- 28 minutes ago
The Falcons are an "embarrassment' after yesterday's disastrous 34-3 home opener.
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00:00I mean, seriously, how are y'all doing?
00:0434 to 3.
00:06Atlanta!
00:08What's going on?
00:09It's Dukes and Bell on Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.
00:12We start off every day and every hour by saying,
00:14Hey, man!
00:15It is a Falcon Monday, and boy, do we have a lot to talk about.
00:18Not only what that was on Sunday,
00:23but also what are we going to get on Thursday in prime time in Green Bay.
00:28And Mike, you know, we've been talking all weekend.
00:31This has been one of the most unusual starts to a season, I think, ever.
00:37And you were here when the Mike Vick thing went down.
00:41And look, at the end of the day,
00:44I don't know what this looks like in five or six weeks.
00:47What I do know right now is this is a total disgrace.
00:51And everybody's responsible.
00:53Everybody.
00:54I know we want to focus on the quarterback thing,
00:56but as the game went yesterday, five takeaways, a pick six again.
01:01It just felt like, could this get any worse?
01:04And Mike, it did.
01:05Look, when we lose the way we did yesterday,
01:08guys, it felt like it was 65 to 3.
01:11Not 34 to 3.
01:13Because of the way it culminated and the things that transpired.
01:16And then when you've got some of your best players on the sidelines
01:19and screaming at fans, our own fans, who are being disrespectful,
01:23it's just, it tells you where this is.
01:25So today, Mike, here's something I want to present to our listeners
01:28and I want to present to you, Atlanta.
01:31This quarterback situation is a virus.
01:36And this virus now has infected the entire team.
01:41And what has happened with this situation is,
01:44guys will say it doesn't matter.
01:45Mike and I have talked to many guys, whether it's been on this show,
01:48privately, whatever it is, and guys say, man, it's not a big deal.
01:51They'll get it right.
01:52They'll figure it out.
01:52Bullcorn.
01:53It matters.
01:55And it's now permeating throughout this team and this organization.
01:59And Mike, that is a problem that goes beyond what we saw on Sunday.
02:05Yeah, man.
02:06It's everything that we as Falcon fans have come to, unfortunately, expect,
02:10which is dysfunction.
02:11This is a dysfunctional franchise.
02:13You know, the whole way the quarterback situation was mishandled,
02:17we went back and looked at it.
02:18I mean, the way the Falcons finished, if you go back and look at, like,
02:2018, 19, 20, 21, they'd have to move up, Carl, to get a quarterback.
02:24I mean, we were talking about, you should have been proactive,
02:26get the heir apparent for Matt.
02:28They didn't.
02:29Then they tried some screwy stuff, try to swing just Sean Watson.
02:32That blows up in our face.
02:33So we lose probably the one good last year of Matt Ryan here.
02:36As he goes to Indy.
02:37I mean, it just, it's, there's so many levels to this.
02:39But, I mean, Panics Jr., you see your team floundering.
02:43You see your team, I mean, literally, you can come to the rescue.
02:47And by now, I would like to think most of the Falcon fans are over this metric.
02:50What is the metric?
02:51110%?
02:53115%?
02:54What is it?
02:55What is it to get you out on the field to save the season?
02:58What's left of it now?
02:59Or this is truly a gap year.
03:01And you will have an audition here, and maybe you stay, maybe you don't.
03:04We draft a quarterback next year.
03:05It's ridiculous.
03:07Carl, I've seen some bad football in my time in Atlanta.
03:09But this is now trending, the worst year I can think of is 99.
03:13The year after we go to the Super Bowl and lose to Denver.
03:15Chandler got hurt in week one.
03:17Jamal blows his knee out week two.
03:18We win five games that year.
03:20And that's how this feels right now.
03:22So, like, I'm so over it.
03:23I work my butt off to get to the game coming from Tuscaloosa because I'm a season ticket holder.
03:27You are, too.
03:28It's just what are we paying for?
03:30People walking out at halftime.
03:31Walking out in the middle of the third quarter.
03:33You want Jack Strand to come in.
03:35Jack Strand shows you he's not ready for the NFL.
03:39It was a bad day all the way around.
03:41The Strand throw actually was on point.
03:43Just so you guys know.
