Japan PM urges S. Korea to remove 'comfort woman' statue

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January 8, 2017

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called on South Korea to remove a statue of a «comfort woman» which has reignited a diplomatic row over Tokyo’s wartime sex slavery.
Tensions spiked on Friday when Tokyo recalled its ambassador over the statue which was placed outside its consulate in Busan last month, symbolising women forced to work in Japanese military brothels mostly during World War II.
Japan argues it is against a 2015 agreement between the neighbours meant to put an end to the hugely emotional and decades-long «comfort women» issue with a Japanese apology and payment of money.
«Japan has already paid one billion yen ($8.6 million) as we sincerely fulfilled our obligation. I think it’s now South Korea’s turn to show sincerity in an unwavering manner,» Abe said in a programme aired Sunday on public broadcaster NHK.
The plight of the women has marred relations for decades but the governments of Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-Hye reached an agreement in late 2015 to finally resolve it.
Under that accord, which both countries described as «final and irreversible,» Japan offered an apology and a one-billion yen payment to surviving Korean comfort women.
South Korea is expected to have a new administration following the impeachment of Park but Abe demanded the accord be honoured.
«It is a matter of national credibility to implement (the agreement) even if the government changes,» he said.
Critics of the accord say the deal did not go far enough in holding Japan responsible for wartime abuses during its 1910-45 colonial rule over the Korean peninsula.
Mainstream historians say up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea but also other parts of Asia including China, were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II.
The statue in Busan was initially removed by local authorities after South Korean activists placed it in front of the Japanese consulate in the southern port city.
But after the Japanese defence minister paid homage at Yasukuni Shrine last month — a spot where senior convicted war criminals are honoured — Seoul allowed the activists to put the statue back up.

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© Source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/japan-pm-urges-s-korea-to-remove-comfort-woman-statue/article/483184
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Jerusalem ramming attack: Four killed as truck rams into IDF soldiers

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January 8, 2017

Four soldiers were killed and 16 wounded after a flatbed truck driven by an Arab terrorist rammed into a group of soldiers adjacent to the Armon Hanatziv promenade in Jerusalem on Sunday afternoon.
Three female soldiers and one male soldier, all in their early 20s, were declared dead at the scene, which was called a mass-casualty incident.
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According to Yossi Fraenkel, deputy commander of ZAKA in Jerusalem, 11 of the wounded are in light condition, four are in either serious or moderate condition, and one is in critical condition.
All victims were evacuated to different area hospitals.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited the scene with Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, said the terrorist was identified as Fadi al-Qanbar, from the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber, long a hotbed of incitement and violence.
“We know the identity of the attacker, and according to all the signs, he is a supporter of Islamic State,” Netanyahu said.
He added that there may be a connection between this attack and similar attacks recently in France and Berlin.
“We are fighting this plague, and will defeat it,” Netanyahu said, noting that Jabel Mukaber has been cordoned off, and that “we are taking other actions that I will not detail here.”
“We will overcome this terror, just as we overcame other attacks,” he said. “There are a number of actions that we will not specify at this time, which we will have to take to ensure that incidents such as these do not recur.”
Soon after visiting the site, Netanyahu was scheduled to convene a meeting of the security cabinet.
Magen David Adom spokesman Elli Zenilman said the first-responders received a call reporting the attack at approximately 1:30 p.m.
“Ambulances and intensive care units of Magen David Adom were immediately dispatched,” said Zenilman, a few meters from the carnage, cordoned-off by police.
“When we arrived at the scene, we saw something that was horrifying – young adults lying on the street in the area of the attack.”
MDA paramedic Landy Sharon said he saw a truck that hit a group of young people that got off a bus near the Armon Hanatziv observation post.
“About 10 people were lying on the ground near the street,” he said. “Some of them were trapped under the truck.”
ZAKA Jerusalem Commander Bentzi Oering described the scene as reminiscent of a battlefield.
“This is a very difficult attack,” he said. “I arrived with other ZAKA volunteers and the scene looked like a battlefield. Many injured lay on the grass, some of them were still trapped under the terrorist’s truck.”
ZAKA Jerusalem Operations Commander Meir Akar said a crane from the firefighters was used to lift the front part of truck to free those trapped underneath.
“Tragically, they were no longer alive,” he said.
“A team from the forensics department of the Israel Police and ZAKA carried out the initial identification of the dead. ZAKA then removed the bodies of the four victims and the terrorist. Another ZAKA team remains at the scene to clear the significant amount of blood and remains to bring them to burial.”
The truck’s windshield was riddled with bullet holes, as dozens of first-responders, police and fire-rescue personnel secured the scene and completely closed off traffic on the main thoroughfare next to the popular promenade.
Speaking to the press minutes after the attack, Police Commissioner, Insp.- Gen. Roni Alsheich, said al-Qanbar had a valid Israeli driver’s license and plate.
Alsheich added that there was no prior warning of the attack, but that police have set up checkpoints in Jabel Mukaber and heightened security throughout the capital.
זירת פיגוע הדריסה בארמון הנציב, לפני זמן קצר pic.twitter.com/us4XJsGoW3
— משטרת ישראל (@IL_police) January 8, 2017
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat spoke during an impromptu press conference to dozens of reporters.
“To our dismay, there is no limit to the cruelty of the terrorists who are willing to use any means possible to murder Jews and to damage the life routine of Israel’s capital,” said Barkat.
“Those who incite and fan the flames of terror must pay a heavy price,” he added. “I call the residents of Jerusalem and the country at large to be alert, and despite this hard terror attack, to carry on in your daily routines, and do not let terror win.”
On Twitter, Hamas lauded the attack as “heroic,” although did not take credit.
“The truck operation in Jerusalem affirms that all attempts to encircle the [Palestinian] intifada will fail,” the Palestinian terrorist group wrote.
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© Source: http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Suspected-vehicular-terror-attack-in-Jerusalem-multiple-injured-477779
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Attacks in and around Baghdad kill 23

