DREW DOUGHTY
This season: 77 games, 10 goals, 26 assists, minus-2 rating.
The good: When Darryl Sutter came on board, Doughty became a different player. Perhaps it’s a coincidence, but that’s doubtful. Doughty, more than anyone, seemed a bit on edge when Sutter arrived, almost as though he knew that the new teacher might be rapping on his knuckles a bit. Doughty made a big turnaround over the second half of the season and, throughout the playoffs, seemed to be the same type of player he was in 2009-10, when he was a finalist for the Norris Trophy. If not for Jonathan Quick’s sustained excellence, Doughty would have been a well-received winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy.
The bad: The reason Doughty had to make a second-half turnaround is because his first half wasn’t very good. There’s probably a number of factors involved in that, although most are tied (directly or indirectly) to the contract dispute that caused him to miss all of training camp. It’s no exaggeration to say that Doughty’s struggles were a major reason as to why the Kings were in 11th place in the Western Conference deep into the season. Doughty’s skill level remained consistent, but too often he tried to run around and be a superhero, rather than stay with the poised, simple, effective play that had been known as his staple.
Going forward: Did Doughty figure it all out? Perhaps more than any other Kings player, he seemed to embrace Sutter’s coaching style. His effusive public praise of Sutter seemed genuine, and that’s a good sign for the Kings. A team’s best players don’t always have to love the coach, but respect is critical, and Doughty clearly respects Sutter. It should go without saying that Doughty also needs to remain in the good graces of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office this summer.
B for regular season, A for postseason, F for any time away from the rink.
[Reply]
Shuchuk Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 5:51 pm
@mervaldez, he needs to grow up and stop getting himself in bad situations off the ice. get a steady girlfriend (dude, you get the pick of the litter) and avoid the leeches, because there are a LOT of them out there. oh, and stay in game shape 24/7. GKG.
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Debra Turull Reply:
July 10th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
@Shuchuk, AMEN!!!!!!
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So far, people are giving the same grade for Doughty as they did for Clifford. Interesting.
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Shuchuk Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 5:53 pm
@kingsfaninportland, hopefully they’re grading players based on their role, not on their ability (meaning, somebody like Fraser will gets a “B” because he did a good job being our 4th line center, not because he is one of LA’s best players).
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BigIslandKingsFan Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 6:14 pm
@Shuchuk, That’s how I vote. It is a player evaluation. How did he perform in his role as was expected of him? If Drew was the 3rd d pair and performed like he did for the whole Cup run then I would seriously think about giving him an “A”. But, as the top D pair, he’s expected to perform at a higher level and in more situations than AM.
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PRMan Reply:
July 10th, 2012 at 10:20 am
@BigIslandKingsFan, I gave Doughty an A anyway. In the playoffs, he was unstoppable and won a couple games singlehandedly. His end-to-end rush was the best since Orr. In the stretch, Doughty was instrumental in getting us into the playoffs. 1st semester C, 2nd semester A+.
Rich,
Including each players stat line from the playoffs below the regular season stat line would provide a better picture of how they performed in our 100+ game “season” as a whole.
GKG!
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Shuchuk Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
@kingsofsb, regular season Doughty? B-, Playoff Doughty? A+
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SB Larry Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
@Shuchuk, Exactly!!! Also beleive that Doughty was the 2nd best King in the playoffs behind Quickie. We now know how important he is to this team. As Doughty goes so goes the offense.
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Shuchuk Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 5:49 pm
@SB Larry, I’d put both Kopitar and Brown over Doughty…but Drew has the ability to TAKE OVER, no question about it. his goal in game 2 of the SCF was amazing!
Now if he can get out of that whole “rape” situation….looks like they are sleeping on it far too long. Dumb broads now a days….i sucks to be rich sometimes…
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Gevo Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 10:53 am
@Gevo, It*
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Donald_S Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:01 am
@Gevo,
You have no idea what happened Gevo. Better they investigate and get it 100% right than make a rush to judgement one way or another.
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Gevo Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:29 am
@Donald_S, investigate what??? I think if it was serious enough they would of handled it a looooong time ago, for example: arrest him, or whatever, but….seems like they dont have a solid case against him. I think hes being framed to get some money milked out of him, thats all….
RobSD Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:09 am
@Gevo,
Still no news on this? Interesting.
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Justin Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Seriously, no news on this?! This case is probably going nowhere. But you never know until the D.A. makes a decision. Does anyone have any updates on this story?
