Tom Brady says he did not alter game b***s before AFC Championship

Tom Brady explained his pregame routine Thursday, and insisted that he did not alter or ask that b***s be deflated before the AFC Championship.

Tom Brady told media Thursday afternoon that he did not alter the footballs in any way during the AFC Championship against the Indianapolis Colts, nor did he ask for game b***s to be deflated. Brady said he went through his normal pregame routine, which involves picking out game b***s to be used by the offense.

"I choose the b***s that I want to use for the game," Brady said, "and that's what I expect to go out on the playing field with."

Brady faced a packed room of reporters. Several asked how the New England Patriots quarterback could not tell that there was a weight difference between the b***s he picked up in pregame and the b***s he used in the first half against the Colts, and again from the first half to the second half when the game b***s were reportedly re-inflated.

"From the first half to the second half I didn't think twice about it," Brady said. "I hadn't put one thought into the football at that point."

Brady also fielded several questions about his character. He was asked, point blank, if he is a cheater.

"I don't believe so," Brady said. "I feel like I've always played within the rules. I wouldn't do anything to break the rules."

Brady said he no knowledge if any of the equipment staff deflated game b***s, nor has he asked them if they did anything. Brady added that he would not have wanted that kind of help.

"When I felt [the game b***s], the were perfect." Brady said, "I wouldn't want anyone touching those."

According to Brady, the first he heard of the issue was Monday morning. When asked about radio comments he made that suggestedhe wasn't taking the allegations seriously, Brady said that he had simply been caught off guard.

"I would never doing outside of the rules of play," Brady said. "I would never have someone do something that I thought was outside of fair rules."

When asked how the team is handling any adversity brought about because of the scandal, Brady delivered perhaps the most memorable comment from the press conference.

"We're gonna be fine," Brady said. "This isn't ISIS. No one's dying."

Brady is attempting to bring DeflateGate to a close. He told his teammates that he prefers to have his footballs "a certain way,"according to NBC News. He also reportedly told his teammates to focus on the Super Bowl and not be distracted by the scandal that has emerged in the wake of the AFC Championship.

NFL officials reportedly found that 11 of the Patriots' 12 game b***s were under-inflated. League rules require game b***s to be inflated to between 12.5 pounds and 13.5 pounds per square inch. The under-inflated b***s were found to be two pounds below regulations.

Bill Belichick stated earlier Thursday that he had no knowledge that the Patriots were playing with under-inflated b***s until Monday morning. Belichick added that he didn't even know the league's regulations regarding the inflation of game b***s until a few days ago. He directed all questions regarding the b***s to Brady and the team's equipment staff.

"Tom's personal preferences on his footballs are something that he can talk about in much better detail and information than I could possibly provide," Belichick said. "I have no explanation for what happened."

In terms of the investigation, Belichick said that the Patriots' have fully cooperated with league officials.

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/1/22/7873619/tom-brady-deflategate-super-bowl-2015

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Charter schools fight to prevent funding cuts

LONDON GROVE Parents and administrators aligned with Pennsylvanias brick and mortar charter schools (as opposed to cyber charters) are facing the threat of reduced state funding for special education that could lead to their closings.

On Monday, about 200 representatives of the Avon Grove Charter School rode to Harrisburg to protest the passage of two identical bills one in the state Senate and one in the state House of Representatives that change the criteria by which money is allotted for students with disabilities.

According to Avon Grove Charter Head of School Kevin Brady, it involves applying a three-tiered system to determining how much funding will be given. The tiers represent levels of disability, with students whose disabilities are more severe qualifying for higher subsidies than those with lesser ones.

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The three-tiered system is meant to align with actual costs, but it is not applied equally to district and charter schools, Brady said.

Heres the difference, according to Brady:

The current funding for special education students is based on an arbitrary estimate that 16 percent of the students need designated funding. That funding includes not only direct costs of administering the program, but a share for the additional costs of housing, clerical, busing, etc.

The new bills provide funding for direct costs based on the severity of the disabilities only.