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January 8, 2017

BAGHDAD — A wave of attacks in and around Baghdad on Sunday killed at least 23 people, the latest in a series of assaults blamed on the Islamic State group.
A suicide car bomb ripped through a wholesale market in the sprawling Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City, killing at least seven people and wounding 15, said Brig. Gen. Saad Maan, the Interior Ministry spokesman. He said a member of the security forces spotted the bomber and opened fire but was unable to prevent the attack.
A policeman and two medical officials gave a higher toll, saying 16 people were killed in the attack and another 47 wounded.
At a hospital where victims of the attack had been taken, a body exploded inside a morgue refrigerator. The medics said it appeared to have been a second attacker who was killed by shrapnel from the first explosion.
IS claimed the attack, saying it was targeting Shiites. The Sunni extremist group views Iraq’s Shiite majority as apostates deserving of death.
Elsewhere in the city, a suicide bomber killed nine shoppers and wounded 16 others at a fruit and vegetable market in a mainly Shiite neighborhood. Three additional bombings in and around the capital killed seven people and wounded 24 others.
Police and medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information.
The Islamic State group has carried out a string of bombings in Baghdad over the past week, killing dozens of people. A suicide bomber struck Sadr City last week, killing more than 40 people.
The latest attacks come as Iraqi forces are trying to drive IS militants from the northern city of Mosul in a massive operation launched in mid-October. In recent days, troops have pushed closer to the Tigris River, which splits the city in half.
Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, fell to IS in the summer of 2014, when the militants swept over much of northern and western Iraq.
Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj contributed to this report.

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© Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765691929/Attacks-in-and-around-Baghdad-kill-23.html?pg=all
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Ivory Coast defence minister freed by mutinous soldiers

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January 8, 2017

Mutinous soldiers in Ivory Coast have released the country’s defence minister after detaining him for two hours in a standoff over pay.
Alain Richard Donwahi was held in the city of Bouake by troops who rejected the terms of a deal announced by President Alassane Ouattara.
Mr Ouattara said he had taken into account demands over pay and conditions and urged troops to return to barracks.
But it remained unclear if the mutiny was over.
The mutiny began in Bouake, the country’s second largest city, on Friday and spread to the commercial capital, Abidjan, where soldiers took over the army headquarters.
Following talks between Mr Donwahi and the mutineers, Mr Ouattara announced the deal in a televised address.
«I confirm that I have agreed to take into account the demands of the soldiers over bonuses and better working conditions,» he said, without giving details.
«I would like to say that this manner of making demands is not appropriate. It tarnishes the image of our country after all our efforts to revive the economy. »
Despite the announcement, some of the mutineers opened fire, trapping Mr Donwahi and dozens others in a local official’s home. They were only allowed to leave several hours later.
Earlier, shooting was heard at the military base in Akouedo, on the eastern edge of Abidjan, which is home to parachute commandos who are considered loyal to Mr Ouattara.
Similar protests were also reported in the cities of Man, Daloa, Daoukro, Odienne and Korhogo.
The BBC’s Alex Duval Smith in Abidjan says the mutiny has brought back memories of Ivory Coast’s 10-year civil war, which ended in 2011.
Some of the mutineers were thought to be former rebels who joined the army after the conflict.
The rebels swept into Abidjan from Bouake in 2011, helping Mr Ouattara take power after his predecessor Laurent Gbagbo — now on trial at the International Criminal Court — refused to accept defeat in elections the previous year.