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Lake Forest Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:32 am
@Gevo, Let them do their work instead of being dumb and rush to judgement whether in his favor or not.
I think everyone is thankful you are not a cop or a DA.
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wes Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
@Lake Forest, exactly right
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DEH Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 3:55 pm
@Gevo, no news is good news. The quick decisions are for when there’s a case, slow decisions are for when there is no case. Probable cause is obvious, so when it exists the decision usually comes quickly, no probable cause = no charges.
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I think another factor of Doughty playing better in the second half was the trade of JJ..both players became the respective #1 D man on their team. And had to step up in a big way and both did. 10 goals is excellent for a defenseman. It was a good season. If he plays all the time like he did in the Playoffs…the Norris is within his grasp.
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RobSD Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:19 am
@TeamJMFJ,
JJ was a terrible D man when with the Kings. He is a good guy and and talented and I hope he excels in Columbus. People argue about the validity of +/- but compared to other similar players he was atrocious.
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TeamJMFJ Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:26 am
@RobSD, and yet…he is a + player in Columbus….but yeah. His O with the Kings was great…his D…not so much…he is doing much better in CBJ so far
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KindSir Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 8:59 pm
@RobSD, JJ also played much better whenever DD was absent from the lineup. Most interesting…
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1st part of season – Jekell, 2nd part Hyde. Hard to argue with the end result. DD grow up and dominate or just be another athlete that people shake their head and wonder how good he could have been. Grade = B
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Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:20 am
@red49er, Dr Jekyll was the good personality.
RLS would turn in his grave.
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vinny Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:26 am
@Duncanz, but dewey was a beast in the playoffs, so sleep soundly rls
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Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:11 pm
@vinny,
Kingsfanone Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
@Duncanz,
RLS? Ralph Lauren Sports?
I kid………
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Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 3:23 pm
@Kingsfanone,
Reluctant Literature Scholars …
I wanted to give him an A, but his first half was so bad that I just couldn’t do it. B for me.
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Shuchuk Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 5:55 pm
@Tyler, yeah, showing up out of shape after holding out for MEGABUCKS isn’t what champions are made of…wait, nevermind…but you get my point!
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Voted ‘B’ because the regular season has to be considered too. Wasn’t his best performance. The playoffs were a well-documented success to say the least though.
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C for regular season, A for playoffs. Overall= B.
His play in the playoffs was excellent. His breaks outs were superb. He didn’t try to do it all and played just like he played in 09-10 season. Got a lot of secondary assists, which I think is a good sign for Doughty because he too often tries to do it all instead of relying on his teammates.
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For the playoffs I give him an A.
Happy to not see him on the PP with JJ anymore. Watching that was like fingernails on a chalk board.
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TeamJMFJ Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 10:59 am
@jess, yeah…that didn’t really ever work…
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jess Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:01 am
@TeamJMFJ,
Yeah TM invented that little gem (pairing).
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TeamJMFJ Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:03 am
@jess, they each shouldve had their own pairing…like DD on PP1 and JJ on PP2…i can see why TM thought it would be a good idea to pair those two but the chemistry just wasn’t there…
jess Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:25 am
@TeamJMFJ,
You hit it on the button. Chemistry.
Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:25 am
@jess, @TeamJMFJ,
By all rights that should have been a killer special teams partnership.
I put the responsibilty squarely in their court/s for the short circuitry.
jess Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:29 am
@Duncanz,
What appears decent on paper doesn’t always work. That’s why there are good coaches who understand chemistry, and those who clearly don’t.
Perro Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:38 am
@TeamJMFJ, Neither did anything we tried in the playoffs. Other than an awesome PP on Bernier’s penalty.
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Hackwoods Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:57 am
@Perro, You all might need to recall the playoffs last year against SJ. I believe DD and JJ were together and we scored many goals on the PP in that series. If this is not correct, I do recall a time when DD and JJ were together on the PP and just dominated for a while. Which ever is correct, that is why TM thought it might work again going into this 2011-2012 season. It did not work, and so the rest is history.
Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:59 am
@Perro,
The PP was on life support for vast swathes of the regular season and the playoffs as well.
With the talent we have/had out there, there needs to be questions asked of everybody on the 1 & 2 units.
@jess,
Perhaps a different PP coach might have been able to develop some chemistry between those two?
jess Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:37 pm
@Duncanz,
Absolutely. This time though, the PP coach will be Sutter’s choice.
