Ben DuBose

Deserved that outcome for kicking

Found why the Rockets looked distracted tonight

#Rockets starters tonight in Dallas:

Amen Thompson, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Clint Capela

No Alperen Sengun or Steven Adams, along with the usual absences. Night two of a B2B. Not gonna be easy.

If something is that big of a deal, and it's predictable, then you take preventive steps on the front end. Both in terms of teams protecting their signs and the league having a way to discipline those who violate the rule.

None of that happened. So, why should I believe them, that it's a big deal?

What astounds me most about the mouth breathers is the feigned shock.

Sign stealing paranoia has followed the sport forever, and real-time digital technologies exploded in the 2010s. It was insanely predictable, and written about many places, that attempts like this would be made.

Thunder +10.98 Rockets +9.39 Nuggets +6.16 Knicks +5.94 Celtics +4.74 Magic +4.52 Cavaliers +3.63 Pistons +2.93 Timberwolves +2.80 Spurs +2.68 Heat +2.56 Lakers +1.95 Warriors +1.83 Hawks +1.05 Raptors +0.33 76ers +0.23 Suns -0.08 Trail Blazers -0.29 Clippers -1.44 Grizzlies -1.46 Bucks -2.26 Mavericks -3.14 Bulls -4.24 Hornets -5.06 Pacers -5.09 Kings -5.52 Jazz -6.61 Pelicans -7.11 Nets -8.04 Wizards -11.61

So much for taking a big step back this season, the Boston Celtics now have the 5th best opponent adjusted net rating this season.

Top 5:
Thunder +10.98
Rockets +9.39
Nuggets +6.16
Knicks +5.94
Celtics +4.74

The NBA champion is almost always a top-5 team in this stat (20 of the past 22 champs)

Best of BP: The Banging Scheme Hurt the Astros As Much As It Helped Them | Baseball Prospectus They paid a high price for inaccuracy.

If only there was widely available data to confirm, so that we wouldn’t have to guess.

Alas

Okay, then if we can “think” things with zero evidence — and testimony to the direct opposite from those who would know — then I “think” the Astros have won 60 straight championships.

Good talk

Jose Altuve, Josh Reddick, and Tony Kemp aren’t the answers to any of those questions, so I assume you agree with Reddick’s original point, then. Glad to hear we’re on the same page! Have a good one.

If non-user teammates on this team with cheaters are guilty because they "didn't stop the cheating," then non-user teammates on other teams with cheaters are guilty of the same offense and should face similar criticisms. It's a pretty simple concept.

but then you have to risk your life

Will never forget when Marwin drove in the title-winning run on a single between Darvish's legs with 2 outs in the 9th. Chills thinking about it.

One of my favorite teams of all-time was the 2013 World Series champion Houston Astros. Iconic group, legendary run.

Don't even try to disagree with me, it's what my people believe, and that's all that matters.

(See how that works?)

Actually, to me they will always be known as ... champions.

(As always, the problem with pivoting to perception arguments is everybody gets to have their own perception, and then discussions become subjective and pointless.)

As with the bizarre Joe Kelly pouting face, you forfeit the right to play the “why y’all mad?” card when you’re going out of your way to engage in the first place

homer simpson from the simpsons is standing in front of a green bush . ALT: homer simpson from the simpsons is standing in front of a green bush .

Also, lol at the "it's a football Saturday, I'm tapping out" pivot from a guy who doesn't follow me and started this whole nonsense by getting in my mentions about it.

This is objectively untrue, and now you're transitioning away from facts and into what people "believe," which is always telling.

For starters, almost half the "team" was pitchers. Second, as with PEDs, some hitters used and others did not. It's not a hard concept. Individual humans made choices.

It’s almost 2026 and I have a buzzer truther in my mentions. So, yes, brain rot is definitely real

"Yeah, they cheated, players on the team admitted it, the league covered a lot of it up, and it’s widely accepted."

Every single word is also true of PED clubhouses, so when fans of their non-user teammates (i.e. Jeter, Rivera, etc.) take that "medicine," I'll take mine.

Until then, fuck off

Yes, I will continue to seek out data-based evidence to shape my beliefs, as well as question wild, unhinged conspiracy theories with zero evidence before accepting them as fact.

I would hope that you do the same, but that's obviously expecting too much.

Yeah, at this point you're just being deliberately obtuse. First off, the data is out there, PEDs were far more beneficial than the banging scheme.

Second, if you're still on the "buzzer" thing with zero evidence, just go hang out in the QAnon forums.

I really think most of it is people hating to admit they got hoodwinked by a wild and laughably untrue conspiracy theory (Jomboy/Altuve/buzzers), so they do wild mental gymnastics to distract/deflect and avoid acknowledging their mistake

P.S. What's really funny about the PED pushbacks is people can't even keep their stories straight.

I've seen some (like the guy I QTed) try to frame it as "oh, that was different, it's just one guy." I've also seen others saying "oh, that was different, everyone was doing it."

Pick one!

By the way: I'm still waiting for someone to provide the first example, in any professional sport, of a player reporting a rulebreaking teammate(s) to his/her league office.

If the thing you're mad about has literally never happened, ever, I dunno. Maybe that should make you think about why.

This is not hard. If your argument is that players who don't tattle/report rulebreaking teammates to the league office are equally guilty to the rulebreakers, it should apply across the board. Otherwise, you're just doing insane mental gymnastics to rationalize whatever outcome you want.

"It's become a prominent thing. It's widely known in the game."

They knew, yes. Just like teammates of PED users knew. And lol at the idea that PED users were "one guy" or hiding it.

"It's no secret what's going on in baseball. At least half the guys are using steroids. They talk about it. They joke about it with each other."

Nah the national. Pierzynski

Yeah new Reddick podcast. No new info just him citing the data that was already out there

A reasonable middle ground would be in all cases, to direct the backlash at the people who knowingly broke the rules themselves.

Alas.