Similarity rank: 6.7

Sentiment rank: 1.8

Brawl breaks out at UNLV-Utah St. women's game

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January 8, 2017

Eight players were ejected following a benches-clearing brawl between the UNLV and Utah State women’s basketball teams.
The melee broke out after UNLV’s Katie Powell and Utah State’s Antoina Robinson began to scuffle in the third quarter shortly after the Lady Rebels’ Brooke Johnson was fouled.
«Throughout the game, [Robinson] was playing a little dirty. Words were exchanged. I just told her to chill out,» Powell told the Las Vegas Review-Journal after the game. «And then we came to the other side of the floor. Brooke got fouled. I was walking to go help her up. She bumped me and then pushed me, and then I just kind of swung at her. »
Players from both teams rushed toward the scrum as the referees tried to separate the two.
«I just kind of saw both of them go at each other, and I just got in the middle of them to push them apart,» Johnson said. «I had Katie, and then she tripped over someone after the next person came. »
Four players from each side were ejected.
«For the players that did leave the bench, they didn’t know better. That was all our new players that did that,» UNLV coach Kathy Olivier said. «Do I ever go over that? No. I didn’t think I needed to do that, so that’s my mistake: [not] saying that you can never leave the bench. They saw me go out there and wanted to try to help me, but I was helping the situation. They cannot leave the bench. »
The Lady Rebels finished the game with only six players but won the game in overtime 55-53.
«I thought our team did a great job of reigning everything back in and staying dialed in [with] what we were saying,» Olivier said.

Similarity rank: 3.1

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© Source: http://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/18429695/brawl-erupts-unlv-utah-state-women-basketball-teams
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Can Packers keep running the table vs. 'Playoff Eli' and the Giants' D?

