Written by Stuart Mason on 16 January 2019
Marty Brennaman (file photo)
Most of us old schoolers who have been listening to the Cincinnati Reds since our teenage days of the 1970′s has head one constant voice for 45 years. That voice is none other than Hall of Fame announcer Marty Brennaman.
So today, Wednesday, January 16, 2019, when the veteran announcer announced his retirement, it brought a little sadness to my eyes. I have met Marty and have interviewed him several times and enjoyed every minute of it. It became a dream come true for me.
I have to admit, that when Marty took over for the also-popular Al Michaels, who left to go the San Francisco Giants after the 1973 season, I said I did not like him. Probably cause I had been used to Michaels voice. But the more I listened, the more I liked the opinated, tell it like it is and make no excuse for the Reds during bad games, Brennaman. He is brutally honest. Something the younger announcers could learn. Not to be homers all the time!
2019 will be the final season, his 46th with the Reds as the Play-by-Play voice. I know he will be feted in every major league city that the Reds visit on their schedule. He is well respected not only in Cincinnati and Ohio, but all around the nation.
The 76-year-old Brennaman, and the Ole’ Lefthander, Joe Nuxhall formed a great 1-2 duo for 31 years in the radio booth. They had great chemistry and knew how to keep you listening when the Reds were winning big or getting their butts whipped. They stayed together until after 2004 when Nuxhall retired. He died in 2007.
Since the 2006 season, Brennaman has been teammed with former Reds closer Jeff Brantley. The two have become popular with fans too. Brantley has great humor and insight on the game just like Nuxhall.
The Portsmouth, Virginia native, is a 2000 Ford Frick Award winner in Baseball’s Hall of Fame, he has voiced three World Series championships in 1975, 1976 and 1990. He has had some memorable calls in his illustrious career: Opening Day 1974 vs. the Braves at Riverfront Stadium, when Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth as the all-time leader with 714 career home runs; Pete Rose became the all-time hits leader in 1985; Tom Browning threw a perfect game in 1988; Tom Seaver’s no-hitter in 1978 and Ken Griffey Jr.’s 500th and 600th career home runs in 2004 and 2008.
Long before he was joined the Reds Radio Network, He called minor league baseball games starting in 1971 for the Tidewater Tides of the International League. They were the AAA affiliate of the New York Mets. In 1973, Virginia Tech Athletic Director Frank O. Moseley hired the leading sports broadcaster in Virginia, Brennaman, as the new voice of the Hokies. Brennaman was the first Tech broadcaster to call both football and basketball. He has also called games for the Indiana Pacers, William & Mary College and numerous NCAA Basketball Tournament games. He was the voice of the Virginia Squires of the American Basketball Association who had a future NBA Hall of Famer on their roster named “Dr. J” Julius Erving. He then left to become the voise of the Reds and the rest is history.
Brennaman has other accolades such as In 1999, being inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame In 2005, he was inducted into both the NSSA Hall of Fame and the National Radio Hall of Fame. Also being named Ohio Sportscaster of the Year 12 times and Virginia Sportscaster of the Year four times, for being versatile in announcing baseball, football, and basketball games on both the collegiate and professional levels.
After the 2019 season, it will be strange not to hear Brennaman’s trademark call of a Reds victory “And this one belongs to the Reds!”
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Written by Dee Dee West on 16 January 2019
PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY NFL COMMUNICATIONS; COURTESY NFLmedia.com
The coaching staffs of the LOS ANGELES CHARGERS and DALLAS COWBOYS were selected to lead the 2019 Pro Bowl teams in Orlando, Florida, the NFL announced today.
The 2019 Pro Bowl presented by Verizon will be played on Sunday, January 27, at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium. Tickets to the game, which kicks off at 3:00 PM ET and will be televised live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and Disney XD and simulcast on ABC, are on sale now at NFL.com/ProBowlOnSale.
ANTHONY LYNN and the coaches from the Los Angeles Chargers and JASON GARRETT and the coaches from the Dallas Cowboys will lead the AFC and NFC teams, respectively.
Each conference will also be led by two Legends Captains – one offensive and one defensive. Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback JIM KELLY (offense) and linebacker DEMARCUS WARE (defense) will lead the AFC, while Pro Football Hall of Fame running back EMMITT SMITH (offense) and Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker BRIAN URLACHER (defense) will lead the NFC.
For additional information on the game and week-of festivities, fans are encouraged to visit ProBowl.com.
