Jacob Hester named LSU starting RB

ToughJ.Riggins

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Mike said:
I apologize if I missed this somewhere on the thread, but can anyone post a link to verify Hester's 40 time?

Uh..well Scout.com had Hester's 40 time reported as 4.60 out of H.S. Believe it or not this is better than #3 overall Scout.com, #2 Rivals and #1 ESPN HB Jermie Calhoun who ran a 4.62 40 yard for Scout.com this year. This is better than teammate LSU 4 star Rivals HB prospect Cedric Scott who ran a 4.66. But Hester was recorded at LSU as running a 4.49 40 yard according to a media article (maybe someone on this site could find that article). Also, an announcer if you check back to page 3 of this thread broadcasting an LSU game stated Hester's speed as 4.5 speed (I heard this broadcast myself first hand). The announcer also said the difference between 4.5 speed and 4.3 speed over 40 yards is 1.8 yards over that distance.

Hester had a long run of 87 yards this year and displayed impressive speed running down a safety who intercepted a pass against LSU in a game for a tackle.
Lumsden Power also posted a link to Joseph Addai's last year stats at LSU and Hester's are superior. Hester ran for over 1000 yards and 12 TDs. 4.9 yards a carry is very impressive considering that Hester was often used in a single back formation and was used most often running between the tackles and as the short yardage guy. LSU rarely ran the option with Hester. If this guy was black he would probably be a late second-early third round pick and certainly "as a HB." Here are 1st round pick Joseph Addai's 2005 stats.
187- 911- 4.9- 9TDLong 30 yds.Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins
 

Gi-15

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Colonel_Reb said:
Y'all may be right, but I hope you are all wrong. I would hope that one man out of the crop of white RBs to go into the NFL over the next couple of years will actually get some carries. Its tough to have such an infusion without making some kind of dent, whether its because of fair treatment, injuries to team-mates or something else.

I'm starting to think that Hillis will be that guy. He's more flashy that Hester, he's also the better athlete. I hope he put on a show at the combine. He's very similar to Najeh Davenport as a player, but, infortunatly for Hillis, he's probably willing to play FB, unlike Davenpoop.
 

Colonel_Reb

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I have been thinking the same thing about Hillis, Gi-15, but who knows what will happen. Its all about opportunity/a fair chance, and that is always a huge question mark for white RBs.
 

backrow

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Hillis is crazy explosive. Jacob is good too, he runs very well and is a load to bring down, very thick lower body, but i'd say Peyton is quicker out of the two.
 

Mike

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backrow said:
Hillis is crazy explosive. Jacob is good too, he runs very well and is a load to bring down, very thick lower body, but i'd say Peyton is quicker out of the two.


I disagree. Hester is not only faster over distance, he has better lateral quickness and cuts better. To be fair, I think Hillis lost a little after that injury plagued 2006, but it speaks more the kind of player Hester is. In terms of pure athletic ability, Navy's Eric Kettani has them both beat out though.
 

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Hester's first five steps are quicker. And he has better terminal speed. Does that make him a better athlete? Probably, according to scouts, who see speed as the only requirement these days.
Hillis is the more versatile player. Better run blocker, better in pass protection, 'good enough' speed, and probably the best hands in the SEC.
 

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I used to think it was Hillis hands down but Hester's a guy that you just don't wanna doubt. I gotta agree with Mike though, Eric Kettani of Navy is very explosive.
 

backrow

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Riddlewire said:
Hester's first five steps are quicker. And he has better terminal speed. Does that make him a better athlete? Probably, according to scouts, who see speed as the only requirement these days.
Hillis is the more versatile player. Better run blocker, better in pass protection, 'good enough' speed, and probably the best hands in the SEC.

quickness and explosiveness through the hole are two different things then. i really think that Hillis will get more of a chance from NFL. i hope for both of them to play RB, but if i think Hillis will get more carries than Hester. i might be wrong, most likely scenario os for both of them to become blocking fullbacks or h-backs (ib Peyton's case at least)
 

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Very well written and reasoned, am linking this article on the CF homepage.
 

