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D.C. United
Feeding off the thrill of John Thorrington's stoppage time chip to beat the Galaxy on the final day of the regular season, the Fire entered the 2007 MLS Cup playoffs as the fourth seed going up against Supporters Shield winners D.C. United in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
#1 D.C. United vs. #4 Chicago Fire – Conference Semifinals (two legs)
Chicago Fire 1, D.C. United 0 (leg one)
Toyota Park; Bridgeview, Ill.
October 25, 2007
Despite winning the Supporters Shield, United sputtered into the playoffs, going 0-2-1 in their final three matches. In contrast, the Fire had gone 2-0-1 in their final three, rallying from poor early-season form to make the playoffs on the final day.
Despite being outshot 9-8 by United, the Fire fed off their late season form, the Fire would benefit from a D.C. misplay in the back for the only goal of the first leg.
WATCH: 2007 Eastern Conference Semifinals
A high bouncing ball allowed United defender Devon MacTavish only a piece of the ball, instead heading it into the path of Chris Rolfe. The third-year Fire veteran caught the ball on the bounce and smashed his half volley past Troy Perkins, taking the Fire to RFK Stadium with a 1-0 lead.
#1 D.C. United vs. #4 Chicago Fire – Conference Semifinals (two legs)
Chicago Fire 2, D.C. United 2 (leg two)
RFK Stadium; Washington, D.C.
November 1, 2007
The Fire kept with the momentum gained in leg one, taking a 2-0 aggregate advantage in the 31st minute. From the right, Calen Carr's ball over the United back line found Chad Barrett in stride who took one touch to settle before blasting past a helpless Perkins.
The series looked as good as done two minutes later when Carr headed down a bouncing ball for Blanco, who in turn headed into the box. All of the United defenders seemed caught in no-man's land before Chris Rolfe popped up to volley past Perkins in the 33rd minute.
Going into the break down 3-0 on aggregate, United finally broke through in the 69th minute when Rod Dyachenko laid off a simple pass for Clyde Simms who ripped a low shot inside the left post.
Dyachenko would help on the game's equalizer slotting a pass to Christian Gomez on the right before the Argentine fired a low effort that Matt Pickens got two hands to but was overpowered in the end.
Despite tying the match, United couldn't connect another shot on goal, leaving the fourth seeded Fire with a huge upset and another appearance in the Eastern Conference final.
#2 New England Revolution 1, #4 Chicago Fire 0 – Conference Final
Gillette Stadium; Foxboro, Mass.
November 8, 2007
For the third straight year, the Chicago Fire would take on New England in the MLS postseason and went behind in the 38th minute when current Fire player Wells Thompson crossed to the middle for Taylor Twellman. The Revolution striker would out jump Dasan Robinson to nod the ball up in the air before finishing with a stunning bicycle kick to give New England the 1-0 lead.
In the 74th minute, Gonzalo Segares would run on to a bouncing ball outside the area, striking a long-distance effort that forced Reis into a diving save to his left.
In the 90th minute, Cuauhtemoc Blanco's cross from left picked out the head of Calen Carr but the Fire forward's low header was well corralled by Reis to send the Fire home one step away from MLS Cup again.
WATCH: 2007 Eastern Conference Final
After going all the way to MLS Cup 2003, the Fire missed the postseason for the first time in club history the following year, losing 2-1 on the final day of the regular season at New England. The team regrouped and finished third in the East the following season, setting up another first round clash with D.C. United…
#2 D.C. United vs. #3 Chicago Fire – Eastern Conference semi-finals (total goals)
Chicago Fire 0, D.C. United 0 (Game 1)
Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.
October 21, 2005
In what would be the club's final competitive match at Soldier Field, the Fire had the better of the play, outshooting D.C. 8-4 and holding United without a shot on goal.
In turn though, United played strategically, just trying to leave Chicago without a blemish and conceded only two shots on goal, both from Chris Rolfe in the 58th minute.
WATCH: Chicago Fire 4, D.C. United EC (Semi-final Leg 2)
United would get their wish, earning a 0-0 draw and leaving all to play for at RFK Stadium for the second leg nine days later.
Chicago Fire 4, D.C. United 0 (Game 2)
Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.
October 30, 2005
United's plan for the series would backfire early on in Game #2 when Thiago's corner from left bounced through the six yard box to find Jack Stewart streaking in at the back post. The then-Fire rookie would tally one of only two goals in a Fire shirt, sneaking his header past Doug Warren in the 10th minute.
Just before the half, another Fire rookie would help make his mark. This time Chris Rolfe danced into the box on the left and chipped in a cross from the end line before Brandon Prideaux headed away. The ball fell perfectly for Ivan Guerrero and the club's 2005 MVP buried his left footed effort in the 37th minute.
Guerrero would show why he earned the award deep into first half stoppage time. Again Rolfe danced like a ballerina on the ball just outside the area before laying back for Guerrero who hit first-time blast that left Warren flat-footed as the ball sailed inside the left post.
#1 New England Revolution 1, #3 Chicago Fire 0 – Eastern Conference Final
Gillette Stadium; Foxboro, Mass.
November 6, 2005
The Fire and Revolution would begin a five-year consecutive streak of postseason meetings with the Eastern Conference final at Gillette and once again an early goal would play the part.
The Revs would go up 1-0 in the fourth minute when Daniel Henandez's ball over the top found Shalrie Joseph in the box on the right. The veteran midfielder hit a low effort towards the back post which connected with Clint Dempsey sliding through to give New England the lead.
A chippy first half made things difficult for either team to find the goal but Jack Stewart provided the best effort in the 45th minute when he ran through midfield before unleashing a low shot that just went wide of the right post.
The Fire came close again in the 63rd minute as Ivan Guerrero collected the ball on the left before cutting inside and hitting a blistering right-footed effort that Matt Reis punched away at the far post.
A minute later Chad Barrett and Thiago played a quick combination which saw the Brazilian blast a drive towards the left post that Reis did well to hang on to.
A number of dangerous crosses and displays of Reis rolling on the ground later, the Fire found themselves with an apparent equalizer in stoppage time when Thiago's forward ball out of midfield found Gonzalo Segares in stride and saw the rookie defender tap the ball past Reis and into the net.
Stepping out of the goal, Segares' immediate joy turned to disbelief as linesman George Gansner held his flag up on the sideline resulting in a number of Fire players to crowd him. In the melee, Segares' fellow countryman Andy Herron was red carded for dissent, effectively ending the Fire's chances of sending the match to overtime.
The replay would vindicate Gansner's call, showing Segares was just a shade past the Revolution backline when Thiago hit the ball, leaving the team to rue a missed opportunity at a fourth MLS Cup appearance in eight years.
WATCH: 2005 Eastern Conference Final
#1 Chicago Fire vs. #4 D.C. United – Eastern Conference semi-finals (total goals)
Chicago Fire 2, D.C. United 0 (Game 1)
RFK Stadium; Washington, D.C.
November 1, 2003
Coming off a regular season in which the team finally fulfilled winning a Supporter's Shield, the Fire traveled to D.C. to open up its first two-game aggregate playoff series with United at RFK Stadium.
From the first whistle the Fire never seemed to break much of a sweat and went ahead in the fourth minute when a headed clearance from a United defender fell for midfielder Andy Williams 25 yards from goal. The Jamaican international took the ball on the half-volley and one-timed his right-footed effort past Doug Warren and inside the left post.
WATCH: 2003 MLS Cup Playoff Run
In control throughout, the Fire frustrated United throughout the match and saw former players Hristo Stoitchkov and Dema Kovalenko pick up yellow cards for dissent and bringing the game into disrepute.
Holding a 1-0 lead late, the Fire would take a 2-0 lead back to Soldier Field when Zach Thornton's clearance was flicked on by Nate Jaqua into the path of Ante Razov. The Fire's all-time leading goal scorer calmly chipped the ball over the onrushing Warren in the 94th minute.
Chicago Fire 2, D.C. United 0 (Game 2)
Soldier Field; Chicago, Ill.
November 9, 2003
With D.C. needing two goals just to force extra time, the Fire again imposed their superiority in this match, putting United in the coffin with another early strike.
This time it was Willliams' countryman and 2003 Rookie of the Year Damani Ralph, who after a quick combination with Chris Armas outside the box, unleashed another long range blast, this time to the right of Warren, to give the Fire a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.
The Fire would finish of United just after halftime when DaMarcus Beasley's cross from left bounced in the area before finding Razov who headed it back across goal for his second of the series, moving the team to the Eastern Conference final with a 4-0 aggregate victory.
#1 Chicago Fire 1, #2 New England Revolution 0 (asdet) - Eastern Conference Final
Soldier Field; Chicago, Ill.
November 14, 2003
Outshooting New England 20-7, the Fire clearly dominated the match from start to finish but a goal in regulation would elude the team at home.
Into extra time, it would be no one else but Chris Armas to provide the winner. Evan Whitfield worked his way up the right before pushing the ball to Justin Mapp at the endline.
The young winger centered a low cross that Ralph muffed before Armas tucked the ball in from close range, sending Soldier Field into pandemonium and the Fire back to MLS Cup for the third time in six seasons.
San Jose Earthquakes 4, Chicago Fire 2 – MLS Cup 2003
The Home Depot Center; Carson; Calif
November 14, 2009
The Fire pipped San Jose for the Supporters Shield during the regular season but it would be the Earthquakes that had the last laugh as they won their second MLS Cup in three seasons.
San Jose take the advantage as Ronnie Ekelund's fifth minute free kick and Landon Donovan's 39th minute finish took the Earthquakes into the break up 2-0.
After halftime, Andy Williams would feed DaMarcus Beasley into the box on the left and the young Fire winger tucked his effort inside the near post to cut the lead in half in the 49th minute.