Shakes Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
@TeamJMFJ, well it did work in the Kings / Vancouver playoffs two years ago. It was arguable the exact opposite of what it is now… people literally expected a goal every 2 minute pp… now we just hope to maintain momentum
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jess Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:02 pm
@Shakes,
I don’t recall us winning that series.
What I do recall, is our powerplay netting us three goals (on the same pp) in the 1st period in game 6 against NJ which effectively sealed the deal for the cup.
Shakes Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 2:59 pm
@Jess, well that prob in that series was that basically the PP was our only offense (and we couldn’t hold leads in the 3rd). The problem is that the PP was fine for that time period but by the following season people had figured it out and basically it was pretty much neutered
My only point is that the brief period of time that it worked was used as an example of how awesome Drew + JMFJ could be… but in the long-run it wasn’t the right match once people figured out how to play against that pairing
jess Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 3:10 pm
@Shakes,
I see, good point. And true, the real challenge has always been 5 on 5 scoring. Seems like we are shoring up both now. Super excited to see how our new look flys in the reg season now. Me thinks I will have my first season of good sleep:)
I would have graded DD with a “D” in the first half, then an “A-” in the second half. His playoff performance desreves an “A”, the only thing preventing an “A+” was his junior-high level meltdown in Phoenix.
This kid’s play, and off-ice endeavors, might determine the success of this franchise going forward. We’ve seen both sides of it. He can be a great player deserving of his contract. On the flip-side he has shown the propensity to dissapoint even the most faithful Kings’ fan.
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jess Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:03 am
@Michael J., “junior level meltdown” –haha that’s perfect.
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TeamJMFJ Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:12 am
@Michael J., i dont know why, but Doughty’s “junior level meltdown” did bug me as much as it seemed to other fans. I like to see our guys play with some passion. Obviously he took it to far but it really didnt bother me.
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vinny Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:30 am
@TeamJMFJ, he did go on a bit longer than he shouldve but i like to see the passion too
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Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:34 am
@TeamJMFJ,
Bothered me because, as made out, it shows a mental fragility that becomes a really bad precedent.
If we’re talking potential Norris Trophy candidate, you’d never see that sort of thing from NL or ZC.
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Michael J. Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:39 am
@Duncanz,
He acted a whole lot more like Ryan Leaf than Peyton Manning.
TeamJMFJ Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:44 am
@Duncanz, i dont think NL has an ounce of emotion in his body.
Itchy Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:47 am
@Duncanz,
The refs can get in your head just as easily as the other team can… gotta ignore that and focus on the shift you’re skating (instead of the one you spend sitting in the box).
FKA PakiFro Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:37 am
@TeamJMFJ,
Same here.
That was probably the only time any Kings player lost his composure the whole playoffs so I guess it sticks out. But those were two massively blown calls…in overtime…of the WCF clincher…I don’t hold that against him at all.
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Michael J. Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:39 am
@TeamJMFJ,
He should have gotten another 2 minutes, if not a misconduct. When the “passion” harms the team, then its too far.
Trust me, that act didn’t endear him to any referees.
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TeamJMFJ Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:47 am
@Michael J., should have…but didnt. It didnt hurt the team. There were no extra penalties so it was fine with me. If there were penalties assessed…rest assured i would be just as upset as you.
Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:49 am
@Michael J.,
Reminiscent of the implosion MR has in NHL 36 that gets him ‘T’ed up and instead of rallying the team puts them completely on the back foot.
I would seriously hope we won’t be seeing too many of these overwrought displays of “passion” during the coming season.
Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:51 am
@TeamJMFJ,
Why court disaster?
Just not understanding that logic.
Michael J. Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:52 pm
@Duncanz,
I would loev to know what was said on the bench during his tantrum… I bet the rest of the team thought he was doing the right thing at the right time.
B for the year, (B+ with Sutter) Aed the final (playoffs) like Brownie. Therefore B+. I’m looking for an A year next year-Assuming he gets through his (ridiculously long) investigation OK.
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The Kings won the Cup, everyone gets an A
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370455VinSD Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:38 am
@Sebastian, I love that attitude and pretty much feel the same way but it makes this exercise kinda futile.
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Itchy Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:49 am
@Sebastian,
If everyone’s already an A, how do you get better? You should always be trying to squeeze out 2% more… whether you already think you’re at 100% or not.
