Tom Kitten’s spring was marked by challenges for his connections, but the autumn has launched impressively at Caulfield for the Group 1 graduate.
Back from a let-up, the gelding captured the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m) on Saturday, easing concerns for Anthony and Sam Freedman after a problematic previous preparation.
The five-year-old, once trained by James Cummings at Godolphin, bypassed the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last spring due to a barrier scratch, hampering his progress.
The Freedmans expended considerable effort to rebuild Tom Kitten’s fitness.
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Contrastingly, this campaign featured a progressive conditioning phase, crowned by a well-judged effort from Craig Williams.
The $3 market elect edged Feroce ($6) by a short-head in the dying strides, as Veight ($6) trailed by 3-¾ lengths for third.
“Craig and I had a chat before the event, and I really wanted to see him not have a gut buster and not have to circle the whole field and make a long run,” Sam Freedman said.
“You see when they got going, he kept him back, he made his run at the perfect time and it’s great to get the horse back in the winners’ stall.
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“When you take on a horse like this that has been to the top of the mountain, there’s always a bit of pressure.
“Ultimately, we felt that he’d been running well in the spring but didn’t get the rub of the green.
“We’re not getting carried away as it is a fair step down from the level that he has been to, but on his times at home and the way he is carrying condition, he can hopefully get to the level he has been at again.”
Freedman explained the shift in training methods, noting improved condition on the gelding.
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Arriving fresh with moderated work suited Tom Kitten ideally.
“We were a victim last prep of missing a run when he was scratched at the gates,” Freedman said.
“We were chasing our tail going to the mile first-up and we were concerned that he was racing too keenly and we had to work to make him settle, which didn’t work.
“He pulled his head off in a sedate tempo in the Makybe Diva and then he gradually got better. He had a fitness run at The Valley, and then he was back on track in Sydney.”
This summer will mark the 10-year anniversary of Pep Guardiola’s arrival at Manchester City and you can watch our 10 Years of Pep Guardiola special now.
Six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, three Community Shields, one Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup. There is only one Pep Guardiola.
The Manchester City boss arrived on these shores 10 years ago this summer. Since then he has helped to transform English football, taking City fans on a trophy-laden journey they could only have dreamt of experiencing.
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Guardiola has spearheaded City’s domination of English football, with the Blues notching a 100-point season, a Treble and four consecutive Premier League titles along the way. While talk of the Catalan coach’s future continues to swirl, it’s time to take a look back at what has truly been an iconic decade.
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Journalists and prominent City fans have looked back on the Guardiola years, picking out key moments in the boss’ tenure and the highlights of an era of domination. From Pep’s most important game as City boss, his rivalry with Jurgen Klopp, “the best heavyweight battle English football has ever seen” and what comes next, we’ve got it all covered in our 10 years of Pep Guardiola special.
Watch our ’10 years of Pep Guardiola’ special here >>>
It’s the opening day of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival – Champion Day.
Leader D’Allier out of Supreme Novices’
The seven-race card gets underway with the Grade 1 SkyBet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. There are now 11 runners in the race with Willie Mullins’ Leader D’Allier withdrawn this morning having been found lame.
Nicky Henderson bids to win his sixth Supreme Novices’ Hurdle 40 years after River Ceirog gave him his first victory in the race. He is represented by Old Park Star, the mount of Nico de Boinville.
There is, as usual, a string Irish challenge in the race, with Mighty Park [Mark Walsh], Tale The Talk [J.J. Slevin] and El Cairos [Jack Kennedy] the market leaders among the seven Irish-trained runners.
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Kopek Des Bordes bids for Arkle Chase
Last year’s SkyBet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner, Kopek Des Bordes, bids to land the Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices’ Chase at 2.00pm.
The Charles McCarthy-owned French-bred faces a field of six, with Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba, and Kargese, the likely main challengers.
Unibet Champion Hurdle
The Unibet Champion Hurdle, the opening day feature race, has a field of 9 runners.
The Champion Hurdle was first run almost a century ago, but only seven mares have won it: African Star (1939), Dawn Run (1984), Flakey Dove (1994), Annie Power (2016), Epatante (2020), Honeysuckle (2021 & 2022) and Golden Ace (2025).