The difference, however, is that for mainstream public schools, the allocations would apply only to new money being sent as of the adoption of the bills. In the charter schools, the formula would apply to all the funding formulas, including the past amounts, or what Brady called old money.

The result of the reduction, said Brady, would likely be a disabling blow for brick and mortar charter schools. Currently, charter schools are state funding at between 65 and 68 percent of the rate of mainstream public schools. Should the bills be adopted, that number would drop dramatically.

Brady said charter school funding could drop to 50 percent, which would likely be disabling.

Brady qualified the definition of charter schools by saying that public cyber charter schools (as opposed to brick and mortar public schools that have buildings and staff to support) could weather the storm, because they have substantial reserves and do not have the expenses of building and upkeep, nor do costs go up very much when increased numbers of students enroll. Not so with the brick and mortars.

There are various opinions about this issue.

During a recent meeting Oxford Area School District, Superintendent said funding for special education in the charter schools is inflated. And while it is true that charters receive $350 million per year for special education, their direct costs are $156 million. But Brady added that charter schools also shoulder the expenses of having those students present and participating in the school as well as needing administrative services. The direct costs are only part of what it costs to educate them, he said.

State Sen. Andrew Dinniman, D-19th, of West Whiteland, said the current bill is complex, and the mood in the Senate is to put it on hold.

We were supposed to vote last Tuesday, but we ran over, said Dinniman, who is co-chairman of the Senates Education Committee.

In his opinion, the three-tiered system makes perfect sense, inasmuch as it costs more to accommodate a severely disabled student as a less severely disabled one. However, addressing only direct costs, and holding the mainstream schools harmless for past levels of support is unfair.

He has proposed an amendment that would hold the brick and mortar charters harmless the same as the mainstream schools.

Im offering a compromise. If the bill comes up, Ill put in the amendment that the brick and mortars wont get less, he said.

Dinniman is also proposing that while the special ed bill is on hold, a panel be created to look at the basic subsidy funding formulas. When that is determined, then add the actual costs to special education fund per student to that.

He added that the passage of the current bill is not a done deal. I hope not, he said. I want to see Avon Grove Charter School survive. Im doing everything possible to save Avon Grove Charter School, he said.

State Rep. John Lawrence, R-13th, of West Grove said he is not in favor of the House bill as it stands. It doesnt take into account actual needs, he said.

He added that a bill is needed that does not favor the charter schools over the district schools or the district schools over the charter schools.

This is the issue: Theres significant discussion about taking a look at how basic education is funded. Some schools (with increasing enrollment are getting less and some that are (smaller) are getting much more.

We need to look at basic education before we deal with special education. Im not a supporter (of the current bill), he said.

The Avon Grove Charter School was founded in 2002 and has an annual budget of $18 million. It serves 1,700 students from the districts of Kennett, Unionville, Avon Grove, Oxford, Octorara and Coatesville. It places an emphasis on science, technology and the arts.

Source: http://www.dailylocal.com/government-and-politics/20140614/charter-schools-fight-to-prevent-funding-cuts

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Edgewater fire by the numbers: Hundreds responded, 1000 displaced

EDGEWATEROfficials are still trying to piece together what caused the devastating firethat destroyed theAvalon apartment complex Wednesday night.

The blaze, which is now under control but was still smolderingThursday morning, rapidlytore throughthe upscale apartment complex. No serious injuries were reported. The Bergen County Arson Unit is still investigating what may have sparked the fire.

Edgewater Fire Chief Tom Jacobson said flames spread quickly throughout the building due to the"lightweight" wood construction and truss-style roof.

"If it was made out of concrete and cinder block, we wouldn't have this sort of problem," he said during a press conference Thursday morning.