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January 8, 2017

Giants reporter Jordan Ranaan and Packers reporter Rob Demovsky take an in-depth look at Sunday’s wild-card game between the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field (4:40 p.m. ET, Fox).
New York Giants
11-5
2nd, NFC East
The Giants return to the playoffs for the first time in five years, and it seems only appropriate their road goes through Green Bay. Two of their past three playoff appearances have included victories at Lambeau Field on their way to Super Bowl triumphs.
Aside from quarterback Eli Manning , there aren’t many players left from those teams (two from 2007 and six from 2011). This is a much different group of Giants, led by a stingy defense that allowed the second-fewest points in the league this season. The Giants are going to rely on that defense and hope Playoff Eli returns — after a bumpy regular season — for an extended postseason run. «Having a guy like Eli is exactly what you want,» wide receiver Victor Cruz said. «And exactly what you look for in a team that wants to make a deep run. »
It begins Sunday against a Packers team they already lost to earlier this season in Green Bay.
Giants X factor
RB Paul Perkins. The rookie has increased his rushing total in each of the past six games. He even made his first career start in Week 17 against the Redskins, when he became the Giants’ first 100-yard rusher of the season. If Perkins can give the Giants any sort of rushing attack (they had 54 yards rushing as a team in their first meeting with the Packers), it will help open passing lanes against a depleted secondary that can be exploited. And Packers all-world quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be kept off the field.
Why the Giants will win
Their defense plays at an extremely high level. They’ve held three of their past four opponents to 10 points or fewer, and two of those teams (Cowboys and Redskins) were top-10 offenses. So are the Packers. If the Giants keep Green Bay and Rodgers in check and under 20 points, Manning & Co. will leave Lambeau Field with a win. Even during the final three games of their six-game winning streak, Green Bay has given up 24 points or more. The Packers are an average team (5-5) when they don’t score 30 points this season.
Why the Giants will lose
The Giants haven’t scored more than 20 points in a game since late November. That won’t get it done against a Green Bay offense that has topped 30 points in four straight games. If the Giants are unable to run the ball against a stout Packers run defense and Manning plays poorly with consistent pressure coming off the edges, it’s going to be a long afternoon in Green Bay.
Giants prediction
Odell Beckham Jr . is a big-game player, and it will show in his first playoff game. Beckham saved the Giants’ season with 211 yards and two touchdowns in the second half against the Baltimore Ravens, and he has more catches (33) and touchdowns (4) this season in the fourth quarter than any other quarter. He also scored the winning touchdown in the Giants’ biggest game of the season last month against the Dallas Cowboys. Beckham will make enough big plays on Sunday at Lambeau Field to supplement a Giants defense that will limit Rodgers and the Packers just enough to escape with a dramatic victory.
Giants 24, Packers 23
Green Bay Packers
10-6
NFC North champs
The Packers indeed ran the table, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers suggested was possible, even though they had a 4-6 record in late November and were mired in a four-game losing streak.
They don’t intend to let up now.
«The energy that this team has is unique,» Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. «That is not a concern at all. It’s about as ambitious a group of men as I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with. That’s been evident from day one on the journey. But at the end of the day, it’s about winning this Sunday against the Giants. »
History should have no bearing on Sunday’s NFC wild-card game at Lambeau Field unless, of course, the ghost of playoffs past revisits Green Bay. The Giants have twice upset the Packers in the playoffs at Lambeau — the 2007 NFC Championship Game and in a 2011 NFC divisional-round game — both times with Eli Manning as New York’s quarterback and with Mike McCarthy as Green Bay’s coach. Manning is 2-0 in playoff games at Lambeau Field and has as many postseason wins there as Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (2-2).
Packers X factor
When the Giants came to Lambeau Field in Week 5, they probably didn’t even know Geronimo Allison ‘s name. The undrafted rookie receiver was still on the Packers’ practice squad. In his past two games, Allison has eight catches for 157 yards and a touchdown while playing for the injured Randall Cobb. Even if Cobb comes back this week from his left ankle injury, the Packers would be wise to keep Allison in their plans. At 6-foot-3, he’s a matchup problem for shorter cornerbacks, and he has shown an ability beyond his years to grasp the Packers’ complex offense and win the trust of Rodgers. «He’s made plays consistently in practice over the last five or six weeks, which gives you the feeling that if he gets an opportunity or we need him to be in there, he’s going to make a play,» Rodgers said. «And that’s why he’s been a big part of our success and I’ve gone to him in certain situations, because I’ve seen it in practice. »
Why the Packers will win
Momentum, sixfold. The Packers’ six-game winning streak can’t be dismissed as a nonfactor come playoff time. Veteran pass-rusher Julius Peppers said: «Momentum is a real thing, and we have a little bit of it. » A little? No one in the NFC went into the playoffs with a longer winning streak and no one has a quarterback who is as hot as Rodgers. He hasn’t thrown an interception in his past 245 attempts — the longest streak of his career — and he has 15 touchdowns without an interception in the past six games.
Why the Packers will lose
The cornerback position is a mess; it has been all season, really. They finished the regular season ranked 31st — second to last — in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (269.3), and they have more questions about the health of their cornerbacks. Quinten Rollins appears unlikely to play because of a neck injury and a concussion, and Damarious Randall couldn’t finish last Sunday’s game at Detroit because of a knee injury. They held Odell Beckham Jr. in check (five catches for 56 yards and one touchdown) during the regular-season meeting but might struggle to do that well again.
Prediction
Jordy Nelson had one of his worst games (four catches for 38 yards and one touchdown plus a dropped pass that turned into an interception) in the first meeting against the Giants, but he has been on fire of late. During the six-game winning streak, Rodgers has completed 83 percent of his passes to Nelson, compared with 55.9 percent in the first 10 games. The Rodgers-Nelson connection could be what sends the Packers into the second round.
Packers 23, Giants 20

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© Source: http://www.espn.com/blog/green-bay-packers/post/_/id/36528/can-packers-keep-running-the-table-vs-playoff-eli-and-the-giants-d
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Russian skeleton athletes have suspension lifted by IBSF

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January 8, 2017

The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) has lifted the provisional suspension of four Russian skeleton athletes, including Sochi gold medallist Alexander Tretiakov and bronze medallist Elena Nikitina.
The Russians were suspended following the second McLaren report which alleged «a state-sponsored doping programme» in the country.
The IBSF said there was currently insufficient evidence to continue with the provisional suspension.
Further investigations will be carried out by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and IBSF into alleged doping.
The two 2014 Winter Olympic medallists, along with Maria Orlova and Olga Potylitsyna, will be free to compete at next month’s bobsleigh and skeleton World Championships in the German resort of Konigssee.
The championships were due to take place in the Russian city of Sochi, but it was stripped of its hosting rights by the IBSF in December, following the publication of the McLaren report.
Britain’s Lizzy Yarnold, who won gold in Sochi, is due to compete in Germany.
Redcar Junior parkrun
Walking Basketball