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Shakes Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:55 pm
@Itchy, unless you’re grading teams on a curve… as long as we keep on winning the Cup we’ll all get A’s. if we play just as well but don’t win the Cup, then we’re <A
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
@Sebastian, You’re certainly allowed to grade how you want but I don’t see how that makes sense. You don’t need to be perfect to win the cup, just better than the other guys. And are you giving Bernier, Westgarth, Parse and Lotki an A also?
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Sebastian Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
@HockeyNerd, haha, probably not, just the guys who played in the playoffs.
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Michael J. Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:53 pm
@HockeyNerd,
Parse gets an “A” for sure-he did get out of the way.
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RobSD Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
@Sebastian,
+1
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Drew has the ability to do something truly magical from time to time (see Stanley Cup final game 2) which is one of the main reasons that I watch any sport, to see something extraordinary. Kirk Gibson’s home run, Derek Fisher 0.4. I hope that:
a) He is innocent of the charges against him
b) He embraces his role as *the* difference maker on the Kings.
c) He always plays with the joy that we saw from him, right from his first minute on the ice.
If he does, next year Rich will have to add a category, D, C, B, A and Doughty.
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He does need to show more maturity and if nothing else, a better instrinct for self perservation. Needs to use better judgment e.g. hopping in the sack with women he meets in bars.
However, in the playoffs he was overall outstanding.
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Deke'r Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 2:47 pm
@Steve S., ….what else do you do with women you meet in bars??…
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Who cares what the ratings are — I say give everyone an A! We won the Cup.
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:13 pm
@Woody, See above. A cup doesn’t mean everyone is perfect.
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Sebastian Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:51 pm
@HockeyNerd, Proves not everyone has to be perfect to win one.
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Compared to any other 22 year old defenseman, he is a A+. However, we all grade on a (salary) curve, so I went B+. He is a young guy who’s defense will improve a lot, and hopefully his maturity too.
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Off topic alert, or at least delayed topic alert. I just read through the Sutter quotes and replies and it solidified what I want on my new Kings jersey. I was going to put my number (13) and my Insider screen name but I figured I would get sick of explaining it. I just ordered an authentic (with the equipment strap) Brown jersey, #23 with the “C” but instead of his name on the back it will just say “boom. jeez.”. I can’t wait.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:40 am
@370455VinSD, Awesome, right?
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Michael J. Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:42 am
@370455VinSD,
Awesome!
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paige Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:45 am
@370455VinSD, love that
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TeamJMFJ Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:50 am
@370455VinSD, lol thats hilarious…almost as funny as the #25 pancakes jersey
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Itchy Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
@370455VinSD,
What you need a fight strap for, I mean, 1/2 the players don’t even use them!
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370455VinSD Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:05 pm
@Itchy, just proof that it is an authentic, they don’t come on the replicas. I figured I would splurge with my Vegas winnings. I won’t use it either, just hoping I don’t get an unsportsmanlike for having it unstrapped.
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KC23 Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:06 pm
@370455VinSD, Classic. Right name.
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grega11 Reply:
July 10th, 2012 at 3:36 am
@370455VinSD, fantastic!
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I definitely agree that Doughty was a top 4 player in terms of consideration for the Conn Smythe, but I was surprised to see Rich say that he would have won it behind Quick. Personally, I felt Kopitar was the runner up, followed by Brown and then Doughty. I understand the argument for Doughty at #2, behind Quick, but to say it as though it’s clear cut in this article really surprised me.
As for the grade, I gave him a B+. The slow start made an A impossible.
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KC23 Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
@Business Time, Pretty hard to pick the runner up. One could make an arguement for Doughty, Kopitar or Brown really. Too close for me to call. Quick was definately the best player in the players though.
Part of Doughty’s charm is that youthfulness, but it sure is misguided from time to time. Heck of a talent though. The kid has skills and the guts to use them in big spots.
For me the biggest story of 2012 was Dustin Brown. The big rumour to trade him and then the Dustin Brown coming out party for the entire rest of the season and especialy in the playoffs. He never played better in his career. He had super star written all over his 2012 resume. When I think of some of those plays he made with Kopitar it brings a tear to my eye.
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wes Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:31 pm
@KC23, Williams to Brown to Kopitar to the back of the net– game three of the SCF. Brown’s primary assist and Kopitar’s finish were about as gorgeous as hockey gets. Wham, Bam! Puck perfection. Lots of other examples too. Incredible short-handed offense versus Vancouver.
