neat organised space is easier to function in when your body is not cooperating. Take special attention to removing tripping hazards and clearing a wide path from wherever you plan to spend your recovery and the bathroom.
• Plan to spend the first couple of days in one spot and on one floor and set up that area the day before surgery. If you have a downstairs bathroom a floor mattress or well setup couch can be your landing pad until you are more mobile and is the easiest during the immediate post-op period. That being said, if you don’t, it’s easier to get upstairs by sliding up on your bum immediately post-op when your pain is still well controlled than realise that you have no bathroom downstairs a few hours later when the pain has started to set in. Wherever you intend to land, plan on staying there at least a couple of days and bring all your supplies to that area. Plan to lay with your surgical leg on the outside of what you are laying on, this makes transferring easier.
• Have your recovery bed setup the day before surgery and prepared for when you return before you leave the day of, including blankets and your supply table setup.
• Meal prep, whether that means cooking or getting easy to make microwave meals is up to you. You won’t feel like cooking and neither will your caretaker the first few days. High protein, easy to eat meals are key! We had chicken and broccoli casserole, egg and sausage frittata, and lots of applesauce the first few days and it was a lifesaver not to have to think about meals.
• Spend some time mentally preparing for the long haul of recovery and make long term plans that fit within your timeline. For example, we planned to attend a rugby game five days after surgery *but* planned nothing else for that day and the next day. We also planned hiking trips the next fall, and other events appropriate for her timeline along the way that could be looked forward to and keep up morale. Remember that this is temporary and that it is okay to be recovering and resting, expect hard moments and days but keep things planned so you don’t get stuck in those down places.
• Eat your favourite meal and eat well the day before surgery. Your body needs fuel to recover and fasting the day of surgery sucks. As weird as it sounds, after multiple surgeries, the pre-surgery night meal of whatever I want is one shiny thing in a crappy situation to hold on to.
• Plan for what you want your first meal to be and consider making a playlist for the ride to and from surgery. Small things, again, help maintain a sense of control and comfort in a situation where you are largely out of control and these things can be done with friends or support people in the days leading up to reduce anxiety and pass time.
• Hit the gym, take a walk, do a hike, visit places or do things you enjoy but won’t be able to do in immediate recovery! We took my partners knee to one last tournament before her surgery, it helped pass time and kept spirits high.

Day Of And Immediate Post-Surgery Phase

• Maintain fasting starting at whatever hour you are told. Some people can drink clear liquids up to a certain point, others are completely nothing by mouth. Your instructions will guide you on this.
• Before leaving home double check that everything is set up how you need it and place a blanket, pillow, drink, and snack of choice in the car. You may or may not need it but if you do it is important to have. Make sure your ice packs are in the freezer ready to go!
• Bring your own post-op snack if you are picky or have food allergies, otherwise you’re stuck with whatever graham cracker and applesauce combo the facility gives you.
• Go with the flow, or as I always say “surrender”. Feel what you feel, have a cry in the car before you go in, listen to your playlist, bring your blanket or other comfort items into pre-op, tell your support person what’s going through your mind, tell your pre-op staff how you’re doing, ask all the questions, and most importantly just do what you have to do. For some people surgery can be overwhelming and the loss of control frightening, but fighting only makes it worse, so whatever you are just be it. I’m pre-op pacer myself, but some people just snuggle up under some warm blankets and wait. Either way, just let the waves take you where they go and know you’re along for the ride. Remember that future you with a healthy joint thanks you for what you’re doing today.
• Speak frankly with your anesthesiologist and utilise any pain control or anxiety control options given to you. There is no award for least meds taken or toughest patient of the day. If a nerve block is available, know that you can request sedation for its placement, and utilise that option if at all possible.
• Caregivers should bring something to keep them entertained and be prepared for a long period without update once surgery has started. Honour your feelings as well, it can be tough to watch someone you care about go through this! Consider having someone to act as a support person for you as well through text or phone, that way you can divert your own worries or struggles to them and away from the person having surgery while still making sure you are also taken care of.
• Make sure that pain is well controlled before leaving after surgery. You have more options there than you will at home and getting things under control once pain has become unbearable can be very difficult.
• Make sure you note when the next dose of medication is due, what medication they should be taking, and write it down.
• Double check contacts from your surgeons office and add any post op paperwork to your folder in case you need the information later.
• If your post-op meal requires picking up, or your prescription, try and do that immediately after leaving surgery even if you are not hungry yet. This is the most comfortable you will be for a while and your support person will be unable to leave for at least that day and night. I have been known to peruse the big gas station after surgery in search of snacks, my partner however simply waved to the nice people at the drive through and napped the rest of the way home before eating some hours later.
• Once you get home crash wherever you plan on spending the rest of the time. Don’t have friends or family over that first day. Just go ahead and sleep through the rest of the anaesthesia and get comfortable.
• Try and keep your home cool, and consider keeping the room dim for the first few hours if not days. Sleep is precious and pain meds can make you hot, and getting hot can lead to nausea. It is better to have the home cool and the person snuggled under blankets and comfortable than be trying to cool someone down who just had surgery and got too hot and is now dizzy, nauseous, and miserable. The least stimulation for the first little while the better, and naps will happen throughout the rest of the day and over the next few days. A cool, dim place lets this happen much easier than a bright, warm place where they might be overstimulated or awakened by noise or activity.
• If allowed, try and activate the quad muscle immediately after returning home and once every few hours by having them squeeze it and feeling for contraction while in the brace. Some people will be able to begin range of motion exercises immediately and if so, make sure to do them as soon as allowed even if that means just helping them by doing gentle manual range of motion movements in the brace.
• If it’s not already on, begin continuous icing as soon as you come out of surgery either by meticulously timing the replacement of ice packs or with the ice machine. Make sure to check the ice machine, replace ice as often as needed, and keep it on *continuously* for the next few days. For us this meant I checked it at every medication dose throughout the night and added ice during that time as well. We went through frozen mini water bottles and bags of ice like crazy the first week.
• Elevate the surgical leg as high as possible, placing support under the heel and calf but not directly under the knee to promote extension and prevent more headaches with gaining range of motion later on.
  • We found that icepacks directly under the knee helped tremendously with the discomfort associated with this.
• Anticipate that bathroom trips will not be fun or easy and take them extremely slow. As a caregiver allow the person to guide you on what they need and don’t need your help with and avoid grabbing or moving someone unexpectedly. Standing, acclimating to being upright, and then proceeding to the bathroom is the best way to do things and rushing will only result in frustration for both of you. A rolling chair or wheelchair can be helpful, but for some people standing up and sitting down is harder than just moving on to the bathroom. Pay attention as a caregiver and know that it is possible they may need your help getting off the toilet or back from the bathroom so be close by and available should that happen. For the first few days do not lock the bathroom door in case of an emergency.
• Place chairs or things to sit on around your path to the bathroom, kitchen, etc. And consider a small backpack or using a rolling chair to carry items around the house.
• Once you know when your next dose is, set alarms for each time your doses are due. If using the med boxes this makes doing meds and keeping track very easy, as they are each labelled with a time and all we had to do was open the box and take the meds instead of finding each bottle and dosing each med individually each time. As the days went on we were able to re-label and time the boxes as needed and remove meds as needed or adapt to what was needed when sleeping or up during the day.
  • For example day 1 would look like:
    • First post-op doses at 4pm box: 250mg tylenol, 10mg oxycodone, 5mg edible.
    • 8pm box: 250mg tylenol, 10mg oxycodone, 800mg ibuprofen, 10mg edible, 12.5mg diphenhydramine (itching and sleep), stool softener, and regular night time meds.
    • Midnight box: 250mg tylenol, 5mg oxycodone, 5mg edible.
    • 4AM: 250mg tylenol, 5mg oxycodone, 800mg ibuprofen, edible (if nauseas or restless).
    • 8AM box (preparing to get up): 250mg tylenol, 10mg oxycodone, 5mg edible, aspirin, stool softener, normal morning meds.
    • 12pm: 250mg tylenol, 10mg oxycodone, 5mg edible, 800mg ibuprofen.
    • Repeated on time, reducing pain med dose as tolerable, and refilling boxes 1x a day.
• If possible do scheduled tylenol (paracetamol) and ibuprofen (or another NSAID), alternating them on the dosing schedule, and take them religiously even through the night. This also goes for additional pain medications, which you will also need to wake to take through the night if you are prescribed for at least the first night.
• Staying on schedule might mean waking up in the night, but it’s better to be awoken to take meds than to wake up in pain and spend several hours trying to get it under control. You may find you seldom need them if your nerve block is in place, or you may just not need very much at all during your recovery. It is easier to trial run this after the first day by stretching out the time between doses from 4 to 6 to 8 and then potentially off entirely, but everyone will have their preferences.
• Eat a small snack with every med dose and keep emergency meds (extra pain med doses, nausea meds, etc.) at bedside as well as the next set of meds due so they can be taken when it is time.
• We found that edibles were a great addition to pain and nausea control after surgery. There are medication options available and having at least one option for nausea is advisable for the first few days after surgery when anaesthesia and medication can really make you want to puke.
• Expect absolutely nothing in the first few days post-op. Some people will feel well enough to move around, others will not be able to do anything but get up to use the bathroom. Expecting nothing is better than expecting more and being disappointed or frustrated. I would highly suggest not making plans until your first follow up 7 or so days after surgery.
• Be obsessive about icing, meds, any PT you have been given, and keeping track of appointments. Give yourself the best start to your recovery that you can and you will thank yourself later!

I will start by stating this will be on the longer side. Don't really care if anyone reads it, but this will help me feel at peace with how the season ended.
Starters:

• Jamal - excellent when healthy, but dealt with injuries throughout the year. Hamstring, ankle, and calf issues at the very end of the regular season and into the playoffs limited his post-season effectiveness probably more than he would admit even privately. I thought he came into the season in poor playing shape (understandable given the short offseason plus the first offseason in a while he did not have to rehab his ACL), but then Malone compounded it by playing him heavy minutes. Should be given a max extension over the summer.
• KCP - was excellent again, but also dealt with a lot of injuries (his hand was f-ed up all season) that he probably should have rested through, but didn't and I think it finally caught up to him in the playoffs as we saw his shooting really fall off and his defense against stronger guards was poor. I wonder if Malone would have played him less / KCP would have been comfortable sitting out if CB hadn't been in a massive shooting slump the first half of the year. 0% chance he picks up his option and 10% chance Nuggets are willing to pay what it will take to keep him.
• MPJ - Great in the regular season and expanded his game to be more than a 3pt shooter, but threw all that out the window in the Wolves series. I have no idea what they should do with him and this will likely be the biggest topic over the off-season. At the end of the day he did not live up to his contract and it is fair to question if he ever will.
• AG - Another great year; ultimate low-post compliment for Jokic. Hopefully next year his 3pt shooting ticks up closer to where it was the previous year. I think playing as the backup 5 in the playoffs really hurt his offensive consistency. Yes he had some impressive scoring games, but also some complete duds because I don't think he had the energy to give a consistent effort on offense. Would love to see the backup-5 scenario be limited to something that AG can do if an opponent goes small with the second unit, but not something they rely on. This will require different bench players.
• Jokic - Greatest basketball player and horse enthusiast on Earth. Ran out of gas in the Wolves series because of how hard he had to carry the team.

Bench:

• CB - rough start to the year paid off with a more developed offensive game. Looks like a he could become one of the better perimeter defenders in the league and a great 1-on-1 matchup against Ant and Booker. Likely moves into the starting lineup next season. If he continues to develop his shooting and handling it would allow Jamal to play off-ball a bit more.
• PWat, Strawther, Tyson - I lump these guys together as I expect all of them to develop a bit more and take on larger roles. The Nuggets really need Strawther to develop as a more consistent scorer off the bench as the lack of offense with the second unit really hurt this team all season and playoffs. I think he can do it, but that will be a huge off-season storyline.
• Zeke - will be traded this offseason. I still don't get why so many fans are still upset about his contract extension. It was done solely to trade him. Wind mentioned last night that there was interest in Zeke at the deadline, but that the Nuggets will probably have to attach a pick to move him.
• Vlatko - they should pickup his option given how cheap it is. The lack of bench size was really exposed by MN and if fully recovered, Vlatko could give them valuable minutes to keep Jok and/or AG from getting completely worn out against teams like this.
• Justin, Reggie, DJ - great locker room guys and the bailout game was one of the greatest regular season games in team history. That said, Reggie & DJ are both washed and should not factor into any rotation plans going into next season. Justin just is not very good. Let DJ join the coaching staff. Reggie will probably pick up his option, but could the Nuggets just buy him out during the offseason?

Coaching - Malone and his staff are great, but the lack of trust he always shows with young players really hampered this team. CB and PWat had a short leash when going through growing pains on offense. Julian's injury was unlucky as he was starting to get into a groove, but Malone sitting him post ASG to chase the 1-seed was a mistake that contributed to the starters being burned out by the time the playoffs started. More capable veteran backups are needed, but Malone needs to realize that being the 5-seed with these starters healthy and capable of playing big minutes in the playoffs (plus a deeper bench that is confident in their roles and abilities) is much better than a top-2 seed with the starters burned out and the bench being completely overwhelmed.
Roster Building - I think Booth's strategy of investing in young, cheap talent through the draft to supplement a championship group of starts is the best way to keep a championship window open as long as possible given the CBA/salary cap going forward. With the exception of Pickett, I like the guys he has drafted and think they will contribute in meaningful ways next year. However, the vets that he brought in to supplement that group were mostly ineffective and led to Jamal, KCP, and Jokic playing way too many regular season minutes. Hopefully the Zeke contract + picks available to trade give him enough ammo to bring in a more effective backup center and point guard (with an emphasis on playmaking).
TLDR; Nuggs season is over primarily because they were over reliant on starters playing big regular season minutes after a very short offseason. Malone chasing the top seed hampered the development of young players to the point that they could not provide meaningful minutes during the playoffs. Vets that Booth brought in were generally bad. There are resources available to improve the second unit and some of the young guys should improve over the offseason. The team also has a decision to make on MPJ being a core guy or not. The implications of what they do with MPJ plus how much the bench can be improved will ultimately determine if they can compete for a title again next year.