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Three mares in field of nine
This afternoon, there are three mares in the starting line-up: Brighterdaysahead from the Gordon Elliott yard, last year’s winner, Golden Ace, and Lossiemouth from the Mullins yard.
Five of the past ten renewals of the race have been scooped by mares, including achieving a 1-2 in 2022.
No horse in this year’s Unibet Champion Hurdle line-up has had a blemish-free campaign, which is highly unusual.
Thirty-one of the past 35 winners of the race won on their most recent start. Only The New Lion and Brighterdaysahead qualify on that count this year.
Former NBA star Jalen Rose suggested in a recent podcast there was a racial aspect behind certain professional sports leagues having a salary cap.
Rose appeared on a live edition of the “Joe and Jada Unfiltered” podcast last week and said the “only sports that have salary caps are Black led” as he talked about his problem with the system. He named leagues like MLB, NASCAR, golf and tennis that do not have salary caps. Though, he failed to mention that the NHL has a salary cap as roughly two dozen NHL players are Black.
Jalen Rose speaks on stage during Joe and Jada live podcast recording in celebration of Prime Video McDonald’s All American Games documentary Meal Ticket at The Miracle Theater on Feb. 13, 2026 in Inglewood, California.(JC Olivera/Getty Images for Prime Video)
“The second thing is they have no after high school restrictions,” he continued. “So, that’s a residue of slavery because we’re going to get money off of you for multiple years for free. There’s no way around it. So, what happened in the game, it became so obvious because of social media and because of information, it’s like ‘We’re making a billion dollars, we gotta pay them something. That’s how it ended up happening.”
The member of the “Fab Five” Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team added he was “happy” to see players get paid off of their name, image and likeness. But, “if you notice, you still got to pay the system,” he said.
Ray Jackson, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose and Jimmy King of the Michigan Wolverines basketball, collectively known as the “Fab Five.”(ALAN R. KAMUDA, Detroit Free Press)
Rose said another issue of his was eligibility for the pros. He noted that in the NFL, players usually have to be three years removed from high school to enter the NFL. He pointed to all-time greats in the NBA like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett have been productive coming out high school. He didn’t mention the careers of Kwame Brown, Eddy Curry, DeSagna Diop and countless others who fizzled out without playing college basketball.
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In baseball, high school players come out and get drafted but start their careers in the minor leagues.
Mike Epps and Jalen Rose are seen in attendance during game six of the eastern conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 31, 2025.(Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
MLB is expected to have a fight about whether to have a salary cap in the next round of collective bargaining talks. The league appears to be ready to push for one, while the players have been opposed.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his former fiancée Sarah Jane Ramos reportedly sent a note to wedding guests notifying them of the cancelation of their nuptials.
TMZ Sports first reported the email that was sent out to guests a month before the wedding was set to take place. The two reportedly called it off over the weekend.
Dallas Cowboys Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos attend an in-store event at David Yurman on May 16, 2024, in Dallas, Texas.( Rick Kern/Getty Images for David Yurman)
“As many of you know, our wedding is currently scheduled to take place in Lake Como, Italy, on Friday April 10, 2026. It is with heavy hearts that we have made the very difficult decision to cancel our wedding,” the note read. “We deeply apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and we welcome your prayers.”
The email didn’t list the reason behind the decision.
Prescott and Ramos’ relationship had been “rocky” in the weeks leading up to the breakup and things exploded between the two at their joint bachelor and bachelorette parties, TMZ Sports reported on Saturday.
Sarah Jane Ramos and Dak Prescott pose for a photo before Dak Prescott’s Faith Fight Finish Foundation 2024 Gala at Thompson Hotel Dallas on May 17, 2024, in Dallas, Texas.(Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images for Faith Fight Finish Foundation)
“I truly believe you can get through anything in life as long as you have really great friends. I love these girls so much,” Ramos captioned the collage of snaps.
Prescott was not pictured in any of the 16 photos and videos posted to her social media account.
Ramos also posted photos of her bridal shower back on Feb. 23. There were no photos of Prescott in the carousel either.
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“The most intimate and beautiful bridal shower of my dreams,” she added on Instagram. “So grateful for my aunts who hosted it and my girlfriends and family that came to celebrate. I love you all so much and can’t wait to marry the love of my life with all of you by my side.”
Prescott posted a series of photos on his Instagram of Ramos and his family on July 20, 2025. There’s only a September advertisement posted on his account since.