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Written by Dee Dee West on 16 January 2019
PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY NFL COMMUNICATIONS; COURTESY NFLmedia.com
Exclusive Live Coverage of East-West Shrine Game January 19 at 3:00 PM ET & Reese’s Senior Bowl January 26 at 2:30 PM ET
Live Senior Bowl Practice Coverage Tuesday, January 22 – Thursday, January 24 at 1:00 PM ET
Visit NFL.com/CFB247 & @NFLDraft for All Draft News/Analysis
NFL Network provides exclusive live coverage of the 2019 East-West Shrine Game Saturday, January 19 at 3:00 PM ET from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida and the Reese’s Senior Bowl Saturday, January 26 at 2:30 PM ET from Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.
For the 2019 East-West Shrine Game, play-by-play announcer Andrew Siciliano is joined in the booth by analyst Daniel Jeremiah, while Bucky Brooks provides analysis from the field and Aditi Kinkhabwala provides reports from the sidelines.
For the Reese’s Senior Bowl, Siciliano is joined in the booth by Jeremiah and Charles Davis, while Brooks provides analysis from the field and Tom Pelissero provides reports from the sidelines.
Prior to each game, live editions of NFL Total Access air on NFL Network (Saturday, January 19 at 2:00 PM ET before East-West Shrine Game and Saturday, January 26 at 2:00 PM ET before Senior Bowl).
For complete information on each game, visit:
http://www.shrinegame.com/
https://www.seniorbowl.com/
Leading up to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, NFL Network provides live coverage of Senior Bowl week practices Tuesday, January 22 – Thursday, January 24 starting at 1:00 PM ET, with Siciliano, Jeremiah, Davis and Brooks providing insight and analysis. NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly, and reporters Pelissero and Ian Rapoport provide the reports on the latest news from around the NFL. Additionally, Patrick Claybon leads off the coverage all three days from NFL Network’s studios.
One-hour 2019 Senior Bowl Practice Recap shows air Tuesday – Thursday at 8:00 PM ET.
NFL.com provides complete news reports and analysis throughout the lead up to the 2019 NFL Draft at NFL.com/cfb247 and on Twitter (@NFLDraft).
ABOUT NFL MEDIA
NFL Media is comprised of NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL.com, the NFL app and NFL RedZone.
Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, fans turn to NFL Network to receive information and insight straight from the field, team headquarters, league offices and everywhere the NFL is making news. Launched in 2003, NFL Network gives fans unprecedented year-round inside access to all NFL events, including the Super Bowl, Playoffs, regular season, preseason, Pro Bowl, Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend, NFL Draft, NFL Scouting Combine, Senior Bowl, league meetings, minicamps and training camps.
For fans on the go, all NFL Network programming can be streamed live through the NFL app and via Watch NFL Network on smartphones, tablets, PCs and connected TV devices (Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, PlayStation 4 and Roku). Access is available for NFL Network subscribers of participating TV providers. For more information, go to NFL.com/nflnetwork.
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Written by Dee Dee West on 16 January 2019
PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY NFL COMMUNICATIONS; NFL: Elena Bakar; CBS: Jen Sabatelle; PEPSI: Elisa Baker; COURTESY NFLmedia.com
Maroon 5 in concert 2016 photo By Justin Higuchi, CC BY 2.0, https commons.wikimedia.org
MAROON 5 TO TAKE CENTER STAGE AT
PEPSI SUPER BOWL LIII HALFTIME SHOW
FEBRUARY 3, 2019 ON CBS
SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE TRAVIS SCOTT AND BIG BOI
Three-time Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum band MAROON 5 will take center stage at the PEPSI SUPER BOWL LIII HALFTIME SHOW on CBS at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, they confirmed today. Maroon 5 will feature a slate of guest artists including Grammy-nominated rapper TRAVIS SCOTT and Atlanta native BIG BOI bringing together the broadest range of musical genres ever seen on the Super Bowl stage.
Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi join an esteemed list of recent halftime acts including Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Missy Elliott, Lenny Kravitz, Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, The Who, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2 and many more.
The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show is the most-watched musical event of the year. Super Bowl LIII and the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show will be broadcast by CBS from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Super Bowl LIII marks Pepsi’s seventh year as title sponsor of the Super Bowl Halftime Show and 17th year as an NFL partner. Pepsi and the NFL have teamed up again to provide fans with a halftime experience worthy of pop-culture’s biggest stage.
The PEPSI SUPER BOWL LIII HALFTIME SHOW is an NFL NETWORK PRODUCTION and will be executive produced by RICKY KIRSHNER and directed by HAMISH HAMILTON.
For more information about Super Bowl LIII, visit SuperBowl.com.