Just as it looked like the Fire had momentum, San Jose would restore their two goal lead a minute later when Richard Mulrooney caught the backline sleeping after the goal.
The Fire would get some help back from the Earthquakes in the 54th minute when Chris Roner headed the ball into his own net.
Just two minutes later, Damani Ralph broke into the box on the left before being hauled down by Roner, forcing referee Brian Hall to point to the spot.
Despite battling sickness throughout the week, Fire leading striker Ante Razov stepped up to take the spot kick but was denied when his effort was denied by Pat Onstad's dive to the right.
With the missed opportunity, momentum seemed to shift back in San Jose's favor and as the Fire pushed for the equalizer, it would be Donovan who would put the game away with his second goal in the 71st minute.
With one game left and all to play for, there's no doubt that Saturday's game against D.C. United (LIVE 3pm CT on NBC Sports Network) is the the Fire's biggest game of the season to date. A win and the team finishes in second place in the Eastern conference and enjoys home field advantage for the Conference Semis. A loss or tie against DC and the Fire's destiny is out of their own hands, with a place between third and fifth in the cards. That being said, lets look at some tactical points for the big match.
Andy Najar - don't fool me twice
Andy Najar's coming out party as a right back was against the Fire in August when he put in a Man of the Match performance in a 4-2 win at RFK Stadium. Najar should start at right back again Saturday afternoon and the Fire will need to a much better job of containing him this time out. Against the Columbus Crew last week, Najar pushed forward constantly and provided an outlet for DC on the right. Columbus allowed Najar far too much room and he duly obliged by looking to cross the ball whenever possible.
WATCH: Fire vs. United Preview
D.C.'s midfielders look to switch the field of play to the advanced Najar whenever possible, something the Fire must look out for. For all his attacking prowess however, Najar can get caught too far up the field, something the left side tandem of Gonzalo Segares and Patrick Nyarko will be looking to exploit if the opportunity arises.
Stopping United from playing our game - target striker
D.C. sets up in a similar way to the Fire, namely with a target striker with an attacking mid/second striker playing just behind him. Against Columbus last week, Maicon Santos played just behind target man Lionard Pajoy. The partnership is still in its infancy, but should continue from the start on Saturday afternoon.
Against Columbus, Pajoy and Cesar did not combine well, often drifting too far from one another to effectively link up. DC's wide men, Chris Pontius and Nick DeLeon, did their best to move central and support Pajoy whenever possible. Both of the wide players tendency to move inside caught Columbus short handed on a few occasions, especially when one of the wide men failed to drop back.
D.C. are not a team blessed with many creative players who look to take on their opponents, especially without Dwayne De Rosario. If the Fire can cut the supply line to Pajoy and force United to resort to trying to take them on it will work to the Men in Red's advantage.
D.C.'s midfield - attacking through the middle
Similar to the Fire, United set up with two holding midfielders, Perry Kitchen and Marcelo Saragosa. In last week's game against Columbus, both players were exposed by some neat interplay between the Columbus midfielders who quite simply passed the ball around Kitchen and Saragosa at times, especially in the first half.
Part of the reason for the exposure was because D.C.'s more advanced midfield trio failed to drop back quickly enough to support the holding midfielders when United lost possession. In the second half, this happened a lot less frequently, but it certainly is an area in which the Fire can try to take advantage. If the Fire can get midfielders forward in numbers, something they haven't been able to do as often in the last few games, then they could put some real pressure on the D.C. holding midfield core.
The return of Pardo - an experienced head for a big game
Since losing Pavel Pardo, the Fire have gone 3-3-0 in his six game absence. In the six games prior, the team won five and lost one. That stat alone gives you an indication as to how important Pavel is to the team.
His partnership with Logan Pause in the Fire engine room is one big reason for the Fire being a lot harder to break down this year. Pardo also reads the game as well as anyone in MLS, constantly positioning himself well to intercept a pass or pick up an advancing midfielder.
Having Pardo, a man with almost 150 caps for Mexico, will also be extremely important for the playoffs, especially because three of the five behind him have no postseason experience. Pardo's return gives the team an added boost ahead of the biggest game of the season to date.
Prediction: This game is going to be just as intense and nerve wracking as a playoff game but a sold out crowd at Toyota Park should give the Fire the advantage. 1-0 Fire with the goal coming from Chris Rolfe.
The MLS Cup playoffs are nearly upon us and even with Saturday's disappointing result, you can feel the excitement for the club's return to the postseason after a two-year absence. With their playoff qualification back on October 7, the team locked in its 12th postseason berth in 15 seasons, by far the best playoff qualification rate of all professional teams in Chicago in both their first 15 seasons of play and last 15 seasons.
With a strong postseason presence through 15 seasons, I wanted to take a year-by-year look back at the club's postseason performances leading up to the beginning of the MLS Cup playoffs next Wednesday.
We'll begin where it all started: The magical run in 1998...
The Fire played their first two seasons in the Western Conference and aptly enough, the first saw them finish where the team could potentially finish this season (second place) behind only the league's regular season champions LA.
#2 Chicago Fire vs. #3 Colorado Rapids Western Conference Semifinals (best of three)
GAME 1: Holding home-field advantage over Colorado, the Fire welcomed the Rapids to Soldier Field on October 1, 1998.
After forcing Colorado 'keeper Marcus Hahnemann into five first half saves, the Fire would take advantage of Rapids defender Steve Trittschuh for the first time in the series when he pulled down Peter Nowak in the box, leaving refree Kevin Terry to whistle a penalty.
WATCH: The 1998 Playoff Run
As he'd done four out of four times during the regular season, defender Lubos Kubik blasted his effort to the top left corner to give the Fire a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute. Facing a loss in Game 1, the Rapids would equalize in the 79th when Adrian Paz's cross from the right was deflected by C.J Brown and found Waldir with a diving header at the back post, forcing the game to a shootout.
In the decider, Tom Soehn and Frank Klopas converted to cancel out goals from Paul Bravo and Chris Henderson in the early rounds. Fire 'keeper Zach Thornton then took over, making three consecutive stops on David Vaudreuil, Wolde Harris and Peter Vermes before Jesse Marsch chipped Hahneman to clinch the win and give the Fire a 1-0 series lead.
GAME 2: The Fire traveled to Mile High Stadium for Game 2 on October 5, knowing that a victory would push the team to the Western Conference final.
Once again, Peter Nowak would take advantage of Trittschuh, going on a stunning run through the Rapids midfield before being tripped up by the former U.S. international at the top of the box. For the second time in five days, Lubos Kubik would step up and convert his spot kick, this time placing a low effort to the left of Hahnemann in the 42nd minute.
Thornton would stand tall, making two second half saves to give the Fire a 1-0 victory and push the team to the conference finals.
#1 LA Galaxy vs. #2 Chicago Fire Western Conference Finals (best of three)
GAME 1: Five days after advancing, the Fire traveled to The Rose Bowl to take on top-seeded LA on October 10. The Galaxy would outshoot the Fire 11-5, with the Fire not registering a shot on goal until the 86th minute.
Luckily enough, the two that came with just four minutes to play would be all the visitors would need as Lubos Kubik's free kick was stopped with a diving save from Kevin Hartman before Jesse Marsch was there on the doorstep to tally his second winner of the postseason, sending the Fire back to Chicago with a 1-0 lead.
GAME 2: The Fire welcomed the Galaxy to Soldier Field on October 16 and would once again take the first lead.
In the 31st minute, C.J. Brown sent a long ball over the top and into the stride of Ante Razov. The U.S. international sped into the box before seeing his close-range effort stopped by Hartman but Captain Clutch Peter Nowak saw the rebound fall to him near the penalty spot and he fired the effort past the Galaxy 'keeper to give the Fire the lead.
It lasted just six minutes as Cobi Jones cross from the right found a wide open Danny Pena in the box. With acres of space, Pena was able to take two touches before hitting a low effort to the inside post, catching Thornton flat-footed and equalizing just before the half.
LA outshot the Fire on goal 2-0 in the second half but couldn't convert, forcing the Men in Red to another shootout. Through the first three rounds, the Galaxy held a 1-0 edge as Welton tallied while Nowak, Razov and Soehn all failed to convert for the Fire.
As he did against Colorado in Game 1, Zach Thornton would come up huge at the end, making three consecutive stops on Martin Machon, Mauricio Cienfuegos and Greg Vanney while Marsch converted and Podbrozny hit the back of the net to push the team into MLS Cup in front of 32,744 at Soldier Field.
Chicago Fire vs. D.C. United – MLS Cup '98 – The Rose Bowl; Pasadena, CA
After wrapping up their conference final series in two matches, the Fire would return to The Rose Bowl on nine days rest while opponents D.C. United came into the match having played just four days prior against the Columbus Crew in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final.
Facing the only champions the young league had ever known, the Fire were outshot by United 9-6 in the first half but the advantage wasn't reflected on the score board.
In the 29th minute, Nowak's quick combination with Razov saw the Fire captain into the box on the left. Now in, the former Polish international simply slid the ball across to an open Jerzy Podbrozny who slotted past Tom Presthus to give the Fire a 1-0 lead.
It was Nowak again helping to pad the Fire's lead just before halftime. This time, the future Ring of Fire inductee cut into the box from the left before unleashing a blast that took a deflection off the chest of Diego Gutierrez, sending Presthus to the right while the ball trickled in on the left.
As he had in so many previous playoff matches, Zach Thornton stood tall in the second half, making six saves and visibly frustrating United to give the Fire an unprecedented MLS Cup title in their expansion season.
