Just ran into Wes and had a brief convo here on the plane heading to Atlanta. Wife and I are heading to Key Largo for our 10-year wedding anniversary.

Super nice guy and very, very sharp. Surprisingly remembered me from our crossings at the Football Alumni BBQs over the past few years.

Sounds like he is heading out west to go do some hunting.
I’m sure he’ll be sending some pics to Sammy 😎

Go Tigers!

I understand it's much easier for me to say behind this keyboard vs. putting into practice, but does it not make a ton of sense to just play Ruke/Davis/Woods in a 3-man front with XT moving into more of a standup OLB that primarily rushes the QB? He's fast enough to drop into coverage occasionally but he can probably attack better from that position IMO.

That front seems like our best "fit" this year being so weak at DE - and we can go in and out of that and a traditional 4-3 as needed to mix it up. I'm sure there is a reason this doesn't make sense but if nothing else, it sounds really good in my head.

Short story: used to be in a band. Wife, kids, now mid life crisis, starting new band. Suggestions are welcome.

Does anyone else despise that person who has at least 100 items in self checkout while scanning items at a snails pace? So many idiots in this world.

If you don't believe Bidens are above the law, try writing off hooker tabs on your taxes; banking millions as an unregistered foreign agent; brandishing an illegally obtained gun while on crack, and dumping it next to a high school. See how that works out for you.

The average wedding just hit $29,000​

By: Parija Kavilanz - CNN.com

NEW YORK -- Weddings are back, in full force. That’s the good news. But engaged couples will pay a tad more to get hitched in 2023.

The average cost of a wedding, nationally, this year is $29,000, up $1,000 from 2022, according to online wedding planning site Zola. And in some big US cities, the cost is $35,000 and above.

The price tag for a happily-ever-after day is higher year-over-year for two reasons, said Zola - inflation and demand exceeding supply of wedding related goods and services. “Wedding industry vendors have had to raise their rates because they’re also paying more for goods and services like food, flowers and labor,” Emily Forrest, Zola’s director of communications, told CNN.

Weddings started roaring back from a pandemic-triggered halt to all kinds of celebrations in 2022, and, ever since, the industry has seen a surge in demands for venues, photographers, wedding planners, florists and wedding cakes. Add to that a Gen-Z era desire for very customized weddings (hint: don your scuba suit), and prices are rising.

The Zola report was based on a survey of 4,000 engaged couples getting married in 2023.

The report ranked New York City at the top of the list among the most expensive cities in the US to have a wedding this year. A wedding in the Big Apple is expected to cost about $43,536, followed by San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose ($37,284), Boston ($35,902), Philadelphia ($34,111), Miami-Ft. Lauderdale ($33,622), Washington, DC ($33,199), Chicago ($32,281) and Los Angeles ($30,712)

The average guest list, according to the report, is expected to include between 130 to 150 invitees.

But Esther Lee, deputy editor at The Knot, a wedding planning and vendor marketplace company, said the guest list for some weddings might be getting tighter.

“In 2022, we saw an average of 117 wedding guests, but in 2023, we discovered 39% of couples are trimming their guest list. It’s no surprise that people may be prioritizing more intimate ceremonies this year,” she said.

Unique weddings having a moment​

Less traditional can sometimes mean less expensive, experts said. David’s Bridal, a leading wedding-dress retailer, said its business has been dented by the number of brides wearing casual or vintage dresses. But unique can also inflate costs.

“Unique weddings are having a moment with the onset of hyper-personalization, meaning couples are drawing out influences most meaningful to them and infusing these touches into their wedding day details,” said The Knot’s Lee.

“For example, history buffs are interested, as of late, in an antiquities-themed wedding or honeymoon that may involve an ancient book reading or coin motifs from the Byzantine or Roman Empires.”