This is a repost from a couple weeks ago that stayed buried in downvotes, but it's now more relevant than ever:
Adam Mares finally publically acknowledged what he told me a full two months before Tim left while watching the Avs at DNVR.
The foundation of the KCP trade (Morris + Barton) was a done deal at the trade deadline of the 22' season. The reason it didn't happen is because Jamal decided against coming back-- at which point keeping Monte was necessary and the teams decided to do the deal over the summer instead.
Booth got all the credit for that deal-- because not many people knew that it had been a done deal for months. And he deserves credit for hitting the send button and then extending KCP. And obviously for the Bruce Brown signing.
However, almost every move he has made since then has been a disaster.
Everyone knew lasts summer's FA class for PGs was barren yet we didn't prioritize finding a replacement for Bones when we traded him. Instead, we burned 3 seconds trading for Thomas Byrant. A guy who was never going to be able to play in the playoffs and who was set to be a FA.
Then Booth traded a lightly protected 29' first for a shotgun approach to a part of the draft that is very hit or miss and decides to burn #32 on a 24 year old PG who relied on backing down younger, smaller players in college and despite championship equity, walks out of FA with Reggie Jackson and Holiday-- two guys who were 3 years washed.
Then he has the audacity to tell KOC that Watson (who was the primary return for burning a 27 1st) is already better than Bruce Brown and to indicate that the approach to the offseason was taken, in part, to ensure the youth saw the floor.
At the time, I understood the logic of aiming for youth and cheap contracts but got downvoted in oblivion for arguing that a) we should have been aiming at 2nd draft guys instead of solely stockpiling late picks and b) stating that you should always be aiming for as much talent as possible, not limiting your options by aiming for guys who are okay being bench warmers.
Obi Toppin, NAW, PJ Washington, Aaron Neissmith and Issaih Joe are all examples of 2nd draft guys who contributied to their team's playoff run. Derrick Jones Jr is contributing to Dallas's run as minimum signing. And that's the bare minimum, not the TPMLE we gave RJ.
And where as Tim regularly found 2 way guys who turned into NBA players (Torrey Craig, Hatenstein, Kedrick Williams, Dozier before the ACL tear), we have yet to have a 2 way signed by Booth (CG was also Tim) contribute.
All of that added up to a team whose bench was a disaster. No backup center meant Jokic carrying a heavy burden. RJ being predictably awful meant Murray couldn't be load managed because the team was the worst they've ever been without him. Gordon was forced to play way too many minutes- including at backup center. Tonight, he was in foul trouble and it resulted in Jokic playing 47 minutes and being absolutely gassed in the 4th.
Christain was a top notch pick, the best one Booth has made. However, hit began the pattern of devaluing 3 point shooting in roster building. Even tonight, in a game that he was largely great in, he was a non-factor from deep while sitting out on an island. Jokic punishing the double only works if he is surround by shooters.
Watson has potential. He also shot like 20% from 3 this year... which is why was a benchwarmer all playoffs long. Strawther and Tyson both have potential, and Hunter can DEFINITELY shoot, but we've basically hedged all of our assets on Watson, Strawther, Tyson, Pickett (not a believer) and the 7 footer they sold for cash considerations...
Oh and KCP (as much as he struggles with the Wolves matchup) has a player option. And RJ and Pickett are on guaranteed deals so upgrading the backup point guard is going to be tough.
Contrast that with Tim building a team that doesn't have a single bad player in the rotation. His draft picks (and I'm high on the kid they took in the 2nd round) sit marinating while NAW, Monte, Conley, Ried (signed to a steal of an extention) and Kyle Anderson help build out the deepest team in the NBA.Yes, he gave up too much for Rudy. He was also right it would work and right that ANT was ready (and had them on a clock).
The Kroenke's were idiots for letting a top 3 GM walk from his contract and praying an unproven GM could hit the ground running during a title window. Not only because it's likely cut the Nuggets window short but also because it allowed Tim to customize a team designed to wreck the Nuggets.

Hi all,
im looking for an advice on how ACL could be enforced.
Ive bought a pool pump from a medium size store franchise. Let's call it Kent Plastic.
The pump was under the warranty and stopped working. Completely. When I brought it back to the store they were happy to replace it on the spot but not to give me a refund. While i mentioned that its a major defect and under ACL a customer can choose what to get. The lady checked with the manager and said that they needed to send the pump back for examination and that "we usually never give a refund".
It's been a few weeks with no reply from them.
While it sounds like a clear violation of ACL, what can i, as a consumer do? ACCC is slow and can't cover everything. The item is fairly cheap but the whole situation is making me mad. How can I escalate it further? Im in Perth, WA if it matters.

I want to start off by saying I am not a Browns fan in any manner. This is a purely dynasty motivated post without bias. The only time I've ever been arrested/jailed was in Cleveland too, so fuck em 😂
TLDR; The Browns offense has many interesting opportunities to acquire players at a relatively low cost. The offense has nuclear potential in my opinion. All of Deshaun Watson, Foreman, Amari, Jeudy, and Njoku present good buy opportunities currently. Aidan Robbins and Cedric Tillman are worth stashing. Long post here on out, don't bother with your "not reading that" comments please 🙏

 B R E A K 

Coaching Changes. The Browns have 2-time/reigning coach of the year Kevin Stefanski. He is known for his deadly smashmoush running game, play action under center, and his ability to develop the O-Line.
In 2023, the Browns offense ran the 2nd most play action in the NFL (Lions 1st, Browns 2nd, Dolphins 3rd, Seahawks 4th, Packers 5th). The Browns also finished 1st in the league in total plays run per game at 69.3. (I believe that was more Alex Van Pelt than Stefanski and this tempo is likely to slow down).
Alex Van Pelt has moved on to the Patriots. He Is a disciple of the 90s Bills K-Gun offense, and this is where that fast-tempo comes from. (Patriots fans, he backed up Jim Kelly for 9 years, had a key role within the mid 2010s Packers offense, and was Burrow's rookie year QB Coach).

 B R E A K 

The new OC is Ken Dorsey. Dorsey's lineage goes back to the historic 2001 Miami Hurricanes National Championship team where he was the starting quarterback. He flopped as a player, then eventually picked up notoriety as Cam Newton's QB coach from 2013-2017. He took 2018 off from football (Josh Allen's rookie year), then landed with the Bills and was Allen's savior the next four years.
His offensive scheme clashes with Stefanski's in many ways. They have very few similarities. But he is a proven commodity when it comes to getting the most out of "Improvisational Quarterbacks". The hire is clearly to get the most out of Deshaun Watson more than anything in my opinion. But Dorsey's known for having one of the more complex option-route-focused schemes in the league. The main knock on him is his stubborn play-calling. Opposing players said last year they knew the plays often because of the quantity of times they run repetitive plays without adjustments.
Best case scenario, Stefanski keeps being the 1A voice on offense and Dorsey the 1B with a focus on returning Deshaun Watson to Texans form, rather than installing a whole new scheme mirroring his gameplan with the Bills.

 B R E A K 

Offensive Line. Jedrick Wills was drafted 10th overall in 2020, and Jack Conklin was signed in 2020 and is a 2x 1st team AP. Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller have 7 AP teams between them. Ethan Pocic has posted back to back 70+ PFF seasons. They struck gold last year with rookie tackle Dawand Jones, and drafted IOL Zak Zinter in the 3rd round. This line is stacked and should be in the PFF top 5 all year long. Conklin tore his ACL 23 snaps into week 1. Wills went down week 9 with an MCL. Both will be back.

 B R E A K 

Deshaun Watson. Right now, Watson goes anywhere between 8th and 12th rounds in Superflex startups. Even if you dislike Watson, he represents a nice value opportunity simply by betting on Ken Dorsey's history of fixing unorthodox quarterbacks. You can get him super cheap because everyone hates him. He's in the same doghouse as AJ Dillon and QJ because of the sexual assault stuff and his IR season. If Dorsey gets more freedom, expect a LOT more passing from this Browns team than past seasons. I would also expect him to be given a few designed-runs per game, making him extra useful in 4pt PTD leagues. Watson is a buy 💪

 B R E A K 

Running Backs. This is possibly the toughest backfield in the league to evaluate (Broncos, Chargers, Dolphins, Panthers are other candidates).
Chubb could come back like AP, or he could flame out quickly and be done. To me, he's the best back here if healthy but I'm not willing to pay a 2nd for him to roll the dice on his age/health. He's also been restructured to 2.5m a year and is a free agent in 2025. If he's fine, he's probably still Dalvin Cook/Zeke next year.
Foreman is on waivers or an afterthought. You can steal him and he'll be the week 1 starter behind this group of mashers. He's never not produced when given opportunity. He turned 28 last month and has only 552 career carries. The value-cost ratio is all wrong with this player.
Aidan Robbins is a 6'3 240lb Undrafted RB that the Browns had a 30 Visit with predraft and signed immediately. He runs a 4.53 and is tough to bring down. I could see him getting reps.
Ford seems like the odd man out. I think the Browns are done with him. Brought in Foreman and Nyheim Hines and drafted Robbins. Shows a lack of faith in Ford at the very least... I'd be selling now if I owned him before he becomes the 3rd-5th string back...

 B R E A K 

Wide Receivers. The Browns from a real-life perspective are low key stacked at WR. Amari Cooper, Jeudy, Moore, Tillman, Bell, and Thrash is quite the group.
Cooper will be 30 next month, but he just had 72/1250/5 with a bunch of bandaid quarterbacks. He's cheap. Definitely worth a future 2nd if your contending. If Dorsey gets a big say in the passing game, Cooper could be force fed targets to the tune of Stefon Diggs the last few years.
I am not a fan of Jeudy, Moore, Thrash, or David Bell out of personal preference, but if you believe in Jeudy, he is a buy for sure at this price point and I wouldn't be surprised if he broke out given his draft capital.
Reports have come out from Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot that Cedric Tillman is going to be in the slot a lot this year and she's predicting he will be the Browns "breakout" guy. I am on the Tillman train because he's free, and he was a 3rd round pick. He didn't play hardly at all until week 12, but did decent with Flacco the last 6 weeks.

 B R E A K 

Lastly, Njoku. I love David Njoku. He's fast, jacked, and already productive and paid. He's also incredibly tough and fairly smart (24 Wonderlic). He had 6 catches against the Ravens tough defense 2 days after burning half his face off 💪🫡 Between Watson coming back, Dorsey's arrival, and the Browns ability to run play action; Njoku seems like a buy at his current price point. I honestly have no idea what that is 🤷‍♂️