Dak Prescott and Sarah Jane Ramos attend the Farrah Fawcett Foundation 2025 Tex-Mex Fiesta at The Rustic on Oct. 30, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.(Omar Vega/Getty Images for Farrah Fawcett Foundation)
Jules Segers won the bronze medal in the Super-G, while Aurélie Richard took silver. France now has a total of five medals.
The Champions League round of 16 kicks off on Tuesday. Max Kanter (XDS-Astana) won the second stage of Paris-Nice in Montargis. Novak Djokovic qualified for the third round of the Indian Wells tournament. In the NBA, Victor Wembanyama was named Player of the Week.
Even though GTA 6 is coming out in 2026, GTA Online is still a great game to get into this year. Since it was released in 2013, Rockstar Games has grown the game into the massive multiplayer playground it is today. Everyone can find their niche gaming hobbies in GTA Online, from racing, deathmatches, role-playing, and even harmless, hilarious game modes.
However, if you are entering GTA Online for the first time in 2026, you must know certain details for a smooth entry into its world. Here are some of the details.
What you need to know before starting GTA Online in 2026
Age restriction in some regions
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Firstly, it is worth noting that GTA Online is an 18+ video game, especially since it has nudity and violence. Recently, many countries have imposed strict rules for verifying age for accessing any kind of online content. This also includes GTA Online.
In August 2025, the UK was one of the first countries to make age verification mandatory for online content, under the Online Safety Act. In March 2026, Australia also mandated age verification for any entertainment product that contains adult content.
Hence, if you want to start GTA Online, chances are that you might need to verify your age through a third-party portal. The portal can differ from country to country.
A Safehouse in the Hills is the latest DLC (Image via Rockstar Games)
Rockstar Games has added loads of DLC to GTA Online, almost twice every year since its release. Each of these DLCs has included new cars, weapons, businesses, missions, and even characters. These new features keep players hooked, especially those who have businesses or heists with decent payouts, like the Cayo Perico heist.
Most recently, A Safehouse in the Hills DLC dropped in December 2025, in which mansions were added to the game, along with Michael De Santa as a side character. Because of these two features alone, it is considered one of the best DLCs for the game.
Since GTA 6 will release on November 19, 2026, there is still time for a final DLC for GTA 5 Online in the summer. If you are planning to start the game in 2026, you could start grinding to get a mansion, which could play a key part in the last DLC coming sometime in the summer.
Which businesses to own
Kosatka is one of the best vehicles to own since it enables Cayo Perico Heist (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)
Once you start GTA Online, you can be overwhelmed by the number of businesses and properties you can purchase. There are a total of two in-game websites from which you purchase businesses. For a new player, here are some of the best properties/vehicles to purchase and start earning money quickly:
Brickade 6×6 – Acid Lab
MC Business – Meth Lab
Kosatka – Cayo Perico Heist
Salvage Yard – Salvage Yard Robberies
Of course, there are various other great properties that can be a bit expensive, but are lucrative for slightly late-game grind, like Bunker, Nightclub, Agency, etc.
Which vehicles to own
A few vehicles can be quite useful early in the game (Image via Rockstar Games || Sportskeeda)
GTA Online has a wide variety of vehicles. You can use anything from a bicycle to massive fighter jets and submarines. If you are new to the game, you can check out these vehicles to purchase:
Karin Kuruma (Armored) – Fast and armored sports car
Nightshark – Heavy-duty SUV with a ton of armor
Buzzard – Great cheap helicopter to fly around the map
Kosatka – Submarine that allows you to start Cayo Perico Heist
Griefers and hackers in GTA Online
You can encounter loads of griefers and hackers (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)
If you are entering GTA Online in 2026, you should know that the game is heavily plagued by griefers and hackers. Even though Rockstar Games has partnered with BattleEye anti-cheat software, some tech-savvy enthusiasts create hack tools that can bypass it. Furthermore, there are some players who simply create chaos for others in lobbies.
Hence, if you are new to the game, it is best to do all the major business missions in an invite-only lobby.
A Pace Center for Girls Jacksonville student uses a controller to play a video game with police after the Sheriff’s Office’s new mobile gaming center was unveiled at the facility.
Team Spirit came from behind to edge HEROIC 2-1 on Monday at Bucharest, Romania, earning a berth in the PGL Wallachia Season 7 playoffs.