ToughJ.Riggins

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The article should be posted here in the castefootball forums also b/c many articles are lost in time from mainstream media site archives.

The Case for Jacob Hester

Hester could be here a month and they'll never know. He is one of the best players in college football. They just need to be around him long enough to know it.
-LSU Head Coach Les Miles


In a sport dominated by imprecision, clichés have become the dominant force in the fast paced world of scouting. From the World Wide Leader to Joe Schmoe blogger in his cubicle, everyone seems to be using them these days, and once more, everyone seems to be using them with frightening ambiguity. And, amidst the growing assortment of phrases and one-liners that have come to make or break a player's chances of NFL success, no player has been subjected to more clichés than former LSU running back Jacob Hester.

We've heard them all by this point. Hard working. Good understanding. Team player. Just a football player. Overachiever. Even the ubiquitous "utility player" we would normally associate with the baseball diamond. The list goes on and on, but no matter how many seemingly "positive" clichés get thrown at the guy, there's always another one around the corner which asserts his limitations.

For Jacob Hester, these are the clichés that we most often hear when the question of playing running back in the NFL pops up; the always present "yea but" clauses which seem to cling to him like some kind of bad rash. "Lacks ideal speed" and "doesn't have natural athleticism" are only a few of the phrases I normally hear when listening to evaluations of Hester, usually accompanied by some kind of statement on how he could be a good "locker room guy." While I don't doubt Hester's attributes as a leader, a teammate, and a fine musician, I do question whether or not the perception of Hester's future in the NFL is accurate, and have set out to make the case for his implementation not as a fullback, but rather as a full fledged, no-joshing-around-here running back.

That's right folks. I am here to tell you today that the fans, the media, and even the scouts have it wrong. And I am here to tell you that Jacob Hester, as a white dude playing running back, has fallen victim to one of the most entrenched stigmas associated with the game today.

The Other Side of the Coin

Remember when no one wanted to recruit or sign a black quarterback? And if they did, he was shifted to cornerback or wide receiver. Now we have the same problem with extremely productive white running backs.
-Recruiting Analyst Tom Lemming, 1999

Stereotypes, like in life, are a normal part of the game of football. They range from a wide spectrum of criteria, including the often overused examples of height, weight, speed, and strength. They flow from our perception of what a football player "ought" to look like, and have somehow managed to capture our imagination to the point where we're willing to have arguments about a guy's 40-yard dash time after he's scored a touchdown.

From the perspective of the scout, the coach, and the common fan, Jacob Hester does not resemble a college football tailback, much less the heart and soul of an offense which is coming fresh off of a National Championship. Yet coming in between 5'10 and 6' (depending on what you read) and weighing in at the 224 lbs, Hester would appear to have ideal size for the position. Serviceable speed, a great first step, and terrific strength would also seem to make him a candidate for the next level, as would his terrific performance for the Tigers in 2007.

There's only one problem however, and that's that Jacob Hester is white.

(Shock. Awe. Sirens. Chaos. Mass Hysteria. Kablaam)

Now that that's out of the way, let me tell you why Hester's being white is a problem, at least as far as his NFL future is concerned anyways. First things first, I probably don't need to tell you that of 32 teams in the NFL there are no starting white tailbacks, and aside from Brian Leonard and some hybrid guys, I'm not sure if there are even any backup white running backs. Once more, there are just a handful of white feature backs at the Division I-A level, most notably guys like Luke Lippincott at Nevada and Chad Hall at the Air Force Academy.

I could spend several pages going into why this is, and maybe I will sometime down the road, but to get to the heart of the matter all you need to do is revisit a 1980 quote by Eric Dickerson is which he simply says "they [white running backs] can't compete with us [black running backs.]" Since the early 1980s this has been the prevailing view, and it's reached a point where we don't even question it, instead letting ourselves - on the few occasions someone may dare to ask - fall victim to pseudo-explanations of "fast twitch" muscle fibers and "it just is" explanations like Dickerson gave. Sure enough, since 1985 there has not been only one white NFL back to rush for more than 1000 yards in a season (Criag James), with very few getting the opportunity since.