Round 1, Pick 12 - Bo Nix, QB, Oregon:
NFL: Nix is an experienced playmaker with the arm talent and athleticism to execute Sean Payton’s offense in Denver. He fits the Drew Brees-like prototype, getting the ball to his playmakers and accurately delivering passes at the short and intermediate levels.
CBS Sports: C-. I don’t love Nix, but I get the pick. Desperation forces teams to pick quarterbacks earlier than they should. Sean Payton obviously sees Drew Brees in him, but this is way early. Why not trade down and get him later?
ESPN: The Broncos thought enough of Nix to make him the sixth quarterback off the board among the draft's first 12 picks. The draft many consider to be the gold standard for quarterbacks -- 1983, that included John Elway -- had six quarterbacks selected in the first round overall, but just two of those in the first 10 picks. Nix's efficiency -- he completed at least 71% of his passes in all 14 games this past season and was at 74.9% completion rate for the season overall -- makes him an easy fit in Sean Payton's offense, as do his mobility and experience (61 games in five college seasons). The Broncos need far more of the QB Nix was at Oregon rather than Auburn given he threw 29 and 45 touchdowns, respectively, in his two seasons in Eugene. He did not have more than 16 touchdown passes in any of his three seasons at Auburn.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: ‘Https://youtube.com/watch?v=GTg7y0VRYNI’.
Round 3, Pick 76 - Jonah Elliss, DE, Utah:
NFL: The son of massive former Lions DL Luther Elliss, Jonah is -- by contrast -- an undersized rusher. He broke out last season with quickness off the ball, decent length and consistently good effort. I thought he was more of a Day 3 player than Day 2, but he could surprise me.
CBS Sports: A-. Twitched-up polished rusher. Production didn’t necessarily match his impressive traits. Serious bend around the corner too. Rushes get high and has long invisible stretches but the highlights are awesome. Needed addition in Denver.
ESPN: In a division that includes Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert at quarterback, the Broncos needed more pop on the defensive edge. They haven't had an edge rusher finish with at least 10 sacks since Von Miller had 14.5 in 2018. Elliss did not work out at the combine or pro day because of a shoulder injury he suffered late in the 2023 season, but he's a high-effort player who should contribute immediately. His father, Luther, played his final NFL season with the Broncos in 2004 and his brother, Kaden, played in New Orleans during Payton's time as head coach. Jonah Elliss flourished in the Utes' defense this past season with 16 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: Will flip over any game of Monopoly he sees out of principle.
Round 4, Pick 102 - Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon:
NFL: It was a bit surprising that Franklin went outside the top 100 given his game-changing speed, yet his game is a little one-dimensional right now. He'll have a chance to regain his mojo in Denver, reuniting with his former college QB, Bo Nix.
CBS Sports: A+. Lean effortless speedster with impressive flexibility to get in and out of his breaks. Complete wideout after the catch and tracking it but not a contested-catch type and because of his ultra-skinny frame, is bothered by physicality. Cheap trade up cost too. Excellent.
ESPN: Franklin is a quality value pick in this spot, and the Broncos wanted him enough to move up from No. 121 to snag him with the second pick made on Day 3. Franklin's speed (4.41 in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine) is needed in the offense. New quarterback Nix has a comfort level with him -- Franklin was one of the receivers for Nix in his private workout for the Broncos. Franklin set a school record this past season in receiving yards (1,383), receiving touchdowns (14) and 100-yard receiving games (eight). He figures to be in the rotation early if he can show his expected impact down the field.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: He said-a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie To the hip hip hop-a.
Round 5, Pick 145 - Kris Abrams-Draine, CB, Missouri:
NFL: I had KAD going earlier than this, even if his lack of bulk and length limits his ability to handle bigger receivers. This is tremendous value for Denver, as Abrams-Draine could win the nickel job early on with his playmaking knack. Chris Harris 2.0?
CBS Sports: A+. Ultra-pesky inside-outside CB who rocked in the SEC for multiple years. Not incredibly fast nor length with size. Awesome tackling reliability. Routinely finds and makes plays on the football underneath and at intermediate level. Has plus long speed. Spectacular value here.
ESPN: The Broncos signed Levi Wallace in free agency earlier this month -- Wallace has started 70 games in his career -- but they still have an opening in the starting lineup opposite Pat Surtain II. Abrams-Draine started his career at Missouri as a wide receiver, and you can see that in his play as a defender when he tracks the ball and in contested-catch situations. He has 4.44 speed and had 40 passes defensed in his career with the Tigers. He'll be in the mix with Wallace, Damarri Mathis and Riley Moss to be the pick at an outside corner spot. At 5-foot-11 3/8 inches and 179 pounds, Mathis will have to show he can battle more physical NFL receivers. He also adds some potential value in the return game -- he returned kickoffs in three of his seasons at Missouri.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: Actually tried to learn to read windings as a kid.
Round 5, Pick 147 - Audric Estimé, RB, Notre Dame:
NFL: Sean Payton had a few bigger backs, such as Tim Hightower and Chris Ivory, in his time in New Orleans, and Estimé fits that mold. For now, he's a two-down hammer who can tenderize defenses, but don't overlook his starting potential eventually, despite lacking good speed.
CBS Sports: A-. Audric Estime, RB, Notre Dame. Built like a Greek god. Ultra-wide frame and plays exactly how you’d expect. Defenders routinely fall off him. Very slow. Will not run away from many at the next level. Has surprising quicks for his size, can work through smaller tracks between the tackles.
ESPN: Estime is the kind of raw power presence the Broncos haven't had in the run game in some time. Javonte Williams, at his best, forces piles of broken tackles, but Estime, at 5-11 3/8 and 221 pounds, runs with a slightly different kind of profile. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry last season for the Irish and has shown himself to be adept in blitz pickup with the potential to be a productive part of a passing game. Williams never looked quite himself last season, his first full season back from an ACL tear, and the Broncos were one of the worst teams in the league with just eight rushing touchdowns for the season. Payton has promised a better, more efficient running game and has repeatedly said a young quarterback's best friend is a defense and a good running game. Estime will have the opportunity to carve out some playing time as quickly as he shows a comfort level in the offense.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: Has his college ID number as his gamertag.
Round 7, Pick 235 - Devaughn Vele, WR, Utah:
NFL: The 26-year-old Vele spent two years on an LDS mission, making him one of the older prospects in this class. But he's 6-foot-4 with long arms and sub-4.5 speed and jumping ability, making him a developmental jump-ball target.
CBS Sports: B. Tall long-striding vertical field-stretcher. Lacks burst off the ball. Can box out near the sideline and in traffic but not dominant in that area. YAC is good, not great. Intriguing type.
ESPN: Vele is a big receiver -- 6-4, 203 pounds at the scouting combine -- and is one of the oldest players in the draft. He will turn 27 on Dec. 12. He played 38 of his 47 career games for the Utes over the past three seasons. He is the second wide receiver in this seven-player draft class, and he faces a scrap to find his way into the rotation, especially if Tim Patrick shows he has regained his form after back-to-back seasons impacted by injuries. Vele ran 4.47 in the 40 at the combine and has punt return skills as well, so athletically he has a chance to carve out a role in what might be, because of his age, a tight career window.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: Roger here, just hoping everyone has enjoyed the draft this year.
Round 7, Pick 256 - Nick Gargiulo, C, South Carolina:
NFL: A Yale transfer, Gargiulo has experience at center, guard and tackle, but he's best at home inside. He's smart, competitive and long.
CBS Sports: B-. Big, long, technically sound interior blocker who won’t move people routinely but doesn’t get tossed around inside. Made transfer from Yale to South Carolina with relative ease. Nothing spectacular about his game but minimal liabilities either.
ESPN: He was at Yale for five seasons, including a COVID-19 year where they didn't play, before one year at South Carolina. He has versatility given he played at left tackle, center and left guard in his career. He moves well and showed this past season he could hold up against the defensive linemen in the SEC. With Lloyd Cushenberry's departure in free agency, the Broncos have a crowd of young players ready to compete for the job that could include Alex Forsyth and Luke Wattenberg -- Broncos picks in the previous two drafts -- as well as fifth-year veteran Sam Mustipher and now Gargiulo.
NFL Absolutely Not Fake News: At least he won’t always get compared to Brock Purdy.

Hey
I got a knee injury (ACL) about a year ago and I had an operation on february 14th. The doctor told me no change of direction or running for another 3 months. But I can walk well and hike as long as it's not risky for my knee. I can walk around 10-15km without a problem right now, but nothing with high altitude and risky ground.
Since I am a gym teacher, I can't go back to work for another 2 months. Also, me and my girlfriend just broke up about a montg ago so I was thinking it would be a great time to travel😅 Let's say I am not at my best right now. Injured, no job, no girlfriend and no social since my social is mostly at work or in sports and I can't work or play sport right now.
So I am looking for a place to travel to have fun. I would love a country that is safe and cheap. I don't really have a budget, but 1500-2000$ a month would be my maximum. I speak only french and english. I would love to learn a little bit of the language of the destination, but it is a bit late for that. Ideally, not a destination with high mountains with a lot of hikings. That could be for another trip!
So here is a recap :

• 25 years old man from Canada
• single (broke up about a month ago)
• knee injury (actually post-operation)
• speaks english and french
  • ideally I could survive with these languages
• looking for somewhere cheap for a canadian (flight and/or daily cost)
• looking for somewhere safe
• looking for somewhere that you can have fun with a bad knee!

Thanks for the help!

Hey Everyone - Thanks for all the great tips, been lurking on here for the last month or so get gain insights and searching whenever I have weird pains. I find comfort in knowing others have had similar experiences ☺️ I tore my ACL in February coaching wrestling and had surgery April 30th via a patellar graft. Below was my experience 10 days into my surgery and recovery:
Day 1 PO: I took the first 4 days off of work and was glad I did due to the sheer lack of independent mobility I had those days. I had to keep the wrap on til my first day of PT on Thursday which rendered icing pretty impossible. I would stick ice packs above the wrap but wasnt able to effectively ice the incision points the first two days. Still had the nerve block largely intact so this day pain was relatively low but I was not yet effective at moving around the house. I like to be very independent so I found this to be frustrating and commend anyone who has gone through this process alone!
Day 2 PO: “Are you joking me?” Was my genuine reaction when the nerve block wore off 😅 get ahead of the pain regardless of how you decide to manage it, I took the pain meds prescribed but understand people for not doing such. I didn’t sleep much the first few nights, I blame a combination of the straightened/elevated knee, the mid-day naps, and nothing to take your mind off the pain at night. I have had to use the restroom quite frequently but based on some other threads this seems normal.
Day 3 PO: Finally slept a good bit and had minimal pain in the morning which steadily increased throughout the day. Had my first PT session which included Estim on the quad, kneel slides, and a couple other into session items. I was only able to bend my knee to 40 degrees during this first session. I am elevating and icing my knee pretty much anytime I am sitting and it has helped a ton.
Days 4-6 PO: Days 4-6 were all relatively similar, I had minimal pain during the day but the nights were painful. The swelling has gone down significantly but my bruising came in strong (see pic 3). As mentioned, the pain during the day has reduced significantly but I started getting a sharp pain in my knee, as mentioned in this thread, when I would stand up. I also continued PT during these days and worked on at-home exercises so I was able to bend my knee to 81 degrees by day 6. Being able to move my leg and gain some quad strength back dramatically improved how I could get around the house. I stopped taking the pain medication during the day and only take it at night.
Days 7-10 PO: On day 7 I returned to work which was nice to have some normalcy back. I work in public accounting from him so I was able to work from the couch and take breaks. I am continuing to ice and elevate constantly but have added a little bit of the heating pad to try to reduce the bruising on the back of my leg. I was able to start doing leg lifts at PT and this has made the biggest impact on my quad strength so far, also getting the leg lift back has helped with little things like getting in and out of bed. I began walking without crutches on day 10 with my brace locked at zero degrees. This felt good but wore me out! The only negative I had start during these days was some pretty consistent headaches but that could be from any number of sources. The nights are still hit or miss, I am not sleeping fully through the nights but pain isn’t really the driver here more so the increased need to pee described above lol.
Lessons learned / “ACL life hacks”:

• get a rope or PT strap for $5 on Amazon, this helps very much the first few days to move your leg in and out of bed.
• I had the iceman machine but I also put some water and alcohol mixtures in the freezer. The alcohol prevents it fully freezing and is nice in a pinch because it’ll mold to your leg.
• Take the stool softeners! I took these consistently and it still took three days for me to use the restroom…
• Get a cheap smart plug for the ice machine. With this, I was able to turn the ice machine on and off from my phone without having to get up. Seems lazy but they usually are on sale for $1 on Amazon and I found this to be worth it.

I know I have a long way to go but have enjoyed reading each of you alls experiences and hope someone else may find this info useful!

Hi All,
I have a sloped hill in my back yard that is relatively steep. It's mostly shaded as we have large pines that border it. Due to this, it seems like it's almost always wet. I currently mow it with a cheap push mower that isn't self propelled (mow the rest of my lawn with a lawn tractor.) Before I started wearing old golf spikes, I fell a few times while mowing it and each time I instantly thought I tore my ACL (lucky I didn't.)
This said, I am looking at two options to make my job easier and safer:
1.) Self-propelled mower 2.) Cheap robotic mower that can mow the hill and nothing else. Is this even possible with cheaper options, meaning, can you "island off" the hill and have the robot mower ONLY mow the hill?
For either option, I'd like to stay below $1K. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you!
​

Adam Mares finally publically acknowledged what he told me a full two months before Tim left while watching the Avs at DNVR.
The foundation of the KCP trade (Morris + Barton) was a done deal at the trade deadline of the 22' season. The reason it didn't happen is because Jamal decided against coming back-- at which point keeping Monte was necessary and the teams decided to do the deal over the summer instead.
Booth got all the credit for that deal-- because not many people knew that it had been a done deal for months. And he deserves credit for hitting the send button and then extending KCP. And obviously for the Bruce Brown signing.
However, almost every move he has made since then has been a disaster.
Everyone knew lasts summer's FA class for PGs was barren yet we didn't prioritize finding a replacement for Bones when we traded him. Instead, we burned 3 seconds trading for Thomas Byrant. A guy who was never going to be able to play in the playoffs and who was set to be a FA.
Then Booth traded a lightly protected 29' first for a shotgun approach to a part of the draft that is very hit or miss and decides to burn #32 on a 24 year old PG who relied on backing down younger, smaller players in college and despite championship equity, walks out of FA with Reggie Jackson and Holiday-- two guys who were 3 years washed.
Then he has the audacity to tell KOC that Watson (who was the primary return for burning a 27 1st) is already better than Bruce Brown and to indicate that the approach to the offseason was taken, in part, to ensure the youth saw the floor.
At the time, I understood the logic of aiming for youth and cheap contracts but got downvoted in oblivion for arguing that a) we should have been aiming at 2nd draft guys instead of solely stockpiling late picks and b) stating that you should always be aiming for as much talent as possible, not limiting your options by aiming for guys who are okay being bench warmers.
Obi Toppin, NAW, Jalen Smith, Issaih Joe are all examples of 2nd draft guys contributing in the playoffs right now.
Derrick Jones Jr and Dante Exum are examples of guys on minimums who are contributing positively. And that's the bare minimum, not the TPMLE we gave RJ.
And where as Tim regularly found 2 way guys who turned into NBA players (Torrey Craig, Hatenstein, Kedrick Williams, Dozier before the ACL tear), we have yet to have a 2 way signed by Booth (CG was also Tim) contribute.
All of that added up to a team whose bench was a disaster. No backup center meant Jokic carrying a heavy burden. RJ being predictably awful meant Murray couldn't be load managed because the team was the worst they've ever been without him. Gordon was forced to play way too many minutes- including at backup center.
And now all of the starters are worn to a pulp and mentally exhausted because of it.
Braun and Watson both have potential. But Watson is unplayable on offense and Braun is still a net negative on that end when the playoffs hit and teams stop guarding him. Strawther and Tyson both have potential but we've basically hedged all of our assets on Watson, Strawther, Tyson, Pickett (not a believer) and the 7 footer they sold for cash considerations... and as of now, none of them look like sure things.
Oh and KCP (as much as he struggles with the Wolves matchup) has a player option. And RJ and Pickett are on guaranteed deals so upgrading the backup point guard is going to be tough.
Contrast that with Tim building a team that doesn't have a single bad player in the rotation. His draft picks (and I'm high on the kid they took in the 2nd round) sit marinating while NAW, Monte, Conley, Ried (signed to a steal of an extention) and Kyle Anderson help build out the deepest team in the NBA.
Yes, he gave up to much for Rudy. He was also right it would work and right that ANT was ready (and had them on a clock).
And the Kroenke's were idiots for letting a top 3 GM walk from his contract and praying an unproven GM could hit the ground running during a title window. Not only because it's likely cut the Nuggets window short but also because it allowed Tim to customize a team designed to wreck the Nuggets.

hi! i usually stick to lolla and bonnaroo, but w2 lineup for acl this year is everything i hoped roo would be! how much do airbnbs or hotels run for during the fest? does austin have any hostels/cheap lodging options?