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KC23 Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
@wes, That flip back pass off the boards from Williams to Brown was almost just as sweet too. Kopitar just skating through Parise from the neautral zone board area getting just enough ahead of Parise to be able to make a perfect deflection tip on a rather hard, but accurate pass from Brown … man that was something.
In my head I keep seeing Lewis hound dogging that Vacouver defensemen tipping the puck away to a waiting Stoll who then shoots a wicked snap shot passed Schiender for the series winner.
Hey Rich, you skipped over Brad Doty.
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Sammuch Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:54 am
@Michael J.,
kings traded him at the draft!
The traded him for 2 news reporters from Canada!
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I for one was not happy with DD & his pay!!! Now,
& the way he played in the playoffs a specially the last to rounds of the playoffs, DD back on track, I just hope those charges will be droped & he be ready for our delayed season that will start in November do to a minor lockout! Yep, that my feeling, it will be a 70 game season… I hoping I’m wrong!
I gave him a solid B!
The first 20 games D
The second 20 games C
The third 20 games B
The last 20 games A
The 1 st two rounds A+
The last 2 rounds A++
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Sammuch Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 11:49 am
@Sammuch,
Yes I know 82 games, I did not count the last 2 games with SJ… We all no why, that dam stick…
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sh27696 Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
@Sammuch, Didn’t. 8 miss 6 or 7 of the 1st. 20 games due to injury? It’s tough. To give an objective. Grade based om just a handful of games. The D might be representative. Of his production, for those 20 games, but. Is not. representative. Of his effort for the games he actually played. I had Drew at a B overall. While it would be hard to bring it 100+games a year at the level he reached in the finals, but that’s what you want to see him strive for.
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I gave him an A
The 1st half of the regular season was not good at all. I think we all should have known that without going thru a training camp he was going to be behind everyone else. It certainly played out that way. He’s a young kid playing the toughest position a regular skater can play. He needed training camp as much if not more than everyone else.
I also took into consideration that he was matched up against the oppositions best forwards eveery night while expecting to be an offensive force for us. Everything was there for a disaster.
To his credit, he picked up his play and when DS came onboard, he took off like the Norris Trophy candidate we had seen in the past. His play in the playoffs was top notch..worthy of A++++++
He’s arguably the msot important player on a Stanley Cup Championship team and there’s not another player I would trade him straight up for.
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B+ I have been and will continue to give grades based on what was EXPECTED. Apples to apples and oranges to oranges. And Boy did Doughty NOT justify that contract at the beginning of the year. But (like so many of his teammates) he stepped it up when it really mattered most.
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OT, but that’s a much better player pic than is usually used for DD. My one off-season hope is that the Kings retain a better photographer than they’ve been using so that the players don’t look quite so high school yearbook-y.
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First half, Doughty was a C. Second half, Doughty was a B. Playoffs, Doughty was an A. So I gave him a B+ for the year as he improved and saved his best for last.
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It’s really hard to grade these players on their full season when the first 3/4 and the last quarter plus playoffs were almost two completely different teams and in the end, it’s what they did in the latter that really counted. Doughty was really disappointing early in the season, and his biggest problem has always been his maturity, but he seemed to age ten years when Sutter came to town. It’s a toss up. I guess I voted mid-range, but I don’t really feel right about it. Just as I said on Brown’s evaluation, this whole team overcame obstacles in a big, big way, and they deserve credit for that.
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He’s a good player but I really just can’t get over his demeanor. if I knew drew doughty personally, I wouldn’t suspect we’d be friends… does anyone else agree? I think I still am a little beside myself with that whole hold out issue as well. I gave him a B, just wish he would be more mature.
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Shotongoal Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 5:40 pm
@bfarm, How mature were you at 22? For that matter, in this day and age, how mature is any 22 year old. I’ll take Doughty’s personality any day of the week. You watch him on the ice, he’s having fun and playing with passion. He cares, that’s so obvious. What more can you ask of a player?
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Shuchuk Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 6:25 pm
@Shotongoal, well since you ask: I was a college grad and working towards my teacher certification…point is “he is only 22″ doesn’t cut it for me, last I checked the LAW considers 18 to be the age of adulthood.
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Debra Turull Reply:
July 10th, 2012 at 5:48 pm
@bfarm, At 22 I had my teaching credential and was starting a master’s degree. I had friends who were starting medical school. I was disappointed in his hold at for the salary and then starting and playing so poorly. The Kings did not get their money’s worth for most of the season. Maybe with the talk of Brownie’s trade he realized no one is safe unless you are playing 100% all of the time.