Pinterest said it has an indication of another trend. It said searches for alternative weddings – especially underwater weddings – have jumped 305% on its platform. “Underwater weddings are a great example of the unconventional wedding searches we see happening on the platform right now,” said Jenna Landi, director of brand research at Pinterest.

“Though slightly challenging logistically, it should be interesting to see the data for underwater weddings in 2023,” she said. “It may be of sudden interest due to the live-action version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. “

Wedding photographer Kimber Greenwood, who specializes in underwater wedding photography, is booked to photograph 20 of them this year. “There’s been a huge jump in interest,” she said.

Greenwood, a trained scuba diver based in from Gainesville, Florida provides a package through her adventure photography business, Water Bear Photography, that includes an officiant, gown to wear for the event (but not keep), flowers and photography for $3,000.

“I have never had a couple say they’ve regretted the experience,” she said.

When asked about who is footing the bill for weddings, the Zola report showed 33% of couples said they are contributing to their wedding budgets in some way, but another 16% said they are paying for the wedding completely on their own.

The wedding industry should enjoy the recovery, because it may not last. Jewelers report that, because many fewer would-be brides or grooms met their partners during the Covid-19 quarantine era, the rate of new engagements is way off.

The whistleblowers are spitting it out. DOJ, FBI and IRS are obstructing Justice

The Presidency of the US is now the greatest threat to America and has been since Obama signed on to this cabal

PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS COMMITTED THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY AGAINST AMERICANS

AND DEMOCRATS IN DOJ FBI IRS ARE OBSTRUCTING THE INVESTIGATION AND JUSTICE

VOTING FOR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE AND HOPE ITS TRUMP

Thanks!

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The 10 best cities for renters that offer affordable homes, good job markets and plenty to do​

By: Kamaron McNair - CNBC.com

Unfortunately for big city dreamers, living in some of the most-hyped U.S. cities such as New York; Los Angeles; or Washington, D.C., will come with a hefty price tag. At times, it can feel like you have to choose between comfortably affording your rent and living somewhere with ample job opportunities and things to do.

But that’s not always the case. You might be lucky enough to score an apartment for cheap in an expensive area. Or, you can look to areas that have it all: affordable housing options, a dynamic economy with an influx of businesses and a healthy physical environment.

Most of those areas seem to be in the South. Charleston, South Carolina, leads the rankings as the best city for renters across metrics that consider both costs and living experience, according to a new study from RentCafe. In fact, nine of the top 10 cities RentCafe ranked are located in the South, including four cities in Texas.

Cost may be the most important factor when deciding where you want to live, but it shouldn’t be the only consideration. RentCafe scored 136 locales using 20 metrics broken down into three categories — cost of living, local economy and quality of life — to determine the best overall places for renters.

Here’s a closer look at some of the metrics included in each category:

• Cost of living: Includes local rent prices, grocery and utility costs, average apartment sizes and occupancy rates.
• Local economy: Includes unemployment rate and job growth.
• Quality of life: Includes apartment locations, school quality and average commute times.

While the cost of living metrics carried the most weight, the best places for renters perform relatively well across all categories.

If you’re looking for an affordable place to rent with robust opportunities for career growth and a high quality of life, check out RentCafe’s top 10 places.

Top 10 places in the U.S. for renters ​

1. Charleston, South Carolina
2. Plano, Texas
3. Scottsdale, Arizona
4. Atlanta
5. Raleigh, North Carolina
6. Round Rock, Texas
7. Austin, Texas
8. Charlotte, North Carolina
9. Conroe, Texas
10. Arlington, Virginia

Charleston takes the top spot due mostly to its relatively low cost of living and high apartment quality, according to RentCafe.

Apartments in South Carolina’s largest city go for an average of $1,938 a month, a little more than the national average of about $1,700, according to RentCafe. The average Charleston apartment is larger, however, at an average of 965 square feet, compared with 897 square feet nationwide.

When it comes to its local economy, Charleston boasts a 3.4% unemployment rate, just below the national rate of 3.7%.

It could do better in terms of quality of life, with just about 16% of apartments situated in top locations, based on Yardi Matrix’s definition, which considers the local population’s education level, employment and income, as well as attributes such as proximity to commercial development and availability of public transportation.

Why renters may want to ‘mess with Texas’​

Four Texas cities – Plano, Round Rock, Austin and Conroe — earned spots in the top 10 in RentCafe’s rankings, mostly due to high scores for housing costs.

Plano, a suburb of Dallas, ranks second overall, mostly because of its local economy and quality of life scores. Its $1,813 average rent price is higher than the national average, but apartments in Plano are largely well-positioned, with nearly 70% in top locations.

Renters in Plano earn an average $73,930 annual salary, which is more than the other top-ranked Texas cities.

Round Rock, Austin and Conroe, ranked sixth, seventh and ninth, respectively, each score well in the cost of living category, with Conroe earning the best housing cost score of any place ranked. Its average rent of just $1,364 is hard to beat.

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From our South Carolina site at Rivals.com:

Athletes can now renege on NLI under certain circumstances​

By: Associated Press

The governing body for the National Letter of Intent Program on Tuesday announced new policies allowing athletes to back out of NLI agreements without penalty under certain circumstances.

The signing of letters of intent has been part of the recruiting process in NCAA divisions I and II since 1964. It is intended to be a binding agreement between an athlete and school. The athlete promises to attend the school for one academic year in exchange for a full or partial athletic scholarship for one academic year.

An athlete who does not fulfill his or her NLI agreement traditionally must sit out one season of competition at the next school they attend.

Following a committee review of NLI policy, the Collegiate Commissioners Association will not penalize an athlete who requests a release due to a head-coaching change. Neither will an athlete be penalized for leaving their original school after one quarter or one semester as long as a release is requested.

The policy change takes effect with the 2023-24 signing periods for 2024-25 enrollees.

The CCA also will expand the program to provide an athlete transferring from one four-year school to another an opportunity to sign an NLI as long as he or she has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Big Sky Conference commissioner Tom Wistrcill, chair of the NLI policy and review committee, said the changes are meant to modernize the NLI program so it more accurately reflects the recruiting landscape.

Hide your women.
































*Par 3 course

New NCAA rules conflict with some state laws over NIL deals​

By: Dan Murphy - ESPN.com

The NCAA's national office informed member schools Tuesday that some methods schools have started using to get more directly involved in helping their athletes make money from name, image and likeness deals are violations of the association's rules.

New NCAA guidelines directly conflict with some state laws that are already in effect or will go into effect by the end of the summer, setting up a potential clash that will once again test the association's legal ability to enforce its rules. In a letter sent to the schools Tuesday afternoon, Stan Wilcox, NCAA executive vice president of regulatory affairs, wrote that even if state laws allow for some specific types of NIL activities, schools could be punished by the NCAA for pursuing them.

"The Association has been clear and maintains that schools must adhere to NCAA legislation (or policy) when it conflicts with permissive state laws," Wilcox wrote in the letter. "In other words, if a state law permits certain institutional action and NCAA legislation prohibits the same action, institutions must follow NCAA legislation."

In recent months, several states have passed laws that allow for fundraising groups that are legally separate yet closely partnered with universities to start paying athletes for NIL endorsements. In Texas, for example, a law is set to go into effect Saturday that would allow fundraising groups such as the Longhorn Foundation or the 12th Man Foundation -- which support the athletic departments at Texas and Texas A&M, respectively -- to raise money for NIL deals. Similar laws have been passed in Arkansas and Oklahoma, among others.

The NCAA said Tuesday that schools are responsible for making sure these fundraising organizations do not pay athletes for NIL deals.

The new law in Texas will also allow schools to provide perks to fans who donate to these NIL funds. Schools such as Texas and Texas A&M said in the past month that they are planning to provide priority points to fans who donate to NIL funds that will help the fans get better tickets at home games or have preferred access to tickets to bowl games or postseason events. The NCAA said Tuesday that this kind of incentive to donate to an NIL fund is a violation of its rules.

In an interview with ESPN before Tuesday's letter, Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said his department planned to start providing that benefit to its fans later this summer. When asked whether those plans would proceed even if the NCAA decided that type of perk was against its rules, Bjork said his department planned to do as much as Texas law allowed.

"The state law is going to govern how we do business," Bjork said. "We will continue to communicate with the NCAA on a variety of matters, but in terms of this, the state law will reign."

Tim Buckley, the NCAA's senior vice president of external affairs, said the NCAA isn't forcing schools to break any state laws. It is instead letting schools know that just because a state permits a certain type of activity doesn't mean NCAA members are allowed to do it.

"Until the rules change, the rules are what they are for every member institution whether you are in state A or B," Buckley told ESPN earlier this week.

However, the new law taking effect in Texas also includes a provision that says the NCAA and its conferences are prohibited from punishing any school that takes advantage of these new types of NIL activities. If the NCAA sanctions a school in Texas for providing perks to donors in exchange for NIL dollars, that school could pursue legal action against the NCAA. Buckley said those types of situations include too many hypothetical elements to comment on how a potential showdown between the NCAA's rules and the law of Texas might play out in court.

Other clarifications included in Wilcox's letter include:

• Boosters (including collectives) are not allowed to meet with recruits to discuss potential NIL opportunities in order to encourage them to attend a particular school.
• NIL deals can't include clauses that require an athlete to attend a particular school or live in a particular geographic area.
• Event sponsors cannot pay an NIL collective, which in turn pays athletes, as part of a contract for a team to participate in an event. For example, some schools have signed contracts with midseason basketball tournaments that include a promise from the tournament organizer to donate thousands of dollars to the collective group associated with that school. Football bowl game sponsors have explored similar arrangements.

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This is always my go to place when it comes to recs. I’ve searched previous threads looking for recs at Clearwater but they’re all dated threads.

I will be down there the week of Independence Day and am looking for Food Recs and where to watch fireworks from the beach.

We will have two 11 year old baseball boys and will be going to watch the Braves play the Rays that week. But I’m also wanting to take them inshore fishing. Would love a good rec for that also!

Any help is much appreciated!

Go Tigers!

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How long will Nick Saban coach Alabama football? ​

By: Nick Kelly - The Tuscaloosa News/Yahoo! Sports

Any college football fans who hope Nick Saban will retire soon won't like what Ryan Williams had to say recently.

Williams, an Alabama commit in the 2025 class, discussed the matter with Cover 3 Podcast recently. Williams was asked about other schools using Saban's age against him in recruiting. Saban turns 72 in October.

"We've talked about that of course," Williams said. "He said he's going to be coaching until he croaks over. And he's got some time."

Saban, who is entering his 17th season leading the Crimson Tide, has discussed previously how other coaches have told recruits he is going to retire. While speaking at the Alabama Football Coaches Association in 2022, Saban expressed how he's puzzled about the frequent retirements questions he fields.

"Everybody asks when I'm going to retire," Saban said. "Retire for what? I'm going to jump into an empty abyss? Of what am I going to do? Because the very challenges I talk about and the things in our profession that concern me, for you and for me both in your game and our game, that's what keeps me going. That's why I get up every day. That's why I can't sleep at night sometimes. Why would you quit doing that? I haven't figured that one out yet."

OT: Neighbor's landscaper ghosted them after committing to quite a bit of work so she's looking for someone new. Job will include sod installation, putting in some drains, pine straw, edging, etc. The house is still relative new with builder grade basic landscaping and this couple is trying to fix it up nice. They just had an asphalt driveway put in, and are trying to give both sides of the driveway a finished look. It's muddy on both sides now.

Anyone here know of a landscaper interested in work? Please let me know if you can recommend anyone. Thank you in advance!