03:45He hit Dotson in the hands.
03:46Now, the other one where he just puts his arms up, that's just inexcusable.
03:49That can't happen at any level of football.
03:51We certainly want to hear from you at 404-726-0929.
03:56If you're wondering why I'm not yelling and screaming, it's a bad football team.
04:01This is not a good football team losing games.
04:04This is a bad football team who has many things that they've got to work through.
04:08And now we're questioning the coach and everything, as we should.
04:13404-726-0929.
04:16I'm not going to go there when you put this in front of me.
04:20There is no expectation after yesterday that this team has any hope to make the playoffs
04:26from where I sit.
04:27Hope I'm wrong.
04:29But I have zero hope that that's going to play out.
04:32And if you think Michael Penix is going to step in here and win seven or eight or nine
04:36games in a row, because that's what some of you think, you're asking for a miracle from
04:41a guy that has started 12 games.
04:43This isn't a guy that has 10 years under his belt.
04:47So that's unfair.
04:49Can he help us?
04:50Yes.
04:51Is he better than anything else we got on the roster?
04:53Yes.
04:54Has to be.
04:55Has to be.
04:55But this idea that he's going to be in a cape is just unrealistic, especially coming off
05:01of his third knee surgery, which he's needed extra time to get ready.
05:07Where are you at, Atlanta?
05:08404-726-0929.
05:11The culture thing, Mike, there is none.
05:13No.
05:13There is none.
05:14Let's stop talking about culture.
05:17Culture is about winning.
05:19And we haven't done enough of it.
05:21So please stop with this.
05:22We're building the culture and the standard.
05:24There is no standard.
05:26There is no standard.
05:27And again, I've never been around a team where Kevin Stefanski is the head coach.
05:31This is our first experience as fans.
05:33It's uninspiring.
05:34I mean, I know he went through these same kind of soap operas up in Cleveland.
05:38And some Cleveland fans would say some of it was his creation.
05:40You know, it wasn't all about Jimmy Haslam being the worst owner in football.
05:44But I mean, I just, I don't know what I'm hearing.
05:46It's just boilerplate, coach speak, you know, unacceptable standard, got to be better.
05:50I mean, it's nothing.
05:51There's nothing there.
05:53You know, it's like, I mean, it's almost like Matt, I hate to say this, like you got
05:57when they got to get, look, this year is a gap year.
05:59We got to figure this thing out.
06:01And next year we'll get you a quarterback.
06:02We'll get rolling.
06:03I don't know.
06:04That's how it feels as a fan.
06:06And you get Adam Schefter, quote, I think the Falcons are going to try to get Michael Penix back on
06:10the
06:10field Thursday.
06:10Why would he play Thursday and not play Sunday?
06:14Why would Michael Penix, now he's magically better?
06:17He couldn't play Sunday, but now he's going to play Thursday?
06:19I think you and I are in agreement, Carl.
06:21I don't want to speak for you, but it's probably most likely the Saints game because
06:24they'll have 10 days to get ready.
06:25I'm glad you asked that and you're going there because today Kevin Stefanski was asked
06:29that exact question.
06:30He did speak to the media, by the way.
06:32They lifted weights today.
06:34They're going to have multiple meetings.
06:35They'll do a walkthrough on to tomorrow.
06:38That's a short week.
06:38You're not going to kill your guys on the field.
06:40And then they'll go through all the mental stuff that they need to get.
06:43And then they'll get on a flight and go to Green Bay.
06:44Here's what Kevin Stefanski said about Penix as he told him he can play Thursday.
06:49I talk to Mike every day.
06:51And like I've told you guys, I'm very confident in our discussions with Mike, with
06:57medical throughout this entire process.
07:00So it's not news to say I talked to Mike yesterday, I'll talk to Mike today, but anything past
07:05that, I really don't have an update per se.
07:08You know, if the plan all along was him just to be week four, and you and I debated, you
07:12know, back in the preseason, he'd be ready by week two, Tua can, or week three or four,
07:16Tua can, you know, handle a couple of games.
07:18If this was the master plan, next time just tell the fan base who would have to go do this
07:21crap.
07:21Okay?
07:22Just explain it to us, and then maybe I'll sell the tickets for Sunday.
07:26You know what I mean?