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Look, stop worrying and listen to Jim Fox. If Doughty goes to jail, it won’t be for long. Remember Drew’s “escapabililty.”
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vinny Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
@Mel Powell, lol
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Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 3:13 pm
@Mel Powell,
The real question is, can he slither away from Gloria A’s fishnets?
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I don’t like he held the team hostage at the beginning of the season. I don’t like his 10 goals for a offensive defenseman. Drew did exactaly opposite of what Quick did and that is be a team player. I love Drew’s enthusiasm and his ability but he owes this team 60 points a season with what he forced the Kings to pay him. A thank you to Quick for putting his team in front of his bank account. Drew better show up for every game like its a playoff game. I’ll be watching and I really do wish him luck.
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Sammuch Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
@cac90277,
I’ll take 40 pts & +20, which equals to 60 pts! But, yes even better at 60pts, +20!!!
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FKA PakiFro Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 2:16 pm
@cac90277,
I’m not downplaying Quick’s loyalty/contract or anything but one must consider the expiring CBA. If Quick waited, there’s almost zero chance he gets the deal he got so it was definitely a smart move on his part. Money is always a factor. Quick didn’t necessarily leave any on the table because the table would have been different when he would have hit UFA next year.
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Why do I get the feeling that without the Kings winning the cup, Doughty would have gotten an F?
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Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 12:55 pm
@California Royalty, $$$$
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Shakes Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:14 pm
@California Royalty,
i suppose it would’ve come down to what round we would’ve made it through (no matter how well he would’ve played)
i feel like a good game in the playoffs is worth like 5 regular season games… so if he was paid a big contract based on his future potential people would’ve felt that he didn’t get close to raising his game if we got knocked out early
Regular Season: C/C-
First round Exit: C
Second round Exist: B-
Third round Exit: B
Losing in the Finals: B+
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Eric K Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:37 pm
@California Royalty, Probably because a rather large number of commenters believe that goals and points are the only stats that matter for a defenseman.
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Michael J. Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:55 pm
@California Royalty,
Yup. Guilty as charged.
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Doughty:
Regular Season: C+ at best
Playoffs: A+++++
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Still checking on if anyone knows ANYTHING about Doughty’s supposed charges?? Maybe no news is good news????? Any one heard any thing to report???
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TF Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
@Freimanis V, Gloria Altakeanycasethatwillgetmenoticed has her teeth in this. Anything could happen. Poor Doughty. Young and foolish or young and stupid! Only time will tell.
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KCC Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 4:16 pm
@Freimanis V, Lisa Dillman posted on Twitter last week that Drew’s attorney did not expect a decision on the case last week. (I am guessing because of the holiday.) His lawyer seemed really confident that the charges would be dropped — I wonder if the accuser’s hiring of counsel (and high profile counsel, at that) has anything to do with how long they are taking to dismiss/press the charges.
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I don’t really see the need to grade anyone on regular season play. Vancouver is full of regular season ‘A’ students. But the regular season is not what counts. The only person who miraculously played well under both coaches, is Jonathan Quick. A strong argument can be made for Mitchell as well IMO.
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
@jess, ….Except that (as hard as it is to believe now) there almost WASN’T a playoffs……
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Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
@HockeyNerd, Says the man whose iPhone usually doesn’t believe in hypotheticals?
Where’s @Jeff_R today, I wonder?
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Mars Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
@jess, true.
Someone give Quick a bonus and DS too
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Kingsfanone Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:56 pm
@jess,
I totally agree! Well said too!
(not the first time I agree with you…….nor will it be the last!)
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jess Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 4:17 pm
@Kingsfanone, Thanks man,-Been a hell of a year!
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We won the cup so A+ for all
As for the season I say B because of the slow start for him.
But whatever, we won the cup!
DD Stanley Cup Champion!
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Michael J. Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:56 pm
@Mars,
OK, I’ve been wondering: why “Mars”? BD?