Enter Jacob Hester. A product of a new, highly specialized age where the progression from high school through the NFL has become a business, and the pool of available players has expanded dramatically. If you know anything about high school football in Louisiana, you know Hester was a freaking stud at Evangel Christian in Shreveport, and was named the 5A Offensive Player of the Year in 2002. A highly recruited running back, Hester committed to his hometown Tigers in early 2004, but did not see any significant action until the 2006 season. It was however his 2007 season which really alerted people to his potential, as he led the national championship LSU Tigers to a National Championship.

One of the things that constantly amazes me about the perception regarding Hester is the inability of the so called "experts" to even consider his attributes as a runner. I mean, here is a guy who ran for more than 1100 yards on 4.9 yards per carry in a conference which has been all but unanimously crowned the most difficult in the country, gaining yards not out of gimmicky spread offense (and I say that with the utmost respect and understanding), but a no-BS we're-gonna-line-it-up-and-run formation. Here is a guy who flat out runs the hell over people, including those who can't think of anything better to say then "you still ain't nothing Vanilla Ice" after they've just been shellacked into the turf of Baton Rouge:

(obligatory Major Wright film reference)



It may be an overly simplistic question, but tell me how many fullbacks play with that kind of ability. That run with such explosion and quickness, such vision and fluidity? I am of course not just referring to the video above, but of Hester's entire 2007 resume. If Hester is a fullback, would you please name the NFL fullback he is most comparable too? Ok, so Brian Leonard, but if you're an astute observer of the game you may remember that we're having this same discussion with Leonard last season, with even some big names like Mike Golic arguing publicly that Leonard was getting pushed into the fullback "camp" because of his race.

Despite running for more than 100 yards in his first NFL start, the jury is still out on Leonard, although by season's end it did appear that he was being used almost exclusively in the fullback mold. The question now becomes whether or not the same fate awaits Hester, who was utilized almost exclusively at the fullback position in the senior bowl, and whether or not he'll even get the opportunity to play the running back position at the next level.

Stacking Up

People really don't know how fast he is. You see him pulling away from people. I watched one defensive back get an interception, and Hester hawked the DB down. So he's not just a tough guy....If I could play running back, I'd definitely want to be him.
-OSU linebacker James Laurinaitis

Speed is everywhere. On our TV's, on the blogs, and definitely in the "war rooms" of the scouting departments. It seems like no serious college football analysis can be done anymore without throwing in a 40 time or some guys high school track record, and it definitely seems like we're being constantly subjected to one too many "he's not the fastest guy in the world" comments from the so-called experts who are supposed to be employed based off precision analysis. But my own pet-peeves aside, one of the most worn-out arguments regarding Hester is that he lacks the speed to play on the NFL level. Never mind the ambiguous nature of speed in anything other than a track meet, but Hester's 40 time (listed anywhere between a 4.49-4.60) seems comparable to a number of running backs currently in the league. Jamaal Lewis, who was fifth in the NFL in rushing during the 2007 season, ran a 4.58 out of college, while Lendale White, who rushed for over 1000 yards in 2007, ran a 4.65 coming out of college in 2005. But that's not all. Frank Gore, depending on what you read, ran anywhere from a 4.55 to 4.62, Brandon Jacobs ran in the high 4.5s, and Larry Johnson ran in the low 4.6s. The list goes on, and while it's true that some of the leagues best back have timed in the 4.4s and even 4.3s, one can't dispute the fact that there are a number of very good starting backs in the NFL who are just as fast, if not altogether slower, than Hester.

You may say speed isn't everything though, and in that regard I'd say you're certainly right. The proliferation of 40 times in all levels of the game has become a ridiculous abstraction of fans and scouts, and often proves meaningless if you're dealing with a player who's not blatantly in the open field or matched up in some one-on-one situation.