07:27I mean, this is ridiculous.
07:29Cooper Rush doesn't even get the full, so you go to the charade of having Mike do split
07:32snaps with Cooper Rush to get Rush ready, and maybe a year from now when Cooper Rush is
07:37retired, he's on a golf course, he can laugh about his crazy year in Atlanta, but it's
07:41tough.
07:42I mean, he's a professional, he just doesn't have it.
07:43He just doesn't have it, Carl.
07:45No, he doesn't.
07:45You know, and we didn't get a good call from the ref.
07:47Pereira said it was, I mean, I thought his knee was down.
07:50I don't even know what the hell the NFL is anymore.
07:51You don't know what a catch is, you don't know what a knee is down, nothing makes any sense
07:54anymore, but that didn't help.
07:56And then poor Strand comes in, and Jahan Dotson doesn't catch a ball that he hits in the
08:00hands, ricochet rabbit, and then he pulls whatever that was, Carl, where the ball just
08:03goes.
08:04I mean, if he goes on to have an amazing career, we can laugh about that, but not right now.
08:08Nobody's freaking laughing about this train wreck.
08:10No, it's not funny, guys.
08:11We are the embarrassment of the NFL, and I mean it.
08:14I'm not saying that for effect, to put a little extra on it.
08:18We are the embarrassment of the NFL right now.
08:21This is an unwatchable product.
08:23Sorry, Matt Ryan.
08:24Sorry, Mr. Blank.
08:25This is where we're at.
08:27Mike, the first four possessions, and I just want to go through this, and then we're going
08:30to grab a bunch of your phone calls throughout the day, by the way.
08:34All day long, we're going to have plenty of your phone calls, so if you can't call now,
08:38you're like, damn, I want to call Dukes and Bell.
08:40Call us in the next hour, the hour after that, and the hour after that.
08:43There's plenty of time, okay?
08:45The first possession, Mike says it.
08:47Fumble on the first play of the game.
08:48You felt like you'd been knocked out by Mike Tyson, okay?
08:52You're going, you've got to be joking me.
08:54This guy is actually, he's scrambling to try to do something positive, and the ball gets
08:59punched out.
09:00And he's trying.
09:01He's trying to create something.
09:02Right.
09:02So, every Falcon fan, didn't matter if you were at the game or not, you just literally
09:06were like, oh my God, are you serious?
09:09That's the first drive, okay?
09:11Results in a Panthers TD.
09:13Second drive, Cooper rushed those interception, but the defense holds, forces a punt.
09:18You go, hey, defense is going to step up.
09:20Okay, here we go.
09:21Come on, Cooper, just give me a little something.
09:23Third possession results in a three and out, and the Panthers field goal in the ensuing possession.
09:28They're up 10-0 at that point.
09:30Right.
09:31And then we get the ball back.
09:33We're moving it.
09:35It's fourth and one.
09:36Kevin Stefanski says, I'm going to go for it.
09:38You know what?
09:38This game's going to get out of hand.
09:39Right.
09:40We've got to get some momentum going.
09:41Give the ball to Bijan, right?
09:43We've got to get this going.
09:44It's fourth and one.
09:46Give it to Bijan, right?
09:50Bijan, I want you to hear Kevin Stefanski's reasoning, and he answered this today.
09:55Now, I did get pissed off about this.
09:58About why he made the decision, or Tommy Reese, to call a jet sweep with Drake London on a fourth
10:05and one when we're moving the football, and it feels like we've got a little momentum going.
10:10Cooper Rush feels like he might have some confidence.
10:12Kevin, why did you call that play?
10:14Yeah, I think, Mark, there's plays in football where you feel good about them, and they don't pan out.
10:22Disappointed on that result, but we'll continue to try to put our guys in the best position.
10:28And you know this.
10:30I mean, anytime a play doesn't work, you start thinking about what else could we have called there, but we
10:34also have to look at the process of how we land on that call.
10:39What's the defense giving us going into the game?
10:41What do we anticipate getting?
10:43So when it doesn't work out, it's tough, and obviously it doesn't count as a turnover, but it's a turnover
10:50on downs, and we have to find a way to make sure we're not putting our defense in tough spots.
10:56And I'd say the turnovers and obviously not converting there was disappointing.