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I have followed the Kings since 1969. I used to love to watch the Butch Goring and Crazy Kozak. The Triple Crown Line was amazing. This team was hard to watch for most of the season, and when you really think about it, the Kings did not look good all season except from a defensive point of view. King, Nolan, Carter, and Sutter were what was needed to tweak just the right CHEMISTRY. And that is what it was all about. Simmer, nobody. Add baby Dave Taylor and Dionne. Poof! CHEMISTRY. Almost all of the players, both new and old, had subpar offensive seasons compared to previous years. Even so, the team that showed up for the playoffs was not the team I watched night after night. The Stanley Cup team was exciting. If this team continues to score as they did in the playoffs, they have the potential to be downright frightening in what they could accomplish. That being said. I would like to see the kings add “1″ more winger just in case the injury bug raises its gnarly head. Don’t screw too much with the current CHEMISTRY.
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HockeyNerd Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:52 pm
@TF, Yes, but what grade did you give DD and why?
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TF Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 1:56 pm
@HockeyNerd, I gave him a C- for the season and an A+ for the playoffs. Being Generous I rounded it to a B+ because we won the Friggin cup, and I have been waiting forever for this moment.
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There seems to be a trend here. Each player is being graded on two seasons, one witn tm and one with ds. There is such an obvious line that it makes it very difficulr to give one score for the entire season. As did Doughty, the whole team was so much better you can’t help but notice. We stillhave so much more room to grow the we could see a greater season ahead. Btw, I gave dd a B for the reg season and an easy A fot the playoff run.
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jess Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 2:54 pm
@plywood,
You just laid it all out. Scientific proof. Well said.
I remember very clearly in the reg season when the kings were not performing as expected, far from it. This blog was in a tulmultuos free fall with many saying “this team is just not that good” and “it’s the players fault” but -in came the new coach, then a tweak or two and bam! A cup. Sweet.
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Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
@plywood,
Not to take anything away from the awesomeness that is DS, but maybe that line could effectively be drawn at 2-23-12 …
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Enough of letter grades. Would someone please give the kid a razor and show him how to use it!
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Drew Doughty gets a C, but Brad Doty gets an A+ … too bad he couldn’t be his playoff alter-ego, Brad Doty, during the regular season.
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Go Kings Go!
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Who cares about the first half of the regular season? Does anybody remember the St. Louis Cardinals record during the first half of last year’s baseball season? No, but they do remember that they were the champions. Does anybody remember the NY Giants record during the first half of last year’s football season? No, but they do remember that they were the champions.
Both of thsoe teams were average the early part of the season, great down the stretch and in the games that counted most, the playoffs.
So were the Kings.
Drew Woughty was GREAT when it really mattered.
Grade = A
It’s ALL about the Cup.
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The Gondor Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
@The Gondor, Is it Drew Woughty, or Woo Doughty?
Should have been DD was great.
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Brad Doty gets an A for just being rad!
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yeah…
B/B- for regular season…
A for the playoffs….
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more importantly about drew…:
are we ever gonna get a public announcement on whether or not the DA is gonna prosecute or dismiss the case against him…?
idk…
usually when these things drag out, the DA is looking for something to charge him with…so that is what is making me a lil’ nervous….it’s been about two+ weeks since the incident was reported…
i’m all for getting it right the first time…but, really, if a source from county court has already announced that the charges “will probably be dismissed”, what’s taking so long…?
are they looking at dna..?
are they canvasing the cab or the room they used for evidence…?
it just sounds like to me that the DA is sending mixed signals to us when they say “an announcement should be made on monday or tuesday”….we are now a week past that declaration….
just makes me wonder if there’s some steak behind the sizzle of this story…
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Rich Hammond Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Just a couple things here: 1) The incident was actually “reported” on March 1. It got leaked to the media in mid-June. A media leak doesn’t impact an investigation. 2) I don’t know who has quoted a source from the “county court” as saying that, but I haven’t seen it. 3) The DA has not been giving any type of timeframe. Those have been coming from Doughty’s lawyer, who has been very helpful but so far has now stopped giving such predictions. Just wanted to clarify.
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variable Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
@Rich Hammond,
thanks RICH for the clarification….
i realized the incident took place on march 1….and i realize a “media leak” doesn’t…and shouldn’t…impact any investigation….so, thank you for correcting my juxtaposition of said events….
but…if you read the following article…
http://gantdaily.com/2012/06/20/tmz-da-to-dismiss-sex-assault-case-vs-kings-defenseman-doughty/
and the beginning paragraphs….
“The Los Angeles District Attorney is set to drop the sexual assault case against Kings defenseman Drew Doughty due to lack of evidence and “major issues” with the victim’s credibility, celebrity website TMZ reported Wednesday.