Similarity rank: 2.1

Sentiment rank: -2.6

Locals in the NFL playoffs: Wagner leads Seahawks with 10 tackles, Ansah has 2 sacks in loss

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January 8, 2017

Multiple NFL players with local ties had strong games as the playoffs kicked off with two wild-card games Saturday.
Former Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner, named an All-Pro earlier in the week, led Seattle with 10 tackles in the Seahawks’ 26-6 win over Detroit. Wagner led the NFL with 167 tackles during the regular season; that season total was a career high for the former Aggie.
Eight of Wagner’s tackles against Detroit were solo tackles. He also had a tackle for a loss when Wagner teamed with K. J. Wright to stop Matthew Mulligan for a loss of 2 yards on a fourth-down pass at the Seattle 40 on the first play of the second quarter. That stop helped lead to the Seahawks’ first touchdown of the game.
He added a quarterback hurry in leading a Seahawks defense that didn’t allow the Lions a touchdown.
On the losing end, former BYU defensive end Ezekiel Ansah had his best game of the year as the Detroit pass rusher finished with two sacks on Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson.
The first sack, a loss of 4 yards, came on a third-and-8 at the Seattle 41 near the end of the first quarter. The second sack, also a loss of 4 yards, came on a third-and-11 at the Detroit 35 and forced the Seahawks to punt the ball.
Ansah had nine tackles, including five solo tackles, in the game and also had five quarterback hurries.
Here’s a look at how the other Utah ties performed in Saturday’s games:
NFC: SEAHAWKS 26, LIONS 6
Seattle
Bobby Wagner, LB, Utah State: See above.
On injured reserve: Will Tukuafu, FB, East High
Detroit Lions
Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU: See above.
Miles Killebrew, SS, Southern Utah: Had a solo tackle in his first postseason appearance.
Nevin Lawson, CB, Utah State: Started at cornerback and had seven tackles, including five solo tackles. One of his solo tackles, for a gain of no yards on a second-and-1 early in the second quarter, helped forced a Seattle punt.
Haloti Ngata, DT, Highland High: Had a sack when he tackled Wilson for a loss of 6 yards on a second-and-2 at the Seattle 47 in the first quarter. He also had three tackles, including two solo tackles, and a pair of quarterback hurries, as well as a tackle for no gain on a third-and-1 in the second quarter.
AFC: TEXANS 27, RAIDERS 14
Houston
Tony Bergstrom, C, Utah and Skyline High: Came on as a reserve in his first postseason appearance.
Xavier Su’a-Filo, OG, Timpview High: Started at left guard, his second start in a playoff game.
Oakland
James Cowser, LB/DE, Southern Utah and Davis High: Played but did not record any statistics in his first playoff appearance.
Keith McGill, DB, Utah: Played but did not record any statistics in his first playoff appearance.
Donald Penn, T, Utah State: Penn, the starter at left tackle all season, missed the game after injuring his knee in the regular-season finale. It was the first missed game for Penn in 10 seasons.
Sean Smith, CB, Utah: Started at cornerback and had two tackles, including a solo tackle, and a pass deflection. His solo tackle stopped Houston wide receiver Will Fuller 1 yard short of a first down on a third-and-4 in the third quarter.

Similarity rank: 2.2

Sentiment rank: 0.7

© Source: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865670686/Locals-in-the-NFL-playoffs-Wagner-leads-Seahawks-with-10-tackles-Ansah-has-2-sacks-in-loss.html?pg=all
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Detroit Lions set NFL record for playoff futility