11:03He said a lot of nothing.
11:04He just said a lot of nothing.
11:05Let me tell you guys a secret.
11:07For those of you who are old enough, Mike and I are.
11:09I know there are plenty of you who wear Jordans, but you never saw him play.
11:12At the end of games, it didn't matter.
11:15Michael Jordan was getting the ball, and everybody and their mom knew it.
11:19You couldn't stop it.
11:21And if he missed it, you still felt okay with it because he was the best player.
11:27Give the ball.
11:28I said I wasn't going to yell.
11:29Give the ball, Kevin, to your best damn player.
11:33It's fourth and freaking one.
11:35You've got the best running back in the backfield.
11:37Give it to him.
11:39If we don't get it, Falcon fans can go, man, you know what?
11:41At least they gave it to Bijan.
11:43Here we are trying to defend this bulls with giving it to Drake.
11:47Who calls this crap?
11:49And, Mike, this is where we've been living, which is why Falcon fans are so upset.
11:54Because we went through this with Dr. Smith.
11:57We went through this with our former coordinator, Raheem Morris.
12:00And now, here it is.
12:02We're fighting like hell to try to do something.
12:04Give us some hope.
12:05And, Mike, you call that?
12:07I'm done.
12:08Yeah, man.
12:09By the way, Zach Robinson just doing wonderful things with Tampa Bay.
12:12Yeah, this is something, and this is why, as a fan,
12:14and we've only had two weeks of Stefanski in the regular season,
12:17but Carl just laid it out.
12:19I've never rooted for a football team.
12:21I've rooted for three football teams in my life.
12:22I grew up a Giants fan.
12:23I lived in Miami, had season tickets,
12:25and then I've had Falcon tickets for 28 years.
12:27I have never in my life seen a team that can't get a yard like us.
12:31And Carl just touched on it.
12:33It doesn't matter if it's Mike Smith, Dan Quinn, Arthur Smith, Raheem Morris.
12:37We can't get a freaking yard.
12:39We've got the best running back in the league.
12:41You can't make this stuff up.
12:44Now, the good news is, after they get the ball,
12:46we get them to turn it right over.
12:47We go three and out with Carolina.
12:48Defense holds.
12:50And then we can't do anything again on offense.
12:51So, great moment, squandered.
12:53It's just, you can't make this stuff up.
12:55I mean, when do people start wearing, like, brown paper bags on their head,
13:00the way Saints fans have over the years?
13:01Because that's the way you feel as a Falcon fan.
13:03It's culminated to this.
13:05This is all, not just yesterday.
13:08This is, this is where we've been.
13:12And when you're in a relationship, and we are,
13:15this has been an abusive relationship, but we're in it.
13:18At some point, you get fed up.
13:21That's what happened yesterday.
13:23And I am so proud of every Falcon fan who booed their ass off yesterday at the stadium.
13:28You got it right.
13:28All right, we're coming back, 404-726-0929.
13:33We've got plenty to dive in with you about this Falcon football team.
13:37It's not just the loss.
13:40There are a lot of things that are wrong with this team right now.
13:43It's Dukes and Bell on Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.
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21:59The Braves are the NLE's champs after beating the Astros 4-2.
22:03They'll take on the Cincinnati Reds tomorrow with J.R. Ritchie on the mound.
22:07And the Falcons are coming off a 34-3 loss to the Panthers and have a short week ahead.
22:11They head to Green Bay to face the Packers Thursday night.
22:14I'm Allie Mack.
22:16It's Dukes and Bell.
22:17We got spirit.
22:19How about you?
22:20Presented by Finley Roofing.
22:22On Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.
22:24And I'll play fake here is Rush to the right.
22:26Cooper's going to turn it upfield and dive.
22:29And then the ball popped out as he hit the ground.
22:32Is it rule to fumble?
22:34I think he was down on the ground, Wes.
22:36And the Panthers say they have it.
22:37Nothing from referee Moore yet.
22:39They generally rule fumble before they...
22:42Two guys standing at the 29 looking at each other at opposite ends.
22:46Make a call.
22:48Here's referee Alex Moore.
22:50Ruling on the field is a fumble recovered by the Dukes.
22:52Wow.
22:53Okay.
22:55That's our crew, man.
22:57Wes.