Police sources told TMZ that the District Attorney will reject the complaint filed against Doughty in March because authorities found problems with the unnamed victim’s credibility.”
so, perhaps the phrase “dismiss the charges” weren’t attributed directly from the DA, but it was surely implied that the DA spoke openly to police officials and those same officials felt compelled to release the statement, supposedly mirroring the presumptional thoughts of the DA…
if the police came out and said what they did on behalf of the DA…and the DA hasn’t yet come out to refute anything that has been reported, then it could go assumed that all this “leaking” came from the DA or someone with direct knowledge of what the DA thinks of the case….and not just drew’s lawyer
yr last point is understood….
thanks for the feedback and corrections…:)
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Rich Hammond Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
No problem…just wanted to clarify. I knew we were on the same general page. Just as a note to your note, I would be careful when considering TMZ a source. They certainly have a good track record of publishing accurate information, but they also pay “sources” for information. So what you have there is secondhand info (at best) being relayed to a website for profit. That should always be a red flag.
Shuchuk Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 8:30 pm
FREE DOUGHTY!
jess Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 8:31 pm
@Rich Hammond,
TMZ.. Not an accurate source.
variable Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 9:09 pm
@RichHammond,
re: TMZ and paying for “news” – yes….they are for profit…
however, it’s becoming increasingly more apparent that TMZ (btw – not a fan of levin and his tactics…) has been out-scooping the champions of wire service news, such as AP, Reuters, NPR, Knight-Ridder, etc…so either there’s a system of “lobbying” among the management of TMZ… or TMZ is just out-reporting the rest of the pack…
i know it’s somewhat naive to believe that media sources and political dispositions on news-shaping don’t exist….heck, there’s many companies and people out there who shall not be named (for obvious reasons – respect the blog rules(!))…that dictate content and all editorial supervision…there’s a lot to say about all that, but i realize this might not be the appropriate forum to discuss the subject to it’s fullest extent…:)
it’s unfortunate that it is more important to be fast, rather than accurate and fast in today’s journalism/”blogging”…i will always hold the latter as the most important…
but, like you say,”They (TMZ)certainly have a good track record of publishing accurate information…”
i think we are in/entering a fascinating time of the technological revolution….news and opinion have never been more blurred due to digital devices and efficiency….the irony is, the people on all sides will decide on how to get their info with the same blurry eyes – not really knowing for sure…
it all goes back to he saying…
“you don’t know what you don’t know, y’know?”
thanks for listening…(!)
Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 9:10 pm
@variable,
I subscribe to the only agency worthy of my interest;
~~~ The Onion News Service ~~~
Maybe you should try it.
They actually get sued less than your heroic Harvey & his hopeless hangers-on.
Therefore they are left with more in the slush fund to pay their almost inevitably reliable sources – hence the greater the accuracy in news content.
Hopefully you will follow my advice in the interests of more factual reporting and better blogging results.
Kind Regards, Steve Douchey ~
variable Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 9:29 pm
@Duncanz,
is it pronounced like “duchesne” or “du-she”…?
i have and use the onion news service app aplenty….
years ago, when i was funnier, i had a chance to write for them….but it didn’t work out….
but maybe it’s time for the onion to peel towards the truth and make the other news agencies cry..(oy, sorry)…?
Duncanz Reply:
July 9th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
@variable,
Don’t be bitter about The Onion.
A lot of their reporters are not a … patch on yourself.
They are green because they are not very, well red.
So they slip into yellow journalistic techniques.
Your best chance is to stay writing with the Insider where you’ll see more rings.
Even tho’ I’m afraid that probably no one here is going to spring for you.
C+
His hold out hurt the Kings. Frankly, he didn’t deserve the contract and the $7 mil/yr he got. That contract was based off potential and not his peformance….unless you’re going by the one year a couple of years ago when he was as a Norris finalist. Drew certainly didn’t play like a Norris and $7 mil/yr defensemen this year. With that said, the Kings won the Cup and Drew came around in the playoffs. Hence my rating. Now Drew just needs to be in the Norris discussion just about every year from here on out to live up to his hold out antics and that lofty contract.
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Some of you guys should be ashamed! The “what have you done for me lately” attitude didn’t even make it through the summer.
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Some of you guys should be proud.
Your laurels are already getting pretty hardy!
That reminds me. What has Corsi done for me in the last 29 days …
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Dominick (defrim65) Reply:
July 11th, 2012 at 3:55 pm
@Duncanz,
Same thing as +/-
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