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January 8, 2017

SEATTLE — The playoff misery continues for the Detroit Lions.
The Lions fell 26-6 on Saturday to the Seattle Seahawks. Before falling to Seattle, the Lions lost three straight regular-season games to playoff teams.
The Lions have gone 25 seasons without a playoff victory. They’ve gone 60 seasons without a road win in the playoffs.
Their nine-game playoff losing streak is the longest in NFL history, breaking a tie at eight with the Kansas City Chiefs (1993-2014) and Cincinnati Bengals (1990-present).
And in the Super Bowl era, Detroit still has only one win in the postseason, continuing a streak of futility and failure. Detroit is winless all time in the wild-card playoffs, with losses to Washington (1982, 1999), Green Bay (1993, 1994), Philadelphia (1995), Tampa Bay (1997), New Orleans (2011), Dallas (2014) and Seattle (2016).
The Lions also are the first NFL team since the 1999 Detroit squad to enter the postseason on a three-game losing streak and proceed to lose their first playoff game. Five other teams had gone into the playoffs on three-game losing streaks in that time frame, and all won their first playoff game.
Saturday’s defeat also showed how not-ready-for-prime-time these Lions were. They lost at night on national television for the third straight week and are 1-9 in their past 10 prime-time games.
Simply, here’s how the blowout loss happened:
Yes, the Lions made the postseason for the second time in three seasons, but once they arrived, so many players seemed to not show up. Detroit’s offense couldn’t score a touchdown and crossed midfield only three times.
Detroit’s defense, knowing it had a specific mission to stop the run, couldn’t do it, as RB Thomas Rawls ran for 161 yards and took over the momentum of the game.
And the Lions’ veteran players made boneheaded mistakes. WR Anquan Boldin was called for two personal fouls and DT Haloti Ngata had one, crushing Lions drives and extending a Seattle drive.

Similarity rank: 2.2

Sentiment rank: -2.8

Fred Hoiberg: Jimmy Butler’s One Of The League’s ‘Superstars’

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January 8, 2017

By Cody Westerlund–
CHICAGO (CBS) — Prior to Saturday night’s game, Raptors coach Dwane Casey, unprompted, called Bulls wing Jimmy Butler “elite.” Afterward, the superlatives reached even loftier heights.
Scoring 32 of his 42 points after halftime, Butler willed the Bulls to their third straight victory and second consecutive against a top-notch Eastern Conference team, as Chicago rallied from a 19-point deficit for a 123-118 win in overtime against the Toronto Raptors (24-12) at the United Center. It was Butler’s third game third 40-point game in the past six contests, and it left coach Fred Hoiberg using a modifier in front of the usual “star” description.
“You can put Jimmy up with the superstars in this league and put him in that category,” Hoiberg said. “There’s no doubt about that.”
In a season in which the Bulls (19-18) have hovered around .500, failed to string together consistent play and been met with questions about their future direction, Butler’s rise has been the feel-good storyline. He’s been on a rampage lately, averaging 34.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists on 46.5 percent shooting in the past six games. For the season, he’s averaging career highs of 25.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
Butler is fond of attributing his success to his hard work, a point backcourt mate Dwyane Wade backed up when he credited Butler for going to the gym to work on his game nearly every evening, whether the Bulls already had a practice earlier in the day or whether it was an off day. For his part, Wade is also fond of pointing out that it’s the mental fortitude that has spearheaded Butler’s transformation.
“Everyone in this league has talent,” Wade said. “There’s a lot of things that separate guys. That’s one of them, the mentality that it takes to — even if you’re having a bad game, like in Cleveland, he wasn’t shooting it well — to still be able to do that in the clutch. That’s big time. Those are special players right there. He’s putting himself in the category of being special.”
Butler’s signature moment Saturday night came late in overtime. With the Bulls leading 118-116, he isolated on the right side of the court, guarded by Kyle Lowry, who gave up six inches. Lowry did well to hold his ground against the bigger Butler, cutting off his path to drive, but it mattered not. Butler spun, then authored a stepback 25-foot 3-point over Lowry’s outstretched hand for the dagger with 17.3 seconds left.
“Me and (trainer) Chris (Johnson) actually worked on it last night and the night before last,” Butler said of his stepback 3-pointer. “You never know when you’re going to have to use moves like that. Luckily, I made it.”
It’s plays like those while carrying such a heavy two-way burden for the Bulls that led to this postgame question: Does Butler deserve MVP consideration?
“I think so,” Hoiberg said. “I just think what he’s done for this team and again, this stretch that he’s got going right now, he just continues to add to his game. He’s really playing with the ball in hands a lot now, which is something he didn’t do a lot of (before Rajon Rondo’s benching). We’d run him off screens, get him a live catch, a pick-and-roll situation. But he’s just pretty much straight up our point guard for a lot of the games right now. And he’s been phenomenal.”
Butler wouldn’t yet enter the fray on the MVP discussion. He just wants to keep up his high-level play, which has come as he also finds himself cast into trade rumors recently.
“I don’t know about all that,” Butler said of the MVP talk. “I’m taking one day, one step at a time. All that is way down the road from here. We got to continue to win if that’s ever going to be a question.”
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for CBSChicago.com and covers the Bulls. He’s also the co-host of the @LockedOnBulls podcast, which you can subscribe to on iTunes and Stitcher. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.