Team Liquid also booked their playoff spot by sweeping PARIVISION 2-0. Both Spirit-HEROIC and Liquid-PARIVISION were clashes of teams that entered the day with 2-0 records.
In the day’s two elimination matches featuring 0-2 teams, Yellow Submarine knocked out Team Nemesis 2-0 and OG ousted MOUZ 2-1.
Matchups featuring 1-1 teams saw Aurora Gaming nip Tundra Esports 2-1, Xtreme Gaming slip past BetBoom Team 2-1, Natus Vincere squeeze by Vici Gaming 2-1 and Team Yandex trounce Team Falcons 2-0.
The $1 million Dota 2 tournament features a group stage through Wednesday with 16 teams playing a modified Swiss system format. All matches are best-of-three. The top eight teams advance to the playoffs, and the bottom eight are eliminated.
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The playoffs run from Thursday through Sunday in a double-elimination bracket. All matches are best-of-three until the grand final, which is best-of-five.
First place is worth $300,000, with $175,000 for second place and $120,000 for third.
On Monday, HEROIC earned a 39-minute win on red before Team Spirit bounced back with two victories on red, in 46 minutes and 48 minutes.
Russia’s Denis “Larl” Sigitov finished with a 21-13-32 kill-death-assist ratio for Team Spirit. Peru’s Santiago “TaiLung” Agüero Gustavo wound up at 28-13-33 for HEROIC.
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Team Liquid bested PARIVISION in 56 minutes on red and 42 minutes on green.
Sweden’s Michael “miCKe” Vu paced Team Liquid with a 27-7-27 K-D-A ratio. Russia’s Alan “Satanic” Gallyamov finished at 13-9-18 for PARIVISION.
Yellow Submarine took down Team Nemesis in 43 minutes on red and 46 minutes on green. Russia’s Andrei “bottega” Kopytko registered a 19-1-10 K-D-A ratio for Yellow Submarine. Thailand’s Worawit “Q” Mekchai recorded a 5-10-12 K-D-A ratio for Team Nemesis.
OG began with a 49-minute victory on green, but MOUZ equalized in 35 minutes on green. OG took the match decider in 41 minutes on red.
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John “Natsumi-” Vargas ended up at 25-14-25 for all-Philippine OG. The Netherlands’ Remco “Crystallis” Arets logged a 18-10-22 K-D-A ratio for MOUZ.
India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the International Cricket Council Code of Conduct during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand national cricket team in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Arshdeep was found guilty of breaching Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment) at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during an International Match.”
Dhol, cheers and flowers: How Delhi welcomed Gautam Gambhir
In addition to the fine, one demerit point has been added to Arshdeep’s disciplinary record. It is his first offence within a 24-month period.The incident took place in the 11th over of New Zealand’s innings when Arshdeep fielded the ball on his follow-through and threw it back aggressively, striking batter Daryl Mitchell on the pads.Arshdeep accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, meaning there was no need for a formal hearing.The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf, third umpire Allahuddien Paleker, and fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock.Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, along with one or two demerit points.HOW DEMERIT POINTS WORKWhen a player accumulates four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points, which can result in a ban.Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whichever comes first for the player.Demerit points remain on a player or player support personnel’s disciplinary record for 24 months from the date they are imposed, after which they are expunged.
All Elite Wrestling star Jeff Jarrett for using a guitar as a foreign object to gain an advantage against his opponents inside and outside of the ring.
Jarrett has been in professional wrestling for about 40 years, but first developed the guitar-smashing gimmick in the early 1990s when he was with the WWE. He carried it over to World Championship Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and later AEW.
Jeff Jarrett, Jay Lethal, Ric Flair and Andrade El Idolo in action during Ric Flair’s Last Match at Nashville Municipal Auditorium on July 31, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.(Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
He gave a brief overview of some of the “unique” guitar shots he’s doled out over the course of his career.
“It’s hard to name one – you’re gonna put me on the spot,” he told Fox News Digital. “I’ll say this, kind of the most unique ones, Fabulous Moolah, a 71-year-old woman who went up to me before I hit her and said if you don’t knock the hell out of me, I’m going to beat your a—when you get back here. She’s a tough lady. Beetlejuice of Howard Stern fame is always right up there. To this day, it gets talked about. Gary Coleman.”