I’ve been critical of the promoters leading up to this. But damn if they didn’t pull off a magical weekend. I’m just so happy that the festival went so well as it has finally put Charlotte on the map for these sort of events. They got some help with missing most of the rain/storms that were being forecasted, but sometimes a little luck goes a long way.
Music:
So many fantastic shows and special moments. All 3 headliners put on amazing performances. The drone show in between Maggie & Stevie was something to behold. The sound was incredible all weekend aside from Maggie’s set being really quiet. Dancing in the rain to Landslide during a downpour is an all time moment for me. You could feel Stevie and everyone in the venue appreciating just how special that was. Post Malone put on one of the best headlining sets I’ve seen. Shout out to the Beach Boys, Shaboozey, and The Fray for surprising me with great sets. DaBaby also deserves a shout out for all the energy he brought. It seems like he has made amends for past comments and you could see it genuinely meant a lot to him to perform at his home town fest. Mt. Joy was such a great opener for Noah. I could see them headlining mid tier fests like LL down the line. Lastly, I’ll call out my girl Jessie Murph. She was my most anticipated set and did not disappoint.
Venue:
I was pretty skeptical on the venue itself but I have to say it just works. The area is not ideal but they definitely made the most of the space. The massive main stage and screens really created so many great sightlines for a space that you wouldn’t think could facilitate that. The hills are a great feature and not something that many festivals have. 1st Ward Park offered a lot of spots to sit as well. Don’t think I waited in line to get in to the fest all weekend. The choke point at the Northwood stage should be adjusted though.
Bathrooms:
Nailed this. Did not wait in line for a bathroom all weekend, and from what I observed they were all clean for the most part. This is something they could have easily cheaped out on and they did not. I would request they have bathrooms at the Northwood stage next year though.
Food:
They definitely need to add more food options next year. The lines were insanely long all weekend. It didn’t affect us too much though, as we left the fest and went to 7th street market in between sets for food each day. Almost wanted to gatekeep this trick, as it was so clutch to not have to wait in line for some great food. Resident Culture also has a bar there so we got to watch the end of the Nuggets playoff game while we ate.
Drinks:
Barely waited in line all weekend for drinks. The selections were great and it even offered better variety than other major fests. To top it off, prices were pretty affordable when considering average fest prices.
Merch/Art/Branding:
Some truly gorgeous shirt options. I got one myself and it was telling that they were essentially sold out of everything by tonight. Shirt was great quality as well. Wasn’t a huge fan of their branding style at first but it has grown on me. The name is cheesy but I don’t mind it. Would like to see more art but the small touches they did were nice.
Crowd:
Look, this was never going to be a camping festival crowd. The music is geared to the South End crowd so there of course were plenty of that stereotype attending. But the crowd was very friendly and we got to meet a lot of new people. The crowd itself gave the musicians so much great energy as well. In particular when 30k people were whipped into a frenzy when it started pouring at the end of Stevie’s set. Was crazy how many people knew all the words to Noah’s songs as well.
Suggestions for Next year:

1. Please adjust the VIP area. It must have been so deflating for the earlier acts to look out and see all the empty space. However, given the overall success of this and the trend festivals are heading I doubt they change this. Maybe they could try to employ something Bonnaroo does for their pits and clear everyone out it between shows. VIP holders would get priority over GA with the aim of almost guaranteeing a spot each set. Don’t love the pay for play aspect but that’s the world we live in.
2. Please allow hydration packs. It was so foreign not having that with me and I would love it if they change this to be in line with all other Livenation and Golden Voice fests.
3. Book more electronic acts. Electronic acts are cheaper to book and are a big draw with young folk (see Chainsmokers crowd). They shouldn’t go overboard with this, but having more that one DJ will make this a true multi genre experience.
4. Work with Livenation & the independent venues to put on aftershows. This is a big feature of all major city fests (Lolla, ACL, Gov Ball, etc.) Charlotte doesn't have a ton of venues to work with, and I'm not sure how receptive LN would be with helping a competitor but this would take the fest to another level. There are some clear low hanging fruit on the independent electronic side if they go that route (Blackbox, Trio, QC Social, World). The last two don't put on shows like they used to but they are still solid venues in the heart of the city.
5. Continue to book a handful of rap acts. I wouldn’t hate DaBaby coming back to play the main stage next year as he continues to revive his career.
6. Re-grade the grass lot so that there isn’t a bowl that become a mess if there is rain. Re-grading the hills slightly so they are easier to sit on would also be nice, but I don’t know how feasible that is.
7. Turf/Mats at the Northwood stage. No one likes standing on asphalt for extended period of times.
8. More food options
9. Bathrooms at the Northwood stage

Closing:
We will most likely be buying tickets without seeing the lineup. Bit of a dice roll, but I want to support them and give them some faith with this being our hometown fest. Hope to see you all next year!

Context: For this booking, we will start from post-Dynasty and go until Double or Nothing in 2025. Though, I would have personally wanted to do her current run up to this point differently, we will keep things as they are for the sake of this booking.
AEW Double or Nothing: (TBS Championship) Willow Nightingale (c) vs Mercedes Mone

• The Story: We begin our story right where we are left off in real life following the most recent episode of Dynamite (5/1) where Mercedes, Willow, Stokely, and Statlander had their segment that resulted in Willow getting slapped in the face by Mercedes after Kris Statlander grabbed her arm from the episode on the 24th of April and then Willow successfully defending her TBS Championship against Skye Blue on Rampage. The next week during an episode of Dynamite, Willow Nightingale (with Stokely Hathaway and Kris Statlander alongside her) is interviewed by Renee Paquette before her upcoming math against Kierra Hogan. Willow talks about how her most recent fight against Skye Blue was the perfect kind of fight that she needed after the last few weeks she had before and how annoyed she is getting by Mercedes Mone constantly week-after-week trying to steal her spotlight and she knows why she is doing it. Willow says that she is going to say this one time and one time only, she did not try to injure Mercedes Mone on purpose and is sorry if she's unable to get over that, but at Double or Nothing, when it comes time to face each other again, she is going to beat her, and this time, there will be no asterisk to go with that victory. After she says this, Mercedes will enter the room, Willow is very annoyed by this and begins to tell her off until Mercedes says "Believe it or not sweetheart, not everything is about you", she turns her head slightly to stare into the eyes of Kris Statlander and says "I came here to talk to you". Willow looks to say something else but Stokely grabs her by the arm and tells her that they need to get ready for her match as she is coming up next. Kris tells Willow that she will meet her at ringside and that she'll handle this. As both Willow and Stokely leave, Mercedes tells Kris that she looked over the footage from last week and knows it was her that grabbed her arm, not Willow. Mercedes continues on by saying "Now, while I don't regret slapping the taste out of Willow's mouth, which is what I've been wanting to do for some time now anyway, let me offer you some advice. It would be incredibly wise for you to stay out of CEO business, because if you don't, I promise you it will be an even worse career decision than showing up here pretending to be an alien". Kris smirks at this and tells Mercedes that maybe getting her nose into CEO business is exactly what she wants. She continues on by saying "I know you like calling yourself the CEO and in other places, that may just be what you are, but here in AEW, where the best wrestle, I'm the boss around here". Kris continues by saying "and you know what? I'm starting to get tired hearing you week-after-week come around here and talk about how great you are, so maybe, you and I can go one-on-one and I can see for myself if you're the real deal". Mercedes is not amused by this and just simply tells Statlander, "I'd love nothing more than to show you just that, but thanks to whoever attacked me, I haven't been cleared just yet. So let me tell you how this is going to go. First, I'm going to go to Double or Nothing and take that TBS Championship away from your new BFF, Willow Nightingale. After that, if you still don't get why I'm the CEO around here and around the world, then maybe, I'll just have to show you then". Mercedes flips her hair in Kris's face and leaves (Willow wins her match against Kierra). One week, I would have there be a video package showing Mercedes recovering and rehabbing from her injury, working in the ring with someone to get the feel of wrestling ahead of her match with Willow. At one point, you see her watch back the moment she got injured and being carried out which fires her up as she trains even harder and hits her moves crisper, and it ends with her locking someone into the Banks Statement and they tap. The rest of the build is just building up their history and what this match means to both women. For Mercedes this is about getting redemption over the woman who robbed her of going on a run in Japan that she had imagined for herself and redemption against the woman who gave her the worst injury of her career. For Willow, this is about letting go of the past, by showing the world that her win against Mercedes last time was not a fluke, that she will beat Mercedes to show the world she is as legit as they come, and that there will be no asterisk to go with it (this is mostly done through video packages and exclusive interviews). During the pre-show of DoN, we see that backstage, Kris Statlander was attacked and she is clutching at her knee. Statlander will be unable to accompany Willow later for her match. (Ideally, I would love for Mercedes to have a match before the PPV but my guess is that she isn't cleared yet in real life and that's why in real time she hasn't really done much yet. If she were to be cleared before the PPV, I'd have her wrestle one match against someone that can showcase her skills).
• The Match: The match is a back and forth affair as Mercedes Mone showcases her athletic ability and veteran intelligence while Willow showcases her power, explosiveness, and fighting spirit. At one point in the match, Mercedes looks to hit a move from the top rope but ends up having to leap above Willow as she charges at Mercedes, as Mercedes lands she grabs at her ankle before collapsing, screaming in pain. The ref gets in between Willow and Mercedes, halting the action to check on Mone. Willow looks concerned, knowing she doesn't want to win this way again and didn't want Mercedes to be hurt last time. Willow goes over to check on Mercedes to make sure she is okay and when the opportunity is right, Mercedes attacks Willow and takes control of the match (I'd imagine something like throwing her into the ring post and going for a quick roll up or something like that to get the upper hand). From this point forward, Mercedes starts to wrestle like a heel, using sneaky tricks and talking shit to Willow for the rest of the match while Willow is the clear babyface. For the final stretch of the match, Mone hits a sunset flip powerbomb from the top rope to Willow, Mercedes goes for the pin and has both of her feet on the middle rope for more leverage in the pin, 1...2... the ref stops their count before the 3 after Stokely Hathaway (who has been ringside for the whole match) shouts at the ref bringing it to their attention that Mercedes is going for an illegal pin, the ref realizes this and stops the count. Mercedes is NOT happy by this, and makes her way to the outside as she gets into a shouting match with Stokely and ends up slapping him in the face. Mercedes makes her way back in the ring to attempt hitting her finishing move "Mone Maker" to Willow but is unsuccessful as Willow counters it into a "babe breaker" (death valley driver). At this point, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson (The Young Bucks) make their way down by ringside and seemingly confront Stokely Hathaway as all three men are shouting at each other. Willow hits her finishing move, Babe with the Bomb to Mercedes as the ref counts the pin, 1...2... the ref is pulled out of the ring right before they count the 3 by Nicholas Jackson. The Young Bucks demand that the ref eject Stokely Hathaway immediately for causing distractions and getting involved in the match earlier. Willow is pissed and is yelling at both Jacksons as Matthew Jackson gets on the apron to say something to her but she shoves him as he comes crashing down on top of his brother, Nicholas and Stokely on the outside. The ref is distracted by this and during that distraction, Mercedes will grab the TBS Championship and hit Willow in the back of the head with it, slide it out of the ring, and put her in the Banks Statement (backstabber to cross-face submission combination). Willow is unconscious and the ref calls for the bell, awarding Mercedes the win by submission. Mercedes Mone is the NEW TBS Champion, thanks to plenty of shenanigans. Before Stokely can attempt to protest this and check on Willow, he is met by duel superkicks by The Young Bucks. Both of the them will hand Mercedes the championship and raise both of her arms in celebration. The final shot before we go to the next match is of The Young Bucks and Mercedes Mone, side-by-side (Mercedes in the middle and a Jackson brother on each side of her), holding their gold in the air. It will be later be confirmed, that Mercedes Mone is the newest member of the Elite.