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Saturday night's flat performance at New England combined with results in New York, D.C. and Houston have put the Fire in a precarious position going into this weekend's regular season finale vs. United. With all five playoff teams now known, the result for the Men in Red means the team could literally still be seeded anywhere from second to fifth in the East come Sunday morning…
With only one regular season game left, this will be the last edition of Playoff Math for 2012 where I look at each team's best and worst case scenarios and potential seedings. Enjoy!
1) Sporting KC
Current Points: 60 (40 GF)
Maximum Possible Points: 63
Highest/Lowest Possible Seed: 1/2
Last Game: vs. Philadelphia (10/24).
The Rundown: Things have worked pretty well for KC heading into the playoffs. Saturday night they went and earned a second result in New York this season and combined with the Fire's failure at New England, have nearly locked down the top spot in the East. At the very least, they'll finish second.
The Best Case: All they need to do is earn a draw in their final game against Philadelphia to take the top seed.
The Worst Case: A loss to Philly at midweek combined with a D.C.win over the Fire would push Sporting down to second based on the Goals For tiebreaker.
Beyond just being a solid team, Sporting have more than earned their position in the table by being smart about how they've earned results in difficult places to play.
2) D.C. United
Current Points: 57 (52 GF)
Maximum Possible Points: 60
Highest/Lowest Possible Seed: 1/4
Last Game: at Chicago (10/27; 3pm CT on NBC Sports Network)
The Rundown: D.C. was the biggest mover of the night and did it all in dramatic fashion by coming back from two deficits to eventually down the Columbus 3-2 behind Lewis Neal's stoppage time strike. The win propelled United past the Fire and into second, qualified them for their first postseason berth since 2007 all the while helping to end the Crew's postseason hopes.
The Best Case: A win Saturday against the Fire combined with a Sporting loss to Philadelphia would push United to first in the East. They could still lock down second on Saturday with just a draw against Chicago.
The Worst Case: A loss to the Fire and a New York win over Philadelphia would push D.C. to fourth and force them to host the Eastern Conference play-in game on October 31 or November 1.
3) Chicago Fire
Current Points: 56 (45 GF)
Maximum Possible Points: 59
Highest/Lowest Possible Seed: 2/5
Last Game: vs. D.C. United (10/27; 3pm CT on NBC Sports Network)
The Rundown: After winning seven of eight in late summer and fall, the Men in Red have dropped their last three of four. There is reason to be nervous but be glad the team is home and can still control their own destiny as it comes to earning a higher seed.
The Best Case: All it would take for the Fire to lock up second in the East is a win at home against D.C. on Saturday.
The Worst Case: New York will end its match with Philadelphia a half hour before kickoff at Toyota Park -- If the Red Bulls win and the Fire lose or draw against D.C. the team will at least be condemned to fourth place.
Then the team will point its eyes to Denver where Colorado hosts Houston (8pm CT) in the final match of the 2012 MLS regular season – if the Dynamo win with a Fire loss against DC, the Men in Red will fall to fifth and open up the postseason at Houston. If the Fire draw against D.C., they'll remain fourth regardless of what happens in Colorado.
4) New York Red Bulls
Current Points: 54 (54 GF)
Maximum Possible Points: 57
Highest/Lowest Possible Seed: 3/5
Last Game: at Philadelphia (10/27; 12:30pm CT on NBC Sports Network)
The Rundown: New York will be disappointed to not have done more against Sporting KC in two huge home games towards the end of the season but will be happy to go into the final weekend with a playoff berth locked.
The Best Case: Because the Fire and United play and are already ahead of New York, there is no way for Red Bull to finish higher than third. With that in mind, all they need to do is defeat Philadelphia to lock in third place and avoid the play-in game.
The Worst Case: A draw or less to Philadelphia and then Red Bull will also be watching the Houston/Colorado match closely that night. A Houston win would mean the Dynamo would at the very least host New York in the play-in game, while a draw or loss would mean Red Bull would host the Dynamo.
5) Houston Dynamo
Current Points: 53 (48 GF)
Maximum Possible Points: 56
Highest/Lowest Possible Seed: 3/5
last Game: at Colorado (10/27 8pm CT on Direct Kick/MLS Live)
The Rundown: Houston's 3-1 win over Philadelphia Saturday night combined with D.C.'s victory over Columbus clinched the 2011 MLS Cup finalists a place back in the playoffs. Because of their appearance in last year's championship match, the Dynamo also have to juggle the final group game of CONCACAF Champions League play this Wednesday when they welcome Honduran side Olimipa to BBVA Compass Stadium.
Luckily for the Dynamo, they need only a draw in the game to ensure advancement to the next round ahead of having to close out the regular season and fight for positioning in the East with a match at altitude in Colorado.
The Best Case: The Dynamo could finish as high as third in the East if both New York and Chicago lose their games earlier in the day and Houston defeats Colorado.
The Worst Case: The Fire and Red Bull both win their earlier matches condemning the Dynamo to fifth and rendering the game that night at Colorado meaningless. In that case, Houston would travel to D.C. United for the play-in game.
A lot has changed since my last Playoff Math entry. The team had just come off a disappointing 2-0 loss to Sporting KC while almost no other result in the East had gone the Fire's way that weekend. The team would follow the loss to KC up with a disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Philadelphia on Anniversary Night before earning a solid 2-0 win at New York three days later.
It all goes to show that Playoff Math isn't always foolproof but a good read nonetheless. With that here's the latest update, also recognizing the field in the East is down to six teams with Montreal's elimination last week…
1) Sporting KC (qualified)
Current Points: 59 (40 GF)
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 65
Average Opponents Points: 44.5
Magic Number (for first place): 4
Remaining Schedule: at New York (10/20), vs. Philadelphia (10/24).
The Rundown: Sporting KC took a potential blow to their first place bid by leaving two points on the field late at Crew Stadium last Sunday. KC still has the inside track to finishing top of the conference for the second straight season but will have to navigate a tricky match at Red Bull this week to get there. If they can earn another win in New York, they'' all but clinch the top spot in the East, then needing only a win the following Wednesday home to Philadelphia.
2) Chicago Fire (qualified)
Current Points: 56 (45 GF)
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 62
Average Opponents Points: 41. 5
Magic Number (to first place): 9
Remaining Schedule: at New England (10/20), vs. D.C. United (10/27)
The Rundown: Despite falling in two of the last three matches, the Fire are in the playoffs and still find themselves with a reasonable shot at taking first in the East with the Sporting/Red Bull match looming this weekend. If Red Bull is able to win and the Fire can come away from New England victorious as well on Saturday, they'll be even on points with first place Kansas City and actually ahead on the first tie breaker (goals for).
That scenario would almost assuredly just require a Fire win on the final of the season vs. DC United to lock down first place (Sporting KC would have make up 6+ goals on Philadelphia in order to jump over the Fire.
More incentive to keep in mind… Should the Fire win their final two games, they'll at least finish third overall in the MLS standings, giving them a real shot at the CONCACAF Champions League should either Sporting KC or San Jose make MLS Cup.
3) D.C. United
Current Points: 54
Games Remaining: 3 (1 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 60
Average Opponents Points: 52.5
Magic Number (to qualify): 2
Remaining Schedule: vs. Columbus (10/20), at Chicago (10/27)
The Rundown: D.C. has the most difficult remaining schedule of the group but with them hosting sixth-place Columbus Saturday, can step into the playoffs with just a draw Saturday against the Crew. With United facing the Fire on the final day of the season, D.C. has plenty of incentive to go for wins in both games in order to possibly finish with home field advantage in the first round. Should the Fire and Sporting KC completely collapse the Capital City club even has an outside shot at first in the East.
4) New York Red Bulls
Current Points: 53
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 59
Average Opponents Points: 47.5
Magic Number (to qualify): 3
Remaining Schedule: vs. Sporting KC (10/20), at Philadelphia (10/27)
The Rundown: New York's form the last four games combined with front office shake ups and chatter about head coach Hans Backe's status for next year can't fill a Red Bull fan full of confidence. Still, they control their own playoff destiny and can qualify as well as play spoiler this weekend with a win at home vs. Sporting KC.
With the Red Bulls going 10-0-3 through their first 13 matches this season at Red Bull Arena, both Sporting and the Fire found the chink in the armor there in recent weeks. Even still, New York remains 11-2-3 at home this year and shouldn't be underestimated with their backs a bit against the wall on Saturday.
5) Houston Dynamo
Current Points: 50
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 56
Average Opponents Points: 33.5
Magic Number: 6
Remaining Schedule: vs. Philadelphia (10/20), at Colorado (10/27)
The Rundown: Despite having a reasonably easy schedule to close the 2012 campaign, Houston has made things sort of difficult on themselves down the stretch, going 1-1-1 in their last three matches all against sides outside of the playoff picture. Luckily, they still have the easiest schedule of all remaining playoff teams, hosting Philadelphia this weekend before visiting Colorado on the 27th.
With that high-altitude trip looming on the final day, the Dynamo would do well to take care of business Saturday against the Union where a win would necessitate just a draw on at the Rapids. A win Saturday combined with a Crew loss at DC would push Houston back into the playoffs for the second straight season.
6) Columbus Crew
Current Points: 49
Games Remaining: 2 (1 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 55
Average Opponents Points: 38
Magic Number: 8
Remaining Schedule: at D.C. United (10/20), vs. Toronto FC (10/28)
The Rundown: Another late goal last Sunday at home vs. Sporting KC likely salvaged the Crew's season, keeping the team within one point of fifth place Houston heading into a harrowing six-pointer Saturday at DC.
A victory keeps the team in the playoff hunt heading into the last match of the season, a very winnable home game vs. Toronto. A win plus a Houston draw or loss puts the Crew in the driver's seat. They've played with nothing to lose since August, no reason they should stop now.
From a traveling fan perspective, all of Fire nation should want the Crew to sneak into the playoffs and the Fire to have a chance at them in the first round.