22:58Drew Ham.
22:59And, of course, Dave Archer.
23:01I love Wes.
23:02Okay.
23:03If you say it is.
23:06Oh, man.
23:06Kevin Stefanski today, guys, will not comment about Thursday night.
23:12He said he has a decent idea of where this is going, but he would not share, as he was
23:18asked by various of our colleagues, the same question in different ways.
23:24Well, has Mike told you?
23:25Well, you talk to Mike.
23:26What's up with Tua?
23:27He said Tua's getting better.
23:29But he is yet to announce who the starter...
23:31It's Monday.
23:31He's yet to announce who the starter is.
23:32And if Tua's back, eh, is better.
23:35And, by the way, the guy that did that meme using AI is just unbelievable.
23:38You haven't seen it.
23:38We've all posted it.
23:39And just absolutely brilliant.
23:42Everybody looks like everybody they're supposed to in the video.
23:44From Cooper Rush throwing the ball, to laying his throw into a bucket, to Michael going
23:48at rubbing his knee, to Tua going, eh, with his back, and Arthur Blank singing.
23:52It was just brilliant.
23:53But, anyway, yeah, man.
23:54I mean, all right.
23:55So, what?
23:56Next week, we're going to have a press conference.
23:58It goes, well, the plan all along was to get Mike in in week four.
24:01No.
24:01Can't be.
24:01All right.
24:02Okay.
24:03I mean, like I said, you agree with me there's no way he's playing Thursday, because if he
24:06could play Thursday, you'd look like even bigger idiots if he didn't play Sunday.
24:09Well, Mike, I think...
24:11Unless he's now 100%.
24:13I think...
24:14No, I feel the same way you do, which was interesting when the report came out from
24:18Shafty yesterday.
24:20As I said, let's do the cliff notes.
24:22Let's do the review here.
24:23What changes in 48 to 72 hours?
24:25With all of that said, for Kevin Stefanski, I think, and this is just where I've been,
24:31and maybe you guys haven't followed me, but the messaging on this and the way that this
24:37has been presented, this is why I pointed the finger to the front office and Matt Ryan
24:41and Ian Cunningham and also Kevin Stefanski.
24:43Look, we can be critical of everybody.
24:46How this has been presented, how it's been handled, I just don't think it's been the way that
24:51it should have.
24:52And, you know, you want to try to get ahead of things, but this has been part of the problem.
24:57And I think for Stefanski, yeah, he's in a tough spot.
25:01Dukes, what do you want him to do?
25:02I want him to show leadership and display, hey, here's the plan.
25:07And to Mike's point, if he said that two weeks ago, three weeks ago, the problem is the plan
25:14changed as Pennix continued to take more time, but that's fine.
25:17Let's not BS each other and this fan base with this hemming and hawing about you're not
25:22sure, we're not sure.
25:23Mike, that's part of this.
25:24And then the messaging part of this from Pennix and how he's dealt with this and come forth
25:30with things that he said, which I think the coaching staff didn't say because they weren't
25:34sure if he was going to say it.
25:36And so, Mike, you have this big thing going on, and now we find ourselves in this situation.
25:40And oh, by the way, we're 0-2, and the team looks like crap, and there are a lot of
25:44questions
25:44that still need to be answered.
25:46And look, if he starts Thursday, great.
25:48If he doesn't, to Mike's point, it's not going to be any surprise.
25:51But I will tell you guys this, and I said it to Day Day and Mike today on our podcast,
25:54Behind the Curtain, go check it out.
25:560-3 is a death sentence in the NFL.
25:59It just is.
26:00So if you had any hopes of trying to be a playoff team, win this division,
26:06you guys see Tyler Shook yesterday?
26:07You see that little itty-bitty dude kill us yesterday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium?
26:12Win the division.
26:13So if you go 0-3 and you're saying, well, we can still maneuver the NFC, good luck with that.
26:19Man, Green Bay has given up a lot of points.
26:22It's Lambeau.
26:23It's a short turnaround.
26:25It's a tough spot to be in.
26:27We'll get it turned around at Lambeau against Green Bay.
26:30They're not world beaters right now, Carl, but they still got Jordan Love.
26:33And he's been certainly quality enough, good enough.