About Maroon 5:
Maroon 5 stands out as not only one of pop music’s most enduring artists, but also one of the 21st century’s biggest acts. To date, the universally renowned Los Angeles band have achieved three GRAMMY® Awards and sold over 53 million albums, 48 million singles worldwide and earned gold and platinum certifications in more than 35 countries. The band won over fans and critics alike with the hybrid rock/R&B sound they introduced on their debut album, Songs About Jane and their double platinum album, It Won’t be Soon Before Long. Maroon 5 went on to release studio albums, Hands All Over, which featured the anthemic “Moves Like Jagger,” and Overexposed. The band’s fifth studio album, V, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart and featured the #1 hit singles “Maps,” “Animals” and “Sugar,” helping the band set a record for the most #1′s by a group in the Top 40 chart’s 20-year history, with 9 in total. The music video for the album’s GRAMMY- nominated single “Sugar” has notably logged a record setting 2+ billion views to date.
Maroon 5 released their 6th studio album, Red Pill Blues, in late 2017 via 222/ Interscope. The album features the global hit single “Girls Like You” ft. Cardi B, which reached #1 at Top 40, #1 at Adult Pop, #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks. The track also claimed the #1 position on iTunes and Spotify, all while accumulating over 626 million Spotify streams and over 1.7 billion YouTube/ VEVO views. The single has gone on to become the longest-running song on the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 and is notably the most-watched video on VEVO in 2018. The band recently finished 2018 as the biggest act on U.S. radio (according to Nielsen Music). The group’s songs amassed 8.58 billion audience impressions across all monitored radio stations, which included 1.95 million plays of Maroon 5′s music.
About Travis Scott:
Grammy-nominated global superstar Travis Scott has established himself as a leading force in the music world. His third full-length album ASTROWORLD – released August 3, 2018 via Cactus Jack Records/Epic Records – debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, scored the second-largest debut of 2018 and has since certified platinum by the RIAA. The critically acclaimed album also yielded his first Billboard Hot 100 #1 single with “SICKO MODE,” and garnered a total of three Grammy nominations: Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. ASTROWORLD followed the 2016 release of platinum-certified, Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight and earned his first #1 album. Travis’ platinum-certified debut album, Rodeo was released in 2015 and features the Billboard Hot 100 hit single “Antidote.” Hailing from Missouri City, TX, Travis has performed on Saturday Night Live, Ellen, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and many more. He has appeared on the cover of prestigious publications such as Rolling Stone, GQ, GQ Style, Billboard, XXL, and The FADER. Additionally, Travis is a household name in the fashion world where his influence spans from launch collaborations with YSL, Helmut Lang, Nike and Ksubi Denim to starring in notable campaigns for Alexander Wang, and Ricardo Tisci among other numerous top designers. Travis will embark on the second North American leg of his ASTROWORLD Tour this month. The immense SOLD OUT world arena tour began November 2018 and features a roller coaster hoisted in the air running the length crowd, a ferris wheel, fireworks, and pyrotechnics and is as Rolling Stone describes, “the greatest show on earth.”
About Big Boi:
Atlanta indisputably set the pace for modern hip-hop. However, Big Boi set the pace for Atlanta, and by proxy, the culture at large. If the genre of hip-hop ever gets its own “Rap Mount Rushmore,“ a legacy as the region’s foremost wordsmith, funkiest gentleman, and resident ATLien certainly guarantees a place for the diamond selling artist, rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor, philanthropist born Antwan André Patton. Big made history as the preeminent spitter of the Dungeon Family and one-half of OutKast. The legendary duo sold 25 million albums and garnered seven GRAMMY® Awards, becoming the first and only hip-hop artist in history to win the GRAMMY® for “Album of the Year” upon release of their 2003 RIAA Diamond-certified Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Big Boi made his proper introduction as a solo artist in 2010 with Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. A modern classic, it captured #3 on theBillboard Top 200 and landed on Pitchfork‘s “100 Best Albums of the Decade ‘So Far’.” Following a succession of high-profile album releases, Big Boi released his latest album Boomiverse in 2017. The smash single “All Night” sound tracked a high-profile Apple Animoji commercial, blew up radio, and clocked 40 million streams within a year. The song also hit the Top 30 on the pop chart and Top 10 at Rhythmic.