(During the build to Double or Nothing in the middle of the Elite's segments, they tease that there is a new member that will be joining the Elite very very soon.)
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AEW Forbidden Door: The Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson) & Mercedes Mone vs The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) & Willow Nightingale

• The Story: On the first Dynamite after Double or Nothing, we have a brief backstage shot of all the members of the New Elite (Mercedes Mone, The Young Bucks, Kazuchika Okada, and Jack Perry) in the Elite locker room, smiling and celebrating (it's advertised for later that night for Mercedes to have an in-ring interview with Tony Schivone). Fast forward to the Mone interview with Schivone, Mercedes is decked out in her fanciest outfit showing off her newly won TBS Championship, and is accompanied by both Matthew and Nicholas Jackson. Tony addresses this by saying that this was scheduled to be with Mercedes only, but then goes ahead and asks about what happened at Double or Nothing. Nicholas answers on Mercedes' behalf (to which she is completely fine with) saying that this was a move that makes the most sense, that Mercedes is the biggest women's stars in the entire world, in fact, one of the biggest stars in the entire world period. Matthew pipes in and says that Mercedes' entire body of work speaks for itself, everywhere that she goes, regardless of the region of the world or pro wrestling company, the common theme is that when Mercedes shows up, it equals big business. Matthew continues on saying that in other words, no matter what the CEO does, it is just simply "Elite" and that's the kind of standard that they expect from the women's division and what better representative of that, than Mercedes Mone. Tony looks a little annoyed but before he can ask another question, Mercedes steps up and speaks in the mic, saying that ever since she has been here in AEW, she has felt disrespected. Mercedes talks about how she has seen what some fans have said (let's play up on how there have been some fans were starting to get tired of Mercedes just show up week-after-week just talking instead of wrestling) and says that she doesn't give a damn what some trashy internet trolls think she should be doing because they could never be her. Mercedes says that "The CEO wrestles when the CEO deems it necessary and worthy of my time to wrestle because I am the biggest star, the main attraction, the CEO and face of this entire division". Mercedes continues on by talking about how even though the fans have been disrespectful and ungrateful of her presence, the Jacksons and the rest of the Elite have been the opposite. They realize her talent, they realize her star power, and have treated her as the star that she is and will continue to do so. They are what true leaders should strive to be. Mercedes then finishes it off saying that Willow should consider herself lucky that the championship was the only thing she lost, because after she (Mercedes) almost lost her career to her, she deserved more than just losing the TBS Championship. All of the sudden, you hear Kris Statlander's music play, and she storms into the ring and they begin to brawl. The Jackson's begin to hold Kris back which causes Mercedes enough time to grab her title and lay out Kris with it. A match between the two is made official for Dynamite next week and its said that the Young Bucks have fined Kris Statlander for interrupting Mercedes' segment and disrupting the show. Next week, Mercedes Mone and Kris Statlander (with Hathaway in her corner) are the main event, they go for about 15 or so minutes where the match consists of Mercedes working on Statlander's leg constantly (commentary puts over Statlander's history of ACL injuries) while Kris fights from underneath. At one point, the ref is checking on Stat, who is really selling her leg and is threatening to call the match off but Statlander screams at the ref not to. Mercedes puts her in a half-crab submission (at the time of writing this, 5/1, they did this with Serena Deeb so it can be a different leg submission lol) and wrenches on her leg. Willow rushes down to ringside and tells Stokely to throw in the towel, he refuses, telling Statlander to fight back. Willow grabs a towel and teases throwing it in but Stat shouts at her not too and after much hesitation, she obliges. Statlander starts to fight back and hit comeback offense and at one point looks to be going for her finish, but her legs gives out, leaving an opportunity for Mercedes to counter and hit her finish, Mone Maker. However, rather than going for the pin, she looks at Willow and puts Kris back into the half-crab, to attempt to injure Statlander. Willow cannot stand the sight of this anymore and throws in the towel, awarding Mercedes the victory. Willow and Stokely go to tend to and check on Kris Statlander as Mercedes holds her title up in celebration (The Young Bucks start to come down the ramp, clapping for Mercedes and celebrate with her). Mercedes will once again lay Willow out with the TBS title and stand tall over the fallen women. The next week, it is reported that Kris Statlander narrowly avoided a very serious injury but will still be out for some time to recover. Mercedes and the Bucks are out once again to have a segment and talk about how great and dominant Mercedes' TBS Championship run has been (even though she's had only one title defense) and that they think she has earned some time off to which she will smile and agree. Willow interrupts them, standing on the ramp and lays out a challenge to fight Mercedes at Forbidden Door. Mercedes laughs at this and before she can say anything else, Willow cuts her off and says that she wasn't done, she also challenges the Young Bucks since she knows that they'll be alongside Mercedes anyways and proposes a trios match. They accept and tell Willow that she can choose any two partners that would be dumb enough to fight the EVPs and CEO. Willow says that "In fact, I just so happen to have the perfect two partners who have no problem fighting you two, because 1. They don't work for you and 2. They just so happen to have a bit of history with you and 3. While they take you two out, they'll leave you all alone for me, bitch". In that moment, we hear the sound of the Motor City Machine Guns theme music play and they come charging down the ring. Before any violence can take place, The Bucks and Mercedes leave the ring and escape to the back as Willow, Chris Sabin, and Alex Shelley stand in the ring. The match is made official for Forbidden Door.
• The Match: This match is a solid 20 minutes of fast-paced, chaos. Each team and member has their moment to shine and hit their big signature moves. Anytime Willow has an opportunity to go after Mercedes, she goes all out with a fury of strikes and moves as Mercedes is doing her best to avoid Willow at all costs unless there is a moment she can do something underhanded to get ahead. During the final stretch, the Motor City Machine guns able to counter the Meltzer Driver and hit their own tag team finish on Nicholas Jackson, the ref counts the pin, 1...2... Mercedes breaks up the pin at 2 and is talking trash to both Sabin and Shelley, Willow grabs Mone by the ankles and pulls her out of the ring as the two women begin to brawl but Willow is able to get the better end of that brawl as she starts to throw Mercedes around twice on the barricade. Willow takes some steps back and then hits a cannonball onto Mercedes through the barricade. The match ends after The Motor City Machine Guns again go for a double team finish but Matthew Jackson blind tags in, superkicks Shelley, and then both Bucks will double superkick Sabin, hit the EVP Trigger and pickup the pinfall victory for the team of The Young Bucks and Mercedes Mone. Post-match, Willow (who has just now realized they have lost the match) is furious, and finally looks like she is about to snap after being disrespected week-after-week by Mercedes will continue to brawl with her. It looks like Willow is about to powerbomb Mercedes on the outside, until all of the sudden, a hooded figure will attack Willow, stopping the attack. The hooded figure will reveal themselves to be Kris Statlander (Mercedes seeing this will take off and run to the back) and hit Willow with a steel chair over and over and over again until referees need to escort her away.

(Willow and Kris Statlander will feud after this and the following Dynamite, Kris Statlander will kayfabe injure Willow's ankle. Stokely will join Kris.)
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AEW All In: (AEW Women's Championship & AEW TBS Championship, winner takes all) Toni Storm (c) vs Mercedes Mone (c)

• The Story: We are now on the road to All In and we are looking to make this event as big as ever for one of the biggest AEW events of the year. The new Elite (The Young Bucks, Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry, and Mercedes Mone) are in the EVP office backstage later on in the show. The New Elite are looking dominant and abusing their power more than ever. Matt Jackson highlights all of their accomplishments from Forbidden Door as they were all victorious and the champions within the group still have their championships and talks highly of each individual. He gets to Mercedes Mone (who has security and entourage with her) and after hyping her up, tells her that what happened after their match was unacceptable and not only have they fined Willow for her actions, they will reward her to make it up to her (they're continuing to be insufferable and show Mone special treatment). Mercedes says she has a great idea to not only reward her but, make All in the biggest show ever. She whispers something into Matt's ear, who looks excited and then whispers to Nick's ear, who spits out what he was drinking and looks even more excited. They approve and will make it happen and tell Mercedes that they'll make it official soon. On an episode of Collision, after Toni Storm was successful in victory over Skye Blue, we see Mercedes Mone with an attack post-match to Toni as she lays her out with Mone Maker (Mariah May will not ringside for this as she was helping Mina Shirakawa in a tag match on a different show). Mercedes stands tall over Toni Storm and holds her title up in the air as she looks down and also has her eyes set on the AEW Women's Championship. She proceeds to grab it as well and hold both belts up in the air as she then drops the title down on Toni, making her intentions very clear. On the next episode of Dynamite, Toni Storm goes to the EVP office to talk to the Young Bucks and demands an explanation, The Bucks say that they are very sorry for what Mercedes did and that they will be sure to have a very lengthy and serious conversation with her. They continue on saying that sometimes Mercedes gets a bit excited and got a little carried away (they say this with huge grins on their face). They tell Toni Storm to go to the ring later tonight and they will have an announcement that both interest her and make sure to discipline Mercedes. Later that night they say that as punishment for Mercedes' actions, she has been fined $100 and is not wrestling tonight (to which Mercedes will be fake upset about). The Bucks then announce that at All In, they want to make the biggest event possible so they thank all of the women's roster for busting their asses to make a case for being number one contender, and that at All In, Toni Storm will defend her AEW Women's Championship against Mercedes Mone. Toni is upset about this, mainly because Mercedes hasn't earned it and is already a champion. The Bucks also announce that to make this grand, and will say that this was Mercede's genius idea, she will also put her TBS Championship on the line in a winner-takes-all match. Toni says that while they think this is a win for them, she will prove at All In that this will be their biggest mistake. Mercedes will lightly shove her and then Mariah steps up for Toni and slap Mercedes in the face. The segment ends with The Bucks stopping Toni from attacking any more only for Mercedes to lay her out and smear lipstick and makeup all over Toni's face. On the go-home show of Dynamite before All-In, we have a match for the TBS Championship made official between Mercedes Mone and Mariah May. During the match, Mercedes makes it a point to show off and send a message to Toni Storm who is sitting in on commentary as she watches this match. Mariah May has her moments, even surprising Mercedes at times and getting some very close near falls (all of the time idolizing Toni Storm and watching her up close is paying off). However, despite Mariah's best efforts, Mercedes is just too crafty as she's able to find the right opportunity to counter and hit her finish, Mone Maker (right after she poked her in the eyes) and get the pinfall victory, retaining the TBS Championship. Mercedes takes a few extra shots at Mariah before Toni runs in and double legs Mercedes as she reigns down punches. Toni goes for the running hip attack but Mercedes rolls out of the ring and goes up the ramp. Toni holds her championship up in the air with Mariah May holding her tight in a hug.
• The Match: Mariah May is at ringside in Toni's corner as she normally is for this match. These two get very special entrances for this show as Mercedes enters in a limo or something fancy like that and escorted to the ring with security by her side and Toni Storm gets a special Hollywood Starlight type of entrance with a red carpet and stuff like that. These two get plenty of time to have a back and forth match with plenty of near falls and character moments that makes each stand out. At one point in the match, Mercedes is able to get Toni in the Banks Statement submission and has it locked in tight, Toni is struggling and at times looks to be fading until Mariah pounds on the mat trying to get the fans in it. After the ref grabs Toni's arm and drops it to see if she's out, she is able to keep it up and then able to bite down on Mercedes' hand to get her to let go of the hold. The two ladies stand back up Toni goes for a move that gets countered into an attempt at Mone Maker, but that gets countered as well and Toni hits her finish, Strong Zero (Spike Piledriver) and goes for the pin, 1...2... Mercedes kicks out at 2.9. Toni is shocked and attempts to go for her running hip attack but Mercedes is able to expose the middle turnbuckle and move out of the way as Toni crashes into it and Mercedes hits Toni's own finish, Strong Zero and goes for the pin, 1...2... Toni kicks out at 2.9. Frustrated that she can't put Toni away after a close near fall, Mercedes goes out of the ring and starts to get in Mariah's face (after Mariah has been cheering Toni on and trying to motivate her). she shoves Mariah twice which causes Mariah to push her back and get in her face. Mercedes then slaps Mariah which angers Toni, who then proceeds to roll out of the ring and kick the crap out of Mercedes. Toni briefly checks on Mariah and then continues the beatdown. Toni rolls Mercedes back in the ring who attempts a move but gets countered as Toni hits her with a german suplex followed up by her wind-up elbow strike thing she does. Not missing a beat, Toni puts her against the turnbuckle and hits her with her running hip attack as she sells her back a little. Toni is fired up and is looking to hit Strong Zero one final time until there is commotion going on in the outside. It is shown that Mariah May is being beaten down brutally by newest AEW signing, Kamille. Commentary hypes this up but also asks questions as to why this is happening, this distracts Toni for a brief moment as she turns around and is hit by Mone Maker. Mercedes goes for the pin, 1...2...3. Mercedes Mone is the NEW AEW Women's Champion has achieved double champ status. Kamille hands Mercedes both championship titles and raises her on her shoulders as Mercedes raises both championships in the air in celebration. The final shot before the main event is of Mercedes Mone holding both championship belts in the air in celebration as she walks up the ramp alongside Kamille to a chorus of boos.

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AEW All Out: (AEW Women's Championship) Mercedes Mone (c) vs Hikaru Shida

• The Story: We are post-All In and All Out is quickly approaching. Mercedes Mone along with Kamille will come to the ring for a segment and Mercedes will explain this new partnership. Mercedes says that there are a lot of women that seem to be upset with her around here and that now that she is on top of the world, she has a target on her back and fears someone will take cheap shots at her just like someone did when she first arrived. Mercedes explains that she needs protection and Kamille fits the bill (she begins to highlight all her accomplishments and puts over her NWA Women's Championship reign). Mercedes says that she has officially appointed Kamille as her C.O.O. (official second in command) of the Mercedes Mone business as now, her being world champion is growing her empire. Mercedes then says that she will be the greatest women's champion of all time, better than any other woman that has held this championship before (runs down past champions, including Shida) and dares any woman to stand up to her and take it away from her. Hikaru Shida comes out and challenges her for the AEW Women's Championship. At first, Mercedes doesn't appear to be interested but Shida says that if Mone wants to be the greatest women's champ ever, she needs to beat the best women's champ ever in AEW (jury is out on that but we're running with it). Mercedes then accepts and says that she will happily start her reign, beating Shida and show the world she doesn't measure up to the CEO.
• The Match: These two will main event the show and get plenty of time to work with. Shida playing a great babyface who is very talented and gets on fun runs of offense with Mercedes playing a tricky heel using heel tactics and her COO to get ahead. The match ends with Mercedes Mone hitting Mone Maker to Shida to retain the AEW Women's Championship.