This Week's Predictions:
New York Red Bulls 2, Sporting KC 1
Chicago Fire 2, New England Revolution 0
D.C. United 1, Columbus Crew 1
Houston Dynamo 2, Philadelphia Union 1
If those hold true the standings coming out of the weekend would be...
1) x-Chicago - 59pts. (47 GF)
2) x-Sporting KC - 59pts. (41 GF)
3) x-New York - 56pts. (56 GF)
4) x-D.C. United - 55pts. (50 GF)
5) Houston - 53pts. (47 GF)
6) Columbus - 50pts. (41 GF)
Let's hope I'm right!
A 2-0 defeat at Sporting KC Friday; Red Bull defeat Toronto FC 4-1; Columbus takes advantage of an offside goal to earn another late win; The Dynamo overpower New England 2-0…
The Chicago Fire were about 11 minutes from having literally every result this weekend go against them before Portland's Bright Dike roofed an effort past Bill Hamid to earn the Timbers a 1-1 home draw against D.C. United.
That result in Portland combined with the other four this weekend pushed the Fire down to third place (tied on points with New York) and just five points ahead of the sixth-place Crew with four matches remaining and just as many openings in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Fire and many other fans in the East deserve to be a little frustrated. The past few seasons it didn't take this much to qualify for the playoffs.
Even with most teams having three to four games left in the season, total wins in the East are currently at 122, up from 88 which was the total through the end of 2011. Playoff team wins (or translated to last year, Top 5 team wins) total in at 76 right now over 59 through the end of 2011. More simply put, it took fifth place New York just 46 points to qualify for the postseason last year, while this year sixth place Columbus sits on 48 points and outside of the current playoff bubble.
WATCH: Sporting KC 2, Chicago Fire 0
Make no mistake, all five teams that make it from the East will have earned it this season…
PLAYOFF MATH…I've added magic numbers to the breakdown this week. For a definition on what the magic number is in soccer, click here.
1) Sporting KC (qualified)
Current Points: 58
Games Remaining: 3 (1 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 67
Average Opponents Points: 43.6
Magic Number (for first place): 8
Remaining Schedule: at Columbus (10/7), at New York (10/20), vs. Philadelphia (10/24).
The Rundown: Sporting KC navigated their difficult stretch of three games in nine days about as perfectly as they could have expected. The team earned a valuable 2-0 win at New York on September 19, played strategically for a point at Montreal three days later and returned home on Friday to defeat the Fire, taking seven points from the three matches.
WATCH: New York Red Bulls 4, Toronto FC 1
The victory over Chicago on Friday not only opened up a somewhat comfortable five-point gap between first and second but also pushed KC back into the playoffs. They still have two tough games at Columbus who are 10-3-2 at home this season and fighting for their playoff lives and a trip back to New York, but if they can negotiate that two-game stretch as well as the three games before it, they shouldn't have an issue finishing in poll-position in the East.
2) New York Red Bulls
Current Points: 53 (tied with Fire, ahead on Goals For tiebreaker)
Games Remaining: 3 (2 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 62
Average Opponents Points: 47
Magic Number (playoffs): 5
Remaining Schedule: vs. Chicago (10/6), vs. Sporting KC (10/20), at Philadelphia (10/27)
The Rundown: New York did what they needed to in taking a 4-1 victory over Toronto Saturday night. They face perhaps the toughest remaining schedule of anyone in the East, having to face both the Fire and Sporting KC, albeit at home, in back-to-back matches. The results of those two games will go a long towards determining where all three teams will finish.
How they qualify: Red Bull can qualify for the playoffs this week by defeating the Fire and having Columbus either lose or draw to Sporting KC (Sunday) or Houston lose to Montreal (Saturday).
3) Chicago Fire
Current Points: 53 (tied with New York)
Games Remaining: 4 (2 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 65
Average Opponents Points: 40.75
Magic Number: 5
Remaining Schedule: vs. Philadelphia (10/3), at New York (10/6), at New England (10/20), vs. D.C. United (10/27)
The Rundown: While it wasn't what you wanted, there was nothing disastrous about Friday night's result at Kansas City. One thing to remember is that the Fire hold a game in hand over everyone else in the playoff race and that game is made up this week with Wednesday's clash vs. Philadelphia and Saturday's match at New York.
If the Fire can manage to take at least four points from the week, they would almost assuredly have booked their place in the postseason and even three points would go a long way toward playoff qualification. Anything less and the team will have made things much more difficult than need be on themselves.
Luckily enough, Wednesday's game comes against lowly Philadelphia who will be on one day less rest than the Fire and who haven't beaten any of the top seven teams in the East away from home, going 0-6-0 in those games this season.
WATCH: D.C. United 1, Portland Timbers 1
While it'll be expected for the Fire to take three points against the Union, the more difficult match will come Saturday against Red Bull. If the team gets a win against Philly, a draw would be ok to keep the Fire in position ahead of New York to push for second place in the East.
Keep in mind though, waking up Sunday morning is all the more reason to hope the Fire can earn just one more point than Red Bull as there's little to no chance the team will win a tie-breaker with the high-flying New York offense.
How they qualify: The Fire can qualify for the playoffs in a variety of ways this week but at the very least need three points from their two matches vs. Philadelphia (Wednesday) and at New York (Saturday), combined with a Columbus loss or draw vs. Sporting KC (Sunday) or a Houston loss vs. Montreal (Saturday). Two wins in the two matches and the rest won't matter as the Fire will have booked their ticket.
4) D.C. United
Current Points: 51
Games Remaining: 3 (1 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 60
Average Opponents Points: 41
Magic Number: 7
Remaining Schedule: at Toronto FC (10/6), vs. Columbus (10/20), at Chicago (10/27)
The Rundown: Given that it would have made for a three-way tie for second place, D.C. will be a bit disappointed not to have taken three points at Portland Saturday. Taking care of business at Toronto on Saturday will be most important for United as their final two matches look like they could be of the six-point variety.
How they qualify: They can't this week. A win at Toronto and a Columbus loss this weekend won't be good enough to get D.C. into the playoffs before the international break as it would only equal six "magic number" points.
WATCH: Columbus 3, Philadelphia 2
5) Houston Dynamo
Current Points: 49
Games Remaining: 3 (2 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 58
Average Opponents Points: 33.3
Magic Number: 9
Remaining Schedule: vs. Montreal (10/6), vs. Philadelphia (10/20), at Colorado (10/27)
The Rundown: Houston stumbled last weekend at Philadelphia and had a bit of trouble in the first half Saturday night vs. New England but eventually got the job done. The Dynamo undoubtedly still have the easiest schedule in the East, with their hardest game coming against Montreal on Saturday. The goal of every team ahead of Houston should at least be to finish with more than 58 points as that is the closest thing to a playoff point threshold that exists right now.
How they qualify: Won't be able to think about qualification until at least October 20.
6) Columbus Crew
Current Points: 48
Games Remaining: 3 (32 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 57
Average Opponents Points: 43.6
Magic Number: 10
Remaining Schedule: vs. Sporting KC (10/7), at D.C. United (10/20), vs. Toronto FC (10/28)
The Rundown: The Crew did it again Saturday night, scoring another late winner, albeit one that was clearly offside. That doesn't matter now as Columbus kept pace in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race.
The result was huge as the Crew will be facing the East's top team in Sporting KC on Sunday before a certain six-pointer on October 20 at D.C. United. How they fare in these two games will go a long way to determining where they finish in the East but it seems a minimum of three points from the pair of matches will be absolutely necessary to stay alive going into their final game of the season vs. Toronto FC.
How they qualify: Would need a bit of help but could qualify on October 20.
7) Montreal Impact
Current Points: 40
Games Remaining: 3 (1 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 49
Average Opponents Points: 32.3
Remaining Schedule: at Houston (10/6), at Toronto FC (10/20), vs. New England (10/27)
The Rundown: Idle this week, Montreal are only mathematically still in. To qualify, they would need a monumental collapse from either Houston or Columbus while the Impact would have to run the table to finish the season. Even a draw at Houston on Saturday will bring their season to an end.
After Sunday, D.C. United continued to move up the Eastern Conference table even without Dwayne DeRosario, earning a 1-0 home win over Chivas USA. The shock result of the weekend likely came earlier in the day as Houston dropped a 3-1 decision at lowly Philadelphia, leaving them just one point above sixth place Columbus for the final playoff spot in the East.
Seeing as I broke down each team's remaining schedules prior to Sunday's two matches, I won't do it again here… Refer to that blog for an almost up-to-date breakdown.
Instead today's edition of Playoff Math will be shorter and potentially sweeter as I focus on "Magic Numbers"…
I've come to find out that with three variations of a result, "Magic Numbers" in soccer are more difficult to come by than in baseball, basketball or football. but I felt it part of my duties as Team Writer to work out just how close the Fire (and the rest of the East) are to playoff qualification.
To be clear, the "Magic Numbers" below do not reflect the number of points a team needs to earn but rather, the number of points a team needs to gain combined with the number of points the sixth place team (right now Columbus) needs to drop. In the Crew's case, it's in comparison to fifth place Houston.
As an example, the Fire could achieve their magic number of five by winning Friday night at Sporting KC (3 points) and then have Columbus lose (drop 3 points) or draw with Philadelphia (drop 2 points).
Also find the "Soonest Could Clinch" column which is pretty self-explanatory. It's factored by taking into account the date a team could gain maximum points and have the sixth place team no longer able to catch them.