Here's what is known so far, based on information provided by local officials:

• The call came in at 4:22 p.m. for a fire at the Avalon Apartment complex on Russell Avenue.
• More than 1,000peoplewere displaced. The fire displaced 500 residents in the apartment complex and temporarily forced another520out of surrounding homes.
• 240of the 408 units in the complex were destroyed.
• 168 units were saved.
• 35 towns responded to the blaze.
• 250 firefighters, along with two fire boats from the New York City Fire Department, two Jersey City marine units and one New Jersey State police boat responded.North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Montagne said his department sent two engines and 13 to 14 firefighters to the scene. He said it was the biggest fire that many of the company's members had ever seen.
• 500 first responders reported to the scene.
• Firefighters rescued three people from the smoke-filled building.
• It cost $75 million to rebuild the complex, following a previous fire in 2000. At the time, fire officials deemed that the blaze spread rapidly, due to the building's wooden constructionjust as Jacobson described on Thursday.
• County Road 520, also known as River Road,is down to one lane in both directions due to the fire.
• The Edgewater Community Center at 1167 River Road is available as a shelter for those displaced by the fire,according to the Red Cross.
• Edgewater has a total population of 11,513, according to the latest Census data.

Kathryn Brenzel may be reached atkbrenzel@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter@katiebrenzel. FindNJ.com on Facebook

Source: http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2015/01/edgewater_fire_by_the_numbers_hundreds_responded_1.html

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Lyme Disease: Symptoms and prevention

Rare frilled shark caught off Australian coastRare frilled shark caught off Australian coast

Updated: Thursday, January 22 2015 9:10 AM EST2015-01-22 14:10:38 GMT

It looks like something out of "Alien," but has more in common with "Jurassic Park."

It looks like something out of "Alien," but has more in common with "Jurassic Park."

Riverview father gets shot at $1 million with homemade Doritos ad for Super BowlRiverview father gets shot at $1 million with homemade Doritos ad for Super Bowl

Updated: Thursday, January 22 2015 5:38 AM EST2015-01-22 10:38:23 GMT

Let's face it, watching the Super Bowl is about more than just the football game. People love the commercials. And this year, even though our beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers may not be in Arizona, the Bay area could still be represented at the iconic game.

Let's face it, watching the Super Bowl is about more than just the football game. People love the commercials. And this year, even though our beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers may not be in Arizona, the Bay area could still be represented at the iconic game.

Bradley Cooper surprises troops at 'American Sniper' screeningBradley Cooper surprises troops at 'American Sniper' screening

Updated: Wednesday, January 21 2015 9:15 PM EST2015-01-22 02:15:10 GMT

Troops at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas got a special surprise after a screening of "American Sniper" on Jan. 14: a visit from Bradley Cooper.

Troops at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas got a special surprise after a screening of "American Sniper" on Jan. 14: a visit from Bradley Cooper.

Pinellas Sheriff's 'In Dog We Trust' misprint rug sells for $9,650 at auctionPinellas Sheriff's 'In Dog We Trust' misprint rug sells for $9,650 at auction

Updated: Wednesday, January 21 2015 9:01 PM EST2015-01-22 02:01:07 GMT

It turns out someone was willing to pay a big chunk of change for a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office rug with the misprint "In Dog We Trust."

It turns out someone was willing to pay a big chunk of change for a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office rug with the misprint "In Dog We Trust."

Orkin's list of worst cities for bedbugs in 2014Orkin's list of worst cities for bedbugs in 2014

Updated: Wednesday, January 21 2015 7:18 PM EST2015-01-22 00:18:36 GMT

Chicago tops the 2014 Bed Bug Cities List for the third year in a row.

Chicago tops the 2014 Bed Bug Cities List for the third year in a row.

Gum May Have Killed College Student In Her SleepGum May Have Killed College Student In Her Sleep

Updated: Wednesday, January 21 2015 6:01 PM EST2015-01-21 23:01:00 GMT

A western Pennsylvania university student and basketball player likely inhaled chewing gum into her lungs while asleep before being found dead in her dormitory over the weekend.

A western Pennsylvania university student and basketball player likely inhaled chewing gum into her lungs while asleep before being found dead in her dormitory over the weekend.

Source: http://www.wfla.com/story/27885681/lyme-disease-symptoms-and-how-to-protect-yourself

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Super Bowl 2015: 'Deflategate' Overshadowing Potentially Classic Matchup

The New England Patriots probably cheated in their AFC Championship win over the Indianapolis Colts. Eleven of 12 game b***s, approved by referee Walt Anderson two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff, per ESPN's Chris Mortensen, were deflated sometime before their usage in the 41-7 romp.