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AEW WrestleDream: (AEW Women's Championship) Mercedes Mone (c) vs Riho

• The Story: The story of this will be that post-All Out, the New Elite are continuing to be pricks and abuse their power and are starting to target friends of the old Elite or current after Kenny Omega gives a health update from home and warns the New Elite that when he comes back, there will be hell to pay. As a result of this, they start to go after friends of Omega. Mercedes starts to go after Riho, taking her out and attacking her after each of her matches and having Kamille do the dirty work. On top of this, Mercedes also targets Riho because she continues to be on a mission to be the best women's champion ever and goes after another former champion, this time, the first ever AEW Women's Champion. Riho gets an opportunity at the Championship after winning a #1 Contender's match against Anna Jay. Also, on an episode of Collision, Mercedes Mone defends the TBS Championship against Nyla Rose and is successful (Nyla and Kamille will have a mini feud too after many staredowns between the two). Post match, to get comeback after Nyla and Kamille brawl, Riho enters the ring and hits her finish, Samato, laying her out and standing tall after weeks and weeks of enduring Mercedes' bullying and constant attacks. Riho in a vignette promo says that she is going to remind the world that she is the best in AEW, she will forever be the first ever Women's champion, and that after beating Mercedes at WrestleDream, she will show the world that she is the best Champion in AEW.
• The Match: These two get a solid 15 minutes to work here and put together a solid match with Riho being the babyface underdog. Mercedes continues to taunt Riho after Riho keeps fighting back kicking out of some big moves and after being able to get to the ropes after putting her in the Banks Statment. Riho makes a big comeback after she gets fired up after Mercedes pushes her face with her boots in a mocking fashion, pissing Riho off. Riho is able to at one point, hit the double foot stomp and then follow it up with her finisher, Samato, and goes for the pin, 1...2.... Mercedes has her foot on the rope breaking the pin but it was Kamille that put it there. Riho dives to the outside onto Kamille, taking her out, and then goes back in the ring to hit Samato again on Mercedes but it's countered into an attempt at Mone Maker but Riho counters that into a roll up pin attempt, 1...2... kickout at 2 by Mercedes. Mone is able to put Riho in the Banks Statment and Mercedes retains, getting the submission victory.

(at some point in the show, Hangman Adam Page and a returning Kenny Omega will confront members of the New Elite and go against them. We are now building to a New Elite vs Elite feud).
To be continued... let me know what you think so far! What do you like? What do you not like about it? Let me know! Part 2 should be coming soon.

During draft weekend, GM Brian Gutekunst’s view of various players on his roster likely affected which positions he prioritized during the draft. The players he did, and did not, select can reveal a lot about what he thinks of the players already on his roster.
Winners: Eric Stokes and Carrington Valentine
Gutey gave fourth-year corner Eric Stokes’ hamstring a big vote of confidence when he declined to draft a traditional cornerback until his final selection, despite having multiple opportunities to do so with players that fell quite a bit (it wouldn’t have cost much to trade up for Alabama corner Terrion Arnold in the first, or Iowa corner Cooper DeJean, and he traded down with other Alabama corner Kool-Aid McKinstry on the board in the second). In his post-draft press conference, he specifically mentioned that he was confident that the injury bug that have taken away the last year and a half of Stokes’ career are behind him, and specifically, how well sophomore corner Carrington Valentine played during his rookie year. That’s high praise for a guy who was a seventh round pick last year.
Loser: Keisean Nixon
Nixon must have felt pretty good about getting his 6 million a year contract a few weeks ago, because that told a lot of us the Packers viewed him as a starter on Jeff Hafley’s defense. But the selections made on the draft’s last two days reveal perhaps a slightly different story. Georgia safety Javon Bullard, Green Bay’s third selection, played much of his career in the slot before transitioning to free safety. Sure, you say, he is more likely to fill the roster hole next to new free agent Xavier McKinney. Then Gutekunst went and drafted two more safeties. Fourth rounder Evan Williams profiles best as a box safety, while fifth rounder Kitan Oladapo is viewed by league scouts as being able to play as either a traditional zone safety, or a nickel. Gutey talked at length about how he viewed nickel and safety as interchangeable, and it’s hard to imagine Nixon won’t at the very least have to keep looking behind his back for one of these rookies to start eating at his snap counts if he doesn’t play well.
Loser: Anthony Johnson Jr. and Zayne Anderson
Speaking of drafting three safeties, hoo boy. There was some thought pre-draft whether the Packers might have been content to roll into the 2024 season with Johnson Jr., who was a projected fourth-round pick during last year’s draft that fell all the way to the seventh-round. After all, they declined to sign any other free agents with names like Jordan Fuller, Kam Curl and Justin Simmons either going for very reasonable deals in free agency or still being available. That was very much not the case. But even more so, nobody on the roster might have had a worse weekend than safety Zayne Anderson, who went from third on the depth chart to looking at an uphill climb to making the roster.
Winner: Malik Heath and Grant DuBose
These two from last year’s draft might have faced a stiff challenge for their potential spots in Green Bay’s final 53 man roster had Gutekunst drafted any additional wide receivers over the weekend. With the Packers’ returning all five of their top receivers: Watson, Doubs, Reed, Wicks and Melton likely did more than enough to keep their jobs, it would’ve been Heath on the chopping block first since Green Bay typically does not carry more than six wide receivers on their 53. And while DuBose faces a long summer to try for a roster spot after being injured for most of camp last year, he at least doesn’t need to compete with another new draft pick to do so.
Losers: AJ Dillon and Emanuel Wilson
Dillon’s status as a number two back was likely always in question — they brought him back because he was extremely cheap against the cap. But there were reports pre-draft that Green Bay might be content with them and new free agent signing Josh Jacobs into the season. That proved to be very much not the case when the Packers went and drafted USC running back MarShawn Lloyd on Friday, the number one back on Daniel Jeremiah’s board. It wouldn’t cost Green Bay very much against the cap to move on from either player.
Winners: Kenny Clark, Colby Wooden and Jonathan Ford
The selection of any DT would’ve put the jobs of Wooden and Ford in serious jeopardy. Green Bay does not typically carry seven defensive tackles on its 53. That much was clear. But there were also some rumors the Packers might select a defensive tackle early to potentially be groomed to replace Clark, who is entering the final year of his contract (and Mark Murphy has mentioned that the Packers typically do not give third contracts to most players unless they are Hall of Famers). That didn’t happen, and Clark should feel very good about how highly the front office thinks of him — the only remaining player on the roster drafted by Ted Thompson.
Winners: Kingsley Enagbare and Brenton Cox
Green Bay’s edge depth entering the draft looked fairly grim behind their three established starters, with it having been announced that Enagbare had torn his ACL during the team’s divisional round win in Dallas. After fans scratched their heads all weekend about why the Packers did not draft any additional edge rushers, coach Matt LaFleur announced at his post-draft press conference that Enagbare, the third-year edge rusher from South Carolina, might not have torn his ACL at all, and the team is hopeful to have him back at the start of the season without needing surgery. And not drafting pass rushers also projects well on second-year DE Brenton Cox, a former five-star recruit in high school who’s trying very hard to keep his NFL dream alive after being kicked off two college programs.
Winner: Ben Sims
Adding any other tight end to this room would’ve put the second year UDFA tight end on high alert, especially with the Packers getting special teams ace and occasional TE Tyler Davis back from an ACL injury. The opportunities were there for Brian Gutekunst — the only tight end who went higher than expected was Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott, but he never pulled the trigger, and Sims’ job is likely safe.
Loser: Isaiah McDuffie
The fourth-year linebacker found himself in a timeshare situation with established starter De’Vondre Campbell last year. He’ll face a stiff challenge from two newcomers entering this season though, particularly from the class’s consensus top linebacker, Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper.
Loser: Sean Clifford
There was a massive run on quarterbacks fairly early on Day 3 last year, and the Packers found themselves short on players they liked and spent a fifth rounder on Clifford. While he played well in his preseason action, his spot for QB2 isn’t going to come easy for this year when Tulane signalcaller Michael Pratt, a projected Day 2 pick on some boards, fell all the way into Green Bay’s lap in Round 7. Pratt is younger, and there are some scouts who believe he can eventually become an NFL starter.
Loser: Caleb Jones
The former UDFA had a nice 2023 in which Green Bay did not select any additional linemen, but he faces a long summer to get a roster spot with Green Bay having added three new linemen this spring, and having signed former Eagles tackle Andre Dillard for the veteran minimum.
Losers: Josh Myers or Sean Rhyan
The Packers might not have taken an interior offensive lineman in the first three rounds, but the selection of Jordan Morgan as their top pick indicates the Packers are serious about moving Zach Tom inside. Whether he comes to replace Myers, entering the final year of his deal, or Rhyan, who split time with now-Giant Jon Runyan Jr. at right guard, remains to be seen.

I completely tore my ACL and am getting surgery soon. My Doctor is suggesting this ice game thing that goes on right after surgery, but this particular one is too expensive and my insurance doesn’t cover it. Any recommendations on where I can find one for a good price online and is still very effective.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/04/vet-private-equity-industry/678180/
In the pandemic winter of 2020, Katie, my family’s 14-year-old miniature poodle, began coughing uncontrollably. After multiple vet visits, and more than $1,000 in bills, a veterinary cardiologist diagnosed her with heart failure. Our girl, a dog I loved so much that I wrote an essay about how I called her my “daughter,” would likely die within nine months.
Katie survived for almost two years. My younger son joked that Katie wasn’t going to let advanced heart failure get in the way of her life goal of never leaving my side, but the truth was that I was the one who wouldn’t let her go. Katie’s extended life didn’t come cheap. There were repeated scans, echocardiograms, and blood work, and several trips to veterinary emergency rooms. One drug alone cost $300 a month, and that was after I shopped aggressively for discounts online.
People like me have fueled the growth of what you might call Big Vet. As household pets have risen in status—from mere animals to bona fide family members—so, too, has owners’ willingness to spend money to ensure their well-being. Big-money investors have noticed. According to data provided to me by PitchBook, private equity poured $51.6 billion into the veterinary sector from 2017 to 2023, and another $9.3 billion in the first four months of this year, seemingly convinced that it had discovered a foolproof investment. Industry cheerleaders pointed to surveys showing that people would go into debt to keep their four-legged friends healthy. The field was viewed as “low-risk, high-reward,” as a 2022 report issued by Capstone Partners put it, singling out the industry for its higher-than-average rate of return on investment.
From the December 2022 issue: How much would you pay to save your pet’s life?
In the United States, corporations and private-equity funds have been rolling up smaller chains and previously independent practices. Mars Inc., of Skittles and Snickers fame, is, oddly, the largest owner of stand-alone veterinary clinics in the United States, operating more than 2,000 practices under the names Banfield, VCA, and BluePearl. JAB Holding Company, the owner of National Veterinary Associates’ 1,000-plus hospitals (not to mention Panera and Espresso House), also holds multiple pet-insurance lines in its portfolio. Shore Capital Partners, which owns several human health-care companies, controls Mission Veterinary Partners and Southern Veterinary Partners.
As a result, your local vet may well be directed by a multinational shop that views caring for your fur baby as a healthy component of a diversified revenue stream. Veterinary-industry insiders now estimate that 25 to 30 percent of practices in the United States are under large corporate umbrellas, up from 8 percent a little more than a decade ago. For specialty clinics, the number is closer to three out of four.
And as this happened, veterinary prices began to rise—a lot. Americans spent an estimated $38 billion on health care and related services for companion animals in 2023, up from about $29 billion in 2019. Even as overall inflation got back under control last year, the cost of veterinary care did not. In March 2024, the Consumer Price Index for urban consumers was up 3.5 percent year over year. The veterinary-services category was up 9.6 percent. If you have ever wondered why keeping your pet healthy has gotten so out-of-control expensive, Big Vet just might be your answer.
To get a sense of what might happen when the profit-seeking dial gets turned up too high in veterinary medicine, we need look no further than human health care. An extensive body of research shows that when private equity takes over a hospital or physician practice, prices and the number of expensive procedures tend to go up. A study found serious medical errors occur more frequently after private equity buys the hospital. Another study found that costs to patients rise, too, sometimes substantially. And that’s in a tougher regulatory environment. In veterinary medicine, there is no giant entity like Medicare capable of pushing back on prices. There is no requirement, in fact, to provide care at all, no matter how dire the animal’s condition. Payment is due at the time of service or there is no service.
Whenever I told people I was working on this article, I was inundated with Big Vet complaints. Catherine Liu, a professor at UC Irvine, took her elderly pit-bull mix, Buster, to a local VCA when he became lethargic and began drooling excessively. More than $8,000 in charges later, there was still no diagnosis. “Sonograms, endoscopy—what about just a hypothesis of what the symptoms could be? Nothing like that at all was forthcoming,” Liu told me. Shortly before Buster died, a vet in private practice diagnosed him with cancer. The disease, Liu said, had not once been mentioned by the vets at VCA. (Mars Petcare, VCA’s parent company, declined to comment on the episode.)
I don’t mean to single out VCA here—in fact, I should note that a VCA vet’s medical protocol was almost certainly responsible for my dog’s longer-than-expected life. One reason Mars-owned chains attract outsized attention for their high costs and customer-service failures is that the company actually brands its acquisitions. That’s unusual. A study conducted by the Arizona consumer advocate Todd Nemet found that fewer than 15 percent of corporate-owned practices in the state slap their own brand identity on their vets; most keep the original practice name, leaving customers with the illusion of local ownership. (When I asked Thrive Pet Healthcare, a chain majority-owned by TSG Consumer Partners, about why the company doesn’t brand its clinics, a spokesperson replied, “We realize the value of local hospital brands and are committed to preserving and supporting them.”)
Indeed, some pet owners told me that they realized that ownership of their vet had changed only after what they thought was a routine visit resulted in recommendations for mounds of tests, which turned out to have shot up in price. Paul Cerro, the CEO of Cedar Grove Capital, which invests in the pet industry, says this issue is frequent in online reviews. “People will say, ‘I’ve been coming here for four years, and all of a sudden I’m getting charged for things I’ve never been charged for,’ and they give it one star.”
Read: The great veterinary shortage
Big Vet denies charging excessive prices. VCA Canada, for instance, recently told The Globe and Mail that prices can increase after an acquisition because “the quality of the care, the quality of everything we offer to them, goes up as well.” A spokesperson for Mars told me, “We invest heavily in our associates, hospitals, state-of-the-art equipment, technology, and other resources.” NVA, which is planning an initial public offering in 2025 or 2026, did not directly answer a question about why veterinary prices were rising so rapidly, instead sending me a statement saying, in part, “Our vision is to build a community of hospitals that pet owners trust, are easy to access, and provide the best possible value for care.”
Do rising prices really just reflect higher-quality care? There may be some truth to this, but there is also evidence to the contrary. A study published last year in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, for example, found that vets working for large corporations reported more pressure to generate revenue, whereas veterinarians working for independent practices reported higher levels of satisfaction for such things as the “ability to acquire new large equipment” and the “ability to get new/different drugs.” Preliminary research by Emma Harris, the vice president of Vetster, a veterinary telehealth start-up, found significant differences in pricing between corporate and privately owned veterinary clinics in the same geographic region. Usually, she told me, the increases “occurred immediately after the sale to a private-equity-owned group.”
All of this doesn’t sit well with many in the sector. Vets tend to be idealistic, which makes sense given that many of them rack up six figures in student-loan debt to pursue a profession that pays significantly less than human medicine. One vet, who worked for an emergency-services practice that, they said, raised prices by 20 percent in 2022, told me, “I almost got to the point where I was ashamed to tell people what the estimate was for things because it was so insanely high.” (The vet asked for anonymity because they feared legal repercussions.) Others described mounting pressure to upsell customers following acquisition by private equity. “You don’t always need to take X-rays on an animal that’s vomited just one time,” Kathy Lewis, a veterinarian who formerly worked at a Tennessee practice purchased in 2021 by Mission Veterinary Partners, told me. “But there was more of that going on.” Prices increased rapidly as well, she said, leading to customer complaints. (Mission Veterinary Partners did not respond to requests for comment.)
The combination of wheeling-and-dealing and price increases in the veterinary sector is beginning to attract the government’s attention. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission required, in a 2022 consent decree, that JAB seek prior approval before purchasing any emergency or specialty clinic within 25 miles of one it already owns in California and Texas for the next decade. In her written comments, FTC Chair Lina Khan said she feared these one-by-one purchases could lead to the development of a stealth monopoly. (JAB denied any wrongdoing.) And in the United Kingdom, where corporate ownership is higher than in the United States (even the practice originally owned by the author of the classic veterinary novel All Creatures Great and Small has been rolled up), government authorities are moving forward with an investigation into high prices and market concentration after an initial inquiry drew what regulators called an “unprecedented” response from the public.
Pet owners used to have an easier time accepting the short lives of domestic animals. Few people were taking the barnyard cat or junkyard dog in for chemotherapy or ACL surgery, to say nothing of post-op aquatic physical therapy. “When we started out over 20 years ago, you had to live near a veterinary teaching hospital to have access to something like an MRI,” Karen Leslie, the executive director of the Pet Fund, a charity that aids people with vet bills, told me. “Now it’s the standard of care. It’s available basically everywhere—but that starts at $2,000.”
Big Vet, in Leslie’s view, helped fuel an increase in expensive services. The same medical progress that’s helped humans beat back once-fatal diseases is doing the same for cats and dogs, extending their life spans to record lengths. But only if you have the money to pay for it. Some pets—my late Katie, Liu’s late Buster—receive one expensive test or treatment after another, sometimes helpful, sometimes not. Other equally loved pets may go without basic care altogether, or even fall victim to what the industry calls “economic euthanasia,” where they are put down because their owners can’t afford their medical bills. (Pet insurance, widely promoted by the industry, is unlikely to help much. Uptake rates are in the low single digits, a result of relatively high costs and often-limited benefits.)
Watch: Volunteer veterinarians in Ukraine
The American Veterinary Medical Association’s tracker shows that vet visits and purchases of heartworm and flea-and-tick medications are down compared with this month last year, even as practice revenues are up, suggesting that some owners are having trouble affording routine, preventative care. The market researcher Packaged Facts found that a full third of pet owners say that they would take their animal to the vet more often if it were less expensive. Shelter Animals Count, an animal-advocacy group, reports that the number of pets surrendered to shelters rose in the past two years. Carol Mithers, the author of the upcoming book Rethinking Rescue, told me that some people give up pets because they believe the shelter system will provide them with necessary medical treatment—something that is, heartbreakingly, not true.
The veterinary past is easy to romanticize. The truth is that pets have never received all the needed care, and that wealthy pet owners have always had access to more care. But the emergence of Big Vet and the injection of cutthroat incentives into a traditionally idealistic, local industry threatens to make these problems far worse. It portends a future in which some pet owners get shaken down, their love for their pets exploited financially, while others must forego even basic care for their pets. I don’t think Katie, who loved all animals, would approve. I certainly don’t.
Support for this project was provided by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Helaine Olen is a writer living in New York. She is the author of Pound Foolish and the co-author of The Index Card.