26:36That was a strange grind over a game yesterday against the Jets if you didn't see it in 2017.
26:41But right now, who are we to say we can beat anyone?
26:44Doesn't feel that way.
26:45I mean, the secondary, and it's got to be complementary football.
26:49You know, we get a sack, and then we give up a 50-yard touch, you know, 50-yard pass
26:52play.
26:52Yep.
26:53You know, we've got the corners literally looking like they're running around with their heads cut off,
26:58like chickens with their head cut off.
27:00This is not great.
27:02And it's not going to get any better because you need an offense that can eat clock.
27:05You need an offense that can get some points on the board, take some pressure off your defense.
27:08We don't have that right now.
27:09No, we don't, Mike.
27:10All right.
27:11Unless two is going to play.
27:12Two are going to play?
27:13Good question.
27:14That's a really good question.
27:16And again, Stefanski today saying he's getting better when asked about his condition.
27:20But again, that's not clarity, Mike.
27:22I mean, getting better, hell, this is like Phoenix.
27:24I'm close, I'm close, I'm close.
27:25What does that mean?
27:26And by the way, I get it.
27:27You're not supposed to go tell a fan to go blank himself.
27:29But if I'm Drake, at least he's got some balls, okay?
27:31He's the one guy on this team who actually gives a flip, it looks like.
27:33I mean, you see the body language.
27:35You see Bijan.
27:36And these guys are all gamers, man.
27:37These are pros.
27:38And Bijan is as great a guy.
27:39You see how miserable some of these guys are.
27:42Because this is the worst football team they've ever played on.
27:45These guys all came up.
27:46You know, Bijan played at Texas.
27:47Drake played at a good USC team.
27:49They're playing for the worst team they've ever played on.
27:52And you said it spreads like a disease.
27:55It is.
27:56There's this nonsense with a quarterback.
27:57It's a virus, man.
27:59And everybody wants to say it doesn't affect them.
28:01It's affecting everybody in the organization.
28:04You guys see it.
28:06Let's talk to Mike in Athens.
28:08Mike, thank you for listening to Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.
28:10Hey, man.
28:11What's on your mind?
28:11Hey, man.
28:12Hey, man.
28:13I know you all did not just call this team the coronavirus.
28:20Guys, seriously.
28:21And, Mike, this is towards you.
28:23I'm making a point here.
28:24You know those corny, cheesy Doomsday movies where the scientist comes running,
28:30sir, we've got to do something.
28:31And he's like, no, nobody moves until I say so.
28:36But, sir, you really need to see this.
28:38That's how I feel with Michael Penn.
28:40That's how I feel with Michael Penn is because everybody thought you were being
28:45hard on the guy.
28:45You were getting ate up on the Internet.
28:47And it's like, guys, do you not see what happens when you do not have a
28:52quarterback?
28:53And, granted, we gave up 34 points yesterday.
28:56But when you're getting four possessions from us to fill the game up front,
29:01the game is going to get away early.
29:03If your offense can't go out there, give you a 10-11 play drive,
29:09six minutes off the clock, if our defense has to keep going out there,
29:12we don't have the 85 Bears.
29:15We don't have that kind of defense.
29:17So we have to be able to give us some kind of compliment on offense.
29:21And we are dead on offense.
29:24We haven't been to the red zone once.
29:27Think about that.
29:28No, brother, I'm with you.
29:29And the thing with Penn, as we said, Carl just said it,
29:32now we just hope that he can come in and be the guy.
29:35I mean, you've got such a horrible quarterback play.
29:37You're hoping a guy with 12 starts who threw nine touchdowns and three picks
29:40last year can come in and be Joe Montana here.
29:43I mean, I don't know if he can do it.
29:44I hope he can.
29:44Remember, this is a new offense for him, too, with his defense,
29:47because without having the full camp to really get to know it, Carl,
29:49for lack of a better word.
29:50But I'm with you.
29:52I've never seen anything like this.
29:53You talk to anyone outside of Atlanta, they go, he's cleared.
29:56Why isn't he playing?
29:57Your quarterback plays terrible.
29:58You need leadership.
29:59You need a guy to go grab that brass ring.
30:00He doesn't do it because he's not 100% because this has nothing to do with Cam Newton.
30:05This is all between us.
30:06This is all between us.
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