History of Super Bowl Halftime Entertainment
| SUPER BOWL |
YEAR |
LOCAT |
ION |
HALFTIME |
| I |
1967 |
Los Angeles |
Universities of Arizona and Michigan Grambling University Bands |
| II |
1968 |
South Florida |
“Old Man Winter Takes a Vacation in Miami” featuring seven local Miami-area high school bands |
| III |
1969 |
South Flo |
rida |
“America Thanks” with Florida A&M University |
| IV |
1970 |
New Orleans |
Carol Channing |
| V |
1 |
971 |
South Florida |
d |
| VI |
1972 |
New Orleans |
“Salute to Louis Armstrong” with Ella Fitzgerald, Carol Channing, Al Hirt and U.S. Marine Corps Drill Team |
| VII |
1973 |
Los Angeles |
“Happiness Is…” with University of Michigan Band and Woody Herman |
| VIII |
1974 |
Houston |
“A Musical America” with University of Texas Band |
| IX |
1975 |
New Orleans |
“Tribute to Duke Ellington” with Mercer Ellington and Grambling University Bands |
| X |
1976 |
South Florida |
“200 Years and Just a Baby” Tribute to America’s Bicentennial |
| XI |
1977 |
Pasadena |
“It’s a Small World” including crowd participation for first time with spectators waving colored placards on cue |
| XII |
1978 |
New Orleans |
“From Paris to the Paris of America” with Tyler Apache Belles, Pete Fountain and Al Hirt |
| XIII |
1979 |
South Florida |
“Super Bowl XIII Carnival” Salute to the Caribbean with Ken Hamilton and various Caribbean bands |
| XIV |
1980 |
Pasadena |
“A Salute to the Big Band Era” with Up with People |
| XV |
1981 |
New Orleans |
“A Mardi Gras Festival” |
| XVI |
1982 |
Pontiac |
“A Salute to the 60′s and Motown” |
| XVII |
1983 |
Pasadena |
“KaleidoSUPERscope” (a kaleidoscope of color and sound) |
| XVIII |
1984 |
Tampa Bay |
“Super Bowl XVIII’s Salute to the Superstars of the Silver Screen” |
| XIX |
1985 |
Stanford |
“A World of Children’s Dreams” |
| XX |
1986 |
New Orleans |
“Beat of the Future” |
| XXI |
1987 |
Pasadena |
“Salute to Hollywood’s 100thAnniversary” |
| XXII |
1988 |
San Diego |
“Something Grand” featuring 88 grand pianos, the Rockettes and Chubby Checker |
| XXIII |
1989 |
South Florida |
“Be Bop Bamboozled” featuring 3-D effects |
| XXIV |
1990 |
New Orleans |
“Salute to New Orleans” and 40thAnniversary of Peanuts’ characters, featuring trumpeter Pete Fountain, Doug Kershaw & Irma Thomas |
| XXV |
1991 |
Tampa Bay |
“A Small World Salute to 25 Years of the Super Bowl” featuring New Kids on the Block |
| XXVI |
1992 |
Minneapolis |
“Winter Magic” including a salute to the winter season and the winter Olympics featuring Gloria Estefan, Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill |
| XXVII |
1993 |
Pasadena |
“Heal the World” featuring Michael Jackson and 3,500 local children; finale included audience card stunt |
| XXVIII |
1994 |
Atlanta |
“Rockin Country Sunday” featuring Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Wynonna & Naomi Judd; finale included flashlight stunt |
| XXIX |
1995 |
South Florida |
“Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye” featuring Tony Bennett, Patti LaBelle, Arturo Sandoval, the Miami Sound Machine and stunts including fire and skydivers; finale included audience participation with light sticks |
| XXX |
1996 |
Arizona |
Diana Ross celebrating 30 years of the Super Bowl with special effects, pyrotechnics and stadium card stunt; finale featured Diana Ross being taken from the stadium in a helicopter. |
| XXXI |
1997 |
New Orleans |
“Blues Brothers Bash” featuring Dan Akroyd, John Goodman and James Belushi, also featuring “The Godfather of Soul” James Brown and ZZ Top |
| XXXII |
1998 |
San Diego |
“A Tribute to Motown’s 40thAnniversary” including Boyz II Men, Smokey Robinson, Queen Latifah, Martha Reeves and The Temptations |
| XXXIII |
1999 |
South Florida |
“Celebration of Soul, Salsa and Swing” featuring Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and tap dancer Savion Glover |
| XXXIV |
2000 |
Atlanta |
“A Tapestry of Nations” featuring Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton and an 80-person choir |
| XXXV |
2001 |
Tampa Bay |
“The Kings of Rock and Pop” featuring Aerosmith, *N’SYNC, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige and Nelly |
| XXXVI |
2002 |
New Orleans |
U2 |
| XXXVII |
2003 |
San Diego |
Shania Twain, No Doubt and Sting |
| XXXVIII |
2004 |
Houston |
Janet Jackson, Kid Rock, P. Diddy, Nelly and Justin Timberlake |
| XXXIX |
2005 |
Jacksonville |
Paul McCartney |
| XL |
2006 |
Detroit |
The Rolling Stones |
| XLI |
2007 |
South Florida |
Prince |
| XLII |
2008 |
Arizona |
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers |
| XLIII |
2009 |
Tampa Bay |