Hello,
I am a 24 year old male which has been pretty active and athletic.
I've sustained a meniscus injury mid-October when doing a Bulgarian lunge with 140 pounds, but because I am in a financially rough position, I didn't go to the traumatologist until December 3rd. The reason was because I was feeling a lot better when the weeks passed, so i decided to go jogging. Unfortunately, this made me feel a great popping sensation and my knee swole very fast. I started limping so I knew it was time to go to the trauma. He told me I would need to take an MRI to see the extent of the injury, and see if I would need surgery. Once again, I couldn't go to take an MRI because I was short on money.
The weeks passed by and I was feeling better, I started to walk long distances again, do static bike. But at mid-January, things got much worse. I started limping, I couldn't walk more than a few blocks without hurting. I decided to go and take the MRI. Then, I went to see my traumatologist, who told me that my right meniscus on my right knee was detached, and that I had a scar on my ACL. He told me he would need to do surgery on me. He told me that he would make a meniscus repair. But he told me that it would cost around 60,000 Mexican pesos (which is around $3,520 USD). As I am a student, I couldn't afford the surgery, neither my parents.
I went to see another traumatologist from the mexican healthcare system and he told me that he could debride my meniscus, but that in the healthcare system in here, they don't make meniscus repairs.
I tried to take a loan, but they didn't give it to me. I tried getting a remote job, but I couldn't get something affordable. I am trying to make a career as a Real Estate advisor, but it's rough and I can't seem to find success.
Money doesn't seem to get to me as much as I try. I can't work if the work its not remote because I can't move. It hurts walking, bearing my own weight. I have to use a cane.
What should I do? I really want to conserve as much of my knee health as possible. I am honestly afraid of debridement. I don't want to make a cheap choice on my health that will have implications for the rest of my life. But the struggle right now seems too hard. I struggle to find sufficient information on the comparative outcomes that speak about debridment vs repair. And I have also seen many anecdotal evidences in here that talk about having success with their debridement.
I just want to be able to move again. To be able to run, to be able to squat. To be able to walk the long distances I walked. I care a lot about my health. It frustrates me very much not having the financial means to take what seems like the best course of action.
Please help me, I'm not sure on what to do.

In watching the games tonight I felt like there were two subsets of moves that put certain teams over the top.
For one the Lakers exhibited almost no loyalty to their team last year. Aside from their main components they essentiallyl revamped the entire squad. I believe they have four players from last year's roster. They saw what wasn't working and were willing to bring in a bunch of new players. They also took a lot of interesting shots. I think they got Tori and Prince for pretty cheap. Obviously they got reddish for really cheap which didn't work out but it was an interesting move. Gabe Vincent was a neat pickup despite injuries.
The Kings built on the success of their wrestler last year. They mostly play the same players from last year. Then Kevin and Malik got hurt. Those are pretty big injuries.
Keon Ellis was able to step in for two bonafide NBA players. One of them is about the six men of the year and the other is a solid rotational true shooting guard.
I think finding guys in the G league and with undrafted rookies and guys who have played a couple years overseas is important. Gary Payton essentially put the warriors over the top in 2022. He was an incredibly important like 8th man.
Keon Ellis had become a great 8th man and stepped in as a quality starter to finish this year.
I'm looking at whar the Grizzliws were able to do with Desmond Bane. I would like to see someone like the jazz prioritize Fontaine a guy with the 20th pick who can really become a solid player like a Grayson Allen or Grady dick. I also hope they can find a dude who more so fits the mold of Keon Ellis.
Essentially think that teams who are along the fringes of the NBA that are not in any real competition presently or the interesting wants to look at because they have more minutes it can give more of chances. Look at Bane. Over four years turn a really quality shooting guard into a true max player. Sure you are only getting like 88% of value for his max contract but in the modern MBA that's fine especially in consideration of the fact that he fits with their top end talent pretty well and there is room for improvement.
I think with the jazz offense they can do something like this and it can be tight for everyone involved.
Moving forward I would really like to see the nuggets figure out how to bring in someone to replace Jeff green. Like a 35-year-old Wing player who's a consummate professional and a great role player that over the course of like a 20 game 25 game playoff stretch can have like four big games that are really helpful. Danilo Gallinari will be two years off ACL next year. I don't think he's the right example but I'm just hopeful someone is able to feel a roll of their team needs kind of like a Manu ginobili or Vince Carter in the past when they were 40.
The reason I say a good professional is because you need guys to set screens and cut and rebound and just make the right play so I think you're going to have more than likely feel that role more well with just like a solid veteran who already knows how to play and just understands pretty well how to play with and off Jamal Murray and the joker.

Hi Spearos,
Simply put, I am thinking about getting into spearfishing, but have no idea where to start. I honestly know nothing at all about it, other than the obvious, you swim, dive, shoot at a fish, probably miss (maybe that last one is more me, not you, lol).
Other than it seems like the type of thing I would enjoy, I like swimming and nature, fish tastes great and I get to have it for free this way. I am looking at it for my own health, as I have damaged my knee a fair bit.
I initially tore my ACL skiing, along with a damaged MCL and have now torn work done in the reconstruction surgery, which will require a second even more invasive surgery to fix. As a result I am giving up skiing and a few other land based sports as the thought of needing any more accident related surgeries, is a risk I am no longer willing to take, or at the very least I am looking to reduce the chance as much as possible.
Swimming sports are generally very good for these kinds of injuries, as they help work the muscles while being well supported by the water, and I am a bit of a thrill seeker, so spearfishing looks to be perfect. The only potential risk I can immediately think of is the leverage placed upon the knee from the fins when kicking, although this also seems easily managed. If anyone can think of any other, please let me know, I would love to hear them!
Now for all my questions:

• What gear do I need, and what generally makes gear good or bad? I am sure that there is a lot of personally choice in this, but I want to know what the difference is between a cheap speargun and an expensive one for example?
• What sort of costs am I looking at?
• Where is best to spearfish in the UK? I live in Cambridge, I have seen that Cornwall is generally the best, but are there any spots a little closer to me, like Kent?
• I know that most of the east coast are sand beaches, would these still be good hunting grounds?
• I am left handed, is there anything that might be affected by this, like are most spearguns right handed?
• How do I learn to ID fish, and sizes? I have seen that Bass for example have some legal size limits here.
• Finally, how should I get started, and what simple basic things did you not realize when you started?