Make sense? Here's the table…
Team | Games Left | Points | Max. Points | Magic Number | Soonest Could Clinch |
Sporting KC | 4 | 55 | 67 | 3 | 9/28 |
Chicago Fire | 5 | 53 | 68 | 5 | 9/29 |
NY Red Bulls | 4 | 50 | 62 | 8 | 10/7 |
D.C. United | 4 | 50 | 62 | 8 | 10/7 |
Houston Dynamo | 4 | 46 | 58 | 12 | 10/7 |
Columbus Crew | 4 | 45 | 57 | 13 | 10/20 |
The only other team that can clinch qualification this week is of course Sporting, who simply need a victory over the Fire or a draw and Columbus defeat to book their ticket to the postseason.
Not that you need much more reason to tune into the Fire's game at Sporting KC Friday at 7:30pm CT on NBC Sports Network but it could end up being one of the biggest games of the season…
The Fire and Sporting KC did their part this week to make Friday's showdown at LiveStrong Sporting Park a massive one for the national television audience on NBC Sports Network... Below is a breakdown of the Playoff Math after Saturday's games. On Monday, following today's two matches, I'll have an update, including magic numbers for all team's in the East race.
WATCH: Chicago 2, Columbus 1 (9/22/2012)
1) Sporting KC
Current Points: 55
Games Remaining: 4 (2 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 67
Average Opponents Points: 43.7
Remaining Schedule: vs. Chicago (9/28), at Columbus (10/7), at New York (10/20), vs. Philadelphia (10/24).
The Rundown: Ending a stretch this weekend in which the team played three games in eight days, Sporting manager Peter Vermes did well to manage the scenario and keep his team atop the East with a huge 2-0 win over Red Bull at midweek before playing for a point at Montreal Saturday afternoon.
The decision to go for a draw with the Impact shows Vermes' confidence in his side heading into Friday's all-important six point clash with the Fire. A win for Sporting and they'll open up a five point lead at the top, while a loss would push the Fire into first place by one point, with the Men in Red holding a game in hand.
2) Chicago Fire
Current Points: 53
Games Remaining: 5 (2 home, 3 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 68
Average Opponents Points: 41.6
Remaining Schedule: at Sporting KC (9/28), vs. Philadelphia (10/3), at New York (10/6), at New England (10/20), vs. D.C. United (10/27)
The Rundown: Fans had all the reason to go into Saturday's game with chewed up finger nails. Sean Johnson's early giveaway that led to the Crew's early goal might have made you loose a bit of hair. In the end, what could have been a bogey game and a missed opportunity for three points just turned into yet another Fire win.
The club is on the brink of its first playoff qualification since 2009 and while going first on Friday is a real thing, they could also potentially clinch a postseason berth if the Crew fall next Saturday night against Philadelphia.
3) New York Red Bulls
Current Points: 50
Games Remaining: 4 (3 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 65
Average Opponents Points: 39.2
Remaining Schedule: vs. Toronto FC (9/29), vs. Chicago (10/6), vs. Sporting KC (10/20), at Philadelphia (10/27)
WATCH: New England 1, New York 1 (9/22/2012)
The Rundown: Save Montreal who are almost completely out of the playoff race, no one in the East had a worse week than Red Bull. A flat effort at home in midweek against Sporting KC in a match that could have taken them to the top of the East table combined with a gut-wrenching 1-1 draw Saturday at lowly New England leaves New York in a precarious position at the moment.
The good thing is that three of their remaining four matches are at home and two of those are against the Fire and Sporting KC. The bad thing is both D.C. and Houston play Sunday. A win by United over Chivas USA would pull them level with Red Bull on points while a Houston win over Philadelphia would pull them within one.
4) DC United
Current Points: 47
Games Remaining: 5 (2 home, 3 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 62
Average Opponents Points: 35.4
Remaining Schedule: vs. Chivas USA (9/23), at Portland (9/29), at Toronto FC (10/6), vs. Columbus (10/20), at Chicago (10/27)
The Rundown: Not a lot to say about United until they play their match vs. Chivas USA tonight (6pm CT on Galavision). D.C. did well enough to earn three points at Philadelphia at midweek and if they can take advantage of the easier schedule over the next few weeks, they'll be in very good shape for a top three finish, even without DeRo.
Food for thought: If D.C. were to drop a 4-0 scoreline on Chivas USA at RFK tonight, they would actually move into third place, beating Red Bull on the second tie breaker of Goal Differential...
5) Houston Dynamo
Current Points: 46
Games Remaining: 5 (3 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 61
Average Opponents Points: 30.4
Remaining Schedule: at Philadelphia (9/23), vs. New England (9/29), vs. Montreal (10/6), vs. Philadelphia (10/20), at Colorado (10/27)
The Rundown: Same as D.C. above. Houston should be favorites to win all five of their remaining matches, with their toughest opponent being Montreal on October 6. The favorable remaining schedules for both the Dynamo and United should give great caution to Sporting KC, Chicago and New York if they expect to finish in the top three.
6) Columbus Crew
Current Points: 45
Games Remaining: 4 (3 home, 1 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 57
Average Opponents Points: 37.7
Remaining Schedule: vs. Philadelphia (9/29), vs. Sporting KC (10/7), at D.C. United (10/20), vs. Toronto FC (10/28).
The Rundown: Again last night, the Crew continue to showed why some should be skeptical about their late-season run as the team hasn't beaten anyone ahead of them lately. For a team trying to climb up the table, dropping points against those above you won't help your cause. With three of four remaining matches at home, Columbus is far from out of the race but can't afford many more slip-ups.
The October 20 game vs. United could be the make or break of their season.
7) Montreal Impact
Current Points: 40
Games Remaining: 3 (1 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 49
Average Opponents Points: 32.3
Remaining Schedule: at Houston (10/6), at Toronto FC (10/20), vs. New England (10/27)
The Rundown: Just here because of mathematics. Montreal did the Fire and the rest of the East a bit of a favor by earning a 0-0 draw with Sporting KC Saturday but leaving two points on the field at Stade Saputo has really determined the Impact's playoff fate in their expansion season. They'll take next weekend off and the rest of the East will hope they can pull another result at Houston before they finish off the season with games at Toronto and vs. New England.


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Ravens DL Chris Canty talks about his decision to leave New York and head down south to Baltimore. Canty liked the idea of going to play for a team that has championship pieces, but is in sort of a rebuilding mode after losing so many players this offseason.
This video is no longer available. Click here to watch more NBC Sports videos!ProFootballTalk: One-on-one with Chris Canty
Jets are keeping door open for Cromartie, for now
When admitting on NBCSN's Pro Football Talk that he'll likely be cut by the Jets, cornerback Antonio Cromartie said he nevertheless hopes to retire with the team.
There's a chance, albeit small, that it'll happen.
Per a league source, the Jets haven't closed the door on re-signing Cromartie. However, it's currently believed they have another cornerback already locked up.
Of course, the Jets aren't currently permitted to have anything more than negotiations that don't lead to an agreement. But the thinking is that, before cutting Cromartie loose, the Jets became satisfied that negotiations with another cornerback will become an offer and an acceptance as of 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
If the non-binding winking and nodding and negotiating falls apart by then, the Jets could be bringing back Cromartie.
All signs point to Branden Albert signing with the Dolphins
Last year, the Dolphins nearly traded for Chiefs tackle Branden Albert. This year, they need only to make a deal with Albert himself.
Per a league source, all signs currently point to Albert signing with the Dolphins not long after the market officially opens on Tuesday.
Albert instantly would be installed as the left tackle in Miami, succeeding Bryant McKinnie. Who replaced Jonathan Martin. Who replaced Jake Long.
Like Long, Albert was a first-round pick in 2008. After his rookie contract expired, Albert played in 2013 under the franchise tag.
If/when (when) Albert leaves the Chiefs, it's possible that right tackle Eric Fisher, the first pick in the 2013 draft, will flip to the left side. It's also possible that Fisher will stay on the right side and Donald Stephenson, who started seven games last year, will play the left side.
Jets save $9.5 million by cutting Cromartie
Antonio Cromartie saw it coming.
Appearing in January on NBCSN's Pro Football Talk, Cromartie said he expected to be a cap casualty. On Sunday, he was proven right.
"I think I am, just because my cap number is very high and I had one of the worst seasons of my career this past year," Cromartie said.
Cutting Cromartie avoids a $5 million roster bonus due in March, a $4.3 million base salary, and a $200,000 workout bonus. That's a total of $9.5 million that Cromartie would have been paid.
With the market for cornerbacks rebounding this year, Cromartie could still do fairly well on the open market. Between signing bonus and base salary, he could still get at least $9.5 million this year on a multi-year deal.
Especially if teams accept that his performance last year was the result of injury.
"I was banged up," Cromartie said. "You know, I got hurt in Week Two but that's not an excuse. You know, if I'm going to go out and go play every single week, I expect for myself to be playing at a high level and my teammates and my organization expects for me to be playing at a high level, so I never make excuses. You know, I just had a bad year. And that falls heavily on me and no one else."
That kind of candor is rare and refreshing. It could help Cromartie, who still hasn't turned 30, in his quest to find another job.
Griffen gets $20 million guaranteed, $13 million on signing
Now that the Vikings have opted to keep defensive end Everson Griffin, the numbers suggest that they won't be able or inclined to keep Jared Allen.
With Brian Robison already signed to a four-year, $22 million deal, Griffen has a five-year, $42 million contract. Per a league source, Griffen gets $13 million fully guaranteed at signing. Another $7 million that is currently guaranteed for injury only becomes fully guaranteed next March.
So Griffen gets $13 million for one year or $20 million for two. And, of course, $42 million for five.
The Vikings paid Jared Allen $73 million over six years after trading for him in 2008. He played out the entire deal, and he'll now undoubtedly sign with another team.
The move also takes the Vikings out of play for the other defensive ends who expect to be paid big money.
Antonio Cromartie says goodbye to the Jets
The Jets have told Antonio Cromartie he is being released.