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band |
| XLIV |
2010 |
South Florida |
The Who |
| XLV |
2011 |
North Texas |
The Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Slash |
| XLVI |
2012 |
Indianapolis |
Madonna with guests Cee Lo Green, LMFAO, M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj |
| XLVII |
2013 |
New Orleans |
Beyoncé with guests Destiny’s Child |
| XLVIII |
2014 |
NY/NJ |
Bruno Mars with guests Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| XLIX |
2015 |
Arizona |
Katy Perry with guests Missy Elliott and Lenny Kravitz |
| 50 |
2016 |
Santa Clara |
Coldplay with guests Beyoncé and Bruno Mars |
| LI |
2017 |
Houston |
Lady Gaga |
| LII |
2018 |
Minneapolis |
Justin Timberlake |
Posted in NFL | Comments Off
Written by Dee Dee West on 16 January 2019
PRESS RELEASE WRITTEN BY NFL COMMUNICATIONS; NFL: Liz McCollum, BZA PR; CBS: Kate Fischer; COURTESY NFLmedia.com
Annual Awards Show, Airing on CBS, to Take Place at the FOX Theatre
in Atlanta on the Eve of Super Bowl LIII
Emmy® Award-winning personality, producer and talk show host STEVE HARVEY will take the stage as host of NFL HONORS on Saturday, Feb. 2 at the FOX Theatre in Atlanta. The two-hour primetime awards special recognizing the NFL’s best players, performances and plays from the 2018 season will air nationally at 9 PM ET/PT on CBS.
Steve Harvey 2013 photo By Angela George, CC BY-SA 3.0, https commons.wikimedia.org
Steve Harvey is a TV personality, producer, talk show host, motivational speaker and author who also currently hosts several popular TV shows: Emmy-award winning daytime talk show “Steve” and breakout hit “Little Big Shots”; game show “Family Feud,” which has achieved the highest ratings in the franchise’s history since Harvey began to host; and “Celebrity Family Feud”. He also hosts the top-rated and nationally syndicated radio show, “The Steve Harvey Morning Show”. Additionally, he has hosted the MISS UNIVERSE® contests since 2015.
Harvey began his career doing stand-up comedy in the mid-1980s. His success as a comedian eventually led to a long stint as host of “It’s Showtime at the Apollo,” as well as various acting, hosting, writing and producing roles. His entertainment credits include the extremely popular “Kings of Comedy” and “Think Like a Man”. In addition, Harvey is a New York Times No. 1 best-selling author and motivational speaker. Harvey’s business imprint, Steve Harvey Global, also successfully produces broadcast television projects, events/festivals and digital content. Harvey’s philanthropic efforts, which include mentoring camps for boys and girls, are achieved through the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation. For more about Harvey, visit www.steveharvey.com.
NFL Honors, which debuted in Indianapolis in 2012, is an annual event hosted from the Super Bowl city the evening before the AFC and NFC champions meet. Harvey joins ALEC BALDWIN, KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY, SETH MEYERS, CONAN O’BRIEN and ROB RIGGLE on the list of award-winning celebrities to host the NFL’s awards show.
Music for the show will once again be performed by vocalist-instrumentalist SPENCER LUDWIG.
The show includes the announcement of THE ASSOCIATED PRESS‘ annual accolades and the newest PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME class. Preceding CBS’s telecast, NFL Network will air “Super Bowl Saturday Night” at 8 PM ET covering all the sights and sounds from the Red Carpet at NFL Honors.
The full list of awards that will be presented is:
| AP Most Valuable Player presented by Pizza Hut |
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year presented by Nationwide |
| AP Coach of the Year |
AP Comeback Player of the Year presented by Castrol |
| AP Offensive Player of the Year presented by Microsoft |
AP Defensive Player of the Year |
| AP Offensive Rookie of the Year |
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year presented by Old Spice |
| Bridgestone Clutch Performance Play of the Year
|
FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year |
| USAA Salute To Service Award |
Courtyard’s Unstoppable Performance of the Year Award |
| Deacon Jones Award |
Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award |
| Built Ford Tough Offensive Line of the Year |
Moment of the Year |
| Game Changer Award |
Touchdown Celebration of the Year |
NFL Honors is an NFL Network production in association with Rock Garden Media. For more information about NFL Honors, fans may visit http://www.nfl.com/honors and follow the #NFLHonors conversation on Twitter.
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