Thanks for all the help and reading my essay :D!
​

Hell in a Cell 2021
Date: 20/6/21
Location: SAP Center, Sacramento, California
Hell in a Cell Match for the World Heavyweight Championship - If Braun Strowman loses, he must leave Monday Night Raw:
Bobby Lashley (c) w/The Hurt Business vs Braun Strowman
(After being screwed at Backlash, a furious Braun Strowman is out for blood and says that he isn’t finished with that dirty bastard Bobby Lashley in the slightest. Strowman says that Lashley claims to be “The Almighty” but all he sees is a guy with no balls who constantly hides behind Omos like the rest of his goons. Strowman then lays out the challenge for Bobby Lashley to face him at Hell in a Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship again but this time inside of the structure. Desperate to get Strowman out of his life for good, Lashley says that he’ll accept his challenge on one condition. If he beats Braun, he must leave Monday Night Raw! Strowman accepts Lashley’s condition and promises that he’s going to get these hands before losing that World Heavyweight Championship. The Hurt Business manages to break into the cell and try to help Lashley but Strowman them off before even tackling Omos through the side of the cell! Strowman then gets back the ring and Lashley smashes him over the head with the World Championship handed to him by MVP before covering Strowman to retain, sending him packing from Raw. The Monster Among Men heads over to SmackDown.)
Drew McIntyre vs Jinder Mahal w/Shanky & Veer
(After defeating Sheamus at Backlash, Drew McIntyre says that his full focus is now back on regaining the World Heavyweight Championship. Before saying anything else, McIntyre is attacked by two unknown men named Shanky and Veer before it’s revealed who’s sent them after him… Jinder Mahal! The following week, Mahal says that once upon a time himself and Drew McIntyre were in a group along with Heath Slater called 3MB. However, once him and Drew got fired at the same time in 2014, Drew didn’t contact him once or remain his friend despite always claiming 3MB would always be a brotherhood. Mahal says McIntyre was ignorant and deemed himself above people like him which is why he’s decided to finally make McIntyre pay now. Drew says the reason he never contacted Jinder is because he realised that he was an asshole so full of himself and all Jinder has done recently is prove his point. McIntyre challenges Mahal to a match so he can put him in his place which Mahal accepts. Drew makes easy work of his former friend and beats him in 5 minutes.)
RK-Bro vs John Morrison & The Miz
(After finally accepting Matt Riddle’s offer to be his tag team partner, Randy Orton says that at Backlash, Riddle earned his respect in their match, he finally realised Riddle also respected him and he wasn’t trying to deliberately be a pain in the ass like he thought. Orton says now that he and Riddle are a team, they’re ready for any competition on Raw and have the Tag Team Titles in their sights. John Morrison and The Miz interrupt Orton and Riddle with Miz running his mouth as per usual saying that him and Morrison know this joke of a team won’t last long never mind get to the Tag Team Titles, especially with the ego Randy Orton especially has. Riddle says Miz calling anyone a joke of a team when he got his ass kicked by a celebrity at WrestleMania is hilarious. Orton laughs his ass off at Riddle’s comment before challenging Miz and Morrison to a match at Hell in a Cell against RK-Bro. Morrison accepts the challenge much to Miz’s annoyance. RK-Bro score their first big win as a Tag Team here. After the match, The Miz attacks John Morrison and turns on him with Morrison turning babyface.)
Six-Pack Challenge Elimination Match for the Intercontinental Championship:
Apollo Crews (c) w/Commander Azeez vs Cesaro vs Kevin Owens vs Ricochet vs Sami Zayn vs EC3
(On the SmackDowm after Backlash, Apollo Crews defeats Big E in a Steel Cage Match to retain his Championship and close out the feud. The following week, Crews says that now with Big E out of his life and away from his Championship for good, he’s ready for fresh competition and whoever that is, they’ll fall to him. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, EC3, Cesaro and Ricochet all stake a claim to be the next in the line for the Intercontinental Championship and begin bickering until Crews tells them to decide amongst themselves. William Regal interrupts and says he hears everyone making fair cases as to why they should get an Intercontinental Championship Match against Apollo Crews which is why Crews will defend his Championship against all 5 of them in a Six-Pack Challenge Elimination Match at Hell in a Cell! Crews thanks Regal for giving him an opportunity to further solidify himself as a great Intercontinental Champion by beating those five losers one by one. The match comes down to Crews and Cesaro which huge assistance from Commander Azeez helps him retain in the end.)
Raw Women’s Championship:
Rhea Ripley (c) vs Charlotte Flair (By Countout)
(After Backlash, Charlotte Flair says that Rhea Ripley was the better woman in the Triple Threat Match and deserves to be Raw Women’s Champion. Flair then mentions her history with Rhea where beat her at WrestleMania 36, saying that loss sent her life into a tailspin to the point she had to get out of here and went away for 8 months. Flair challenges Rhea to a match for the Raw Women’s Championship at Hell in a Cell to not only try and redeem her loss but to also become Women’s Champion, something she hasn’t been in almost 3 years now. Rhea accepts Charlotte’s challenge but says her thinking process with all due respect is going to backfire because she’ll beat her again. Why? Because she’s better than her and if Charlotte wants to go home and cry afterwards for 8 months again, that’s not her problem. At the end of the match, Rhea smashes Charlotte’s off the ring post outside and gets back in the ring while Charlotte who’s unconscious is counted out. After the match, Rhea viciously assaults Charlotte, tells her this is her division now and turns heel.)
United States Championship:
AJ Styles (c) vs Andrade “Cien” Almas
(After AJ Styles cheap tactics to retain the United States Championship at Backlash, Andrade “Cien” Almas asks Adam Pearce for one more opportunity against The Phenomenal One. Pearce says that after seeing what happened, Almas has got his wish and the match will take place at Hell in a Cell. AJ Styles isn’t happy with the decision when he hears about it, says that he’s already proved that Almas is a loser who’s nowhere near as good as him and tells Pearce that he’s without doubt the worst General Manager in the history of Raw. Pearce whoever tells Styles that as Champion on his show he can do two things, put up or shut up. Almas on the go-home show contract signing says that Styles is a piece of crap and nothing will make him happier than taking his Championship at Hell in a Cell. More cheap heel tactics from Styles plays a huge part in him retaining once again as he pokes Almas in the eyes when the referee isn’t looking before nailing him with a Styles Clash.)
SmackDown Women’s Championship:
Bianca Belair (c) vs Bayley
(After Backlash, Bayley doesn’t take losing to Bianca Belair well as she viciously assaults The EST after she defeats Carmella. Bayley says that Belair’s victory over her was nothing but a fluke and she won’t stop until she takes back the championship she made relevant in the first place. Bianca Belair says that if Bayley wants to lose one more time to her then she’ll gladly face her at Hell in a Cell with the title on the line. Bayley says Bianca is so easy to convince and agreeing to give her one more shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship will be her funeral. The EST shows heart and guts once again in order to retain her Championship. Bayley tears her ACL not long after this match, writing her off TV.)
Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Championship:
Roman Reigns (c) w/Paul Heyman vs Jimmy Uso
(On the SmackDown after a Backlash, Roman Reigns calls out Jimmy Uso for what he did. However, Jey Uso comes out instead. Jey tells Roman to not hurt his brother and he’ll talk to him, make him see sense and he has no doubt he’ll finally acknowledge him as The Tribal Chief. Jimmy however interrupts and says as much as he loves Jey, he won’t be listening to him here. Jimmy says Roman is a power hungry, corrupt, son of a bitch who lost his mind a long time ago and it still makes him sick about what Roman did to him and Jey back in October. Jimmy vows to get revenge for that by taking down his cousin which is why he challenges Roman to defend the WWE Championship against him at Hell in a Cell inside the structure. Roman accepts the challenge and promises that just like Jey did after he beat him inside the same structure, Jimmy is going to finally fall in line. Roman lastly adds that it’s as simple as this after he beats Jimmy, “All you’ll have to do Jimmy after I win is acknowledge me as The Tribal Chief and along with me and Jey, our Bloodline will rule the entire WWE”. Reigns forces Jimmy to pass out to The Guillotine in a compelling contest. After the match, Jimmy tells Roman “I acknowledge you My Tribal Chief” before Jey comes out to the ring and embraces both Roman and Jimmy as the show draws to a close.)
Money in the Bank 2021
Date: 18/7/21
Location: Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas
Pre-Show:
Intercontinental Championship:
Apollo Crews (c) w/Commander Azeez vs Cesaro
(After coming close at Hell in a Cell, Cesaro wants another shot at the Intercontinental Championship against Apollo Crews. William Regal believes The King of Swing makes a fair case which is why he rewards him with a match against Apollo Crews at Money in the Bank. Apollo says that whether it’s a multi-man match or one-on-one, Cesaro is nowhere near as good as him and he promises to show once again why he’s the Intercontinetal Champion while Cesaro is nothing but a loser. Cesaro thinks Crews is an arrogant fool and promises to become a 2-time Intercontinental Champion. When the referee isn’t looking, Commander Azeez lays out Cesaro with a devastating Chokeslam before Crews capitalises and pins him to retain.)
Main Show:
Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match:
Naomi vs Natalya vs Liv Morgan vs Kay Lee Ray vs Alexa Bliss vs Shayna Baszler vs Mia Yim vs Asuka
(Not much story here. All 8 women win qualifying matches in order to be in this match. Liv Morgan comes close to winning but in the end, The Queen of Spades becomes Miss Money in the Bank.)
SmackDown Tag Team Championship:
Rey & Dominik Mysterio (c) vs The Usos (By Disqualification)
(After Jimmy Uso falls in line and acknowledges Roman Reigns as his Tribal Chief, The Usos set their sights on becoming Tag Team Champions again, something they haven’t been in over 2 years now. Jimmy and Jey attack Rey and Dominik Mysterio after the pair defeat The Street Profits in a Tag Team Championship Match, making their intentions clear further. Jimmy and Jey then lay down the challenge to The Mysterio’s the following week which Rey accepts. Rey says he once thought better of Jimmy and Jey but turns out all they are these days is lackeys for their cousin and they need taught a lesson. As Rey’s about to hit Jimmy with a 619, Jey Uso grabs a Steel Chair and The Usos get disqualified. Jimmy and Jey continue the assault and injure Dominik Mysterio’s knee.)
Note:
(The Usos not winning here is Jimmy Usos punishment for another DUI earlier in the week if you guys remember 😅.)
United States Championship:
AJ Styles (c) vs Keith Lee
(After Hell in a Cell, AJ Styles gloats about still being the United States Champion and says there isn’t anyone on the Raw Roster who can take the United States title away from him. Styles is then however interrupted a returning Keith Lee! Lee says that not only is he glad to be back but he’s now back for one thing, to reclaim the Championship he never lost! Lee reveals he’s spoken to Adam Pearce already and Pearce his granted him a Championship match against AJ Styles at Money in the Bank, promising that The Phenomenal One will be basking in his glory while he becomes a 2-time United States Champion. Styles says that he won’t be basking in anyones glory and Keith Lee’s fantasy thinking of taking his Championship will be in the garbage bin at Money in the Bank. Keith Lee hits Styles with a devastating Big Bang Catastrophe to become a 2-time United States Champion.)
World Heavyweight Championship:
Bobby Lashley (c) w/MVP & Omos vs Kofi Kingston w/Xavier Woods
(Kofi Kingston wins a Battle Royal to become the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. In the build-up, Kofi says that he’s defied odds in the past before as he became the WWE Championship despite many in management not wanting that to be the case. Kofi says that Bobby Lashley is one of the most dominant World Heavyweight Champions in history and he knows he’s the underdog here but at the end of the day, he’s been an underdog most of his life and promises that somehow and some way, he’ll leave Money in the Bank as the World Heavyweight Champion. MVP says that he respects and admires what Kofi’s achieved in the past but when going up against The Almighty Bobby Lashley, the only thing that’s guaranteed is that he’s going to get destroyed. Lashley lives up to MVP’s claim here as he absolutely destroys Kofi Kingston in 7 minutes and forces him to tap out to The Hurt Lock to retain his title.)
Raw Women’s Championship:
Rhea Ripley (c) vs Charlotte Flair
(After being viciously assaulted at Hell in a Cell, Charlotte Flair gets even with Rhea Ripley after the champion defeats Mia Yim on Raw. The following week, Charlotte says that Rhea Ripley is going to get what’s coming to her and after discussions with Adam Pearce, she’ll be facing Rhea Ripley again at Money in the Bank for the Raw Women’s Championship. Rhea says that she’s already dealt with Charlotte before and she will again at Money in the Bank. Rhea also adds the only reason Charlotte gets constant opportunities at the Championship despite failing constantly in the last 3 years is because of who her daddy is. Charlotte says Rhea’s right about one thing, she has failed in the last 3 years but promises that Money in the Bank will be different when she kicks her ass and wins the Raw Women’s Championship. Rhea retains the Championship after hitting Charlotte with a Riptide from the top rope.)
Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match:
Big E vs Shinsuke Nakamura vs Ricochet vs EC3 vs Drew McIntyre vs John Morrison vs Andrade “Cien” Almas vs Seth Rollins
(All 8 men win qualifying matches to be in this match. During the match as Drew McIntyre looks close to becoming Mr. Money in the Bank, Bobby Lashley and the rest of The Hurt Business run down to the ring and prevent him from doing so before Omos Chokeslams McIntyre through the announce table. Seth Rollins then looks as if he’s about to win the briefcase before Big E gets to him on time, delivers a Big Ending to Rollins off the ladder before climbing and retrieving the briefcase!)
WWE Championship:
Roman Reigns (c) w/Paul Heyman vs Edge
(On the June 25th, 2021 episode of SmackDown, Roman Reigns goes over the list of men he’s beaten so far during his title reign. Nakamura, Owens, Ricochet, Bryan, Cesaro, even his cousins Jimmy and Jey. Roman says that he smashed them and whoever’s next, they aren’t on his level and he’ll smash that person too. Edge (who’s a free agent in this timeline btw) returns for the first time since WrestleMania and interrupts The Tribal Chief. Edge says that not only did he come back here to do what he loved once again, he came back to once again become the WWE Champion and show he still has what it takes. Edge then challenges Reigns to put his Championship on the line against him at Money in the Bank. Roman thinks about it before accepting the challenge but says that this is the biggest mistake Edge will make. Why? Because after he smashes him just like he has everyone else, Edge will wish he never ever came back and tried to take his Championship from him. Reigns vows to not only destroy Edge’s dream at Money in the Bank but by the end of the match, The Rated-R Superstar will be acknowledging him. At the end of the match where it looks like Edge is about to emerge victorious, Seth Rollins provides a major distraction which costs Edge the WWE Championship and helps Roman Reigns retain. After the match, John Cena returns to the same insane pop as in real life and stares down Reigns as the show draws to a close.)
And that’s part 105! First of all, I hope you guys enjoyed WrestleMania 40 this weekend because I sure did. Triple H, thank you for making us all fall in love with WWE again after the way Vince handled creative and deliberately ruined things for years. Anyways guys, I’ll be back soon for part 106 where I’ll be covering SummerSlam and NXT Takeover: Las Vegas. Stay tuned!

I injured my knee three years ago playing soccer, I heard a poping sound and had unexplainable pain at the same time. I went to a cheap chiropractor the next morning to get it checked out, she did some mechanical checks and said I didn't tear my ACL. I didn't play soccer for the following 8 moths, but because I was gaining weight and soccer was my main source of excercise I decided to try playing again. Fast forward to now I have had six to seven (not exactly sure how many) similar injuries at the same spot, my knee bends inward and I can't play for 2 weeks, and I get back after with a brace. Someone recently told me I am damaging my knee and I should get surgery, which is why I am writting this here, I need an advice of anyone who has had a similar experience.

I started cycling to work and back a few weeks ago, got a cheap bike (pretty heavy, not a nice skinny bike like all the speedy people have). I use Strava, and I'm literally in the bottom 10% of all cyclists on the route I take, and I'm relatively fit, I had ACL surgery 6 months ago and building up fitness again, but I'm 82kg, 178cm, 26 year old guy with a strong enough history of being somewhat fit, so I'm kind of concerned I'm doing something wrong or it's a bad bike.
The route I take is around 9 km with around 60-80 meters of a tough climb in the middle. My best time is 35 minutes there and 32 minutes back (Shorter steeper climb but long descent). I think my seat is high enough and I'm using the gears correctly. The bike was brand new 3 weeks ago but I'm enjoying cycling even if my legs hate me for it. I am going pretty hard at a typical heart rate of 150 bpm with up to 175/180 on the climb. I am gradually getting better, but I feel like I started off terribly and I dunno how I reach my aims of a 20-25 minute ride.
I want to have the ability to ride along friends (who cycle) without busting my gut.