Another widely accepted claim about Hester is that he lacks the 'athleticism' to make it on the next level. Once again, never mind that the very definition of athleticism is self fulfilling- that is to say being athletic in the true sense of the word just means you're good at athletics- but even if we are to take this view into account we'd find Hester more than "athletic" enough to play in the NFL. How do I know this? Well because the NFL, for all its credentials, is not major college football, and does not rely on the same offensive principles that we increasingly highlight in the college game. There are no read-based spread option offenses in the NFL, and despite the frequency of three and four wide sets the game is far less horizontal than it's become in college. Translation? Running becomes more of a downhill practice, an exercise in vision, a quick first step, and explosion. In a league where the disparity between offensive and defensive "talent" is not as great as it is in major college football, there is still value placed on getting a consistent four yards a pop up the middle, and anyone who tells you otherwise has a mistaken understanding of the game. People say that Hester is a throwback, somehow implying that his style of aggressive downhill running (I refuse to characterize it as exclusively "in between the tackles") is inconsistent with today's NFL game. Last I checked though, guys like Jamaal Lewis and Lendale White were still running hard and with success up the middle, if I'm not completely mistaken most teams are still calling run plays designed to hit the interior gaps. It's this clear double standard which continually perplexes me. I mean, the way you heard some of these commentators describe athleticism and speed you'd think we were playing two-hand touch ultimate Frisbee, not football. So what if Hester is a throwback, a "one cut" guy who hits the hole and explodes. I still don't see the difference between that and what a guy like Lendale White does.

We can talk about quickness and vision and first steps all you want (and if there is any dispute I will gladly defend my points) but in the end it all comes back to production, and in that regard there is no disputing Jacob Hester's senior year numbers. As we've previously mentioned, Hester's 1100 yards on 4.9 yards per carry are certainly impressive to begin with, but when taken in the context they jump out at you even more. For starters, Hester did this all while sharing time with two other running backs. He also still managed to crank out 4.9 per carry even in obvious short yard situations when the defense knew he was getting the ball right up the gut. We talk about his versatility a lot, but in the wrong regard. Versatility is not meant to imply you have separate personnel packages for separate situations, rather that one guy -who can run, block, catch at a high level- can do all of that at any given time on the field. Hester is that guy, and rather than letting our understanding of 'versatility' inhibit a player's projection as an every-down type guy, we should rather let it enhance that projection.

I am not arguing that Hester is among the elite backs in this year's draft class (although I think he may be among the top 3-4 complete backs). There are at least some half a dozen backs I would draft ahead of him, with the very first one of those being the guy whose team nearly knocked LSU out of a national title. But round projection aside, there's still no good reason to slap the stereotypical label of fullback on him, even in a day and age where fullbacks are increasingly being utilized sans lead blocker in the NFL. I have set out the facts in regards to Hester, showing that both his on-the field performance and so-called "measurable" are consistent, if not better, with a decent number of starting NFL running backs. I've also diagnosed the differences in the pro and college game, and made a correlation between Hester's aggressively downhill running style and the fundamental principle of gaining yardage. Based on this information alone, it is absolutely dumbfounding to me that Hester wouldn't at least get a chance to be a feature NFL running back. Regardless of whether or not Jacob Hester gets this chance or even if he were to make the best of it, one simply cannot ignore the increasingly irrational stigma associated with the Caucasian running backs, and why all to often some are inexplicably asked to change positions at the high school level, while others are consistently downgraded by the so-called "experts." We have set a dangerous precedent for all players of all races by sizing them up with these so called "looks" tests, and done the ultimate disservice to many more by basing their ability off of archaic and stereotypical criteria. That's why when it comes to the playing running back in the NFL, I'm all for Hester.

Adam Nettina hosts the college football-centric Under Center Show every Tuesday night from 8-10 PM. Join him this week as he talks recruiting with guests from around the blogosphere.

Authored by Adam Nettina at 6:00 AM
 

Gi-15

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When will a Chris Mortensen, Len Pastabelly, Adam Shefter, Jay Glazer write an article like this one? This was a masterpiece of an article, but drunk fans won't care if it's not written by a known football "expert"...
 

Don Wassall

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And now back to the usual racist crap. Draft Daddy had a nice blurb about this one:


L.S.U. Tigers N.F.L. Draft Bio: Running back Jacob Hester


DD.comment: Did the writer in the link above really insinuate that 5' 11" and 230 pounds is too small for an N.F.L. tailback?


That's absolutely crazy. If what he suggests was true, every tailback at the Senior Bowl would be deemed to small to play in the N.F.L., as all measured Smaller than Hester in terms of height or weight.


[url]http://www.realfootball365.com/college/articles/2008/02/lsu_ tigers_nfl_draft_bio_jacob.html [/url]
 
G

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Drady Daddybotched that. Being that Jacob'sone of the bigegst backs in the draft, theoriginal author obviously wasn't insinuating that he was too smallto run the rock.Hewasstating that230 pounds and 4.63 speed weren't the stats of your prototypical HALFback, and that he's a tweener.Too big and "slow" for halfback, too small for fullback.


He showed pretty sweet speed in that Arkansas game, so I have no doubt he'll throw down a4.5 at the combine and change everyone's perception of him.
 

ToughJ.Riggins

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Here's a crap article disparaging Jacob Hester by a nobody on sportsyenta.blogspot.com by a poster named MCD:

Friday, November 23, 2007
Week 13 Picks: Free Keiland Williams!

It's hard not to feel a little bad for LSU's seniors. They sat on the bench while LSU won a national title a few years ago, and they obviously wanted one of their own. They'd already lost once as the number one team in the country this season and all they had to do Saturday was beat a struggling Arkansas team, win the SEC title game and go win their own national championship.

But it didn't work out that way, as it hasn't for most of the season for the LSU Tigers. Did we overestimate how good they were? Maybe. Are they banged up? Yes. But what really happened Friday night is the coup de grace of the Les Miles era. I'm sure he's a good guy and he's good at his job for the most part; he seems like a good motivator for his kids. However, he's a terrible game coach. He doesn't use his personnel well and he doesn't manage the clock well. The guy needs a separate assistant to make all his in-game decisions, the most egregious of which is his overuse of Jacob Hester and the criminal under-use of Keiland Williams.

Williams is only a sophomore, but he's already 226 pounds and has 4.40 speed. As a freshman, he averaged 5.7 yards per carry, despite only getting 73 carries. This year, after the Arkansas game, he has 63 carries for 424 yards. That's a 6.7 yards per carry average this season. Jacob Hester, a talented fullback, is averaging 4.95 yards per carry this season and I mentioned the key word in the last sentence: fullback. Jacob Hester is a fullback, yet Les Miles and offensive coordinator Gary Crowton seem to think he is a halfback.

I'm not saying Hester should never get the ball; he's great at getting those very tough yards for the Tigers. He also catches and blocks extremely well, but he's still just a talented fullback. Keiland Williams is exactly the kind of back that teams would kill for. The LSU offense has been lacking a big play threat all season. They've been forced to grind it out in close games because they don't have anyone that terrifies opposing defense. Except Keiland Williams, that is. If he starts, who knows how their games turn out?

This is exactly like the Oregon offense before they started using Jonathan Stewart more. Stewart is strikingly similar to Williams. They're both athletic, big backs who are clearly the best offensive players on their teams, and yet they're under appreciated. At least Stewart WAS under appreciated. I knew all along about him and it's just as obvious with Keiland Williams: the kid should be playing more. Then again, Gary Crowton is the same OC under whom Dennis Dixon and Stewart suffered last season. Pattern? I think so. Free Keiland Williams!