Jarrett also revealed he once went to Japan just to give Hulk Hogan a guitar shot.
“But has it relates to professional wrestlers, Sting, Hulk Hogan. I flew to Japan, I can say this as part of my career, I literally flew to Japan, got off the plane, went to the arena, waited a few hours, waited for the show to be over, went to a press conference, knocked out Hulk Hogan with a guitar shot, took a shower, got on a plan and came home. I think he would have to be up there at the top of them as well,” he said.
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Hulk Hogan displaying his championship belt. Hogan wears a costume consisting of a yellow ‘HOGAN’ bandana, a yellow muscle top, a weightlifter’s belt, red spandex pants, and yellow cowboy boots. (Darlene Hammond/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Jarrett joined AEW in 2022 as a wrestler and was later put into position as AEW’s director of business development.
Pro wrestling is much different from the time Jarrett started in 1986 and even at the height of his in-ring career with WWE and WCW.
Fans of the sport can watch pro wrestling either on TV or via streaming at least six nights a week and sometimes seven with pay-per-views airing on Sundays. AEW programming takes up at least two of the days with “Dynamite” on Wednesdays and “Collision” on Saturdays.
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“Who would ever dreamed that professional wrestling would be on, literally, there are weeks that it’s in prime time seven nights a week,” he told Fox News Digital. “It’s on ESPN. It’s on HBO Max. When you really drill in, wait a minute, HBO, the home of fill in the blank of the last, you know 30 years, the highest quality program that’s created for TV. And AEW, who I’m a partner with, ‘Dynamite,’ ‘Collision’ is on HBO Max, ESPN, Netflix, we can go on and on.
Jeff Jarrett and Ric Flair in action during Ric Flair’s Last Match at Nashville Municipal Auditorium on July 31, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.(Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
“It really is something, from a guy from my perspective, I’m really proud to be a part of the industry because you can look at all forms of entertainment, in music … they take a page out of professional wrestling’s book all the time in the touring. I don’t have to tell you about the sports world, every football dance or celebration or the championship belts that the teams get when they win, we’re integrated into every major professional sport.
“When you kind of get into the episodic nature of our programing, the television industry has always been amazing. They’re like, ‘Wait a minute guys, you’re 52 weeks a year?’ We’re struggling to get eight episodes or 10 episodes or a season of a show and you guys don’t have a season?’ So, it is really been for a long time coming, but through the iterations, professional wrestling is up there. We’re no longer a dirty four-letter world.”
Dec 26, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback James Pierre (42) leaves the field after the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Free agency starts on Wednesday, March 11, but the legal tampering period opened on Monday, March 9th. The Minnesota Vikings have pushed to address the cap problems Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s move left, and are now focused on revamping the roster.
Pierre Brings More Than Simple CB Insurance
They wasted no time in identifying their first target. Although it won’t become official until the new league year gets underway, cornerback James Pierre will join Brian Flores’ defense. Having previously been coached by Flores and defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander in Pittsburgh, it’s a comfortable landing spot for the former Steeler.
Last season the Vikings entered the year with just three cornerbacks on the 53-man roster. Oft-injured veteran Jeff Okudah joined Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. He remained injured often for Minnesota, and a replacement was needed.
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Nov 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback James Pierre (42) leaps into the end zone for a touchdown after recovering a fumble against the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
The come-up, though, is that Pierre could be much more than just a replacement.
Not only is Pierre’s deal worth just $8.5 million, but he was literally graded as the best pass coverage cornerback in the NFL last season. His 89.7 grade from Pro Football Focus was number one out of 140 cornerbacks.
Despite Pierre getting just a 59.1 run defense grade (60th), his overall tally of 86.8 ranked second across the league. He doesn’t have a track record of that sort of performance, but now gets to work with arguably the league’s best defensive coach once again.
Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) and Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback James Pierre (42) exchange jerseys after an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The six-year veteran has spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His 11 passes defended last season were a career high, and he grabbed his fourth career interception. He’s been a reliable talent, and now gets a chance to make an impact elsewhere.
Murphy Jr. didn’t have the stellar year Minnesota was hoping for when the Vikings brought him back on a big deal. Rodgers was pleasantly surprised, but faded some down the stretch. Having a competent option that can push both of them rather than needing to dip into lesser depth is quite a nice development.
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Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler
