10-26-2005, 04:46 PM
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#1
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Diamond Member
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Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
WNBA Star Opens Up About Being Gay
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 26, 2005
Filed at 2:06 p.m. ET
NEW YORK (AP) -- Houston Comets forward Sheryl Swoopes is opening up about being a lesbian, telling a magazine that she's ''tired of having to hide my feelings about the person I care about.''
Sheryl Swoopes, honored last month as the WNBA's Most Valuable Player, told ESPN The Magazine that ''sexuality and gender don't change anyone's performance on the court."
Related Three-time MVP 'tired of having to hide my feelings' (espn.com)
Swoopes, honored last month as the WNBA's Most Valuable Player, told ESPN The Magazine for a story on newsstands Wednesday that she didn't always know she was gay and fears that coming out could jeopardize her status as a role model.
''Do I think I was born this way? No,'' Swoopes said. ''And that's probably confusing to some, because I know a lot of people believe that you are.''
Swoopes, who was married and has an 8-year-old son, said her 1999 divorce ''wasn't because I'm gay.''
She said her reason for coming out now is merely because she wants to be honest.
''It's not something that I want to throw in people's faces. I'm just at a point in my life where I'm tired of having to pretend to be somebody I'm not,'' the 34-year-old Swoopes said. ''I'm tired of having to hide my feelings about the person I care about. About the person I love.''
A release from ESPN The Magazine about the story did not disclose the identity of Swoopes' partner.
A five-time All-Star and three-time Olympic gold medalist, Swoopes is the WNBA's only three-time MVP. She played for the Comets during their run of four championships from 1997-2000, but missed the 2001 season with a knee injury.
She said her biggest worry about her revelation is that people will be afraid to look up to her.
''I don't want that to happen,'' she said. ''Being gay has nothing to do with the three gold medals or the three MVPs or the four championships I've won. I'm still the same person. I'm Sheryl.''
Swoopes led the WNBA in scoring last year, averaging 18.6 points. She also averaged 4.3 assists and 2.65 steals while making 85 percent of her free throws and playing a league-high 37.1 minutes a game.
She said it ''irritates'' her that no one talks about gays playing in men's sports, but that it's become an issue in the WNBA.
''Sexuality and gender don't change anyone's performance on the court,'' she said. ''Women play just as hard as guys do. We're just as competitive.''
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10-26-2005, 05:08 PM
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#2
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Golden Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Anyone else think that with title of this thread kiki deserves to be banned?
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10-26-2005, 05:12 PM
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#3
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 8,509
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
I believe the use of emoticons to express sarcasm is an abomination.
But I admire the instinct to censor and suppress.
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10-26-2005, 05:38 PM
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#4
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Golden Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Quote:
Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC
I believe the use of emoticons to express sarcasm is an abomination.
But I admire the instinct to censor and suppress.
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You know what I think is an abomination? Bigots.
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10-26-2005, 05:41 PM
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#5
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 8,509
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Quote:
Originally posted by: mavs413
Quote:
Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC
I believe the use of emoticons to express sarcasm is an abomination.
But I admire the instinct to censor and suppress.
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You know what I think is an abomination? Bigots.
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Good to find common ground.
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10-26-2005, 06:25 PM
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#6
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,673
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
if we had a sarcasm smiley, i'm sure kiki would have used it.
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10-26-2005, 06:39 PM
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#7
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Guru
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Cowboys Country
Posts: 23,336
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
At least she won't be taking anyone else there with her.
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10-26-2005, 07:23 PM
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#8
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Plano, Tx
Posts: 2,227
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
good for cheryl. you know this is a gutsy move. the last few hundred years we have fought for racial equality, will this millenium be sexual equality? (oohh, deep thought of the day.yess)
this makes me wonder; how would a nba player be treated if he were to openly announce that he is gay.
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10-27-2005, 12:26 AM
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#9
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Guru
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 15,241
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Quote:
Originally posted by: Ninkobei
good for cheryl. you know this is a gutsy move. the last few hundred years we have fought for racial equality, will this millenium be sexual equality? (oohh, deep thought of the day.yess)
this makes me wonder; how would a nba player be treated if he were to openly announce that he is gay.
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TAW?
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10-26-2005, 07:42 PM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 16,054
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Perhaps if there were more lesbians in the WBNA the quality of play would pick up.
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10-26-2005, 08:39 PM
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#11
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Platinum Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Plano, Tx
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
depends on what type of play you mean, bay.
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10-26-2005, 09:53 PM
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#12
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Banned
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Carpet munchers are people too. [img]i/expressions/moon.gif[/img]
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10-26-2005, 09:57 PM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 16,054
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Swoopes is one the best women basketball players ever. I don't see what her sexuality makes a difference.
But if it does make a difference, perhaps others should change their sexuality too.
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10-26-2005, 11:50 PM
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#14
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Banned
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Nowhere
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Bayliss- if you feel that engorging yourself in a sausagefest will improve your game go for it.
Methinks I'll keep the bad jumpshot.
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10-27-2005, 01:10 AM
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#15
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Hippie Hollow
Posts: 3,128
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Nice try alby, but gay doesn't always mean french.
Oddly enough though - french does always mean gay.
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Back up in your ass with the resurrection.
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10-27-2005, 01:18 AM
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#16
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Guru
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Denton, TX
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Now if only I gave a rat's ass about the WNBA and women's basketball in general... I'm sorry, I really am sorry, but I honestly don't care.
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10-27-2005, 10:35 AM
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#17
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Guru
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 15,241
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Quote:
Originally posted by: capitalcity
Nice try alby, but gay doesn't always mean french.
Oddly enough though - french does always mean gay.
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[img]i/expressions/anim_laugh.gif[/img]
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10-28-2005, 08:54 AM
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#18
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Troll Hunter
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Sports Heaven!
Posts: 9,898
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Quote:
Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell
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She'll have the company of Mr. Sulu.
__________________
"I don't know what went wrong," said guard Thabo Sefolosha. "It's hard to talk about it."
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10-28-2005, 09:28 AM
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#19
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 8,509
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Quote:
Originally posted by: mary
Quote:
Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell
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She'll have the company of Mr. Sulu.
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Warp speed.
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10-28-2005, 10:22 AM
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#20
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 5,913
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
I think we're used to reading about lesbian athletes. Martina Navratalova, Billie Jean King, etc... This isn't going to register more than a blip on the national conciousness.
It will be a real story when a male athlete comes out of the closet. That will be interesting to watch.
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10-28-2005, 11:08 AM
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#21
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 8,509
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
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10-28-2005, 12:04 PM
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#22
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 5,913
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Oh yeah.. I forgot about Carl Lewis. Is he officially out of the closet? Greg Luganis is another high profile guy who came out. But in both cases they were retired... right? It takes a hell of a lot of courage to come out while you're still playing. Can you image what kinds of things would be said/done to an NBA player? I mean, look at all the crap Doug Christie takes simply for being p-whipped.
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10-28-2005, 12:18 PM
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#23
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Troll Hunter
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Sports Heaven!
Posts: 9,898
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
I don't think an active male athlete has ever come out of the closet. Even if a runner, or swimmer, or maybe a golfer came out of the closet, it wouldn't have the same dynamic as if someone came out that participated in a more team-oriented sport.
I did hear something last year about a minor league baseball player (from Japan) who had been in a gay porn flick. But my memory is too fuzzy to recall the details of that. I don't really think that counts.
Carl Lewis is gay?
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"I don't know what went wrong," said guard Thabo Sefolosha. "It's hard to talk about it."
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10-28-2005, 02:05 PM
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#24
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Diamond Member
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 8,625
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Naw Carl hasn't admitted being out of the closet yet lol. But he doesn't have to because its pretty much a given lol.
I'm shocked by this though. I won't look at her at any differently but before this news came out I thought she was one of the women in the WNBA who was more feminine. Not really a tomboy. I guess it was because she had a baby not too long ago.
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1996-2005
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10-28-2005, 04:47 PM
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#25
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Banned
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
There was one mlb player who came out in his playing days but he was a scrub. I can't remember his name though.
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10-28-2005, 08:37 PM
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#26
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Diamond Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 6,655
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
What's all this you're telling me about? <u>W</u>NBA? What?
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Let's go Mavs!
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10-28-2005, 09:31 PM
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#27
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Golden Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Quote:
Originally posted by: Drbio
There was one mlb player who came out in his playing days but he was a scrub. I can't remember his name though.
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Billy Bean
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10-29-2005, 03:09 AM
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#28
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 842
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
if hell consist of basketball playing lesbians count me in
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bring mike miller
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10-29-2005, 11:35 AM
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#29
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Guru
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 40,410
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Oh my goodnesss.....how could this be??? I thought every gay person was born this way, not created???
Quote:
''Do I think I was born this way? No,'' Swoopes said. ''And that's probably confusing to some, because I know a lot of people believe that you are.''
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__________________
"Yankees fans who say “flags fly forever’’ are right, you never lose that. It reinforces all the good things about being a fan. ... It’s black and white. You (the Mavs) won a title. That’s it and no one can say s--- about it.’’
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10-31-2005, 09:51 AM
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#30
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Banned
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Nowhere
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RE: Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Well...at least she is thinking "outside the box".
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10-31-2005, 10:06 AM
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#31
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Troll Hunter
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Sports Heaven!
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RE:Cheryl Swopes Headed Straight to Hell.
Quote:
Originally posted by: Drbio
Well...at least she is thinking "outside the box".
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[img]i/expressions/anim_laugh.gif[/img]
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"I don't know what went wrong," said guard Thabo Sefolosha. "It's hard to talk about it."
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