There are two explanations I can come up with for this:

1) A seismic activity explainable only by someone with the intelligence level ofNeil deGrasseTyson or Stephen Hawking deflated the ballsunbeknownstto anyone in the Patriots organization. Cuz, you know, global warming or something.

2) Someone knowingly deflating the b***s to give the Patriots an advantage.

I'll allow you to draw your own conclusions on that one. As will I allow you to continue the mind-numbingly inane and increasingly hot-takey debate about what a proper punishment would be, assuming the NFL doesn't hire Tyson to investigate how air-sucking particles got into 11 of those 12 footballs.

By now, everyone's made his mind up on the topic. There are a few general camps, none of which is particularly rational. Some believe the Patriots are habituated cheaters and deserve to be punished with force that would literally be unprecedented. Count Gregg Doyel of theIndianapolis Starand Chris Chase ofUSA Today,who believe the Patriots should be banned from the Super Bowl, in said camp.

Then there's the subsect of folks who think this is no big deal. That it's a borderline witch hunt rooted in jealousies about the Patriots' continued success. They'll point to Aaron Rodgers admitting he likes to over-inflate b***s, Eli Manning's longstandingadmission of doctoring footballs and other instances and wonder what's the big deal.

Most of these people are from Massachusetts and have "#Sox. #Pats. #Bruins. #Celts. #DunkinDonuts" or some variation in their Twitter bios.

Then there's the rest of us, hanging out on Twitter waiting for every last #hottake to drop so it can be mocked and ridiculed. As if it's not at leastkind of a big deal that an organization with a history of skirting NFL rules did so in one of the league's three biggest games.

Result asidethe Patriots would have beaten the Colts if their footballs were made of concretethis is a controversy worth about half as much coverage as it's getting. Which in today's society means it's a pretty big deal. "Deflategate" and "Spygate" are forever on the historical legacies of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. The controversies will be reasonably high on the list of things we discuss when their careers are over.

Belichick is the greatest coach of his generation, closing in on the all-time Mount Rushmore. Brady's already a Rushmore candidate at quarterback. These are two men with otherwise unimpeachable resumes who are now twice linked to cheating scandals.

And that's a bummer. The whole situation is a bummer. The near-constant discussion, the hand-wringing about potential punishments, the eventual dissatisfaction with whatever punishment the league office decides to hand down. All of it stinks. Roger Goodell again finds himself consumed with a scandal that threatens the "integrity" of the game, which both makes me want to take acinder blockto my skull and makes medisappointed about howawesome the buildup to this game should have been.

After an absolute nightmare of a regular season, Goodell got what on paper looks like an Ali-Frazier I-level bout. The Seahawks and Patriots are the two best teams in football. Given the injuries to Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning late in the season, I don't think it's particularly close.

Football Outsidershad Denver and Green Bay separating No. 1 Seattle and No. 4 New England at the end of the regular season, but those numbers didn't account for the aforementioned injuries. Pro Football Reference's Simple Rating System had the Patriots first and Seahawks third. However you want to slice it, the game is shaping up as a matchup between the two no-doubt-about-it alpha dogs of their respective conferences.

The Patriots have their best all-around team since the 18-1 bunch in 2007. Josh McDaniels has implemented an offense that can run almost any style. The Patriots can break out a Chip Kelly-esque warp-speed spread and then pound you to death with six offensive linemen in the same game. Their downfield throwing options are nonexistent, but that's just fine for Brady, whose downfield accuracy has not-so-quietly been abysmal for a few years now.

Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner and Kyle Arrington are providing the most stability New England's had in the secondary since the Ty Law era. A good deal of the Patriots' leap to 11th in defensive DVOA this seasonafter more than a half-decade of below-average play can be attributed to Revis' arrival. Praised at the time as a smart rental, Revis is the low-key MVP of turning New England into a Super Bowl team.

The Seahawks are the most complete team in football. Exempting wide receiver, it's hard to find a better-constructed roster in the Super Bowl era. You know, other than last year's Seahawks team.

Russell Wilson is (probably) a future Hall of Famer derided far too often for being a game manager. If you don't think Marshawn Lynch is about that action, you can hol...Marshawn Lynch is very good at football. Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor being in the same secondary is so unfair it seems like something a seven-year-old would do to cheat inMadden. Bobby Wagner, Bruce Irvin, Michael Bennett, Russell Okungthe list can just keep going.

This is the type of matchup network executives, the commissioner's office and fans can all agree is great for the sport.WhatIfSports ran 1,001 simulations ofSuper Bowl XLIX and came away with, on average, a two-point separation in favor of the Seahawks.

What's more, one could argue this is the last, best chance for both teams to hoist the Lombardi Trophy with their current core. New England's reasoning is rather self-explanatory. Brady is 37. Revis will become a free agent this offseason. Rob Gronkowski made it through a whole season healthy for the first time in forever-and-a-half. The Pats are still relying on Julian Edelman and a bunch of castoffs at wide receiver. Their offensive line is shaky at best.

While the Seahawks have more talent and are a generally young team, having a whole bunch of good, young players eventually means paying them. With contracts already in place for Sherman and Thomas and a massive extension coming for Wilson during the offseason, the depth Pete Carroll and Co. have enjoyed the last couple seasons is about to go bye-bye. Seattle already watched Walter Thurmond, Golden Tate, Browner and others leave in free agency last offseason.

Simple cap logic has the Seahawks going from the deepest team in football to a top-heavy, star-laden bunch in no time. The Seahawks and Patriots both need this game because they have no idea whenor ifthey'll be back. Seattle wants its defensive core to go down among the greatest of all time before it's broken up. Belichick and Brady want to finally get that elusive fourth Super Bowl in their third try.

All that hype, all the "one last time" feel-good narratives that would have followed Belichick and Brady around, all the talk about Wilson's status among the best quarterbacks in football is gone. Here we are talking about pounds per square inch and ball deflation.A cheating scandal has tainted one of the few good things about this NFL season and threatens to hang a cloud over the sport's biggest day.

Given the way we started this season, it's only fitting we end this way. Football's a flat circle, man. (Especially when the Patriots are playing.)

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2338090-super-bowl-2015-deflategate-overshadowing-potentially-classic-matchup

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Bernstein: G*d Made Russell Wilson Throw Those Interceptions

By Dan Bernstein-CBSChicago.com senior columnist(CBS) The late, not-so-great standup comedian George Miller left us with at least one memorable line, about the tendency of professional athletes to credit a higher power for their successes, yet never blame it for their failures.

Just once I want to hear somebody say it, he quipped. The game was going great, until Jesus made me fumble.

Were mostly numb now to the postgame shoutouts to the invisible sky-people who preordain final scores, living in post-Tebow times with full understanding that such things are part of the fabric of sports. Russell Wilson gave us a doozy, though, after the Seahawks improbable comeback win over the bumbling Packers propelled them to another Super Bowl.

When Erin Andrews of FOX found him for comment, a blubbering Wilson made it clear who was responsible.

G*d is too good all the time, man, he gushed. I just believe that G*d prepared me for these situations. Gods prepared our team, too, as well.

The images of him actually doing that are fun to consider, whether barking instructions to the scout team on the practice field, sitting in a darkened film room and using lightning bolts from his fingers to point out missed blocking assignments, or explaining that yes, h**l know for sure when the fake punt is coming, so pay attention.

But Wilson had been historically awful for almost the entire game, despite all the divine coaching. He had thrown four interceptions and had a passer efficiency rating of 0.0. How was that possible, if stars were aligning in his favor all the time?

Well that was G*d, too, as part of the heavenly screenwriting. As Wilson explained to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, Thats G*d setting it up, to make it so dramatic, so rewarding, so special.

This is a notable first as far as I can tell the closest we have ever come to the fulfillment of George Millers wish. Wilson is apparently going in full with the theory that he has no responsibility for any of his actions on the field, instead merely acting as a vessel for another being to control the outcome. Russell Wilson, mere instrument of gods will for better or worse.