Cromartie, who was viewed as a potential cap casualty, confirmed as much when he wrote a farewell message to the team and its fans on Twitter on Sunday afternoon.
"I would like 2 thank the Jets organization so much with helpin me grow as leader and a player. S/O 2 my teammates I wish u guys the best," Cromartie wrote. "I would also like to give a big up to The Jets Fan base. Thank you for all the support thru my 4 yr career with you. Thank you again. It's time for a new chapter in my life and now it's time to let my lord and savior lead my steps every step of the way."
The departure of Cromartie means the Jets will be big players in the free agent cornerback market. The Jets are believed to be very interested in signing Titans cornerback Alterraun Verner when free agency officially begins on Tuesday.
Spielman hints Vikings may draft a second-day quarterback
The Vikings may be planning to draft a quarterback, but not Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles or Johnny Manziel with the eighth overall pick.
Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman suggested that his team might be more interested in addressing another position in the first round of the draft, and taking a quarterback on the second day of the draft.
"I think you can find quarterbacks in the second round and the third round, as well," Spielman told the Star Tribune. "We've started that process on the evaluation part. I think we're scheduled to go out there and see a lot of these quarterbacks through the spring and get to know them a little bit better. The one thing that I want to make sure we don't do is box ourselves into having to take a quarterback if there's another player that's very significant at another position."
With Matt Cassel signed for another two years, the Vikings may see Cassel as a player who can start this year while helping to groom a young quarterback who would be available on the second day of the draft, such as Jimmy Garoppolo of Eastern Illinois or AJ McCarron of Alabama. Cassel may not be a long-term answer, but he may be a stopgap that gives the Vikings an opportunity to be patient for a quarterback to develop, rather than thinking they need a rookie to start right away.
Jasper Brinkley reportedly returning to Minnesota
All 32 teams can talk to agents for impending free agents around the league, but they can only sign contracts with players who were already on their rosters or those released around the league.
The Vikings have reportedly done both on Sunday. On the heels of word that defensive end Everson Griffen has landed a fat new contract to stay in Minnesota and forgo free agency comes a report from Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports that linebacker Jasper Brinkley has landed a one-year deal in Minnesota.
It's a reunion for Brinkley and the Vikings after Brinkley's stay with the Cardinals ended with his recent release. Brinkley, a 2009 fifth-round pick, was the starting middle linebacker for Minnesota in 2012 and the team is looking for someone to fill that role again now that Erin Henderson has been released. Brinkley's got the run-stuffing chops to play a role on early downs, but will be stretched if he's asked to do much beyond that.
Brinkley also visited with the Bills last week before settling on a return to his first NFL home.
It's still early, but the Browns haven't called Jairus Byrd
Sometimes the early phone calls in the legal tampering period matter, and sometimes they don't.
But if there was a surprise among the calls not made, it might be that the Browns didn't check in with Bills safety Jairus Byrd yet.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns haven't touched base with his representatives as of early Sunday afternoon.
Some level of interest in Byrd was assumed by many, given the success he had under now-Browns coach Mike Pettine last year, and the Browns' potential vacancy with T.J. Ward hitting the market.
There's still plenty of time for them to get in if they want in, but so far other teams have expressed more interest, or at least made more phone calls.
Teams aren't worried about Nicks knee or foot
On Saturday, free-agent receiver Hakeem Nicks sent, via his agents, letters to all teams from Dr. Robert Anderson and Dr. James Andrews explaining that Nicks' foot and knee, respectively, are fine.
As one league source explains it to PFT, teams aren't worried about Nicks' foot or knee or any other part of his body. Teams are concerned about the thing propped on his neck.
While Nicks' performances over the past two years can be attributed to injury, the concern isn't whether he still can play. The concern is whether he truly still wants to play, at a high level.
Whether it's a desire to be paid a lot of money or concern about injury or interest in doing things other than playing football, the concern is that Nicks lacks the motivation to perform like he did earlier in his career.
It remains to be seen whether those concerns are legitimate. And Nicks' reported willingness to do a one-year deal suggests that someone has successfully communicated to him that he won't simply be handed a huge pile of money for accomplishments from 2011 and earlier.
With plenty of receivers available in free agency and a healthy complement of incoming rookies at the position, Nicks' best and only play may be a one-year deal that allows him to show that he's still the guy who once seem destined for the big payday that won't be coming in 2014.
Report: Everson Griffen re-signs with Vikings
The Vikings have gotten 17.5 sacks in a situational role from defensive end Everson Griffen over the last three years and it appears he'll be back in Minnesota to give them more in 2014.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Griffen is re-signing with the Vikings on what he calls a "huge" five-year deal. There's no details about just how huge, but it supports what we've been hearing about deals being higher across the league in free agency this year than they were last year.
The Vikings aren't giving Griffen, who ranked 19th on PFT's Hot 100 free agents, a big deal to continue as a situational pass rusher. Jared Allen is a free agent and keeping him doesn't look like a priority for the Vikings, who also stand to lose veteran defensive tackle Kevin Williams to another club. That means more work for Griffen and, it seems, a salary to match.
With the negotiating window open, teams looking for help at end have had a chance to let Griffen know how much they desired his services. Minnesota outbid them, though, which leaves Michael Johnson, Michael Bennett and Lamarr Houston set to be the top available players at the position.
Lance Briggs lament departure of Bears veterans
Last year, it was Brian Urlacher. Last week, it was Devin Hester. Soon, it could be Charles Tillman.
Eventually, it will be Lance Briggs. And Lance Briggs knows it.
"It's sad, man," Briggs said of the recent departures of veteran Bears players, via the Chicago Sun-Times. "For a guy like me — and I know Peanut [Tillman] and Brian have been here a long time — we've seen a lot of guys come and go. I think we all know our time is coming. But it's sad when it does. And I hate to see a guy like Devin, and what he's meant to this city and to the Bears organization, not brought back. . . . It's hard with the bond that you build with all your brothers. It kinda just sucks."
Briggs remains hopeful that Tillman will re-sign with the Bears.
"One of my brothers didn't get a chance to come back this past year, and hopefully the other one gets to stay," Briggs said. "We'll see."
At some point, Tillman won't be back. At some point, Briggs won't be back. It's a harsh reality of the modern NFL, where players received the freedom that comes with free agency but in turn experience the finality that comes from costing too much under the salary cap.
"When my time comes, I don't expect anything more or less than a tweet saying, 'We're parting ways with Lance,'" Briggs said. "It's not gonna hurt my feelings or anything like that."
That day is coming for Briggs. And for Julius Peppers. And for Matt Forte. And Jay Cutler. And Brandon Marshall. And every other player who has been or will be a contributor to the Bears and every other NFL team.
Most of Amendola's salary guaranteed if he's on Pats Wednesday
A recent report had the Patriots floating wide receiver Danny Amendola's name to other teams as a trade possibility along with speculation that he could be released if he isn't dealt.
If he is going to be released, the Patriots will be doing it on Tuesday. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports that the Patriots have until the end of Tuesday to make a decision about Amendola before $2 million of his $3 million base salary becomes guaranteed for the 2014 season.
Amendola has a cap charge of $4.575 million once the salary is guaranteed and designating him as a June 1 cut would spread the remaining cap hit over the next two seasons. Amendola didn't have a productive 2013 season and missed time to both a groin injury and a concussion. This wasn't Amendola's first injury-plagued season and the Patriots, who would save a bit more than $1.3 million under the cap, may prefer to devote more resources to re-signing Julian Edelman and exploring other receiving options than banking on a rebound.
It would be a quick change of direction for the Patriots, but they've never been unwilling to move on if they feel there are better options available at a position.
Lions owner William Clay Ford Sr. dies at 88
William Clay Ford Sr., the longtime owner of the Detroit Lions, has died at the age of 88.
"It is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of Mr. Ford and extend our deepest sympathies to Mrs. Ford and to the entire Ford family," Lions President Tom Lewand said in a statement. "No owner loved his team more than Mr. Ford loved the Lions. Those of us who had the opportunity to work for Mr. Ford knew of his unyielding passion for his family, the Lions and the city of Detroit."
Ford purchased the Lions in 1963 and oversaw their move out of the city from Tiger Stadium to the Pontiac Silverdome in 1975, and then oversaw their move back into downtown Detroit with the opening of Ford Field in 2002. Ford was the youngest son of Edsel Ford and the last surviving grandchild of Henry Ford, and he was the largest individual shareholder in Ford Motor Company.
Control of the Lions will presumably go to his son, William Clay Ford Jr., who has become increasingly active in the team in recent years. There is no reason to believe Bill Ford would make any immediate changes, but he developed a reputation for being more proactive than his father when his public criticism precipitated the ouster of team President Matt Millen in 2008.
Born March 14, 1925, William Clay Ford Sr. served in the Navy in World War II and married Martha Firestone of the family that owned the Firestone tire company in 1947. In addition to Bill Jr., William and Martha had three daughters.
Another Raven is arrested
It's been a rough month for the Ravens.
In fewer than four weeks, three players on the team have been arrested. Joining running back Ray Rice and receiver Deonte Thompson is guard Jah Reid.
According to the website of the Monroe County, Florida Sheriff's office, Reid was arrested early Sunday on two misdemeanor charges of battery.
A third-round pick in 2011, appeared in 10 games with no starts in 2013. He's due to become a free agent next year.
Cowboys have $2M in cap space, cutting Ware would make it $9.4M
Cowboys owner and General Manager Jerry Jones loves to make a splash in free agency, but at the moment he doesn't have the salary cap space to do it.
Even after the Cowboys' recent moves — including cutting center Phil Costa and restructuring the contracts of guard Mackenzy Bernadeau, quarterback Tony Romo, linebacker Sean Lee and cornerback Orlando Scandrick — the Cowboys only have about $2 million in cap space, according to ESPN.com.
Before Jones could make a splash with an addition, he may have to make a splash with a subtraction. And so the big question facing the Cowboys is whether they'll release DeMarcus Ware, the defensive end they're hoping will take a pay cut. If Ware doesn't play ball on a restructured deal and Dallas releases him, the Cowboys will get $7.4 million in cap savings, which would put their total cap space at around $9.4 million.
There's likely more cap relief coming for the Cowboys, as they can release receiver Miles Austin with a post-June 1 designation and free up another $5.5 million in cap room, but that cap room won't be available until it's time for the Cowboys to start using some of their cap space to sign their rookie class.
Basically, the Cowboys' free agency plans hinge on what happens with Ware. If they release him or get him to take a new contract that provides immediate cap relief, Jones may be able to sign a key player in free agency. If things stay as they are, the Cowboys will mostly be observers while other teams are spending.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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- Northern New York Newspapers
- Watertown Daily Times
- The Journal
- Daily Courier-Observer
- NNY Ads
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- Malone Telegram
GOUVERNEUR The Gouverneur Rescue Squad hopes to have its nonprofit status reinstated by the Internal Revenue Service soon.
The squad lost its tax-exempt status for failing to file tax returns for three consecutive years.
The good news is the taxes are complete, Thomas Rusaw, squad president, told the village Board of Trustees on Tuesday. Theyre being mailed at the end of the week.
Mr. Rusaw pledged to keep the village updated.
As things progress, we will be here on a regular basis, he said.


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Monday, March 10, 2014
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With more than 97 percent of precincts reporting as of early Wednesday morning, Democrat Bill de Blasio is flirting with the 40 percent mark necessary to avoid a runoff in the Democratic mayoral primary, while Joseph Lhota celebrates his victory on the GOP side.
As of 5:20 a.m., with nearly 98 percent of precincts reporting, de Blasio had 40.19 percent of the Democratic vote, leading William Thompson's 26 percent and Christine Quinn's 16 percent.
The winner of that primary needs 40 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff.
"We know there's a long road ahead," De Blasio, the city's public advocate, told a cheering crowd of supporters at around midnight, as returns showed him teetering on the verge of winning the primary outright over second-place finisher William Thompson. "That's true for this campaign, but also in the job that we're seeking to do."
Counting the ballots could take several days. The Board of Elections will open the machines on Friday. Officials will start counting paper ballots on Monday.
Meanwhile, Lhota will advance to November's general election after capturing 52 percent of the vote to John Catsimatidis' 41 percent.
"Now is the time for our party to come together and unite for the common good," the former MTA chairman and one-time deputy mayor told supporters after defeating Catsimatidis, the owner of the Gristedes grocery chain. "This is the first step towards continuing a strong future for our city."
Catsimatidis, meanwhile, sounded downtrodden in defeat.
"I wanted to come through not just for myself, but for all of you," he told supporters. "I want to apologize to my staff that I didn't do better, that I didn't win this thing for all of you. Next time, I'll work harder."
In the Democratic city comptroller race, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer defeated Eliot Spitzer, 52 percent to 48 percent, ending the former governor's attempt at a political comeback.
Meanwhile, there will be a runoff in the Democratic primary for public advocate between state Senator Daniel Squadron and City Councilwoman Letitia James.
With more than 96 percent of precincts reporting, James had 36 percent of the vote and Squadron had 33 percent, over former Deputy Public Advocate Reshma Saujani, college professor Cathy Guerriero and the NYPD's Sidique Wai.
In another closely-watched race, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes was upset by challenger Ken Thompson. Hynes, who has served as Brooklyn DA since 1990, received 45 percent of the vote to Thompson's 55 percent.
Tuesday's results helped determine who will vie for the city's top offices in November's general election, including the race to succeed Michael Bloomberg following his 12 years as mayor.
The race for mayor is William Thompson's second run for mayor after the former school board president narrowly lost to Bloomberg in 2009's general election.
"Tonight is for everyone out there who's ever been counted out, for everyone who's been told their dreams are too big," Thompson told supporters late Tuesday night. "We are just getting going here."
Tuesday's results could spell an uncertain future for Quinn, the outgoing City Council Speaker who was the mayoral front-runner until the very late stages of the campaign, when she fell behind both de Blasio and Thompson.
"I want to congratulate my opponents on a hard-earned victory," she told supporters in her concession speech. "While we disagree on some issues, we all care deeply about this city. I wish both of them the best of luck."
After serving as a councilmember for seven years, Quinn rose to City Council speaker in 2006. In 2008, she helped overturn a term-limits law that allowed Bloomberg to win a third term as mayor, a move that drew attacks from her opponents throughout the campaign.
Also facing uncertainty is former Rep. Anthony Weiner, who placed a distant fifth in the Democratic mayoral primary with 5 percent of the vote.
Weiner, who resigned his congressional post in 2011 in the wake of a lewd texting scandal, leaped to the front of many polls when he joined the mayoral race in June. But he nosedived a month later after it was revealed that he continued to exchange lewd messages with women in the months following his resignation.
"I have to say, ladies and gentlemen, we had the best ideas," he told supporters in his concession speech. "Sadly, I was an imperfect messenger."
The former seven-term congressman was defiant till the end.
"We will continue the fight," he said, his voice choked with emotion, as he left the stage.
Also finishing in the pack was City Comptroller John Liu, who placed fourth with 7 percent of the vote. A city councilmember from Queens starting in 2001, he was elected comptroller in 2009, and ran by many accounts the most energetic campaign of any mayoral candidate. But his campaign treasurer and a former fundraiser were found guilty in May of organizing straw donor schemes, and Liu was subsequently denied public matching funds by the Campaign Finance Board.
"We have been thrown many obstacles and challenges along the way," Liu told his supporters Tuesday night. "But with every one of these challenges, we have always risen to the task. We showed what fortitude is about, because we never strayed from our ideals and principles."
Pastor Erick Salgado finished sixth with 2 percent of the vote, while former City Councilman Sal Albanese was last with less than one percent.
De Blasio voted Tuesday at the Park Slope Public Library in Brooklyn, joined by his wife Chirlane. Thompson cast his vote at the Young Diplomats Magnet Academy on West 122nd Street in Harlem. Quinn cast her ballot along with her wife Kim Catullo at Chelsea Prep on Ninth Avenue and 26th Street, while Liu cast his ballot in the Whitestone section of Queens.
Weiner hit the polls early in Manhattan, bringing his son Jordan out to Baruch College. His name was missing from the rolls at the polling site, but the situation was eventually cleared up and he was able to vote.
Lhota voted at the Congregation Mount Sinai Church in Brooklyn.
Due to a problem with voting machines, the former MTA chairman had to submit his ballot on paper.
Catsimatidis cast his vote on the Upper East Side, dropping by his polling site on East 60th Street along with his wife Margo and their children.
Meanwhile, what's old was new again for voters Tuesday.
The old lever voting machines were brought out of retirement for the primary.
They were retired nearly four years ago when the city turned to an electronic scanning method. But with the possibility of a runoff in a few weeks, election officials were concerned there wouldn't be enough time to reprogram the electronic machines.
Legislators in Albany agreed, allowing the lever machines to return.
The electronic scanners will be used for the general election on November 5.
NY1 presents full post-primary speeches for the following candidates:
Democratic Mayoral PrimaryBill de BlasioWilliam ThompsonChristine QuinnJohn LiuAnthony Weiner
Republican Mayoral PrimaryJoseph LhotaJohn Catsimatidis
Democratic City Comptroller PrimaryScott StringerEliot Spitzer
Brooklyn District AttorneyKen Thompson Charles Hynes
Manhattan Borough PresidentGale Brewer


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WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) - Sales of new U.S. single-family homes vaulted to a five-year high in June, showing little signs of slowing in the face of higher mortgage rates.
The Commerce Department said on Wednesday sales increased 8.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 497,000 units, the highest level since May 2008.
Sales increased 1.3 percent in May.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected new home sales to rise to a 482,000-unit rate last month.
Compared with June last year, sales were up 38.1 percent, the largest increase since January 1992.
The third straight month of gains in new home sales, which are measured when contracts are signed, suggested the housing market was gaining more muscle and should allay concerns that higher mortgage rates could slow down momentum.
Mortgage rates have spiked in anticipation of the U.S. Federal Reserve starting to taper its generous monetary stimulus later this year. Rates still remain low and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke last week expressed optimism the housing market recovery would continue.
Last month, the inventory of new homes on the market increased 1.3 percent to 161,000, the highest since August 2011, as builders continue to ramp up production to meet the growing demand.
Still, supply remains tight, putting upward pressure on prices. The median new home price increased 7.4 percent from a year ago.
At June's sales pace it would take 3.9 months to clear the houses on the market, down from 4.2 months in May. A supply of 6.0 months is normally considered as a healthy balance between supply and demand.
Sales last month rose in three regions, but fell in the Midwest.
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Paul Simao)
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"Teen Mom" Amber Portwood has been thrown back in jail -- this after a judge issued a warrant for her arrest today, TMZ has learned.
It's unclear why the judge issued the warrant -- whether it's related to Amber's most recent alleged probation violations, including a fight Amber got into at a restaurant last month ... or a new one entirely.
Amber is currently being booked at Madison County Jail in Indiana -- where she's now expected to spend the holidays.
She's due to face a judge on January 13. The booking photo was first obtained by FOX59 in Indianapolis.
Wow! How badly could she have messed up to be held without bond before her probation hearing on a different matter.
Guess she isnt as big of celebrity as say....paris or lindsay. cause if she was shed never be locked up long.
That's sad. I actually thought she'd get her life together and change for the better but it looks like she isn't.
I know she is young but how stupid can she be? She was given a second chance and she didn't take advantage of it. Instead she continues to act like an ignorant fool. Keep on Boozing and fighting!
What a stupid bitch. Is it really THAT hard to not be a total f_ck up? Who's raising her baby while she's running around pulling this sh_t? When that little girl wakes up Christmas morning and wonders where her Mommy is, someone will have to explain to her that Mommy is in jail. Lord! F_ck you, Amber. You worthless gutter whore. Someone pleeeease take that poor baby away from tweedle dee and tweedle dum.
If having a beautiful little girl can't change who you are, make you want to straighten out your life then nothing can save this selfish piece of crap. Meanwhile, we just saw Gary and Leah at Disney having a great time, at least he cares about his little girl.
This is the bad message that Hollywood is sending. They keep seeing all these stars getting arrested and nothing happens to them. The kids see all this stuff and nothing ever happens to stars and they think they can get away with it too.


text:
Geotechnical characteristics of volcanic soil from seismically induced Aratozawa landslide, Japan
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Title | Geotechnical characteristics of volcanic soil from seismically induced Aratozawa landslide, Japan |
Author | Gratchev, Ivan; Towhata, Ikuo |
Year Published | 2010 |
Publisher | Springer |
Citation | Landslides, Vol. 7(4), pp. 503-510 |
Peer Reviewed | Yes |
Published | Yes |
Alternative URI | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10346-010-0211-2 |
Research Centre | Centre for Infrastructure Engineering and Management |
Faculty | Faculty of Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology |
Publication Type | Journal Articles (Refereed Article) |
Please use this identifier to cite this record: http://hdl.handle.net/10072/40106
Griffith University copyright notice
Copyright in individual works within the repository belongs to their authors or publishers. You may make a print or digital copy of a work for your personal non-commercial use. All other rights are reserved, except for fair dealings or other user rights granted by the copyright laws of your country.


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i talk to myself cause there is no one to talk to
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karibe is a male pierde-vara from Pitesti, Romania . He has been member of this site for 4 years.
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WATCH: GLEE cast previews all-new episode - 'Choke'Whoopi Goldberg ("The View") and NeNe Leakes ("The Real Housewives of Atlanta") Guest-StarRachel and Kurt finally get their chance to audition for the New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts. Meanwhile, Puck makes a decision about his future after a meeting with his father in the all-new "Choke" episode of GLEE airing Tuesday, May 1 (8:00-9:00 PM) on FOX 50. (GLE-318) (TV-14 D, L) Cast: Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester; Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester; Lea Michele as Rachel Berry; Cory Monteith as Finn Hudson; Jayma Mays as Emma Pillsbury; Dianna Agron as Quinn; Chris Colfer as Kurt; Kevin McHale as Artie; Amber Riley as Mercedes; Mark Salling as Puck; Jenna Ushkowitz as Tina; Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez; Heather Morris as Brittany; Harry Shum as Mike Chang and Darren Criss as Blaine Anderson. Guest Cast: Chord Overstreet as Sam Evans; Damian McGinty as Rory Flanagan; Dot Marie Jones as Coach Bieste; Vanessa Lengies as Sugar Motta; Samuel Larsen as Joe Hart; NeNe Leakes as Coach Roz Washington; Whoopi Goldberg as Carmen Tibideaux; Iqbal Theba as Principal Figgins; Lauren Potter as Becky; Thomas Calabro as Mr. Puckerman. BONUS CLIP: Check out a full performance by Puck (Mark Salling) of "School's Out" / Most Popular |
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Reviews of Latest Lenovo Laptops
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Lenovo ThinkPad X32 review
Frequent travellers who burn the midnight oil would do well to consider the ThinkPad X32. This ultraportable offers enough keyboard and screen space, battery life, and connectivity to get some serious work done on the road. Yet despite all of these perks, it still weighs well under 2kg Read more
25 May 2005 by Stephanie Bruzzese
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Lenovo ThinkPad X41 review
The latest in a long line of ThinkPad X notebooks, the ThinkPad X41 delivers the best combination yet of performance, battery life, and features Read more
19 May 2005 by Brian Nadel


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Forum Post: Thank you!
Here is the National Grid website to report street light outages: https://www.nationalgridus.com/masselectric/account/forms/stl_lighting.asp I just submitted a few for my neighborhood, and it took abo more »
Forum Post: Shooting on Harvard Street
Was the shooting anywhere near Simonelli's house.
more » -
Forum Post: Enough of sober houses in Malden!
Well, these so-called sober homes have been a hallmark of the Howard administration. Howard is supporting Christianson. Christianson will continue the same policies as his good friend the mayor. Votin more »
Forum Post: Voters Deserve to Vote on CFO Charter Change
We got to vote on the other charter changes over the years, so I don't why we are being denied our rights to get to vote? Simply, the new CFO position most likely will be given to Howard, in exchange more »
Who is being overly defensive here? The Globe has won a few Pulitzewr Prizes over the years, and has been recognized for it's Globe Spot Light Team on corruption in state and local government. I guess more »
Matt Bryne should try writing a real news story. How bad is this guy, and newspaper if the only thing he can write about are rumors being spread. Obviously, he doesn't understand about real reporting. more »
Forum Post: Huge Turn Out or Christenson
Well, to bad no one really saw it, except all the people who drive through Malden and don't stop. And you have to wonder how many of those people were actually Malden residents and registered voters. more »
Comment on: The%20Fire%20Station%20Building%20Committee%20searches%20for%20new%20location%20in%20Malden
The Fire Station was a health hazard to the firefighters living there.The Director of Public of Health failed to do his job, along with the mayor and the owners of the building. more »
Forum Post: Gary Christensons Platform
Deb is out there working. Don't believe some of things Gary's people say about her. In Response to Re: Gary Christensons Platform: [QUOTE]It looks like she gave up, and I was truly rooting for her. Po more »
Forum Post: Gary Christensons Platform
Hire more firefighters? Fallon has already been working to hire more. Gary- /> Has opposed taking the Grant money Maplewood firestation: Gary: Showed up for a photo op after station closed. Left City more »
Forum Post: Fallons Exp in Schools?
Well, you have it backward. Malden';s school are what anyone would call the best, especially under team Howard/Christianson. How has Gary helped, when 400 students are on the Charter School's waiting more »
Forum Post: Has Fallon Done Anything For Malden?
A good one. Gary came down after the fact, and got his picture taken for the newspaper. After the place was closed, Gary decided to leave a city council meeting on the issue because getting seen on MA more »
Forum Post: Has Fallon Done Anything For Malden?
during the budget process in June 2010, she discovered that the school department was hiding money in an account that the school dept. and committee hid from the Council. This was unspent money that w more »
Forum Post: Has Fallon Done Anything For Malden?
Well, Chairman Kinnon of the MVRCS didn't want to spend the money on ficing up the building, and City Councillor Kinnon didn't want to spend the money fixing up the building. In Response to Re: Has Fa more »
Forum Post: Special Election?
That is really intelligent thing to do. Spread a rumor about Fallon spreading rumors. Duh! BTW, I heard those rumors, not from Fallon's people. In Response to Re: Special Election?: [QUOTE]I would try more »
Forum Post: FALLON DRAWS A HUGE CROWD
Fallon has real leadership skill, which has been demostrated not only by her time on the council, but the leadership in starting up an organization from nothing, which is nationally recognized. And Ga more »
Forum Post: FALLON DRAWS A HUGE CROWD
Fallon has been committed to her job as Councillor at Large when she got elected, AND HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO BECOMING MAYOR SINCE SHE FIRST ANNOUCED. "FINALLY SHOWING INTEREST"- /> VERY PATHETIC! In R more »
Forum Post: Fallo Lawn Signs
Where Gary? Down at MATV filming another video of himself. In Response to Re: Fallo Lawn Signs: [QUOTE]Really??? Sounds like you don't like my answers to your attacks. Answer the question. What is t more »
Forum Post: Fallo Lawn Signs
The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law "respecting an establishment of religion," impeding the more »
Forum Post: Heroin Documentary Featuring Malden
Well, when I try to google Malden and heroin, one the first things that come up is the Mayor;s Special Assistant Charlie Toomajian, and the charges that have filed against him, which includes..drum ro more »
Forum Post: Fallon Fundraiser??
I don't see any pattern WHAT I SEE ARE MORE LIES COMING FROM MOST A HOWARD/CHRISTIANSON/KINNON PERSON. IS THAT YOU NEIL? In Response to Re: Fallon Fundraiser??: [QUOTE]Like I said before, it makes a d more »
Forum Post: Fallon Fundraiser??
I was there at the Pisa Pizza event. Small turout. More like a greta turnout. As to the other stuff, what drugs are you sniffing? In Response to Fallon Fundraiser??: [QUOTE]I have shown up at round ta more »
Forum Post: Fallon and Guardian Angels working together?
don't believe everything that you read. sounds like you got suckered in for the lies that Gary's team is spreading. In Response to Re: Fallon and Guardian Angels working together?: [QUOTE]Well It does more »
Forum Post: Fallon and Guardian Angels working together?
How dumb and stupid can you be? Seriously? "posse of outlaws? As opposed to what? Richard Howard, who is backing Gary. Let's start with Charlie Toomajian. Under criminal indictment for money launderin more »
Comment on: Malden%20DPW%20garage%20reopened%20after%20bout%20with%20fleas
If all the Fleas are out, why are a number of DPW trucks being parked over at MacDonald Stadium? I think they have a bigger problem than fleas since a number of DPW workers have died of cancer of the more »


text:
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Hawk Nelson - Friend Like That Music Video. Click here for the Official WOW site to see more artists and videos (P) (C) 2011 Tooth & Nail Records. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by EMI Christian Music Group,
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