In other news, I'm 5 - 2 this weekend so far and now it's Rivalry Saturday!
Posted by MCD
------------------------------------------------------------ ------------


My Take: This guys an idiot. The reason Williams averaged 6.7 YPC compared to Hester's 4.9 YPC was the way they were used. Williams would come in with Hester still in the game in a duel threat backfield and then the opposition would get a little surprised when Hester ran ahead to block for Williams. Williams also was used in the option, which is a play that often produces big yards and Hester rarely was. Hester ran in a single backfield mostly without a FB blocking for him and also ran up the gut a lot in 3rd and short which reduces any players YPC. Hester grinded out the tough yards like a Jerome Bettis, but still showed the speed to occasionally bounce it to the outside.

Hester's 4.6 speed is faster than a number of RBs at this year's combine and as fast or faster than some famous or high drafted RBs in the NFL. What a loser this writer is. He must have a man crush on Keiland Williams. I guess it was too much for this tool to have to wait until Williams Jr. Year for him to get the starting job. Williams will be a starting RB in the NFL and Hester won't and Williams will become much richer than Hester. I don't know why this guy feels so bad for Williams, pathetic.Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins
 

celticdb15

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What diod hester put up for his 40 time at the combine? I saw he put up 225 24 times for bench
 

White Power

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Does any one know when Hester , Hillis and, Schmitt will have their pro days or if the have already done them then what were their numbers. I am anxious to see their numbers. I hope they all perform better than they did in the combine. Unlike the brothas they must perform better to show their athleticism. I know it sounds crazy but the caste system and those who work to it's benefit are the biggest obstacle for any WHITE football player.
 

dwid

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man i didnt realize how biased the drunk white fans are until yesterday, i am from new orleans, so naturally a saints fan so i post on a saints forum, this guy just suggested if deuce mcallister wasn't able to come back this year (coming off of multiple knee surgeries, performance has gone down) that they should draft hester to be the bruising runningback to compliment reggie bush, and they BANNED him for saying that, even though people have mentioned matt forte who played for tulane, i mean yes matt forte is black but i kind of dont mind him being as we both played at slidell high and i am a tulane fan, but he played in a lesser conference and got all the carries, not saying that he doesnt have talent but suggesting matt forte replace deuce = okay on the saints forum, suggesting hester to replace deuce = somehow ridiculous? and worthy of a ban?

edit: and now they have deleted the whole thread after i posted valid points about hester being a good halfback without sounding like a racist or an lsu homer and instead of giving me a reason as to why he isn't they just delete the whole threadEdited by: dwid
 

Colonel_Reb

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The same media that bans threads like these are part of the problem just like ESPN, Rivals, Scout, and the coaches and the recruiters that buy into the big lie. They all favor getting rid of whites and will do anything to see that through.
 

ToughJ.Riggins

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dwid said:
man i didnt realize how biased the drunk white fans are until yesterday, i am from new orleans, so naturally a saints fan so i post on a saints forum, this guy just suggested if deuce mcallister wasn't able to come back this year (coming off of multiple knee surgeries, performance has gone down) that they should draft hester to be the bruising runningback to compliment reggie bush, and they BANNED him for saying that, even though people have mentioned matt forte who played for tulane, i mean yes matt forte is black but i kind of dont mind him being as we both played at slidell high and i am a tulane fan, but he played in a lesser conference and got all the carries, not saying that he doesnt have talent but suggesting matt forte replace deuce = okay on the saints forum, suggesting hester to replace deuce = somehow ridiculous? and worthy of a ban?

edit: and now they have deleted the whole thread after i posted valid points about hester being a good halfback without sounding like a racist or an lsu homer and instead of giving me a reason as to why he isn't they just delete the whole thread

Dwid, could you give me a location for this site, so I could start a thread asking "why my friend was banned for asking a legit question." Apparently this site is some serious censorship!

I can't believe they would ban someone for starting a thread that white Jacob Hester who played for the national champs as a starting HB would be a good power RB to compliment Reggie Bush. I mean Hester's stats last year were superior to Joseph Addai's senior season at LSU. And Hester is faster than Mike Hart who is projected as a top 15 maybe even top 10 RB this draft. He was banned just for mentioning this? I guess Les Miles should be jailed than for playing a white HB!

WOW!
smiley7.gif
 
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