The poor Packers are apparently in a bad place with the big man, then, unworthy of such grand favor. It seems that either Aaron Rodgers two interceptions are just his fault, or G*d has it in for him for some unknown reason.

On his weekly radio show, Rodgers downplayed the role of that kind of magic in what occurred.

I dont think G*d cares a whole lot about the outcome, he said. He cares about the people involved, but I dont think hes a big football fan.

Wilson obviously disagrees and probably imagines G*d lounging in the best man cave imaginable, with enough flat-screens to see all of it, Seahawks jersey on, Fathead stickers on the walls and a huge pile of wings in front of him, next to one of those stuffed-crust pizzas.

While were at it, we can foresee a time now when a player gives credit to somebody or something other than G*d. A recent state Supreme Court ruling in Florida cleared the way for a shrine to Satan to be displayed alongside others in the capitol building, so thats a particularly football-crazed state now opening its doors to devil worshippers and even the Pastafarians those who wear colanders on their heads in reverence to the Flying Spaghetti Monster in which they believe.

There could be cosmic competition ahead, as various deities battle it out on behalf of their respective flocks for control over the flight of footballs everywhere, be they partially deflated or not.

But special congratulations are in order for Russell Wilson, the first professional athlete to openly blame G*d for something he did wrong.

The only question is whether he would have done so had they lost.

Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Scores Boers and Bernstein Show in afternoon drive. Follow him on Twitter @dan_bernsteinandread more of his columns here.

Source: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/01/21/bernstein-G*d-made-russell-wilson-throw-those-interceptions/

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Is Conor McGregor Too Fake? UFC Bantamweight Champ T.J. Dillashaw ...

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Don't count UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw among Conor McGregor's millions of adoring fans.

Speaking on Tuesday's edition ofThe MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Dillashaw sounded off on the popular Irish fighter's personality, skills and future.

In particular, the 135-pound king took umbrage with McGregor's boisterous, polarizing personality.

"I know it brings attention to the sport, I know it builds up fights," Dillashaw told Helwani (h/t MMAFighting.com). "It's just too WWE for me, man. It's just too fake, when he jumps the Octagon and tries to get in Aldo's face, but grabs someone to hold him back at the same time. It's just so fake, man."

Dillashaw is, of course, referencing McGregor's latest post-fight antics.

After taking out Dennis Siver in Round 2 of their UFC Fight Night 59 main event, McGregor sprinted to the Octagon wall, scaled it, hopped over and promptly began spewing who knows what at featherweight champ Jose Aldo, who was seated cageside.

While it was well understood going into UFC Fight Night 59 that McGregor would net a title shot with a win, Dillashaw found the whole production a bit WWE and staged.

Beyond this, though, the Team Alpha Male product complimented McGregor's skills. Breaking down McGregor's upcoming tilt with Aldo, Dillashaw noted McGregor's excellence as a fighter.

"[McGregor] is a great fighter, he's confident in the cage, he's really, really good," Dillashaw said. "It's just the antics. To me, I can't get it. I'm just too professional for the way he acts."

Rounding out the discussion, Dillashaw told Helwani how he saw the fight playing out, and his selection wavered a bit.

"I hope [Aldo finishes him]," Dillashaw said. "But I don't know, man. McGregor's standup and his movements are really good. His confidence. It's going to be a tough fight for Aldo, but I'm rooting for Aldo."

Aldo already defeated Dillashaw's teammates and friends Urijah Faber (once) and Chad Mendes(twice), so this quote speaks volumes about Dillashaw's distaste for McGregor.

Personally, I think McGregor is a phenomenal fighter with ever-growing skills and confidence, but I have to side with experience and a proven track record when picking a winner for this 145-pound championship tilt.

I think Aldo takes the fight via submission in Round 3.

How do you think McGregor will fare against Aldo? Sound off, and we'll discuss this marquee matchup.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2336544-is-conor-mcgregor-too-fake-ufc-bantamweight-champ-tj-dillashaw-sounds-off

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